Johnny Davis Joins G League Westchester Knicks
Former lottery pick Johnny Davis has signed an NBA G League contract and was claimed off waivers by the Westchester Knicks, the team announced in a press release.
Davis will attempt to rebuild his career in the G League after a disappointing two-and-a-half seasons with Washington. The No. 10 overall pick in 2022, he made 112 total appearances with the Wizards, averaging 3.5 points per game.
The 23-year-old was dealt just prior to the trade deadline to Memphis as part of a three-team transaction. He didn’t play a game with Memphis and the Grizzlies waived him on Feb. 21.
Davis appeared in 28 games as a rookie and 50 more last season, including six starts. In his third season, the 6’5″ guard was a marginal rotation player. He played in 34 games, posting 2.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.4 steals over 7.1 minutes per night.
He moved up the draft boards during his sophomore season at Wisconsin, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors while averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals over 34.2 minutes per game.
Celtics Waive Anton Watson
The Celtics have waived two-way player Anton Watson, the team’s PR department tweets.
Watson, a rookie forward selected with the No. 54 pick in last year’s draft, signed his two-way contract in August. He has yet to make his NBA regular season debut.
Watson has appeared in a total of 37 games (34 starts) for the NBA G League’s Maine Celtics, including his Tip-Off Tournament and regular season appearances. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.9 minutes per game.
Watson, 24, played five seasons at Gonzaga and averaged career highs of 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.
This opens the door for the Celtics to add another two-way player prior to the March 4 signing deadline. Drew Peterson and JD Davison hold the other two-way slots. Boston also has an open spot on its standard 15-man roster.
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Suspended For One Game
2:05 pm: The NBA has officially confirmed in a press release (via Twitter) that Edwards has been suspended for one game. He’ll serve the one-game ban on Friday when the Timberwolves visit Utah.
9:17 am: Anthony Edwards was ejected after picking up two technical fouls on Thursday and now faces an automatic one-game league suspension when Minnesota faces Utah tonight. The Timberwolves star guard has reached the 16-technical threshold, unless the league rescinds one of the two he collected in the loss to the Lakers.
Edwards and Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt were called for double technical fouls when they exchanged shoves at the end of the first quarter. Edwards’ second technical occurred during the third quarter when he complained about a no-call.
“{Edwards] was issued his second unsportsmanlike technical foul for directing profanity towards a game official,” crew chief James Williams told a pool reporter, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
According to ESPN Research, the Timberwolves star is the first player to receive 16 technical fouls before March since DeMarcus Cousins during the 2016/17 season. His coach believes Edwards has to learn to control himself.
“He’s got to be better,” Chris Finch said. “He’s had too many outbursts. I think a lot of them are deserved. They’re going to miss some calls from time to time for sure, so he’s got to be better. We’ve been talking to him about it, so it’s on him.”
Edwards tossed the ball into the stands after his ejection, which will likely lead to another league fine. He has already accrued $285K in fines for five separate infractions this season, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski notes.
Edwards will be suspended an additional game for every two technical fouls he receives going forward for the rest of the year. Point guard Mike Conley believes Edwards isn’t the only player on the team guilty of being overly reactive.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who get emotional when things don’t go the right way, individually. And that can hurt our team as a whole,” he said. “We have to be better. Ant has to be better. He knows that.”
Pacific Notes: Booker, Durant, Curry, Kuminga, Clippers
The Suns dropped five games below .500 with a loss to the Pelicans on Thursday. Devin Booker expressed his frustration after Phoenix lost for the 10th time in 12 games.
“Skipping over the details and always taking the ‘get ’em next game’ mentality,” Booker said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “At some point, you got to draw a line and should’ve been drawn a long time ago.”
Kevin Durant was also exasperated but chose his words carefully.
“I don’t want to say the wrong thing and people take it out of context. So I’m just going to agree that we got to be better,” he said.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Stephen Curry had a magical night against the Magic on Thursday, pouring in 56 points, including a dozen 3-pointers. Curry reached the 50-point mark for the 14th time in his career. Warriors coach Steve Kerr feels Curry has been energized by the Jimmy Butler trade, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “He’s the one that keeps using the term ‘meaningful basketball,’” Kerr said. “Which I love. It’s so eloquent and humble. Steph just wants to play meaningful basketball. You can see we’re now in the fight, in the mix. This is what Steph loves. As great a player and shooter as he is, his competitiveness is probably his most underrated quality. He was dying to be back in the mix. Now we’re back in the mix. He’s energized by that.”
- Jonathan Kuminga has gone through three scrimmages, including one full-court scrimmage, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. However, Kuminga’s return isn’t imminent, according to Kerr, as the Warriors are playing it cautious with their young forward. Kuminga hasn’t played since Jan. 4 due to an ankle injury.
- The Clippers are suffering from chemistry issues due to a number of factors, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. They were in a good flow earlier in the season but roster moves and injuries have disrupted the rotation. They are 4-6 this month, with a pair of three-game losing streaks.
Mavs Inquired About Anthony Edwards Before Trading Doncic To Lakers
The Lakers were not the only team that Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison reached out to regarding a possible Luka Doncic trade. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Mavericks had informal discussions with the Timberwolves regarding a possible Doncic-Anthony Edwards swap in the weeks leading up to the blockbuster deal with Los Angeles.
Those discussions didn’t go anywhere because Minnesota had no interest in trading its All-Star guard. However, the Timberwolves brass was stunned that Dallas was even considering the idea of trading Doncic, sources tell Amick.
From a salary standpoint, the numbers would have matched up pretty neatly — Doncic is making $43MM this season and Edwards is pulling in $42.2MM. Edwards is in the first year of a five-year, max extension that currently adds up to $244.6MM. Recall that the main motivation for Dallas to trade Doncic is that the front office didn’t want to give him a five-year, super-max extension worth a projected $345MM.
Had the Timberwolves been willing to trade Edwards for Doncic, the two franchises would have essentially swapped superstars entering or in their prime. Edwards is still just 23 years old, while Doncic is 26.
Instead, the centerpiece of the package the Mavs received was 31-year old big man Anthony Davis, an oft-injured perennial All-Star who suffered an adductor strain in his Dallas debut and has yet to return. The deal has been extremely unpopular with Mavericks fans but they might have had a different reaction if the team essentially replaced one high-scoring play-maker with a younger one.
Thus far, the Lakers are 4-2 in the games that Doncic has played since the trade, including a 111-102 win over the Timberwolves on Thursday.
Central Notes: Pistons, Beasley, Haliburton, Giannis, Jackson
The Pistons delivered a statement victory on Wednesday, defeating the Celtics — who entered with a six-game winning streak — by 20 points. Detroit has won eight straight, its longest streak since the 2007/08 season.
“We knew this was going to be a tough challenge for us, but we’re just focused on the process of it all,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “We’re not looking past tonight or at what we’ve done in the past. The only thing we’re focusing on is every single night trying to be the best version of ourselves and tonight I think we were pretty close.”
Malik Beasley, a free agent after the season, continued to provide a huge boost off the bench with 26 points in 22 minutes.
“That shot-making ability just lifts people up,” Bickerstaff said. “When he’s hot and that ball’s in the air, you can tell when the ball leaves his hands and is taking the crowd’s breath away.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Tyrese Haliburton looks rejuvenated after some rest and relaxation during the All-Star break, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. Over the last four games, the Pacers guard is averaging 25.8 points per game on 63.2% shooting, including 52.6% of his 3-point attempts. He’s also averaging 11.8 assists during that stretch, compared to just 1.0 turnover per game. “I’m just playing free, having fun,” Haliburton said. “It always helps to see the first one go in. You just kind of react from there. I just thought I did a good job of staying aggressive all night, doing what was needed.”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo was yanked to the floor via a hard foul by Houston’s Amen Thompson Tuesday night but the Bucks superstar said he had “no hard feelings” toward the Rockets‘ wing, according to Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press. Thompson was ejected after an officials’ review. “At the end of the day like you don’t wanna have a league that’s soft,” Antetokounmpo said. “I love guys that play hard. I love guys that they’re great competitors. I’m one of those guys. Sometimes your competitive nature gets in the way (of) making the best decision, the best judgment at the time. And I feel like he wanted to make it a hard foul, but he grabbed my neck.”
- Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. has seen his minutes shrink this month and coach Doc Rivers indicated that roster moves are the reason, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “Midseason trade. We brought in other guys that I think fill his role,” Rivers said. “His numbers were not great, with Giannis on the floor, those two guys together.”
Sixers Guard Eric Gordon Undergoes Wrist Surgery
February 27: Gordon will be reevaluated in approximately three months after undergoing the surgery, the Sixers announced today (via Twitter). Given where Philadelphia is in the standings, it’s safe to assume Gordon’s season is over.
February 26: Head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that Gordon underwent successful wrist surgery today, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). An update on Gordon’s status will be provided in the coming days.
February 25: Sixers veteran guard Eric Gordon will undergo surgery on his right wrist on Wednesday, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets. No timetable for his recovery has been announced.
Gordon has been out since February 9 due to what the team had called a sprained right wrist. Gordon consulted with multiple specialists before the decision to have surgery was made.
It’s another dose of bad news in a disastrous season for the Sixers, who have lost eight straight to drop 17 games below .500. Gordon, 36, has averaged 6.8 points and 1.7 assists in 19.7 minutes per game while making 39 appearances (13 starts).
Gordon signed a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Sixers last summer. He holds a $3,468,960 option on his contract for next season. Considering his health status, Gordon may be more inclined to exercise that option before free agency.
Gordon’s injury was one of the reasons why the Sixers recently signed Lonnie Walker.
Knicks Notes: Roster Candidates, Anunoby, Bridges, Hukporti
The Knicks can add a free agent via a prorated veteran’s minimum contract while remaining below their hard cap as early as Friday. They have an open roster spot, though as a first-apron team, they can’t sign a player who made more than $12.8MM before being bought out.
Noting that there are few notable options on the buyout market this winter, The Athletic’s James Edwards III takes a closer look at the players who fit the bill, plus several other free agents who might make sense for New York. He identifies T.J. Warren, Chuma Okeke, Chris Duarte, Christian Wood and Josh Richardson as potential targets, with Warren and Okeke topping the list since both are playing for the Westchester Knicks, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.
We have more on the Knicks:
- The Knicks made two major trades to acquire forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, then gave Anunoby a huge contract in free agency. However, those investments are not paying off against the league’s elite, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. In a combined seven losses to Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City, Anunoby is averaging 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game while shooting 39% overall and 24% on three-point tries. In those same games, Bridges is averaging 14 points and two rebounds in 34 minutes while shooting 44% overall and 28% on threes.
- Ariel Hukporti made his first start on Wednesday with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined. Hukporti didn’t finish the game, exiting in the second half with a sprained left knee, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. The rookie big man had eight points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. “I thought Ariel gave us good minutes,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s a young guy who’s learning and getting better.” Hukporti was promoted to a standard contract in early November after originally being signed to a two-way deal.
- In case you missed it, there’s reportedly optimism that center Mitchell Robinson will make his season debut as soon as this weekend. Get the details here.
Pelicans Sign Brandon Boston To Standard Contract, Jalen Crutcher To Two-Way
February 26: Boston’s standard contract and Crutcher’s two-way deal are now official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.
February 25: The Pelicans are converting Brandon Boston Jr.‘s two-way deal into a two-year standard contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. They’ll fill their newly opened two-way slot by signing Jalen Crutcher, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
New Orleans needed to fill a roster spot after buying out Javonte Green. That dropped the team’s roster count to 13 players, one below the limit. It came as no surprise that Boston received a standard deal.
Boston has already appeared in 42 games, eight shy of the limit for a two-way player, including 10 starts. He’s averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23.6 minutes per night.
Boston, who missed Tuesday’s game against San Antonio due to a left ankle sprain and non-COVID illness, has only appeared in one game this month as he recovers from that ankle injury. He spent his first three seasons with the Clippers after being a late second-round pick in 2021. New Orleans claimed Boston during the preseason after the Spurs waived him.
Crutcher has averaged 18.1 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ NBA G League affiliate.
Since going undrafted out of Dayton in 2021, Crutcher has spent pro career in the G League, including two with the Greensboro Swarm as well as last season with the Squadron.
Crutcher had a 10-day contract with the Pelicans last February. He appeared in one game for the team, making his NBA debut last Feb. 27.
Nets’ Claxton Suspended For Wednesday’s Game
Nets center Nic Claxton has been suspended one game without pay for accruing his sixth Flagrant Foul point, the league announced in a press release.
Claxton, who entered Monday’s game against the Wizards with five Flagrant Foul points, received a Flagrant Foul 1 in the fourth quarter. He will serve his suspension on Wednesday when the Nets host the Thunder.
It’s bad timing, as the Nets will have a much more difficult time keeping Oklahoma City’s big man duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein under control.
Claxton put himself in danger of receiving a suspension by getting ejected twice for Flagrant Two fouls against the Magic’s Franz Wagner and the Hawks’ Dyson Daniels, Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com notes. He’ll continue to be suspended for a game or two if he picks up additional flagrants.
Claxton is averaging 10.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this season. He has averaged 3.1 blocks over the last 10 games.