Warriors To Retire Andre Iguodala’s Jersey
The Warriors are retiring Andre Iguodala‘s No. 9 jersey, according to a team press release. Golden State will hold the ceremony following its afternoon game against the Mavericks on Feb. 23.
Iguodala will be the seventh Warrior to have his jersey retired, joining Alvin Attles (No. 16), Rick Barry (24), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Tom Meschery (14), Chris Mullin (17) and Nate Thurmond (42).
Iguodala was a member of Golden State’s four championship teams in this century and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 NBA Finals. He averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest in that six-game series against Cleveland.
The defensive ace made 452 career regular season appearances (84 starts) with the Warriors, averaging 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.0 minutes per game over eight seasons (2013-19, 2021-23). Iguodala appeared in 111 playoff games (40 starts) with Golden State, averaging 8.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 28.5 MPG.
Iguodala was 30 years old and entering his 10th season when he joined the Warriors as a free agent.
“I never had been outside the second round,” Iguodala told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Neither had the Warriors since the ’70s. We were fresh off that ‘not one, not two, not three’ quote (from LeBron James when he joined Miami). So you’re careful with how you’re speaking towards it. I didn’t know because I’d never been there. It was just, I don’t know, intuition. But I didn’t think it would be four. I didn’t think it would be jersey retirements.”
Iguodala praised Stephen Curry for allowing him to reach those heights.
“I can properly assess my career, so I don’t need validation,” Iguodala said. “But I’m taking this one: I think I was the first one to realize how I can extend my career playing with Steph Curry … I hate making headlines. Don’t take it out of (context). Kevin Durant is the most talented basketball player I’ve ever seen. I’m including Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is the best, but I’m talking about talent. Nobody’s better than Kevin Durant. But without Stephen Curry, nobody’s jersey is going in the rafters.”
As Slater points out, Curry, Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will assuredly have their numbers retired by the organization after they wrap up their playing careers. Iguodala officially retired after the 2022/23 season. He’s currently the executive director of the NBA Players Association.
Pacific Notes: Curry, Fox, Richards, Dunn
Stephen Curry has a right thumb injury, but the Warriors superstar won’t use that as an excuse for his recent subpar shooting, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Curry missed all eight of his second-half field goal attempts in a loss to the Lakers on Saturday. He’s averaging 16.5 points per game over his last four outings.
“It sucks, but it’s not an excuse for anything,” Curry said. “Got to play through it. I went 8-for-8 with it [against the Sixers). It’s just something that has been lingering to the point that it gets hit every once in a while. It’s one of those things. It is almost gone, and then it gets knocked again. I will deal with it, but it shouldn’t bother me like it did (Saturday).”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- De’Aaron Fox has a sprained right thumb but, like Curry, the Kings guard says he can play through it. Fox went 6-of-20 against the Knicks on Saturday and has shot 32% from the field over his last six games. “People can make up the excuse they want,” he said, per Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “Sometimes you just don’t play well. I’m just missing shots. That’s the way the game goes sometimes.”
- In his fourth game since being acquired by the Suns, Nick Richards had a 20-point, 19-rebound outing against Washington on Saturday. “I’m just taking full advantage of it,” Richards said of his opportunity to be Phoenix’s starting center, per a tweet from PHNX Sports (video link). “It was a great time in Charlotte, I had the most amazing time with some of the best people in the world. But I’m here right now, and I’m taking full advantage of every single thing that the Suns are giving me.”
- Suns rookie forward Ryan Dunn won’t play on Monday against the Clippers. He’s listed as out due to a left ankle sprain, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets. Dunn, who has started 24 games, played just two minutes against the Wizards before suffering the injury.
Community Shootaround: Jusuf Nurkic
The focus on the Suns in recent weeks has centered on their pursuit of Jimmy Butler and whether they can convince Bradley Beal to waive his no-trade clause.
However, the Suns also have another issue to deal with – what to do with center Jusuf Nurkic. The former starter has been exiled to the end of the bench and he’s not happy about it.
Nurkic was removed from the starting lineup earlier this month and Phoenix’s acquisition of Nick Richards cemented his diminished role. Richards has already made a positive impact, jumping into the starting lineup and producing a 20-point, 19-rebound game against Washington on Saturday. His +10.1 net rating through four games is the best mark of any Suns player.
Meanwhile, Nurkic hasn’t seen the court since Jan. 7. He was made inactive for awhile, missing six games due to an illness and return-to-play reconditioning, but now he’s just languishing at the end of the depth chart.
Nurkic was acquired from Portland prior to last season to essentially replace Deandre Ayton, who never lived up to his billing as a No. 1 overall pick. The Suns shed Ayton’s four-year, $133MM contract in the process. Nurkic’s contract isn’t nearly as onerous but now it’s become an albatross.
Nurkic, who is making more than $18MM in 2024/25, has one year and $19.375MM remaining on his deal after this season. He’s an excellent rebounder, passer and screener but his overall game has holes. He’s often a liability on defense, can’t stretch defenses and also has trouble finishing at the rim.
Moreover, it’s an uneasy situation for a team with high aspirations. Nurkic says he has no relationship with head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic is also well aware that the Suns’ salary cap issues – they’re well over the second tax apron – makes it difficult to trade him.
Still, Phoenix is trying to do just that. The Suns sent their unprotected 2031 first-rounder to Utah this week in exchange for three less desirable first-rounders. It’s likely they’ll try to use those picks to pull off a blockbuster, but splitting that ’31 first-rounder into three separate picks gives them the option of using one of them to sweeten a potential Nurkic salary dump.
If they fail to trade Nurkic, a buyout agreement could be an option. The veteran big man would have incentive to leave some money on the table in order to pursue another NBA opportunity. However, he wouldn’t be eligible to sign with a team operating above the first apron and the Suns would lose the ability to try again to trade him during the offseason in order to turn his salary slot into one or more new players.
Even if the Suns were to use the stretch provision to spread out Nurkic’s 2025/26 salary across three seasons, it wouldn’t materially affect their cap situation, since they’d still project to be in second apron territory next season. It would reduce what figures to be a massive ’25/26 tax bill, but would also add salary to future years.
That brings us to today’s topic: Will the Suns be able to trade Nurkic prior to next month’s deadline? Will they end up buying him out or waiving him? Or will they keep him on the roster and try to deal him in the offseason when his then expiring contract may be more valuable to potential suitors?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Jazz Insert Isaiah Collier At Point Guard
The Jazz and head coach Will Hardy made a notable lineup change on Saturday, inserting rookie Isaiah Collier at point guard and benching Keyonte George. As Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune notes, George had started every game since the middle of his rookie campaign last year.
After a promising rookie year in which he earned All-Rookie Second Team honors, George has endured a sophomore slump. While his per-game stats have generally risen, the second-year guard hasn’t been able to elevate his teammates. Utah has won just 10 games after contending for a play-in spot last season.
George, the 16th pick of the 2023 draft, is averaging 16.2 points and 5.8 assists in 31.6 minutes per game but is shooting just 38.4% from the field. Collier, the 29th pick of last season’s draft, is more adept at pushing the pace and initiating the offense than George and has also played better on the defensive side.
However, Collier is more turnover prone (2.6 in 21.3 minutes per game) and has also struggled with his shooting (35.2% from the floor).
How long the switch lasts depends on the performance of Collier and the team’s fortunes with him as the floor leader. In his first start, he had eight points, eight assists and four turnovers in 33 minutes in a 22-point loss to Memphis. He also committed five fouls. He has started 10 games, as George missed 10 games due to ankle and heel injuries.
George played the same number of minutes as Collier and contributed eight points and seven assists but had a miserable shooting night, going 3-for-15 from the field.
Mavericks Sign Kylor Kelley To Two-Way Deal, Waive Gortman
In need of another big man due to injuries, the Mavericks have added center Kylor Kelley on a two-way deal and waived guard Jazian Gortman, the team tweets.
Kelley joins Dallas after spending this season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers, where he appeared in nine regular season games (seven starts) and averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. In 14 Tip-off Tournament games for South Bay, he averaged 12.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.6 APG and 2.9 BPG in 13 starts.
The seven-footer was on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers during training camp but was waived prior to the start of the regular season.
Kelley spent the 2023/24 season with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s affiliate, and earned NBAGL All-Defensive honors after averaging a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game in 29 regular season appearances (22.0 MPG). Kelley, 26, also contributed 7.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.
Dallas’ frontcourt depth has been ravaged by a spate of injuries. Maxi Kleber suffered a broken right foot on Saturday. The team announced Wednesday that Dereck Lively suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be reevaluated in four weeks. Dwight Powell is dealing with a strained right hip that has kept him out of action since January 17.
Gortman originally signed with Dallas on July 10, and had his contract converted to a two-way deal on Oct. 18. He appeared in 16 games for the Mavericks this season, averaging 1.5 points in 3.6 minutes per night.
Gortman also saw action in 12 total games, all starts, for the Mavericks’ G League team, the Texas Legends. In five regular season outings for the Legends this year, he averaged 21.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 7.2 APG and 1.6 SPG.
Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Irving, Hart, George
Winning a championship last season has affected the Celtics’ killer instinct, center Kristaps Porzingis admits. Porzingis made his comments after Boston’s win over Dallas on Saturday.
“We were a lion last season, and some games this year we’ve looked like a house cat,” Porzingis said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “We want to have that spirit as a team this year, and it’s tough. Obviously we can’t trick ourselves and make it [like] it’s playoffs every game. It’s tough, just human nature. But we know the group that we have and we know that we’re going to bring it to the big games, but we need to bring it consistently and keep building on top of good wins like (Saturday).”
Boston has gone 11-9 over its last 20 games.
“We’re definitely working towards getting our killer instinct back,” Porzingis said. “We want to have that. Some moments we’ve looked really good, some moments not so good. Some moments we’ve cruised a little bit.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Kyrie Irving had a tumultuous stint in Boston before departing in free agency in 2019 but he has nothing but praise for the current version of the Celtics, according to Brian Robb of Masslive.com. “Everyone kind of criticizes them based on what their season is this year, but if you look at their first 42 games, it’s pretty similar compared to last year,” the Mavericks guard said. “Maybe two years off. This is a well coached basketball team.”
- Josh Hart was considered a game-time decision on Saturday due to knee soreness. The Knicks forward wound up posting his sixth triple-double this season with 20 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists as New York blew out the Kings. Hart never had a triple-double before he joined the Knicks in 2022, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. “I think that’s a lot of credit to Thomas Thibodeau,” Hart said. “And him putting me in a position to be successful. I think it’s always a good combination when you have a coach and player who match each other’s craziness. So I gotta give him all the credit for the success I’m having since I’ve been here.”
- Paul George has dealt with numerous injuries in his first season with the Sixers, the latest being a finger ailment suffered on Saturday. “You feel bad for him,” guard Tyrese Maxey told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, “especially because now you think he’s finding his rhythm, kind of finding his niche where he fits in with the offense.”
Atlantic Notes: Springer, Brown, Raptors Trade Prospects, Johnson
Celtics guard Jaden Springer is considered a prime trade candidate for a team looking to reduce its luxury tax bill. Springer may have enhanced his value with a rare chance to play extended minutes against the Clippers on Wednesday. He had six points and tied a career-high with four steals in a season-high 20 minutes, Brian Robb of Masslive.com notes.
“He’s just got an innate skill to impact the game with his physicality, his defense, and I thought that’s what the game needed at the time,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I think it’s one of the best things you can do in this league is to just deliver when your name is called, regardless of when it is. So it’s a credit to him and the work ethic that he has. I thought it was his defense, his physicality, his presence changed the game for us.”
Springer, who is making $4MM, will be eligible for restricted free agency after this season, though at this point he seems unlikely to earn a qualifying offer.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is battling through an ankle injury, among other ailments, Robb writes. “Just pushing through,” Brown said. “I think this is definitely the rougher part, physically, during the season. I got some injuries and things like that. But I try to make myself available every night. I’ll make no excuses. But it is what it is. I’m a little beat up. But I’ll be ready tomorrow.” Boston is in the midst of a stretch in which it plays 10 games in 17 days.
- The Raptors are well positioned to garner some assets prior to the trade deadline, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. They are $10MM below the luxury tax line and haven’t used their mid-level exception. They have made it known they’re willing to facilitate trades and there doesn’t appear to be any players beyond Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick that they consider untouchable. We passed along a few more Raptors-related notes and rumors earlier today.
- Cameron Johnson is trying to tune out all the trade chatter surrounding him, as he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Keep my head down. I just try to emotionally disconnect from that,” the Nets forward said. “I have to, for the sake of myself, and invest all that energy into the present and to the team that we have. No matter what happens, the Nets have invested a lot of resources in trying to make me a better player. So my job is to compete for the city, for this team, for this organization, for my teammates.” Johnson has missed eight of the last 11 games due to an ankle injury.
Pacific Notes: Durant, Leonard, Zubac, Post, Schroder, Hield
The Suns’ pursuit of Jimmy Butler has been big news for weeks in NBA circles. They also acquired center Nick Richards last week and made a draft-pick trade with Utah this week, seemingly with an eye toward additional deals.
The best thing the Phoenix players can do is tune out all the trade chatter, Kevin Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
“It’s just a part of the game now,” Durant said. “We know it’s important. The locker room is sacred. The bus is sacred. Hotel, walkthrough, all that stuff is sacred. It’s stuff we don’t talk about. It’s a brotherhood in here, but we know the noise is going to always be going on around us. As much as we can bunker down and focus on one another, the better we are as a group.
“It’s a business, though. We understand it’s a business. Anything can happen in this business. We traded one our brothers, Josh (Okogie) to Charlotte and that happened pretty quickly. We’ve just got to focus on in one one another and keep grinding.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers almost defeated the Celtics without four of their starters on Wednesday. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac all sat out, yet they took the Celtics to overtime (story via The Associated Press). Leonard sat out due to right knee injury management but he has shown flashes of his old self in recent games. He scored 19 efficient points in 24-plus minutes against the Lakers on Sunday. “I’m happy with the progress,” Leonard told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “For me, it’s just about how I’m feeling and I’m coming out of the games feeling great. But I still got work to do and we’re going to keep taking each step.”
- Zubac, who missed Wednesday’s game due to an eye injury, is averaging a career-best 15.0 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He’s been a steadying force with Leonard sidelined most of the season. “I’ve been confident in my game. I always knew what I could do. It was just not my role (previously),” Zubac told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.
- Warriors two-way player Quinten Post got some court time on Wednesday, contributing five points and six rebounds in 15 minutes, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. Coach Steve Kerr says he’ll continue to hunt opportunities to play Post, as he gives the offense a different look with his ability to help spread the floor. Kerr moved Dennis Schröder to the bench in favor of Buddy Hield, who contributed 17 points in 25 minutes. Schröder, who had started in his first 17 games since being acquired from Brooklyn, had seven points and five assists in 21 minutes. Kerr wants Schröder on the floor when Stephen Curry is getting a rest and also likes the chemistry between Curry and Hield, Youngmisuk adds in another tweet.
Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, France Trip, Pelicans, Green, Mavs
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama will play two games in his native France this week against the Pacers. It’s an opportunity he doesn’t take lightly, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes.
“There are a lot of emotions, seeing familiar people, whether from the club or even from the city,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a bit like two worlds meeting. It’s special, you don’t expect that in a career. It’s a bit my way of making people happy who will never have the opportunity to go to the United States. It’s very important to me.”
The Spurs already had a connection to France with Tony Parker playing most of his career in San Antonio, and Boris Diaw playing four-and-a-half seasons there, The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds notes.
“We have a long history with France for obvious reasons in many ways. So, it’s just another milestone or opportunity, I think, to probably strengthen that bond or connection,” Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson said. “Very cool for Vic. Obviously, he just got done in the Olympics as well.”
The games will be played on Thursday and Saturday.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans staged their biggest comeback in franchise history, rallying from a 25-point deficit to upend Utah in overtime on Monday night. CJ McCollum led the way with 45 points, including 24 during the fourth quarter and overtime. “Coach (Willie Green) just challenged us to be more disciplined, to be more engaged, to be more aggressive and assertive,” McCollum told Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
- Pelicans wing Javonte Green is playing on a one-year, minimum-salary contract and he’s reportedly drawing some interest around the league. Green is averaging 6.0 points in 21.8 minutes per game in 39 appearances, including 15 starts. The veteran swingman doesn’t take a lot of shots, instead he focuses on the underrated aspects of the game. “I’m just trying to go out there and try to win, make winning plays, play as hard as I can, and just be a professional. I want to do the things that got me here,” Green told Grant Afseth of RG.org. “I have to continue doing that.”
- The Mavericks offered a lengthy injury report heading into their game against Minnesota on Wednesday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets. Klay Thompson (left ankle sprain), Dereck Lively (right ankle sprain), Naji Marshall (illness) and Quentin Grimes (back spasms) are listed as questionable. Four other players are listed as out.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Curry, Green, Sabonis, Beal, Nurkic
The Warriors endured a 40-point beatdown at the hands of the Celtics on their home floor on Monday and they admit that the 2022 Finals, in which they defeated Boston, feels like ancient history, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.
“Yeah, we have an entirely different roster pretty much, obviously,” Stephen Curry said. “Especially without Draymond [Green] out there (due to injury). But you look [at what] they have, besides [Kristaps] Porzingis, they have pretty much the whole rotation still, and they are the defending champs. So, they’re coming in with a level of confidence and swagger about ’em, and it’s the exact opposite of what we have right now. So yeah, obviously great memories, but definitely feels like a long time ago.”
“Seems like an eternity ago,” Warriors center Kevon Looney added. “We have had a lot of iterations of the team since then. Each season brings on a new challenge. That year seems further and further away. But hopefully, we can get back to that feeling of being a champion. But we got a long way to go.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Is it time for the Warriors to hit the reset button? Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo.com endorses that approach, saying they should look to deal Curry and Green while they still have a lot of value. O’Connor explores a number of trade possibilities involving Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, the Lakers and Orlando to demonstrate what the return could be for each player.
- Domantas Sabonis has knocked down 48.4 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, far above his 34.9 percent career average. The Kings big man told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee that he has gradually developed his long-range game. “It’s something I’ve been working on ever since I started playing basketball,” Sabonis said. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to keep doing it one summer, another offseason, another offseason. You just hope at one point you’re going to break through, and so far this year it’s been going in, so I’ve just got to keep sticking with it and shooting with confidence.”
- The Suns list Bradley Beal as questionable to play against the Nets on Wednesday due to a left ankle sprain (Twitter link). Beal returned to action on Monday at Cleveland after a two-game absence but contributed just five points and four assists in 25 minutes. Jusuf Nurkic, who last played on January 7, remains out due to “return to competition reconditioning.”