Antetokounmpo Leaves Game Four With Knee Injury
Giannis Antetokounmpo left Game Four of the Bucks‘ series with the Hawks in the third quarter after injuring his left knee. He did not return to the game.
The initial diagnosis is a hyperextended knee, according to the Bucks, but more tests are likely to come to determine the extent of the injury and a potential return timeline.
Antetokounmpo had to be carried off the court by his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo before walking the rest of the way himself. He initially returned to the bench before heading back to the locker room and being ruled out for the rest of the game. GM Jon Horst headed to the tunnel as well, tweets Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.
Hawks guard Trae Young missed Game Four altogether due to a foot injury, so neither Atlanta nor Milwaukee is assured of having its star player available for Game Five on Thursday. The Hawks’ win on Tuesday has evened the series at two games apiece.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Udoka, Stoudemire, Bridges
The Knicks enter free agency with the most cap space in the league and some major holes to fill. With that in mind, Ian Begley of SNY.tv explores some of their potential options on the wing.
Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks both had success playing different roles on the wing for the Knicks during their overachieving year, and there was midseason interest in bringing both back, but following a postseason that exposed the team’s lack of offensive creators and with options like Kelly Oubre, DeMar DeRozan, Will Barton, Duncan Robinson and others available, it’s unclear if the Knicks will want to spend significant money on Bullock and Burks.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks are closely watching the Damian Lillard situation, Begley reports. With Lillard reportedly considering his long-term future with the Blazers, and the Knicks employing Lillard’s mentor Johnnie Bryant as an assistant coach, the team is monitoring the All-Star guard in case a deal could be made. Begley writes that the team would also be content building patiently should a trade not materialize.
- Norvel Pelle is looking to stick with the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The 6’10” center joined the team late, but provided a defensive spark off the bench, and was a willing and beloved team cheerleader, writes Berman. One NBA scout interviewed by Berman was impressed with the strides Pelle has made in recent years. “[He] looks like he’s reading angles better when switching on pick-and-rolls,” said the anonymous scout. “He’s avoiding foul trouble that way. We are talking about a guy who was [the] No. 1-ranked center in the country out of high school.”
- Jay King of The Athletic profiles Celtics coach Ime Udoka, and how he found his calling as a coach. Much of the inspiration came from Isiah Thomas when Udoka played for Thomas on the Knicks in the 2005/06 season. “You may not see what your calling is,” Thomas told Udoka. “Your calling is coaching.” It took a long time for Udoka to accept that coaching could be his destiny rather than being an NBA star in his own right.
- Former NBA point guard Damon Stoudamire is a target to join Ime Udoka on the Celtics coaching staff, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Stoudamire was the 2019/2020 WCC Coach of the Year for the Pacific Tigers.
- The Sixers’ draft-night trade of Mikal Bridges to the Suns had a lasting impact on both teams. The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov dives deep into how the trade went down. Vorkunov writes that the Sixers had no intention of trading Bridges when they took him, but Zhaire Smith was tied with Bridges on their board, and when the Suns offered a 2021 Heat unprotected pick, the Sixers felt they couldn’t say no. “If second-round picks are cigarettes in prison,” said one anonymous source interviewed by Vorkunov, “unprotected picks are conjugal visits.”
Penny Hardaway To Stay At Memphis
Penny Hardaway will stay in his position as head coach of the University of Memphis, Hardaway announced in an Instagram post. He was under consideration for the head coach job with the Magic, and he expressed a future interest in that position, even if the time wasn’t right now.
“One day in the future I would love to coach in the NBA, and wouldn’t that be great if it were the Orlando Magic?” Hardaway said. “But today isn’t that day.”
Memphis has a 63-32 record under Hardaway’s leadership, in which time he coached 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman and No. 20 pick Precious Achiuwa and won the 2021 NIT championship.
“Today I’m here with my players, with the fans, with the city, working as hard as I can to try to bring us a national championship,” Hardaway said.
It’s unclear whether Hardaway – a Magic legend in his own right – withdrew from the search or was informed by the team he was no longer under consideration. Either way, Orlando will look elsewhere for its next head coach, with Kenny Atkinson and Terry Stotts among those viewed as strong candidates.
Carmelo Anthony Wins Inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award
Blazers‘ forward Carmelo Anthony has won the first ever Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Anthony was chosen by a selection committee composed of notable social justice leaders such as Abdul-Jabbar, Director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport Dr. Richard Lapchick, student activist Teyonna Lofton, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial, UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía, Rise Founder and CEO Amanda Nguyen, and NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.
Fellow finalists were Harrison Barnes of the Kings, Sixers forward Tobias Harris, Jrue Holiday of the Bucks and Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Warriors, writes Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com.
Every finalist receives a $25,000 contribution to a social justice organization of their choice, and Anthony will receive a $100,000 contribution to his choice of organization.
Anthony’s contributions as a social justice champion include working on issues of systemic racism, police brutality, and criminal justice reform. He launched the Carmelo Anthony Foundation 15 years ago to provide community outreach to fuel change and social reforms in local communities. In 2020, he served as guest Editor-in-Chief for Slam Magazine’s Special Social Justice Issue.
Trae Young Out For Game Four
Hawks star Trae Young has been ruled out for Game Four, report ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews.
According to Andrews and Wojnarowski, Young made every effort to be ready to play, but was hampered by a severe lack of mobility and amount of pain. The star point guard suffered a bone bruise and tweaked ankle in Game Three loss to the Bucks when he stepped on the foot of a referee while trying to get back on defense.
Young had previously gone through shoot-around, and had “looked good,” according to teammate Onyeka Okongwu. With the Hawks down two games to one in the series against the Bucks, this news comes as a devastating blow. Young’s availability for future games remains in question. He will continue to rehab and hopes to be ready for Game Five, tweets Wojnarowski.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has been hampered with right knee soreness, is available to play.
Draft Notes: Surprise Draft Options, Washington Jr., Days, Trapp, Burns, McGusty
The draft never goes exactly according to plan, writes Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, so having an idea of some alternative candidates at each spot can be helpful. Wasserman goes through each of the lottery teams and gives one dark-horse candidate for their pick. Some notable outcomes: Jalen Green to the Pistons, the Cavaliers trading down for Scottie Barnes, and Sharife Cooper to the Pacers.
More news from around the NBA Draft:
- Duane Washington Jr. will be keeping his name in the draft, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. The Ohio State guard had a strong showing at the G League Elite Camp, which he parlayed into an NBA Combine invitation, where he performed well in scrimmages and testing. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic tweets that Washington is viewed as a good two-way contract candidate due to his shooting ability.
- Forward Darius Days announced his return to LSU today on Jordy Culotta’s radio show. “I love Louisiana, I love the people,” Days said. “It’s going to be a fun ride. This is the last ride with me and Coach (Will) Wade. I’m the last one left with all the guys I came in with and we’re looking for a title.”
- Former Clemson guard Clyde Trapp has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will transfer to Charlotte for next season, reports Jeff Goodman. The four-year guard put his transfer papers in at the same time he declared for the draft, leaving the doorway open for a return to college hoops.
- D.J. Burns has also withdrawn his name from the NBA draft, according to Goodman. The sophomore forward helped lead Winthrop to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017, where they lost to fifth-ranked Villanova.
- Kameron McGusty will return to Miami, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. “I learned a lot while going through the pre-draft process with NBA teams and feel the best decision for me is to return to Miami and continue to hone my skills,” McGusty said in a statement.
Southeast Notes: Young, Collins, Heat, Wizards, Magic
Hawks star Trae Young is “looking good” ahead of tonight’s game, says back-up center Onyeka Okongwu, as tweeted by Bally Sports Hawks. Young suffered a bone bruise in his right foot as well as a tweaked ankle after stepping on the foot of a referee in the third quarter of Game Three’s loss to the Bucks and was subsequently listed as “questionable” by the team.
“He went through walk-through, shootaround,” the rookie big man said. “He’s looking good.”
Young has been resilient in these playoffs, battling through a shoulder injury in his series with the Sixers. With the Hawks down two games to one to the Bucks, his status for Game Four will be crucial to the team’s hopes of evening the series out.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- John Collins‘ restricted free agency has loomed over the Hawks throughout this post-season, but general manager Travis Schlenk re-affirmed the team’s commitment to him on The Jim Rome Show last week, calling Collins “the heart and soul of the team,” writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic in his profile of Collins. Within that piece, Kirschner discusses Collins struggle to find happiness after growing up a troubled kid. “I feel like happiness has always been inside me, but I wasn’t necessarily as happy as I am now,” Collins said. “And it took me some time to realize that.”
- Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald team up to explore potential Heat trades in this two-part mailbag series. In it they explore the feasibility of trading for guards such as Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Collin Sexton and Ben Simmons, as well as former No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley. Chiang also addresses the difficulties of trading for a star given the Heat’s lack of draft picks.
- Fred Katz of The Athletic breaks down the Wizards’ offseason outlook, and their three main areas of focus: three-point shooting, defense, and, of course, finding a head coach. Meanwhile, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington explores whether the Wizards could opt to hire a first-time head coach this offseason. Hughes writes that finding someone who could grow with the roster holds appeal to general manager Tommy Sheppard.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN breaks down the Magic’s offseason, starting with their options for the fifth and eighth picks in the draft and examining how they can build a more sustainable roster. Some key points: the health of Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, and getting some more consistency from Wendell Carter.
2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Sacramento Kings
The Kings are searching for answers. This year, they extended their playoff drought to a 15th straight season, tied with the Clippers (1977-91) for the longest in NBA history. They also failed to move up in the lottery, meaning that – barring a trade – they will be picking ninth in this year’s draft. To make matters worse, Marvin Bagley, the team’s highest draft pick since 1989, came under fire this week for liking a tweet about getting him out of Sacramento.
It’s not all bad news, however. Point guard De’Aaron Fox took a star leap this season, averaging 25+ points per game for the first time in his career and becoming the driving force of the offense. Combo guard Tyrese Haliburton, taken with the 12th pick in last year’s
draft, was a revelation, averaging 13 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG while shooting above 40% from three in 30 MPG. His stellar play earned him a berth on the All-Rookie First Team. Richaun Holmes also had a breakout year, cementing himself as a bona fide NBA starting center. The team also committed to bringing back head coach Luke Walton after a strong showing of support from the players.
While the Kings finished the season under .500 once again, their winning percentage (.431) was tied for the second-highest since 2008. While that may be a modest accomplishment, it does at least give reasons for optimism, though it wasn’t a step up from last season and the Western Conference is only getting stronger around them.
The Kings’ Offseason Plan:
The Kings’ decisions will start with the draft, where they have the ninth and 39th overall picks, but there will be plenty of choices that must be made from there. General manager Monte McNair has said that the Kings will be aggressive this off-season, whether in the draft, free agency, or trade.
As far as trades go, there are three clear candidates: Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and Bagley.
Hield, at 28 years old, is the third-oldest player under contract in Sacramento and is coming off two successive seasons that were less productive than the one before them. He also doesn’t fit in a lineup with Fox and Haliburton, so if the Kings are looking to build around that backcourt pair, they would may have to either trade Hield or bring him off the bench, which isn’t easy to do with your second-highest paid player. Hield is still a high-level shooter who can put the ball on the floor, and is locked up on a long-term deal, which could prove attractive to teams looking to add shooting.
Barnes is on a descending contract over the next two seasons, and provides a good mix of defense and shot creation. The Kings would likely rather keep than deal him, as he fits nicely with the Fox/Haliburton pairing, but his continued presence is made more complicated by the unsolved puzzle of how the Kings build their frontcourt.
Bagley’s three seasons have been riddled with injuries, and even when healthy, he presents major question marks. Offensively, he’s more of a center than a power forward, but he’s not a good enough defender to anchor a defense. He showed the ability to make threes at a decent rate this season, hitting 34% on 2.5 attempts per game, and is a talented rebounder and athlete around the rim. Holmes helped cover for him defensively this year, but Holmes is a free agent, and the Kings may not be able to offer him enough to keep him in Sacramento long-term.
The Kings had the worst defense in the league last season, and if they’re unable to retain Holmes, it could get even worse, especially if they build around Bagley as their full-time center. There are a lot of interesting centers on the market this summer, but none are going to significantly change the trajectory of the team.
Bagley is also extension-eligible, and will be a free agent next summer, meaning the Kings have to decide how much they prioritize him. If they don’t want to invest in him long-term, packaging him with Hield, the ninth pick, or both, could be an enticing option for McNair, either as a draft-day trade up for a higher pick, or for a high-level prospect — the name Ben Simmons has been raised by some as a potential target, though the fit is questionable and it’s uncertain the Sixers would consider that enough of a return.
The other player who may figure into trade talks is guard Delon Wright. Wright is owed $8.5MM and will be an expiring contract. He brings an interesting blend of size, shooting and defense to either guard spot. The 29-year-old could help a playoff team off the bench, and could be useful in compiling salary in a trade for a non-star level player.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.
Guaranteed Salary
- De’Aaron Fox ($28,103,550) 1
- Buddy Hield ($22,768,890)
- Harrison Barnes ($20,284,091)
- Marvin Bagley III ($11,312,114)
- Delon Wright ($8,526,316)
- Tyrese Haliburton ($4,023,600)
- Jahmi’us Ramsey ($1,517,981)
- Robert Woodard ($1,517,981)
- Total: $98,054,523
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Damian Jones ($1,977,011) 2
- Justin James ($1,782,621) 3
- Chimezie Metu ($1,762,796) 4
- Total: $5,522,428
Restricted Free Agents
- Terence Davis ($1,897,476 qualifying offer / $1,897,476 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $1,897,476
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 9 overall pick ($4,603,320)
- No. 39 overall pick (no cap hold)
- Total: $4,603,320
Extension-Eligible Players
- Marvin Bagley III (rookie scale)
- Harrison Barnes (veteran)
- Justin James (veteran)
- Delon Wright (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
Richaun Holmes ($6,506,955): Early Bird rights- Maurice Harkless ($4,347,600): Non-Bird rights
- Hassan Whiteside ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights
- Corey Brewer ($1,669,178): Early Bird rights 6
- Total: $14,192,911
Offseason Cap Outlook
The Kings are in a bit of a tight spot financially, with only eight guaranteed deals taking up nearly $100MM in cap space. It’s likely they’ll operate as a team over the cap but under the luxury tax, but that will be impacted by how they approach Holmes’ free agency.
They won’t be able to offer Holmes more than the mid-level exception or the Early Bird exception (which is in the same neighborhood as the MLE) unless they open up cap room. It’s easy to envision Holmes drawing offers worth more than the mid-level on the open market, so if the Kings want to keep him following his breakout year, they may need to make a trade to create space.
With backup center Whiteside headed to free agency after a disappointing year, it seems likely that the Kings will guarantee the contracts of Jones and Metu, and 6’7″ wing James played well enough in his minutes to be worth keeping around another year.
Davis will be a big question for the Kings — after a strong rookie year that saw him named to 2020’s All-Rookie Second Team, the shooting guard saw his minutes dip in Toronto and was eventually traded to Sacramento, where he had some of the best games of his career. It’s unlikely that he’s offered a large deal in restricted free agency, making it easier for Sacramento to retain him. If they should do so, the Kings will have to find a way to re-balance their roster, as five of their 11 rostered players would be shooting guards.
Two-way player King only played six games for Sacramento, but scored 7.3 PPG on 36.4% from three in only 14 MPG. At 6’7″ and only 21 years old, he represents an interesting investment if the Kings should decide to sign him to a multiyear, partially guaranteed deal.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $9,536,000 7
- Bi-annual exception: $3,732,000 7
- Trade exception: $3,600,000
- Trade exception: $2,009,019
Footnotes
- This is a projected value. Fox’s salary will be 25% of the 2021/22 salary cap.
- Jones’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 9.
- James’ salary is expected to become fully guaranteed in mid-August (exact date TBD).
- Metu’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($881,938) after August 9.
- Because he has been on a two-way contract with the Kings for two seasons, Guy is eligible for a standard minimum-salary qualifying offer.
- The cap hold for Brewer remains on the Kings’ books from a prior season because he hasn’t been renounced. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Southwest Notes: Mosley, Mavs Front Office, Kidd, Vaughn, Pelicans
Assistant coach Jamahl Mosley is expected to leave the Mavericks, writes Tim Cato of the Athletic. Mosley is a respected coach around the league, and had a particularly close relationship with star Luka Doncic. Mosley had expected to receive serious consideration for the head coach position, but felt that failed to materialize as the team zeroed in on its preferred candidate, Jason Kidd. He will likely be an in-demand assistant coach, even if a head coaching position isn’t offered to him this summer.
In the same article, Cato examines the Mavericks’ front office power structure. The most striking thing, Cato writes, is that despite the overhaul, the structure feels exactly the same. The organization is surrounding new head of basketball operations Nico Harrison with former Mavericks players familiar with the team’s dealings, such as special advisor Dirk Nowitzki, vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley, and head coach Kidd, who is expected to bring on J.J. Barea and possibly Jason Terry as assistant coaches. Team owner Mark Cuban is expected to continue acting as the ultimate decision-maker.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Kidd’s contract with the Mavericks will be for four years, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The exact amount of the contract is still unclear, but this deal will run until Doncic is 26 years old, a critical period in the All NBA guard’s career.
- Jacque Vaughn is gaining traction to become the head coach of the Pelicans, as Brian Windhorst reported this week. William Guillory of The Athletic examines how Vaughn – a current Brooklyn assistant and former Orlando head coach – could fit in New Orleans, as well as potential question marks for the coach, including the Magic’s lack of success with him at the helm, as well as the question of if he would continue to utilize star Zion Williamson as a point forward or rely more on the traditional guards.
- Next season will mark the third coach in three years for the Pelicans, and Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes that it could be president of basketball operations David Griffin‘s last chance to get it right for a while. It will be crucial for Griffin to examine where and why Alvin Gentry and Stan Van Gundy couldn’t succeed in New Orleans, or else the team will be forced into another reset that it cannot afford. “The real issue moving forward is finding somebody who you’re in lockstep with,” Griffin said. “And that includes ownership as well. That has to be something we’re moving with together and moving with the same spirit and same energy. I don’t know how else to put it.”
Rockets Notes: No. 2 Pick, Mann, Front Office, Offseason
What the Rockets do with the second overall pick in the draft will go a large way in dictating the team’s subsequent moves, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The pick is the highest Houston has had since it drafted Yao Ming first overall in 2002, and Feigen writes that the team has a responsibility to put whatever player it selects in a position to succeed.
If the Rockets take Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green, that could mean finding a way to move Eric Gordon and/or John Wall to open up more playing time next to revelation Kevin Porter Jr. If they take Evan Mobley, it could mean not re-signing Kelly Olynyk. But moving on from those incumbent players isn’t mandatory. Feigen suggests that playing alongside veterans like Gordon, Olynyk and Wall could help the rookies ease into the NBA a learn under players who have been in big moments before.
We have more from the Rockets:
- Florida guard Tre Mann‘s first NBA workout was with the Rockets, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The Rockets have two picks at 23 and 24 that could be in Mann’s draft range. The sweet-shooting point guard said he thought he’d fit well on the team.
- The Rockets have moved quickly to remake their front office following the departure of Daryl Morey, Jonathan Feigen writes, and now the pressure will be on to produce results. Part of what makes this brain trust unique, according to Feigen, is the lack of titles or an established hierarchy among the staff outside of the GM and assistant GM positions, especially among the scouts. For GM Rafael Stone, that’s an intentional decision. “It’s more about adding a different perspective or different thought process,” Stone said. “If you are trying to solve a complicated puzzle, which we absolutely are, you put together people from disparate backgrounds who’ve been successful in disparate paths because hopefully you’ll find a lot of intelligent people and maybe they can solve different puzzles in different ways.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks breaks down the offseason outlook for the Rockets. This includes Stone opening the doorway to the possibility of trading out of the number two spot. “It’s not necessarily that you’re looking to do that,” says Stone, “but you shouldn’t foreclose any option.” Marks also identifies the paths Stone has taken to rebuild the roster following the trades of Russell Westbrook and James Harden, including – most notably – their sign-and-trade deal for Christian Wood and acquisition of Porter.