Magic To Sign Admiral Schofield Via Hardship Exception
The Magic intend to sign free agent forward Admiral Schofield, according to Josh Robbins and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Orlando has been granted a hardship exception, so the team won’t have to waive anyone to open up a spot on its 15-man roster for Schofield.
A team can receive a hardship exception when it has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury/illness and those players are expected to remain sidelined for another two weeks (or, in this case, through the end of the regular season). Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz have long been ruled out for the season, and the Magic have five other players who have missed at least three games and may not return before season’s end.
Schofield, 24, was selected with the 42nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, but lasted just one year with the Wizards. He was traded during the 2020 offseason to the Thunder, who subsequently waived him.
The former Tennessee standout signed a G League contract and was the first player selected in January’s NBAGL draft. He averaged a modest 10.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 14 games (26.2 MPG) for the Greensboro Swarm – Charlotte’s G League affiliate – and struggled with his shot, making only 38.2% of his attempts from the floor and 22.7% from beyond the three-point line.
Despite his inconsistent play at the Walt Disney World bubble, the Magic will take a flier on Schofield down the stretch. Robbins and Charania indicate he”ll receive a 10-day contract, which suggests the deal will be completed today — as of tomorrow, there will only be 10 days left in the regular season, so any standard contract signed after today would just be a rest-of-season arrangement.
Trail Blazers Notes: Moda Center, Powell, Billups
One of the last teams to reopen their doors to fans this season, the Trail Blazers announced on Wednesday in a press release that they’ll welcome back a limited number of fans to Moda Center in Portland as of Friday, May 7.
The Blazers will only fill the arena to 10 percent capacity, but the timing of the reopening couldn’t be better — Portland will host the Lakers on Friday night in what will be a crucial game in the race to avoid the play-in tournament in the Western Conference. The Lakers will be on the second night of a back-to-back and are expected to be missing LeBron James, so the Blazers will have a great opportunity to pick up a game in the standings and secure the tiebreaker over L.A.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Blazers swingman Norman Powell, who is dealing with right knee patellar tendinopathy, missed Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports notes (via Twitter). While Powell’s knee would probably benefit from rest, he’ll likely want to get back on the court for Friday’s showdown vs. the Lakers.
- Following a brutal stretch of nine losses in 11 games, Portland bounced back with a 5-1 record on its just-completed six-game road trip. Jason Quick of The Athletic contends that the team is finding its identity at the right time and has benefited from shortening its rotation.
- In case you missed it, a report from The Athletic on Wednesday indicated that Blazers head coach Terry Stotts will be in serious danger of losing his job at season’s end unless he can “pull a rabbit out of his hat” and lead the club to a deep postseason run. Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, and others were cited by The Athletic as possible candidates to replace Stotts, with Mitch Lawrence of SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link) also reporting that Billups is prepared to “throw his hat in the ring” if the job becomes available.
Knicks, Julius Randle Plan To Discuss Extension In Offseason
The Knicks and standout forward Julius Randle plan to talk during the offseason to see if they can come to an agreement on a contract extension, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
As Windhorst writes, the fact that Randle’s $19.8MM salary for 2021/22 is only partially guaranteed for $4MM made him – coming into this season – a possible trade candidate or even an eventual release candidate. However, the 26-year-old’s performance in 2020/21 has changed the equation considerably.
In 65 games, Randle has averaged 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 5.9 RPG with a .461/.420/.809 shooting line in a league-high 37.3 minutes per contest. He earned his first All-Star nod and has led the Knicks to a top-four seed in the East with just six games left in the regular season.
Since Randle signed a three-year contract in July of 2019, he’ll become eligible for a veteran extension this summer, two years after his initial signing date. A new deal could tack on up to four extra years, beginning in 2022/23, though the starting salary would be limited to 120% of his ’21/22 cap figure. A “maximum” four-year extension for Randle would have a base value of $106.44MM.
As Windhorst notes, that would be a nice payday for Randle, but it’s significantly less than his maximum salary as a free agent — he might be in line for an even more lucrative contract in 2022’s free agent period if he has another All-Star caliber season next year.
A shorter-term extension for Randle that gives him some additional financial security while still putting him on track to reach the open market during his prime years would also be an option for the two sides, Windhorst notes.
Sources tell ESPN that extension talks between Randle and the Knicks this summer may ultimately come down to how badly the former lottery pick wants to remain in New York. Right now, Windhorst says, that desire is strong.
New York Notes: Dinwiddie, Nets, Noel, Harper
Injured Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has been pushing all year to make it back from his ACL injury in time to contribute in the playoffs, but head coach Steve Nash isn’t counting on having Dinwiddie available in the postseason, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes.
“I don’t think so,” Nash said. “We haven’t seen him since the turn of the year almost. It’s very difficult to, one, expose him to full NBA playoff basketball with the type of injury he has. We want to look out for his long-term health, first and foremost. And second of all, adapting back to the team environment.”
Dinwiddie suffered a partial tear of his ACL in just the third game of the season on December 27. ACL injuries are typically season-enders, but the fact that Dinwiddie only sustained a partial tear and was able to go under the knife quickly created some hope that he wouldn’t have to wait until 2021/22 to return. While Nash didn’t rule out that possibility, he’s skeptical that the veteran guard will be part of Brooklyn’s playoff rotation.
“It seems like it’s probably very unlikely,” Nash said, per Lewis. “But who knows? Stranger things have happened.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The Nets, who have lost their last three games, don’t view James Harden‘s eventual return as a cure-all, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Having seen Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving play together in just seven games this season, Brooklyn is still hoping there will be a chance to establish some continuity in the coming weeks, as Malika Andrews of ESPN details.
- Knicks center Nerlens Noel is expected to return for Wednesday’s game vs. Denver, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Noel was sidelined on Monday after spraining his left ankle on Sunday.
- Although the Knicks announced Jared Harper‘s new contract with the team on Monday as a second 10-day contract, Hoops Rumors has confirmed via a source that it was actually a two-way deal, as our JD Shaw first reported. That means no corresponding move will be necessary for New York to complete the signing of Luca Vildoza, since New York has an opening on its 15-man roster.
NBA’s Play-In Tournament Likely Here To Stay
While some high-profile players and team owners have griped about the NBA’s newly-introduced play-in tournament, the format is working “spectacularly well” and has virtually no downside, contends John Hollinger of The Athletic.
As Hollinger writes, the new wrinkle has generated excitement at more levels of the standings, with teams in the 4-6 range fighting to hold their positions and clubs in the 9-12 range trying to win games rather than pivoting to tanking. As a result, we’re getting more interesting late-season matchups, with fewer teams coasting into the postseason.
“I think it’s great,” one assistant coach told Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer. “It gives lesser and younger teams something to play for toward the end of the season. It makes teams not tank and helps younger teams grow and develop.”
The play-in tournament will see the No. 7 team host the No. 8 team, with the winner claiming the seventh seed in the conference. To determine the eighth seed, the loser of that game would play the winner of a game between the Nos. 9 and 10 teams.
As Uggetti points out, one counter-argument against the play-in format being implemented in 2020/21 specifically is that COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on some teams’ seasons, affecting player availability and impacting players’ performances even after they return. A franchise hit hard during the season by COVID-19 may end up in the play-in tournament when it should have been a top-six seed. Additionally, a club affected by the virus during the next week or two could be missing key players as it tries to win a play-in game.
“The apocalypse option is what if a No. 6 seed or No. 7 seed gets hit with COVID?” a Western Conference general manager said to Uggetti. “And they have to play in the play-in, lose, and then they don’t make the playoffs?”
That would certainly be a worst-case scenario for the league, but it’s more of an argument against holding a season during a pandemic at all than an argument against the play-in tournament. A player who contracts the virus typically misses at least two or three weeks, so an entire playoff round could conceivably be affected by bad COVID-19 luck — not just one or two play-in games.
Other people around the league who are lukewarm on the play-in concept have suggested that the format devalues the regular season results and that play-in games should be conditional based on the standings. For instance, if the No. 8 seed has a substantial cushion on the No. 9 team, then perhaps a play-in shouldn’t be necessary.
“What if the No. 7 seed has a four-game lead on No. 8? And now it’s gonna almost be like Game 7 of the Finals, win or go home? It’s not really fair,” one Eastern Conference executive said to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. “Anything can happen. And someone can get hurt.”
There’s some validity to that complaint, but the NBA has long allowed more than half of its 30 teams to automatically qualify for the postseason, which is something of a devaluation of the regular season in its own right. For a club that finishes seventh in a conference of 15 teams in the regular season, perhaps a favorable path to a playoff spot is a more appropriate reward than an automatic playoff berth.
Concerns about subjecting strong No. 7 seeds to a play-in game may also overstate the potential volatility of the tournament. If a seventh-seeded team finished the regular season with a significantly better record than the other three clubs in the play-in tournament, there’s no reason that team shouldn’t be able to win at least one of two potential home games against those lesser opponents.
Hollinger touches on this point in his column, responding to critics who say the NBA would be shooting itself in the foot if a possible contender like the Lakers or Celtics has to participate in the play-in tournament and is eliminated before the playoffs even begin.
As Hollinger observes, if those teams can’t win one of two play-in games to clinch a playoff spot, it’s probably safe to assume they weren’t going to be legitimate contenders anyway. If the Lakers finish seventh, the likeliest outcome is that the NBA would get great TV ratings for the play-in tournament and L.A. would ultimately earn a playoff spot anyway, Hollinger adds.
Evan Wasch, who is the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics and has become the spokesperson for issues relating to the play-in tournament, tells Uggetti that he values positive or negative feedback from teams and will take it into account as the league considers possible tweaks going forward. By the sounds of it though, the play-in format is probably here to stay.
“I’ve talked to the league at length about this, and it’s not going anywhere,” the aforementioned Western GM said to Uggetti. “They studied the European (soccer) models and they want to expand winning as much as they can to other markets and teams. There’s only one NBA champion, and this is a way for more teams to make it to the playoffs and for them to have the broader market appeal of winning something.”
Four New Positive COVID-19 Tests Among Players Since April 28
Of the 492 NBA players tested for COVID-19 since April 28, four players have registered new confirmed positive tests, the league and the players’ union announced today in a press release.
The NBA and NBPA don’t publicly disclose which specific players test positive for the coronavirus. However, Lakers guard Dennis Schröder and Hornets forward Miles Bridges have each entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols this week and were ruled out for 10-to-14 days, which is typically the projected timeline associated with a positive test. They may be two of the four affected players, though that’s not confirmed.
The NBA has been able to keep the virus relatively in check during the past couple months, having not had a game postponed due to COVID-19 since prior to the All-Star break in early March.
Still, it’s worth noting that this week’s four positive tests represent the highest weekly total among players since March 3. The league will hope to see that number trending downward next week, with the postseason around the corner.
Hawks Notes: McMillan, Young, Capela, Shooting
After starting the season with a 14-20 record, the Hawks have gone 22-10 since Nate McMillan took over as the team’s head coach. The role McMillan has played in turning around Atlanta’s season hasn’t been lost on leading scorer Trae Young, who appeared on Adrian Wojnarowski’s Woj Pod this week and praised the Hawks’ head coach for “connecting with the players.”
Asked about McMillan’s potential future with the team, Young said he’d be surprised if the interim coach isn’t retained beyond 2020/21.
“I couldn’t see a scenario where he’s not back with us,” Young said. “The way we’re winning right now. If we go into the playoffs and do really well, it’s hard to see him not back next year. At the end of the day it’s not up to me, but as a player, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be back.”
While Young is right that the decision won’t ultimately be up to him, Hawks management will likely take the All-Star guard’s opinion into account when they determine what’s next for McMillan, who looks like a pretty safe bet to have his interim label removed.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- In an in-depth profile, Zach Lowe of ESPN examines the growth of Hawks center Clint Capela, who has gone from a rookie the Rockets initially viewed as a draft-and-stash prospect to the anchor of Atlanta’s defense and a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
- Within his story on Capela, Lowe cites sources who say the Hawks discussed the possibility of trading for Andre Drummond and Steven Adams before ultimately acquiring Capela from Houston a year ago. Atlanta believed that elements of Capela’s pick-and-roll game with James Harden would work for Trae Young, Lowe notes.
- After finishing dead-last in three-point percentage a year ago, the Hawks prioritized shooting in the offseason when they signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari to lucrative multiyear deals, and those moves have helped make the Hawks a playoff team, writes Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bogdanovic (42.0% on threes) and Gallinari (41.6%) have been two of the club’s most reliable marksmen in 2020/21.
Zach LaVine Set To Return On Thursday
Bulls guard Zach LaVine will return to action on Thursday after missing the team’s last 11 games due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). LaVine had cleared the protocols this week and was targeting Thursday’s game in Charlotte for his return.
Following LaVine’s most recent appearance on April 14, Chicago was clinging to the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference at 22-32. Since then, however, the red-hot Wizards have surpassed the Bulls, as have the up-and-down Raptors. Having lost seven of 11 games without LaVine, Chicago is now in 12th place, a full four games back of the No. 10 Wizards.
In other words, with just seven games left in the Bulls’ season, LaVine’s return will probably come too late to make a real impact on the team’s playoff hopes — especially if it takes him some time to get back up to full speed following what was reportedly a case of COVID-19.
Still, the 26-year-old will be looking to finish strong as he concludes the best season of his seven-year career. An All-Star for the first time in 2021, LaVine is averaging career-high marks in points per game (27.5), assists per game (5.1), and rebounds per game (5.1), with a career-best .506/.416/.848 shooting line in 53 games (35.2 MPG).
Bjorkgren, Stotts, Budenholzer Among Coaches On Hot Seat
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that Nate Bjorkgren‘s future as the Pacers‘ head coach is uncertain, and Shams Charania and Sam Amick echo that point in their latest report for The Athletic. According to The Athletic’s duo, Bjorkgren’s “abrasive” style and a tendency to be controlling with assistants and other staff members has been a cause for concern.
Sources tell Charania and Amick that multiple Pacers players have expressed dissatisfaction with Bjorkgren this season, with Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis among those who haven’t been on the same page with the first-year coach. Those same sources tell The Athletic that several Pacers players feel the analytical style Bjorkgren has employed doesn’t suit the team’s personnel.
The growing pains Bjorkgren has experienced in Indiana don’t necessarily mean that the Pacers will make a coaching change at season’s end, but the situation is worth keeping a close eye on, per Charania and Amick.
The two Athletic reporters also singled out a few other coaching situations worth watching around the NBA. Here are a few highlights from their report:
- The Trail Blazers are increasingly likely to part ways with head coach Terry Stotts this offseason unless he can “pull a rabbit out of his hat” and make a deep playoff run, according to Charania and Amick. Sources tell The Athletic that Stotts has less player support this season than he has in past years. Charania and Amick identify Jason Kidd, Dave Joerger, Chauncey Billups, Brent Barry, and – if he becomes available – Nate McMillan as potential targets for Portland if the team makes a change.
- There’s significant pressure on Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer entering the postseason, according to Charania and Amick, who say Budenholzer’s job will be in serious danger if the team is eliminated in the first two rounds. Budenholzer has one year left on his contract after 2020/21, per The Athletic’s duo.
- Luke Walton of the Kings and Scott Brooks of the Wizards are other coaches whose job security isn’t exactly rock solid, but Charania and Amick point to financial considerations in Sacramento and a recent hot streak in D.C. as factors working in favor of Walton and Brooks keeping their jobs. Walton has a strong relationship with Kings GM Monte McNair, while Brooks is well-liked in Washington, note Charania and Amick. Still, the long-term future of Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard is also somewhat uncertain, which further clouds Brooks’ status.
Wolves Notes: Bolmaro, Finch, Rubio, Edwards, Lore
During an appearance on The Cake Show on KFAN in Minnesota (audio link), Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas strongly hinted that the team plans to sign 2020 first-round pick Leandro Bolmaro for the 2021/22 season.
Explaining why the Wolves feel as if they’ve prepared for the possibility of losing their first-round selection (to the Warriors) in 2021, Rosas didn’t mention Bolmaro by name, but suggested that last year’s No. 23 overall pick could help fill the hole created by not having a ’21 first-rounder.
“If we don’t (keep) the pick, we’ll have some financial flexibility,” Rosas said. “(And) we’ve got a player that we drafted last year who will come in next year.”
Bolmaro, an Argentinian guard, remained with FC Barcelona after being drafted by the Wolves last November. He was one of three players selected by Minnesota in the 2020 draft — the other two, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, are on this year’s roster.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- During that same KFAN appearance (audio link), Rosas also spoke about the impact Chris Finch has made since taking over as the Timberwolves’ head coach earlier this season and raved about Ricky Rubio‘s influence on the team’s young players.
- Jon Krawczysnki and Britt Robson of The Athletic discuss where things stand on the Timberwolves, exploring Anthony Edwards‘ potential, Ricky Rubio‘s future with the franchise, and which areas of the roster most need to be addressed this offseason.
- Michael Rand of The Star Tribune takes a look at the 15 players under contract with the Timberwolves, considering which ones are part of the team’s future and which ones might not be.
- While Alex Rodriguez is well-known among sports fans, his business partner – tech entrepreneur Marc Lore – is better known for his ventures outside of sports. Nick Williams of The Star Tribune lays out what Wolves fans should know about the club’s potential co-owner.