NBA G League Officially Announces Plans For Disney Bubble
The NBA G League has officially announced that its shortened 2020/21 season will take place in a “bubble” at Walt Disney World, confirming the news in a press release. An exact start date has yet to be announced, but the season will tip off in February, per the NBAGL. Previous reports suggested a tentative opening night of February 8.
“We worked closely with our teams, the Basketball Players Union, and public health experts to develop a structure that allows our teams to gather at a single site and safely play,” NBAGL president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in a statement. “We are thrilled to get back to basketball and to fulfill our mission as a critical resource for the NBA in developing players, coaches, referees, athletic trainers and front-office staff.”
Since at least November, a G League bubble has been in the works in order to avoid the frequent commercial travel associated with a typical NBAGL season. A late-December report indicated that the bubble would be set up at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, where the NBA resumed its ’19/20 season last summer.
As expected, 18 teams, including the G League Ignite, will participate in the season. Those teams are as follows:
- Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers)
- Austin Spurs (Spurs)
- Canton Charge (Cavaliers)
- Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers)
- Erie BayHawks (Pelicans)
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers)
- G League Ignite (Select Team)
- Greensboro Swarm (Hornets)
- Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves)
- Lakeland Magic (Magic)
- Long Island Nets (Nets)
- Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies)
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder)
- Raptors 905 (Raptors)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets)
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz)
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors)
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks)
As we previously relayed, the G League didn’t anticipate being able to accommodate all 29 of its teams in a Disney bubble, so clubs were asked to volunteer to opt out the season. That’s why 11 NBA teams’ affiliates won’t be in action this season. Those NBA franchises will have the ability to assign players on standard contracts and transfer players on two-way deals to another G League team via the flexible assignment rule.
According to previous reports, NBAGL teams are expected to play between 12 and 15 games before advancing to the postseason, which will begin in early March. Today’s press release indicates that the top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff.
G League rosters will be made up of affiliate players, who signed Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams and were waived in December, and returning-rights players, who were on NBAGL contracts in previous years. Teams will also be able to directly add one “designated veteran” who has five or more years of NBA experience, and can select players in the G League draft, which will take place on Monday, January 11.
We passed along word on Thursday that NBA veterans such as Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, Emeka Okafor, Justin Patton, Jacob Evans, and Shabazz Muhammad, among many others, will be eligible to be drafted next week.
Reports in the last 24 hours from Nicola Lupo of Sportando and G League expert Adam Johnson (all Twitter links) have indicated that Justin Dentmon, Josh Huestis, Mario Chalmers, and Festus Ezeli are among the other former NBA players who have signed NBAGL contracts and are draft-eligible.
The Ignite is the one team whose roster is made up a little differently. The newly-introduced squad consists of top prospects who decided to forgo college ball – including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga – as well as a handful of veteran NBA and G League players – including Amir Johnson – who will serve as mentors.
New York Notes: T. Johnson, Durant, Randle, Gibson
Nets guard Tyler Johnson missed Thursday’s game against Philadelphia due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. According to Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter links), head coach Steve Nash said Johnson hasn’t tested positive for COVID-19 but is out due to contact tracing. In the early going of the 2020/21 season, contact tracing protocols have typically sidelined players for seven days, though Johnson’s exact timeline has yet to be confirmed.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:
- Nash told reporters on Thursday night that he thinks Nets star Kevin Durant (also out for contact tracing purposes) should be available to return on Sunday as long as he continues to test negative for the coronavirus (Twitter link via Andrews). “Can’t wait for Sunday to come,” Nash said.
- Entering the season, veteran Knicks big man Julius Randle looked like a prime candidate to be moved at the trade deadline. However, Randle’s All-Star caliber play so far (23.1 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 7.4 APG) may force the team to reevaluate its plans for him, says Steve Popper of Newsday.
- Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype makes the case for why the Knicks signing Taj Gibson is a smart move. While Gibson will reportedly sign with the team, he’s still going through COVID-19 protocols and may not be on the roster in time to be activated for Friday night’s game vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post.
- In case you missed it last night, Kyrie Irving missed Thursday’s game for personal reasons and didn’t travel with the Nets to Memphis for Friday’s game.
Robert Williams Tests Positive For COVID-19; Two Other Celtics Out For Contact Tracing
Robert Williams has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), who hears from a source that the Celtics big man has been asymptomatic since testing positive.
Williams is the only Celtics player to have tested positive, per Himmelsbach, and will be required to quarantine until he returns multiple negative tests and is medically cleared. However, two other Boston big men will be required to self-isolate for the next week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets that Tristan Thompson and Grant Williams face a minimum quarantine period of seven days.
Carsen Edwards, who was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game vs. Washington due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, won’t be required to quarantine for contact tracing purposes and will be available, Charania notes.
While Edwards’ availability will help a little, the Celtics will still find themselves extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt in the short term. The team figures to lean heavily on Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye, with two-way player Tacko Fall potentially entering the mix as well. Brad Stevens also figures to use more small-ball lineups, with wings like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown playing the four.
Hawks Rumors: Collins, Young, Offense, Pierce
During a film session on Tuesday following a disappointing loss to New York, Hawks big man John Collins expressed some displeasure with the way the team’s offense has been operating and the way Trae Young has been running it, according to Chris Kirschner and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Sources tell The Athletic that Collins talked about wanting to get into offensive sets faster and reduce early shot-clock attempts. He also said he wants to be more involved in the offense and would like to see more ball movement and flow.
Although there was no direct back-and-forth between Collins and Young, Collins’ criticism “caught the attention of the room,” per Kirschner and Amick, who report that Young later made it clear to others that he strongly disagreed with his teammate’s take.
“Trae is my brother regardless,” Collins said via text message when The Athletic asked him about the situation.
Some Hawks have agreed with Collins’ stance and believe that when he – and the team’s other offensive weapons – are featured more, the results are better, according to Kirschner and Amick.
However, The Athletic’s duo says there’s a belief that Collins’ frustration stems not only from a desire to maximize the Hawks’ talent, but from his contract situation. According to Kirschner and Amick, the 23-year-old – who believes he’s a maximum-salary caliber player – passed last month on a contract extension offer worth over $90MM. He’s hoping to prove this season ahead of restricted free agency that he’s worth the max, and may need the ball in his hands more to do so.
Here’s more on the Hawks from Kirschner and Amick:
- Clint Capela had a private discussion with Young following Tuesday’s film session and pointed to his time alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard in Houston as a cautionary tale. Howard’s desire for more touches and Harden’s reluctance to give up the ball contributed to the dissolution of that union.
- One Hawks player told The Athletic that he believes Young’s uninspiring performance on Wednesday stemmed from Tuesday’s film session. Head coach Lloyd Pierce called Young’s Wednesday performance (seven points on 2-of-9 shooting, with seven turnovers) “uncharacteristic,” while Kirschner and Amick suggest the star guard appeared “disinterested.”
- Some Hawks players last season indicated that Young has room to improve as a vocal leader, and Pierce has encouraged growth in that area, per Kirschner and Amick. However, the “basketball relationship” between the coach and his star guard is still worth monitoring. A report last May suggested Young and Pierce haven’t always been on the same page, and multiple sources tell The Athletic that disconnect remains an issue.
- Pierce, whose in-game decisions have been questioned at times by players since he was hired in 2018, is in a contract year, as his team option for 2021/22 hasn’t yet been picked up. However, a source with knowledge of the situation tells The Athletic that Pierce’s job isn’t in any immediate danger.
Seattle Mayor “Pretty Optimistic” About Eventual Return Of NBA
Following a recent conversation with league commissioner Adam Silver, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is feeling “pretty optimistic” about the eventual return of the NBA to her city, she tells Chris Daniels of KING 5. According to Durkan, her phone conversation with Silver occurred just before Christmas, shortly after the commissioner discussed the possibility of expansion during a press conference.
“It is very good news for the city of Seattle that they are thinking of an expansion team,” Durkan said. “And I was honest with him. He knows Seattle wants to be at the front of the line. We’re where the team should be. But we will be respecting them as they move forward to their ownership because the (owners), you know, (have) to approve it.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who recently reported that some NBA officials have floated the idea of a potential $2.5 billion expansion fee, says that league officials have also stressed the fact that expansion is still likely years away, if it happens at all.
However, Seattle is an intriguing option for the NBA for several reasons. The city is set to open a newly-renovated arena, Climate Pledge Arena, which will be the home of the Kraken, Seattle’s NHL expansion team. There are also multiple deep-pocketed bidders in the city who have expressed interest in being part of an NBA ownership group, including Kraken majority owner David Bonderman and Seattle native Chris Hansen, Windhorst notes.
Of course, the NBA’s history in Seattle is also a factor — the SuperSonics were part of the league for over four decades until the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Bringing the Sonics back to Seattle would go a long way toward healing old wounds in the Pacific Northwest.
Over the years, Silver has downplayed the possibility of expansion. Even last month, he said the concept wasn’t on “the front burner” for the league. However, many team owners are facing new financial challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic, which could increase their interest in the hefty expansion fee that would accompany a new franchise or two. Durkan told Daniels that she believes those financial considerations could help open the door for Seattle.
“I think it’s real,” she said. “But I think again, the commissioner is going to, you know, consult the ownership, and the ownership for the first time itself is being very public that they think it is probably a good idea for basketball. Part of that is the COVID economics. Part of it is the economics of sports.
“But look, there’s no city that I think is better positioned to be successful. We’re going to have the best arena in the country. I’m not just saying that when people walk in that building, they will be amazed. We are a city that even with COVID, when we come out of COVID, we have so much upside here.”
Seth Curry Returns Positive Test For COVID-19
Sixers guard Seth Curry returned a positive test for the coronavirus today, which the team learned of during the first half of Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Curry, who was unavailable for the game due to a sore left ankle, immediately went into an “isolation room” and left the arena separate from the team shortly thereafter, says Wojnarowski. Before leaning of the positive test, Curry was on the 76ers’ bench for the first quarter, Woj adds (Twitter link).
As a result of Curry’s positive test, the Sixers will remain in New York tonight and commence contact tracing in the morning, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Wojnarowski (Twitter links). It remains unclear how many Philadelphia players might have to miss time due to the league’s health and safety protocols.
The Nets, who are scheduled to play the Grizzlies on Friday night, are still flying to Memphis, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Even though Curry didn’t play at all and likely wasn’t in close contact with Nets players, it’s possible some of those players will be affected by contact tracing protocols.
One Nets player who won’t make the trip to Memphis is Kyrie Irving, though his absence appears unrelated to COVID-19. As Malika Andrews of ESPN details, Irving didn’t play on Thursday night for personal reasons and will also miss Friday’s game. Head coach Steve Nash referred to it as a “private matter,” while Caris LeVert said Irving texted teammates before Thursday’s win.
Knicks Waive Omari Spellman, Sign Taj Gibson
9:59pm: The Knicks officially announced in a press release that they’ve waived Spellman. The signing of Gibson is also official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
1:46 pm: The Knicks are waiving big man Omari Spellman to clear room to sign a veteran free agent, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), the club plans to sign Taj Gibson to fill its newly-opened roster spot.
As we detailed earlier today, the Knicks were said to be one of many teams keeping an eye on Gibson, who reportedly worked out for seven clubs, including the Wizards. With Obi Toppin, Nerlens Noel, and Spellman all battling injuries, New York had been monitoring the free agent market for help in the frontcourt, eyeing Gibson and Tyson Chandler, among others.
While it’s not official yet, it sounds like the team will reunite with Gibson, who was a Knick in 2019/20 and has played for head coach Tom Thibodeau for much of his NBA career, including in both Chicago and Minnesota. It seems unlikely that Gibson’s new deal will be worth more than the minimum, but the Knicks – armed with $18MM in cap room – certainly have the flexibility to go higher.
Gibson, 35, started 56 of the 62 games he played for New York last season, averaging 6.1 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 16.5 minutes per contest. The club reportedly liked the job he did as a veteran mentor for young center Mitchell Robinson.
As for Spellman, the third-year big man came over from Minnesota in an offseason trade that sent Ed Davis to the Timberwolves. He was cited as a possible release candidate in December when the Knicks were mulling the possibility of retaining Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the regular season, and also had his fourth-year team option for 2021/22 declined last month, so it comes as no surprise that he’ll be the odd man out.
Spellman, a former first-round pick who has struggled with conditioning during his NBA career, will still receive his $1.99MM salary for 2020/21, since his contract is fully guaranteed. Having declined his fourth-year option, the Knicks won’t be on the hook for any money beyond this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Michael Porter Jr. Out At Least 10 More Days
9:47pm: Because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Porter will have to quarantine for an additional 10-to-14 days, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The reason for the additional quarantine is unclear. It’s possible that Porter was exposed to an additional person who later tested positive for the coronavirus, violated the league’s protocols, or perhaps recorded a positive test himself.
3:49pm: The Nuggets had expected forward Michael Porter Jr. to clear his seven-day quarantine for COVID-19 contact tracing on Wednesday night and to be available for Thursday’s game vs. Dallas, but it seems they’ll have to wait a longer to get him back in their lineup.
Porter has been ruled out of tonight’s contest due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports Mike Singer of The Denver Post. According to the latest injury report from the Nuggets, the 22-year-old still wasn’t back with the team on Thursday, though a league source tells Singer that his absence isn’t a result of his contact-tracing quarantine being extended.
The Nuggets have yet to comment on the exact reason for Porter’s unavailability and it’s not clear when he’ll be available, Singer adds. The team will be in action in Philadelphia on Saturday and in New York on Sunday, so we’ll have to wait to see if Porter is able to play in either of those contests.
Porter had gotten off to a strong start this season, averaging 19.5 PPG on .566/.423/.875 shooting in his first four games (29.3 MPG). As long as MPJ remains out, Will Barton figures to continue starting at small forward.
Jeremy Lin To Play For Santa Cruz Warriors
As expected, Jeremy Lin will sign a G League contract and will suit up for the Santa Cruz Warriors during the upcoming NBAGL bubble season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
[RELATED: 18 G League Clubs Likely Headed To Disney World Bubble]
Word broke just before the start of the regular season in December that the Warriors were attempting to sign Lin to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract in order to make him an NBAGL affiliate player for Santa Cruz.
However, in order to sign an NBA contract, Lin – who spent last season in the Chinese Basketball Association – required a Letter of Clearance from FIBA. The Warriors were unable to get that letter in time to sign and waive Lin without paying a small portion of his regular season salary, which would’ve increased the team’s projected tax bill.
While it initially looked like the Warriors missed their chance to have Lin play for their G League affiliate, a rule tweak made by the NBA and NBAGL reopened that door. As Jonathan Givony of ESPN has reported, each G League team will be able to designate an “NBA Vet Selection” who has five or more years of NBA experience, and will be able to sign that player directly without navigating the league’s complicated waiver process.
Charania doesn’t explicitly say that the Warriors will make use of that rule to sign Lin, but it’s a safe bet they will. Otherwise, he’d have to enter the draft pool or post-draft waiver pool, giving other G League teams a chance to land him.
Earlier today, we passed along a list of notable former NBA players who will be eligible to be selected in the NBAGL’s draft on Monday — Charania (via Twitter) adds former No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley to that list.
Community Shootaround: Western Conference Early Impressions
On Wednesday, we asked you for your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far this season from the Eastern Conference teams, including whether certain hot and cold starts are for real or whether certain teams are due for course corrections. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the West.
As in the East, there are some early-season results in the Western Conference that don’t come as a real surprise. For instance, the fact that the Timberwolves and Grizzlies are tied for the West’s worst record at 2-5 isn’t a shock — especially since they’ve been missing their respective stars, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ja Morant.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Lakers (6-2) and Clippers (6-3) were considered the class of the conference entering the season, and nothing we’ve seen so far from them suggests that shouldn’t remain the case going forward.
However, both Los Angeles teams currently trail the impressive Suns, whose 6-2 record has made them the No. 1 seed in the conference. Perhaps it’s not a total surprise that Phoenix is off to a hot start after going 8-0 in the bubble, but even those who were bullish on the Suns may not have expected them to look so good so soon, led by new point guard Chris Paul and his backcourt partner Devin Booker.
Outside of those five teams and the 2-4 Rockets – who have been hard to get a handle on due to the James Harden drama and their early COVID-related absences – virtually every other club in the West can be classified as “middle of the pack.”
Four of those teams – the Pelicans, Jazz, Warriors, and Kings – have 4-4 records, while five others – the Nuggets, Mavericks, Spurs, Trail Blazers, and Thunder – are at 3-4.
Some of those clubs entered the season with much higher expectations than others. Denver and Dallas, for instance, likely aren’t thrilled to be tied with Oklahoma City in the standings. But after just seven or eight games, it’s hard to be too concerned or too excited about a record right around .500. The question now will be which of those teams can start pulling away from the pack and which ones begin falling off.
What do you think? What are your early impressions of the Western Conference race based on what you’ve seen so far?
Can the Suns maintain their hot start and vie for home court advantage in the playoffs, or is regression on the way? Do you expect some of those teams hovering around .500 to break away or fall off soon, or do you believe we’ll see many teams engaged in a tight, competitive race in that part of the standings all year long?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!