Hornets Trade Nick Richards To Suns
6:43 pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Suns and Hornets.
3:47 pm: The Suns and Hornets have agreed to a trade that will send center Nick Richards and a second-round draft pick to Phoenix in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Suns only have three tradable second-rounders on hand: Denver’s 2026 and 2031 selections, and Phoenix’s own 2031 pick. Those are the three picks headed to Charlotte in the deal.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the pick being sent from the Hornets to the Suns is a 2025 selection. It will be the least favorable of Denver’s and Philadelphia’s picks, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Charania (Twitter link). Barring an unexpected development in the second half of this season, that figures to be the Nuggets’ second-rounder.
Richards, 27, has seen regular rotation minutes in Charlotte since the start of the 2022/23 campaign and served as the team’s primary starting center in ’23/24 with Mark Williams sidelined. So far this season, he has appeared in 21 games, averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 21.0 minutes per night.
Richards is on a team-friendly contract that pays him $5MM this season, with a $5MM non-guaranteed salary for next season. Okogie’s deal is also guaranteed in 2024/25 and non-guaranteed in ’25/26, but he’s earning $8.25MM this season, so the swap will reduce Phoenix’s projected end-of-season luxury tax bill by approximately $20MM, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), while giving the team an athletic option in the frontcourt.
Richards is expected to take over as the Suns’ starting center once he gets acclimated, tweets Gambadoro.
Reporting over the weekend indicated that the Suns and Hornets were in talks about a potential Richards trade that would send second-round draft capital to Charlotte.
Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic was believed to be part of those discussions, but the Hornets were likely unwilling to take on Nurkic’s contract, which has a significantly higher cap hit ($18.13MM) than Okogie’s and is also fully guaranteed for next season ($19.38MM). An Okogie/Richards swap is simpler from a cap perspective and doesn’t require Charlotte to include a second player.
Because they’re operating over the second tax apron, the Suns have limited options on the trade market this season. They’re not able to aggregate contracts or take back more salary than they send out. This deal meets those requirements while taking advantage of an Okogie contract that had been viewed as a probable trade chip since it was first signed in July. Not coincidentally, Okogie became trade-eligible on Wednesday.
Besides its newly acquired 2025 second-round pick, Phoenix’s only remaining tradable draft asset is its 2031 first-rounder. The front office figures to make that first-round selection available as the club continues to weigh its options on the market ahead of the February 6 deadline.
As Marks tweets, Phoenix will generate a $3.25MM trade exception as a result of this transaction. The Suns would be able to use that exception during the season, but not in the 2025 offseason as long as they continue to operate over the second apron.
As for the Hornets, after taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line to take on contracts and acquire three second-round picks from the Knicks in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster in the fall, they’re taking a similar path here, absorbing some extra salary in a deal for their backup center and netting multiple future second-rounders in the process.
Charlotte will still be operating $7MM+ below the tax line once this move is official, leaving the team with some flexibility to potentially facilitate another deal or two with a cap-strapped trade partner by Feb. 6.
While the Hornets are making this trade for the draft assets rather than for Okogie, the veteran swingman has been solid in limited minutes this season, averaging 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game across 25 outings, with career-high shooting percentages of 49.1% from the floor and 38.1% on three-pointers. He’s considered a versatile and above-average wing defender.
If Okogie isn’t part of Charlotte’s plans going forward, the club could look to flip him in the coming weeks, though he’ll be ineligible to have his salary aggregated with another player’s.
Spurs’ Riley Minix Out For Season Following Shoulder Surgery
Rookie forward Riley Minix, who is on a two-way contract with the Spurs, underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, the team announced today in a press release.
Minix sustained the injury during a G League game vs. Iowa on January 1. He will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024/25 season as he recovers from the procedure, according to the Spurs.
San Antonio signed Minix to an Exhibit 10 deal in July after he went undrafted in June. The 24-year-old averaged 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 block per game while shooting 34.9% on three-pointers as a senior at Morehead State last season.
Minix averaged 9.0 PPG in four Summer League games and 7.7 PPG in three preseason outings, impressing the Spurs enough to have his Exhibit 10 deal converted to a two-way contract ahead of the regular season.
The 6’7″ forward made just one NBA appearance for San Antonio as a rookie, spending most of his time in the G League, where he averaged 19.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.2 BPG with an impressive .524/.414/.853 shooting line in 19 total contests (31.6 MPG) for Austin.
Minix is assured of receiving his full-season two-way salary ($578,577), having stuck around through last week’s league-wide guarantee deadline. However, it’s unclear if the Spurs will keep him under contract for the rest of the season or replace him with a healthy player. March 4 is the deadline for NBA teams to sign players to two-way deals.
Latest On Jimmy Butler
The Heat‘s game on Wednesday vs. the Lakers will be the seventh of Jimmy Butler‘s suspension, making him eligible to rejoin the team in advance of Friday’s contest against Denver. With Miami still apparently not close to finding a suitable trade involving Butler, it’s unclear what the next step in the standoff between the team and its star forward will look like.
Reporting earlier this week indicated that the Heat expect Butler to resume playing in games at the end of his suspension, and Sam Amick of The Athletic hears from a source close to Butler that the 35-year-old intends to report for duty. But given the strained relationship between the two sides, it would almost be surprising if Butler simply returns to action on Friday without incident.
The last time Butler returned from a multi-game absence amid trade rumors was on January 1, when he played vs. New Orleans after missing five games due to a minor ankle injury and an illness. He didn’t look fully engaged in that outing, frequently standing in the corner on offense without the ball in his hands.
NBA insider Chris Haynes stated during an appearance on the Le Batard Show on Tuesday (YouTube link) that the Heat openly questioned Butler’s effort after that game, which didn’t sit well with the six-time All-Star, who told reporters unprompted in his media session the following night that he always plays hard.
Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the implication from team officials that Butler wasn’t playing his hardest was one reason why he requested a trade on Jan. 2. According to Haynes, Butler’s camp also privately pushed back against the team’s suggestion that his effort was lacking, using speed and acceleration data from Second Spectrum.
As has been widely reported, Butler’s initial unhappiness with the Heat stemmed from their unwillingness to offer him the maximum-salary contract extension he was seeking over the offseason. However, another source of frustration for Butler has been his role in the team’s new-look offense, according to both Haynes and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Appearing on the Le Batard Show, Haynes noted that Miami tweaked its offensive system prior to this season in an effort to reduce its mid-range looks and increase its three-point attempts, which doesn’t cater to Butler’s skill set. As Haynes observes, Butler’s usage rate this season has dipped to 21.2%, his lowest mark since his third season in Chicago in 2013/14.
According to Chiang, Butler’s camp inquired about the adjustments to Erik Spoelstra‘s system and was told that Miami made changes in part because the forward’s inconsistent regular season availability made it difficult to build the offense around him. Conversely, Chiang writes, some people with the Heat may contend that Butler has made his role look smaller than it actually is by “making it a point in some games to run to the corner and play without the ball in his hands.”
Here’s more on Butler:
- According to Chiang, Butler’s meeting with Heat owner Micky Arison is tentatively expected to take place on Thursday, so there could be more clarity on next steps after that session.
- Haynes provided several more interesting tidbits during his appearance on the Le Batard Show (YouTube link), revealing that Butler and Riley didn’t communicate for several months between the offseason and January 1; Haynes also shared a story about how Butler was irked by an accounting error last spring that resulted in him not being paid until the issue was resolved 10 days later (hat tips to HoopsHype).
- According to Haynes, Butler’s camp wasn’t happy about leaks suggesting that he has repeatedly taken private flights instead of taking the team charter. Haynes hears that those flights only happened a handful of times, primarily during the 2023 NBA Finals when Butler’s father was ill.
- While it’s unclear if the Bucks have legitimate trade interest in Butler, two league sources insist to Amick of The Athletic that Milwaukee hasn’t been told by the forward’s camp that he doesn’t want to play there. Multiple reports previously indicated that the Bucks had been advised not to pursue Butler, but it sounds like Memphis is the only team known to have received that message.
- Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the standoff between Butler and the Heat, team captain Bam Adebayo said his approach is to focus on winning games and letting the front office work out that issue. “You understand that it’s business at the end of the day, and I’ll leave it at that,” Adebayo said. “J.B. is one of my guys. So, for me, we give him space and we let him and management handle it, get involved in that. We worry about getting these wins because at the end of the day, whatever happens with him and the management, somebody still got to play these games.” According to Spears, teammate Tyler Herro praised Adebayo for showing “a lot of leadership” during a challenging time for the club.
Southeast Notes: Herro, Bitadze, Williams, Wizards
After being referred to as “fragile” by Heat president Pat Riley last spring, Tyler Herro has responded in impressive fashion to Riley’s public challenge to improve his availability, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Acknowledging during his end-of-season press conference last year that Herro had dealt with some major injuries, Riley said he hoped to see the veteran shooting guard be able to play “in that 72- to 82-game range.”
Herro, who has never appeared in more than 67 games in a season and missed 40 contests in 2023/24, has yet to sit out a single game in ’24/25, having suited up for each of the Heat’s 38 matchups to date.
“I’m trying to play over 70, 75 games, for sure,” Herro said. “Obviously, if I can play all 82, I’ll play 82. But I’m just trying to be as healthy as possible.
“… I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m fragile or I haven’t played as many games,” he continued. “I’m aware of what’s going on. I know I missed the last two seasons, with the hand injury and half the season last year. I’ve seen the comments Coach Riley said. In my own world, I was going to try to play more games on my own either way. I took his words, obviously, into consideration and used it as motivation as I always do.”
As Chiang writes, a player’s availability often comes down to luck, but Herro also says he’s been “more conscious” than ever about managing his body and his weight this season. On top of being more available than in the past, Herro is enjoying a career year in Miami, averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on .469/.403/.862 shooting.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Magic center Goga Bitadze has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and won’t be available on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Bitadze, who has been Orlando’s primary starting center this season, was struck in the head during Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. He didn’t exhibit any concussion symptoms right away, but has since developed those symptoms, Beede explains.
- In a conversation with Spencer Davies of RG.org, Hornets center Mark Williams spoke about having Taj Gibson as a veteran mentor, the team’s trust in first-year head coach Charles Lee, and his belief that Charlotte is better than its 8-28 record suggests. “I believe 100 percent we’re better than what our record shows,” Williams said. “I know it sounds kinda repetitive with guys being out, but you can’t control it. So I think for us, whoever is out there on the floor with us, maintaining the same style of play, playing hard, doing all the little things on the court, hustle plays, rebounds. And I think for us, it’s just finding a way no matter what.”
- Wizards rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington, and Kyshawn George, are beginning to feel the effects of the NBA’s 82-game regular season grind, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Carrington and Sarr rank first and second among first-year players in minutes per game, while George is seventh. “I’ve never played this (number) of games, never played this (many) minutes as well. So it’s definitely taken a toll,” Carrington said. “… Can’t really dwell on it; it’s just something you got to get through.”
NBA Announces New Dates For Nine Games
The NBA, which recently had to postpone four games as a result of wildfires in Los Angeles and severe weather in Atlanta, has rescheduled three of those contests and announced date changes for six others, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link).
The Hornets/Lakers game that was supposed to be played last Thursday will take place at Crypto.com Arena on February 19, while the Hornets/Clippers game that had been scheduled for last Saturday has been moved to March 16.
Additionally, last Saturday’s Rockets/Hawks that was postponed due to the weather in Atlanta will now be played on January 28 at State Farm Arena.
There’s still no new date for last Saturday’s Spurs/Lakers game, with the NBA indicating that a make-up date for that contest will be announced at a later time.
In order to accommodate the rescheduled games, the NBA has also announced the following tweaks to the schedule:
- The Bulls/Clippers game scheduled for January 21 in L.A. has been moved up to Jan. 20.
- The Wizards/Jazz game scheduled for Jan. 23 in Utah has been moved back to March 19.
- The Jazz/Lakers game scheduled for Feb. 11 in L.A. has been moved up to Feb. 10.
- The Wizards/Clippers game scheduled for March 16 in L.A. has been moved up to Jan. 23.
- The Wizards/Trail Blazers game scheduled for March 18 in Portland has been moved up to March 17.
- The Clippers/Jazz game scheduled for March 19 in Utah has been moved up to Feb. 13.
Despite not being involved in any of last week’s postponed matchups, the Jazz and Wizards will each have three games moved around in order to help minimize back-to-backs and reduce travel.
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that Utah and Washington are among the NBA’s cellar dwellers — the league likely wanted to avoid making schedule changes that would significantly impact teams involved in playoff races.
Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Boucher, Robinson, Nets
Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year contract with the Raptors features annual base salaries of $32.5MM, with $2.5MM in additional bonuses per year.
However, those incentives, which are based on various individual and team benchmarks, were considered unlikely to be earned this season and will remain that way in 2025/26, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who reports (via Twitter) that Quickley won’t play in enough games this season to earn any of his bonuses. That means his ’25/26 cap hit will remain at $32.5MM.
Quickley has dealt with injuries all season long, appearing in just nine of Toronto’s first 40 games in 2024/25. The former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is currently day-to-day with what the team is calling a left groin strain, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). He missed Monday’s game against Golden State and has been ruled out for Wednesday’s contest against Boston as well.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic Division:
- Chris Boucher‘s days with the Raptors may be numbered, given that the 32-year-old is on an expiring contract and probably doesn’t have a place in the rebuilding team’s long-term plans, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Those circumstances make him an in-season trade candidate, but if these are Boucher’s final days in Toronto, he’s making the most of them. As Koreen and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca detail, the longest-tenured Raptor has averaged 18.3 points in 22.9 minutes per game across his past three outings and led the Raptors to a Monday victory over Golden State with 17 fourth-quarter points.
- While Mitchell Robinson‘s recovery from an offseason ankle procedure has taken longer than anticipated, Ian Begley of SNY.tv says there’s still a “solid belief” that the Knicks center’s return isn’t too far off (Twitter video link). Begley suggests it could happen in “early February.” Getting a healthy Robinson back to fortify the center spot would probably be a best-case scenario for the Knicks, according to Begley, but he mentions Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas as a possible trade target to watch if the club isn’t confident in Robinson’s health.
- Cameron Johnson, who had missed five consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain, and D’Angelo Russell, who had been sidelined for four straight with a right shin contusion, both returned to action for the Nets on Tuesday and led the team to a win over Portland, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Johnson is considered Brooklyn’s top remaining trade candidate, so it was good news for his market value that he picked up right where he left off, scoring 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 27 minutes against the Blazers.
Kyrie Irving: Back Injury Shouldn’t Require Surgery
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving returned to the court on Tuesday after missing five games due to a bulging disc in his back. Speaking after the game to reporters, including Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, Irving said he “felt a lot better” in his first outing since January 1.
“The last almost two weeks have sucked, to be real with you,” Irving said. “I haven’t really had any back troubles before, so when I got the MRI back and found out it was a bulging disc, I spoke to a few experts; a few doctors; spoke to some of my teammates; spoke to some of the guys on our coaching staff as well, who’ve dealt with surgery or dealt with just the maintenance of that.
“It’s on and off. So I just got to be very smart about it, but I’m grateful I got a chance to go out and get some minutes. Tonight really felt like I just hopped off the couch and decided to play an NBA game.”
According to Irving, there’s not “heavy, heavy concern” among Dallas’ coaches or medical staff about the issue, which shouldn’t need to be addressed with a surgical procedure. The eight-time All-Star said that the ailment will need to be managed, but he’s “most likely” going to play in the second end of the Mavs’ back-to-back set on Wednesday vs. New Orleans.
“It’s a bulging disc in the back, so just got to do your best to manage it,” Irving said. “It’s not to the point where it’s bad enough I need surgery, which I’m grateful to God. But I have the support on our medical staff and a few other people in this locker room who have been dealing with the same thing. So just being smart about it.”
The Mavericks have gone 3-6 without Irving this season and 19-12 when he has played. The 32-year-old wasn’t especially effective in Tuesday’s loss to Denver, with 11 points on 4-of-18 shooting, but his season-long numbers remain impressive — he holds averages of 23.9 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, with a shooting line of .481/.435/.894.
Dallas is expected to be without its top scorer, Luka Doncic, until at least early February, so having a healthy Irving available to kick-start the team’s offensive attack will be crucial in the next few weeks.
Since Christmas Day, the game in which Doncic strained his calf, the Mavs have a 108.6 offensive rating, the 23rd-best mark in the NBA during that stretch. Prior to Christmas Day, that mark was 117.4, fourth-best in the league.
Eighteen More Players Become Trade-Eligible
Today is Wednesday, January 15, which means that a total of 18 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.
Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:
- The player re-signed with his previous team.
- He got a raise of at least 20%.
- His salary is above the minimum.
- His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.
The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Wednesday:
- Precious Achiuwa (Knicks)
- OG Anunoby (Knicks)
- Goga Bitadze (Magic)
- Miles Bridges (Hornets)
- Max Christie (Lakers)
- Nic Claxton (Nets)
- Haywood Highsmith (Heat)
- Isaiah Joe (Thunder)
- Johnny Juzang (Jazz)
- KJ Martin (Sixers)
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
- Malik Monk (Kings)
- Josh Okogie (Suns)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (Grizzlies)
- Note: Pippen doesn’t meet the criteria detailed above, but was converted from his two-way contract to a standard deal on October 15. He’s trade-eligible today because it has been three months since he signed that contract.
- Immanuel Quickley (Raptors)
- Obi Toppin (Pacers)
- Aaron Wiggins (Thunder)
- Patrick Williams (Bulls)
Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.
That group includes Kings forward Doug McDermott, who becomes trade-eligible on Thursday, Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser (trade-eligible on January 23), Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (Jan. 26), Grizzlies big man Jay Huff (Jan. 28), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (Feb. 2), and Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (Feb. 5).
Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including stars like Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, and Jamal Murray.
Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.
Kawhi Leonard In No Rush To Shed Minutes Restriction
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who made his season debut on January 4 after spending most of the first half working his way back from an offseason knee procedure, has yet to play more than 21 minutes in any of his first three outings this season.
As Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints writes, head coach Tyronn Lue and the Clippers haven’t confirmed exactly what Leonard’s minutes restriction is or when it might be lifted. But the two-time Finals MVP isn’t in any rush to get out from under that restriction, telling reporters on Monday night that he doesn’t want to risk a setback by rushing the process.
“No, I’m taking my time,” Leonard said when asked if he’s anxious to play more. “I’ve done that in the past and it led to me on the bench, I’m good where I’m at.”
The Clippers and Leonard have said they’re treating this stretch of games as if it’s the preseason for the star forward, Azarly notes. That means that in addition to being on a strict minutes limit, Leonard isn’t playing at all in clutch time. He has yet to log a single minute in the fourth quarter of any of his first three games back.
The six-time All-Star also hasn’t looked like his usual self, averaging just 8.7 points per game on 32.3% shooting so far.
“He’s looked better in practice than (in the game),” Lue said, per Azarly. “I think in the game, he’s just trying to feel his way through I think when you come from off such a long layoff. I’ve been a product of that, having surgery, coming off a long layoff, you just want to make sure you can play and that you’re comfortable, that you don’t feel it. I think that’s what he’s been doing the last couple games. He’s got to just get to a point where he trusts it, where he can go all out without having to think about it, and it’s going to take a little time.”
The Clippers’ priority is making sure Leonard is available in April. As Azarly points out, the 33-year-old hasn’t been healthy at the end of any of the past four seasons, so he and the club are willing to take things as slowly as they need to in order to maximize the chances that he’s good to go for the postseason.
Led by James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac, L.A. has performed well without Leonard so far this season. Entering Tuesday’s games, the team is the No. 6 seed in the West with a 21-17 record.
“They’ve been playing well all season,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get some win under our belts and move up in the standings, secure a playoff spot. That’s what we’re working for.”
Leonard will be available on Wednesday vs. Brooklyn for the first game of a back-to-back set, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.
Community Shootaround: Rookie Of The Year Race
Entering Tuesday’s NBA games, Wizards center Alex Sarr was listed by most sportsbooks as the odds-on favorite to win this season’s Rookie of the Year award, as Zach Harper of The Athletic observes.
It’s no surprise that a No. 2 overall pick like Sarr is in contention for that honor, but his stat line through 34 professional contests isn’t exactly what you’d expect from the Rookie of the Year frontrunner: 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 27.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .406/.325/.641.
The Wizards are 5-29 in games Sarr has played and have an abysmal -16.3 net rating during his 920 minutes on the court (they’re at -10.4 in the 909 minutes he hasn’t played).
Sarr has been playing better basketball over the past month-and-a-half, averaging 13.3 PPG and 7.1 RPG with a .409 3PT% in his last 20 appearances, so those betting odds take into account that he’s trending in the right direction. But is he really the best rookie of the 2024/25 class?
That honor initially belonged to Sixers guard Jared McCain, who averaged 15.3 points per game on .460/.383/.875 shooting in his first 23 games of the season. However, McCain will miss the rest of the ’24/25 campaign due to a knee injury.
The 65-game rule doesn’t apply to Rookie of the Year voting, so a player could win the award without reaching the 65-game threshold, but it’s probably safe to assume 23 solid outings won’t be enough for McCain.
Lakers wing Dalton Knecht has been solid, but has certainly come down to earth since a hot streak in November. For the season, he has averages of 9.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .461/.347/.800 shooting.
A pair of Grizzlies rookies have played good minutes for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference — center Zach Edey has averaged 9.9 PPG and 7.5 RPG through 26 games (19 starts), while Jaylen Wells has been a solid three-and-D piece, putting up 11.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .438/.378/.813 shooting line and solid defense through 40 games (35 starts).
Wells might get my Rookie of the Year vote if the season ended today. But both he and Edey will face stiff competition for playing time if Memphis is fully healthy and battling for playoff seeding during the second half of the season. That could put that Grizzlies duo at a disadvantage down the stretch, since players on lottery-bound teams – like Sarr in Washington – will be getting big minutes and racking up gaudier numbers in games that don’t matter all that much.
As Harper notes, Pelicans center Yves Missi, Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Magic forward Tristan Da Silva, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, and Wizards guard Carlton Carrington are some of the other first-year players who can be found in oddsmakers’ top 10 choices for Rookie of the Year.
We want to know what you think. Who is your Rookie of the First Half? If you were projecting a full-season Rookie of the Year winner today, who would you pick? Are there any dark-horse candidates you like to enter the mix with big second halves?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!