Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 1/9/2025
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central time (3:00 pm Eastern).
Western Notes: Kawhi, Morant, Sheppard, Blazers
Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he was in full support of star forward Kawhi Leonard stepping away from the team to be with family who had been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Lue added that “a few people on the staff” were also impacted by the fires and weren’t with the team in Denver on Wednesday.
“You definitely have to take care of home,” Lue said. “And so (Leonard) totally had my support, 100%. Going back, checking on his family and kids and making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”
Leonard is still rounding into form after missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from an offseason procedure on his knee. Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic, the two-time Finals MVP said his first two games back have felt like his “preseason.”
“I’m happy the knee is responding well. That’s what I’m more focused on than anything,” Leonard said. “But, you know, it’s hard to not want to be as aggressive as I want to be on the floor. It’s going to be a time to come. Once my lungs and my legs get there, start building up, I’ll start really assessing my play and seeing what I need to do better.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since December 27 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Houston, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Memphis has lost three of the five games Morant has missed within the last couple weeks, so his return – whether it comes on Thursday or in another game or two – will be a welcome one.
- After being assigned to the G League this week for the first time, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard responded exactly like you’d want a No. 3 overall pick to respond, racking up 49 points, eight 3-pointers, and eight assists in his first game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. Sheppard has had a hard time establishing himself as a regular rotation player this season for a deep Houston squad, but Tuesday’s performance in his NBAGL debut was a reminder of his upside as a scorer and shooter.
- In his latest mailbag, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) discusses various Trail Blazers topics, with a focus on trade scenarios. Highkin believes it would be in the Blazers’ best interests to move Jerami Grant before the February 6 deadline, though he acknowledges that trades involving players on big contracts have become more challenging in the current CBA landscape. Highkin still considers Grant the most likely of Portland’s top trade candidates to be moved, ahead of (in order) Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton.
Mavs Notes: Grimes, Irving, Gafford, Kleber
With top scorers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both unavailable on Tuesday due to injuries, Quentin Grimes stepped into a starring role for the Mavericks, racking up 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 29 minutes off the bench as Dallas registered a 21-point win.
Grimes, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, has primarily served as a three-and-D wing since entering the NBA, but pointed out after Tuesday’s win that he has some point guard experience.
“In high school, I was primarily (point guard),” Grimes said, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “At U of H (University of Houston), (I was) the primary ball-handler. I’m definitely comfortable with whatever. I know with Luka and Kyrie, I can space out the court. It makes it easy for me to drive and play off closeouts. … I’m going to do whatever to help the team win.”
It was another big game for Grimes, who has averaged 14.1 points per game on .479/.417/.740 shooting in his last 19 contests. The 24-year-old observed following his performance against the Lakers that the absences of Doncic and Irving allow him to be more aggressive as a scorer and play-maker.
“It’s just a big opportunity for me, knowing we aren’t going to have Luka for a while,” Grimes said. “And then, Kyrie is out. I know I’m going to have an opportunity offensively to make plays for myself, make plays for my teammates.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Irving is currently sidelined due to a bulging disc in his back, which is the sort of injury that can become a recurring problem if it’s not managed correctly. However, head coach Jason Kidd expressed confidence on Tuesday that the Mavs will be able to get the issue under control without Irving requiring an extended absence, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). “It is not long-term,” Kidd said on TNT. “We’re working on it. We’re positive the results will be good.”
- The Mavs also provided a positive injury update on center Daniel Gafford, who sprained his left ankle on Monday and missed Tuesday’s game. As Afseth writes on his Substack, Gafford is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Portland, so even if he’s ultimately downgraded to out for that contest, it sounds like he’ll return soon.
- Maxi Kleber is considered one of Dallas’ most logical trade candidates due to his $11MM cap hit and relatively modest role, but he has averaged 26.5 minutes per night in his last seven games, up from 17.0 MPG in his first 18 outings. Filling in for Gafford on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, Kleber was a +21 with five points and five assists in 29 minutes. “I think Maxi is not gonna be talked about, but I thought he did an incredible job of boxing out, being able to be physical,” Kidd said after that game, per Afseth. “(Anthony Davis) is not easy. He’s one of the best players in the league, and I thought he made it tough on him tonight. And then also his ability to play-make. We won’t always call Maxi a play-maker, but his ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays for guys to get open threes was big for us tonight.”
Atlantic Notes: Rajakovic, Raptors, Knicks, Sixers
The Raptors are as healthy as they’ve been all season, but their on-court results haven’t improved as of late. They fell to a banged-up Orlando team last Friday and were blown out by Milwaukee on Monday, with both losses coming at home. They’ve now dropped 13 of their last 14 games and have an 8-28 record on the season, the third-worst mark in the NBA.
Toronto has been below .500 since opening night, but the club was more competitive early in the season even while dealing with injuries to players like Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Kelly Olynyk, and Bruce Brown. With the Raptors healthier, head coach Darko Rajakovic may begin to face real pressure for the first time if the results don’t start to improve a little, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
For his part, Rajakovic said he’s confident his team will put forth a better effort than what it showed on Monday against the Bucks.
“(It’s the) middle of (a) long season. It’s guys coming back from injuries, guys being without rhythm, guys not playing together,” Rajakovic said. “Again, I don’t want any of those to sound like excuses. We’ve got to be much better in all of those areas. But at the same time, we work hard, and I believe that we’re gonna get out of this slump, and I think we’re gonna be able to play much higher level basketball than we showed (Monday).”
It won’t be easy for Toronto to turn things around in the short term. The club will play a back-to-back set on Wednesday and Thursday against the Knicks and Cavaliers before visiting the red-hot Pistons in Detroit on Saturday.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen evaluates a series of Raptors-related trade suggestions from readers, including hypothetical deals involving Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher, and Brown, among others.
- With minor health issues forcing a couple of the Knicks‘ top players to miss games within the last week, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post examines the team’s depth issue, noting that head coach Tom Thibodeau has shown little inclination to expand his rotation to nine players. Getting back a healthy Mitchell Robinson would help matters, according to Bondy, who adds that the club will also consider its options on the trade and buyout markets, though cap constraints will limit the front office’s options.
- Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Paul George (left groin tightness), and Kyle Lowry (right hip soreness) will be unavailable for the Sixers on Wednesday when they host the Wizards, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. It’ll be the second consecutive missed game for both Embiid and Lowry.
- The absences of Embiid and George will delay the Sixers‘ ability to further work on the duo’s chemistry, Pompey writes in another story for The Inquirer. Head coach Nick Nurse said earlier this week that he doesn’t have enough data on Embiid’s and George’s two-man game yet and wants to prioritize getting them more reps together.
Latest On Zion Williamson
The Pelicans have ruled out Zion Williamson for Wednesday’s game vs. Portland after he returned from a hamstring strain on Tuesday against Minnesota, playing for the first time in over two months.
The fact that Williamson won’t play in the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday shouldn’t be a cause for concern among Pelicans fans, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press, who says the forward told reporters he felt fine after Tuesday’s game but wasn’t sure if the club would give him the green light to play two nights in a row.
“I definitely feel like my legs are already under me,” the former No. 1 overall pick said.
As Rod Walker of NOLA.com observes, Williamson didn’t look like a player who had been out since early November. The 24-year-old had a number of explosive dunks in his return, including a highlight-reel 360 windmill slam, and was moving around well on the court. Head coach Willie Green stating after the game that he looked “as good as I’ve seen him after being out for as long as he’s been,” per Martel.
While the Pelicans lost the game and saw their conference-worst record fall to 7-30, Williamson’s return provided some “energy and hope” that had been missing in recent weeks as it became a lost season in New Orleans, Walker writes.
“I’m glad he played with that confidence and that joy,” teammate Dejounte Murray said. “Especially after that dunk. You could see the joy.”
We have more on Williamson:
- As positive as Zion’s return was, the next step is even more crucial, according to William Guillory of The Athletic: making sure the two-time All-Star stays healthy. “It’s extremely important,” Green said. “Our medical team and performance, they’re working diligently, along with Zion and the whole staff, to do everything we can on our part to make sure he has all the resources to be healthy.”
- Williamson has missed 30 games so far this season and will miss a 31st on Wednesday. Given that he’s extremely unlikely to be fully available for the rest of the season, he’ll almost certainly fall short of the 51-game threshold required to guarantee an additional 20% of his salary for 2025/26. At this point, a best-case scenario for Williamson would see him play in at least 41 games and meet his various weigh-in requirements — if he does that, he’ll ensure that 60% of his maximum salary for next season would be guaranteed entering the summer. The terms of his unusual contract can be found here.
- Asked during Wednesday’s episode of Get Up (YouTube link) if Williamson could end up on the trade block this season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said there’s “no sense” New Orleans plans to go that route. “I think the Pelicans would listen to a great offer, but there’s no reason to make a great offer. The guy can’t stay on the court,” Windhorst said. “Frankly, that’s what the Pelicans want: they want him on the court. … It’s all about keeping Zion healthy and building momentum for next year.”
- Although there has been speculation that the Warriors, who are in the market for another star, could be an intriguing fit for Williamson if the Pelicans were willing to make him available via trade, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during an appearance on KNBR 680’s Murph & Markus (YouTube link) that it’s not something Golden State is considering. “I also did hear that Zion’s not on the (Warriors’) radar,” Spears said, per Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Which, I know others might feel differently, but probably a good thing. Because with Zion, you just don’t know what you’re going to get and when he’s going to be healthy, and his (cap) number’s rather high as well. I just think the Warriors in the end will get someone in a very creative way. They actually have to.”
Kawhi Leonard Away From Clippers, With Family Due To L.A. Wildfires
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Denver for personal reasons, the team announced today.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Leonard is away from the Clippers to be with family in the Los Angeles area who were forced to evacuate due to the ongoing wildfires.
Leonard made his season debut on Saturday after missing the first two-plus months of 2024/25 while recovering from an offseason procedure on his right knee.
The star forward scored 12 points, made three 3-pointers, and was a plus-22 in Saturday’s win over Atlanta. However, he struggled in his second outing on Monday in Minnesota — he scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting and was a minus-17 in the two-point loss.
It’s unclear whether Leonard’s absence will extend beyond Wednesday or whether the wildfires will force the NBA to make any adjustments to the Clippers’ upcoming schedule. The club is scheduled to host the Hornets on Saturday to begin a three-game home stand.
Fischer’s Latest: Butler, Grizzlies, Bucks, Suns, Beal, More
Exploring the Jimmy Butler situation in his latest Substack article for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer confirms that the Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams that Butler’s camp has discouraged from trading for the Heat forward. Chris Haynes first reported that Memphis had been advised not to pursue Butler, while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports later added that Milwaukee had received a similar message.
Fischer also confirms that the Suns clearly appear to be Butler’s preferred landing spot, not only because he wants to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker but because team owner Mat Ishbia has established himself as a free spender who would presumably give Butler the sort of contract extension he’s seeking.
If Phoenix makes a move for Butler, it would have to include Bradley Beal, but the Suns have no desire to broach the subject with Beal – who has a no-trade clause – unless they’re able to figure out a multi-team scenario that could work. Miami reportedly has no interest in taking on the well-paid veteran guard and his no-trade clause.
“You can’t bring anything to Brad unless there’s a deal on the table,” a veteran Eastern Conference executive told Fischer. “You can’t lose him until you know you’re going to move him.”
While they would like to land Butler, the Suns are also actively exploring other options on the trade market, gauging what sort of return they could acquire if they were to give up their 2031 first-round pick, which is their only tradable first-rounder, Fischer writes.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- Although the Suns‘ decision to remove Beal from their starting lineup has been widely viewed as an attempt to encourage him to waive his no-trade clause, sources tell Fischer the team is hoping the move to the second unit will “spark more of an aggressive output” from the guard as a “microwave scorer.” Of course, there’s no reason that both explanations can’t be true.
- The Grizzlies have made Luke Kennard, John Konchar, and draft capital available as they seek an upgrade on the trade market. But even if Butler were open to moving to Memphis, it’s unclear if the team would have an appetite for a bigger deal that would involve Marcus Smart and Brandon Clarke, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the Grizzlies highly value both of those players.
- The Thunder and Kings opened up roster spots on Tuesday by waiving Branden Carlson and Orlando Robinson, respectively. Those roster spots may come in handy on the trade market, but if they’re still open after the deadline, Ajay Mitchell and Isaac Jones are worth monitoring as candidates to be promoted from two-way contracts, says Fischer.
Magic’s Paolo Banchero Set To Return This Week
Star forward Paolo Banchero is expected to suit up for the Magic this week for the first time since October, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, the expectation is that Banchero will be upgraded to questionable on Orlando’s next injury report and will be available for either Thursday’s home game vs. Minnesota or Friday’s vs. Milwaukee.
Banchero got off to an impressive start to the season in the fall, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 36.4 minutes per night in the first five games of the season. However, he sustained a torn right oblique on October 30 and was ruled out indefinitely. The former No. 1 overall pick has now missed 33 consecutive games.
After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 and making his first All-Star team in 2024, Banchero won’t be eligible for major awards in 2025 due to the NBA’s 65-game rule. But his return will be a boon for a Magic team that has played very well in his absence, even after forward Franz Wagner went down with a nearly identical injury in early December.
Orlando currently has a 22-16 record and holds the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
If Banchero is activated for Thursday’s game, it would be bad luck for the Timberwolves, who have already faced Zion Williamson on Tuesday in his first game since early November and Kawhi Leonard on Monday in just his second game of the season. However, Charania tweets that Banchero is more likely to make his return on Friday vs. the Bucks.
PJ Dozier Expected To Sign With Anadolu Efes
Veteran free agent PJ Dozier is expected to join the Turkish club Anadolu Efes for the rest of the season, according to multiple international reports.
George Zakkas of SDNA (Twitter link) first revealed that Dozier and Anadolu Efes were in advanced talks, with Mihalis Stefanou of Eurohoops and Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com subsequently confirming an agreement between the 28-year-old wing and the EuroLeague team.
Dozier has spent most of the 2024/25 season with the Timberwolves, but played sparingly in Minnesota and was waived in late December before his full-season salary became guaranteed. Across nine garbage-time appearances for the Wolves, Dozier totaled seven points, five rebounds, and five assists in 35 minutes of action.
Dozier has appeared in a total of 130 NBA regular season games since 2018, having spent time with the Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets, and Kings before landing in Minnesota. The former South Carolina standout is also no stranger to EuroLeague competition, having played for Partizan Belgrade in 2023/24.
Assuming the reported deal is officially finalized, Dozier will join an Anadolu Efes squad that features several other former NBA players, including Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, Jordan Nwora, Elijah Bryant, and Stanley Johnson. The club is currently tied for the eighth-best record among 18 EuroLeague teams at 10-9.
Bucks To Bring Khris Middleton Off Bench
The Bucks have informed forward Khris Middleton that they’ll be removing him from their starting lineup and bringing him off the bench moving forward, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).
As Haynes explains, the Bucks are trying to establish continuity with their starting lineup while Middleton continues to work his way back to full strength following offseason surgeries on both ankles. The 33-year-old sat out Monday’s game in Toronto for “injury management” purposes related to his ankles and continues to face a minutes restriction, Haynes notes.
Deploying a starting lineup of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Andre Jackson, and Taurean Prince will allow head coach Doc Rivers to stick with that starting five even if Middleton has the miss the occasional game. Bringing the three-time All-Star off the bench will also make it easier for the team to manage his playing time for as long as he remains on a minutes limit.
Middleton, who made his season debut on December 6, came off the bench in his first five appearances of the season before starting each of his past seven outings. He has averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game across those 12 contests, with a shooting line of .447/.404/.852.
Middleton is the second multi-time All-Star to be removed from his team’s starting lineup this week while his name comes up in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, joining Suns guard Bradley Beal.
While the Bucks have reportedly considered the idea of pursuing Butler, it would be very challenging from a cap perspective to pull off a deal and they’re rumored to be among the teams who have been advised not to trade for the Heat star. So even though Middleton would almost certainly have to be included in a Milwaukee offer for Butler, it seems unlikely that such a deal will come to fruition.
Middleton will be available to play for the Bucks on Wednesday vs. San Antonio, Haynes adds.