Suns Notes: Durant, Okogie, Craig, Ross, Sarver
Suns forward Kevin Durant is nearing a return from his MCL sprain, but it may not happen on Friday in his new team’s first game after the All-Star break, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link).
According to Windhorst, the tentative plan is to have Durant take part in a 5-on-5 contact workout on Thursday in Phoenix and to see how his knee reacts to that session. If all goes well, it’s possible Durant could make his Suns debut on Friday, but Windhorst believes that Sunday afternoon’s game in Milwaukee or Wednesday’s contest in Charlotte are more likely target dates for Durant and the team.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Once Durant is healthy, he’ll be one of four players locked into the starting lineup, along with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. With the fifth spot in the Suns’ starting group still up for grabs, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports considers whether Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig, or Terrence Ross would be the most logical fit in that role.
- Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic views Craig as the best candidate to fill out the starting five, but suggests Ross might be a better fit in the club’s closing lineup. Rankin also identifies a few other five-man groups that the Suns might utilize once Durant is available, including the club’s best “small” and “big” lineups.
- Although Robert Sarver no longer owns the Suns or the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, his one-year suspension from the NBA remains in effect, sources tell Rankin. Certain terms of that suspension – such as a ban from attending the league’s Board of Governors meetings – are no longer relevant, but the suspension also barred Sarver from attending any NBA or WNBA games.
Jazz Sign Frank Jackson, Kris Dunn To 10-Day Contracts
FEBRUARY 22: The Jazz have officially signed both Jackson and Dunn to 10-day contracts, the team confirmed today in a press release. The deals will run through next Friday (March 3), covering Utah’s next four games.
FEBRUARY 21: The Jazz have reached an agreement to sign guard Frank Jackson to a 10-day contract, agents Troy Payne and Mike Silverman tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 31st overall pick in the 2017 draft, Jackson missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, then appeared in 213 regular season games over the next four seasons with the Pelicans and Pistons. In 2021/22, he averaged a career-high 10.6 points per game on .402/.308/.827 shooting in 53 contests (22.0 MPG) for Detroit.
Jackson, a former high school star in Utah, signed non-guaranteed contracts with the Suns and Jazz last fall, but didn’t make a regular season roster and has spent the season playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate.
He averaged 19.5 PPG on .441/.410/.733 shooting in 12 Showcase Cup appearances (31.1 MPG) and has increased his production since the NBAGL regular season began, registering 22.2 PPG with a .487/.438/.837 shooting line in 17 games (33.8 MPG). Jackson’s strong play earned him a spot in the G League’s Next Up Game in Salt Lake City over the weekend.
The Jazz are also signing former lottery pick Kris Dunn to a 10-day deal, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Dunn, 28, was drafted fifth overall in 2016 and has appeared in 245 regular season games since then for the Timberwolves, Bulls, Hawks, and Trail Blazers. Like Jackson though, he hasn’t played in the NBA so far this season, having spent the year in the G League.
Through 20 NBAGL regular season games (29.7 MPG) with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s affiliate, Dunn is averaging 16.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.3 APG and 2.6 SPG on .522/.412/.755 shooting, to go along with his usual strong defense.
The Jazz had just 12 players on their standard roster after buying out Leandro Bolmaro and Russell Westbrook, so they needed to start refilling those spots soon, as we noted this morning. Even after signing Jackson and Dunn, Utah will still have one opening left on its 15-man squad.
Hawks’ Fields Discusses McMillan’s Dismissal, Coaching Search
Addressing reporters in a press conference a day after dismissing head coach Nate McMillan, Hawks general manager Landry Fields framed the decision as a difficult but necessary one, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
According to Fields, the possibility of a coaching change had been on his radar for “the last month or so,” and he finalized the decision to make the move over the All-Star break after the Hawks closed the first half with losses to Charlotte and New York.
Asked about reports that McMillan considered resigning earlier in the season, Fields said that the Hawks’ coach never expressed that desire to him.
Fields also stated that Atlanta has already begun speaking to potential candidates to replace McMillan on a permanent basis, confirming that Quin Snyder is among the options the team will consider (Snyder was identified by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski as a leading candidate). The Hawks’ general manager declined to confirm any other names on Atlanta’s list of possible targets, explaining that he didn’t want to discuss anyone who’s under contract with another club.
Here are a few more highlights from Fields’ Wednesday presser, as relayed by Williams:
On whether Trae Young or any other Hawks players had input in the decision to dismiss McMillan:
“They did not have any role in this decision. I would not ever go to players on something like this. This was solely my decision at the end of the day. As far as a new candidate, to me our objectives and our values are clear. And the players fall in line with those, as well. So (I) don’t necessarily need their feedback on who that will be.”
On whether McMillan’s relationship with Young was part of the reason for his ouster:
“No, I think that at the end of the day, it came down to how all players were responding to his voice, and I just didn’t see it. I didn’t see the trajectory going anywhere that was going to be beneficial for us.”
On what qualities the Hawks are looking for in their next permanent head coach:
“Well, it always starts with a shared vision. And I always simplify that as being a championship-caliber franchise. And that’s not just with our goals, that’s our day-in-and-day-out approach.
“Character is something that is going to be high on our list, and I think it’s a big broad word but for us, having a great degree of emotional intelligence being able to connect not just with staff members, but also with players, is gonna be high on the list. Somebody that is able and willing to hold the line, accountability is huge for us. And then at the end of the day has a strong emphasis on development. That is something that we will be making sure is part of our priorities here with Atlanta. So, those would be some to start.”
On his expectations for the Hawks going forward:
“I believe we can get a lot better. I think that this is a very talented roster. And looking at our record, like it’s not acceptable with what I believe this roster can be. So that’s why we’re trying to make a change and level up.”
Draft Notes: 2024 Class, Bronny, B. Miller, Wembanyama
NBA evaluators have been underwhelmed by what they’ve seen so far from the top prospects among this year’s high school seniors, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), who says the 2024 draft class doesn’t necessarily feature any players who are viewed as “sure-fire, elite” NBA prospects.
As Givony writes, 2023’s draft class is headed by two clear-cut top prospects in Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, and other recent drafts have also had a fairly well-defined top tier. However, that’s not the case so far for the 2024 class, since many of the best players in the group haven’t developed as rapidly as NBA teams have hoped.
Givony’s first 2024 mock draft has 6’10” Lithuanian guard Matas Buzelis coming off the board first, followed by Cody Williams, the brother of 2022 Thunder lottery pick Jalen Williams. Buzelis will play for the G League Ignite next season and should get the opportunity to take the reins for the Ignite with Henderson leaving for the NBA; Williams has committed to playing his college ball at Colorado.
In a somewhat surprising development, Givony has Bronny James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, at No. 10 overall in his first ’24 mock. According to Givony, Bronny has emerged as perhaps the best perimeter defender of this year’s high school class, making major strides during the last 12-to-18 months while many of his peers have “flatlined.”
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Alabama freshman Brandon Miller, widely considered to be a top-five prospect in the 2023 NBA draft class, allegedly brought the gun that was used in the killing of a woman on the Tuscaloosa strip last month, according to police testimony (link via Carol Robinson of AL.com). Miller’s former Alabama teammate Darius Miles and another man, Michael Davis, were arrested and charged with capital murder. While the gun belonged to Miles, Miller reportedly brought it to the scene at his ex-teammate’s request. Miller’s car, which was struck by two bullets during the shooting, was allegedly one of two vehicles blocking the victim’s car.
- Miller has not faced any charges related to the shooting and Alabama head coach Nate Oats said the freshman forward is “not in any trouble,” per Mike Rodak of AL.com. However, it’s safe to assume that any NBA team that had been considering using a lottery pick on Miller in June will have to take a long, hard look at his alleged involvement in this incident.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Jonathan Givony and SI.com’s Jeremy Woo have shared excellent, in-depth profiles on super-prospect Victor Wembanyama, who is considered a virtual lock to be the first prospect drafted four months from today.
- While Wembanyama has rightly received most of the hype, NBA teams have their eyes on several other rising prospects who possess a tantalizing mix of size and skill, as Seth Davis writes for The Athletic. “We’ve heard this term ‘small ball’ for a while, but what NBA teams were really trying to do was play ‘skill ball,'” broadcaster Stan Van Gundy said to Davis. “But if you can get size to go along with that skill, that’s going to make you even better. … I’m not saying they’re all going to be 7-3, but seeing guys 6-10 or bigger play like Victor are not going to be all that rare. Those guys are definitely the future of the game.”
Rest-Of-Season NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch
With the All-Star Game behind us, we’re preparing for the home stretch of the 2022/23 NBA season. Here are a few noteworthy dates and deadlines to keep an eye on before the playoffs begin in April.
February 28
- Last day for contract renegotiations.
A team with cap room can renegotiate a player’s current-year salary to give him a raise as part of a contract extension, as the Pacers did with Myles Turner last month. However, Turner was the only legitimate renegotiation candidate in the NBA in 2022/23. The Spurs still have a significant amount of cap room, but they don’t have any players who meet the renegotiation criteria (Tre Jones is extension-eligible, but not enough time has passed since he signed his current deal to make him eligible for a renegotiation).
March 1
- Last day a player can be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another team.
- Last day for a restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet.
As we outline in our glossary entry on buyouts, a player doesn’t need to be signed by March 1 in order to retain his playoff-eligible — he simply can’t be waived after that date. A player who is waived on March 1 and signs with another team on April 8 would be playoff-eligible for his new team, but a player who is waived on March 2 and signs on March 5 wouldn’t be.
The restricted free agent deadline, meanwhile, typically comes and goes without fanfare because every RFA is usually off the market by the start of the regular season. This year, one restricted free agent, Miles Bridges remains unsigned due to his legal situation. I wouldn’t expect a rival team to pursue an offer sheet with Bridges in the coming week, but if it happens, it would have to get done by March 1. The Hornets would retain the ability to negotiate a contract with Bridges beyond that date.
March 10
- Last day to use a disabled player exception.
The Pistons ($5.28MM), Celtics ($3.24MM), and Raptors ($3MM) still have disabled player exceptions available that they could use to sign a player to a rest-of-season contract or to claim a player with an expiring contract off waivers. However, disabled player exceptions are used more frequently at the trade deadline than after it, especially with most of the most notable names on the buyout market already signed. The likeliest scenario is that these DPEs will expire without being used.
April 9
- Last day of the NBA regular season.
- Last day players can sign contracts for 2022/23.
- Last day two-way contracts can be converted to standard NBA contracts.
- Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.
About half of the NBA’s teams currently have at least one open spot on their 15-man rosters. It’s safe to assume that most – if not all – of those clubs will fill those openings by April 9. Playoff teams will want to make sure they have as much veteran depth as possible, just to be safe, while several lottery teams will likely sign younger players to multiyear deals without guarantees beyond this season in order to get a longer look at them in the summer.
April 10
- Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).
April 11-14
- NBA play-in tournament.
April 15
- NBA playoffs begin.
While they wait for the play-in tournament to conclude, the top six teams in each conference will get a few days off between the regular season and the postseason, giving them some time to recharge before the playoffs begin.
Southeast Notes: Hawks’ Coaching Search, Schofield, Gill
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that Quin Snyder, Kenny Atkinson, and Charles Lee will be among the Hawks‘ head coaching candidates as the team searches for a permanent replacement for Nate McMillan, who was let go during the All-Star break.
Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms those names and adds a few more to the Hawks’ list of possible targets, reporting (via Twitter) that Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson, and South Bay Lakers coach Miles Simon are expected to receive consideration from Atlanta.
Fernandez has generated some head coaching buzz in the past, but as far as I can tell, this is the first time either Johnson or Simon has been connected to a head coaching opening at the NBA level.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- McMillan took the fall for the Hawks‘ “organizational-wide failure” this season, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, who argues that – even if McMillan’s dismissal was justified – the team’s problems extend beyond the job the head coach did. Schultz cites front office dysfunction as one key issue for the Hawks in recent months.
- Admiral Schofield‘s new contract with the Magic is a two-year, minimum-salary deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. Schofield will earn $506,508 for the rest of this season and Orlando will hold a $1,997,238 team option on the forward for 2023/24.
- Wizards forward Anthony Gill hasn’t played a major role in D.C. this season, averaging a modest 10.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances. However, Gill’s enthusiasm and positivity have made him an important culture-setter for the club, as Ava Wallace outlines in an interesting story for The Washington Post. Gill signed a guaranteed two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Wizards last summer, so he remains under contract for $2MM next season.
And-Ones: Buyouts, In-Season Tournament, Pre-Agency
It has been a record-setting year for buyouts, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Since the trade deadline, nine players have given up money in buyout agreements to be granted their release. Will Barton became the ninth, on Tuesday, joining Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Reggie Jackson, Patrick Beverley, Danny Green, Terrence Ross, Justin Holiday, and Leandro Bolmaro.
As Marks notes, that’s a new record for post-deadline buyouts in a single NBA season.
So far, seven of those nine players have either signed with new teams or have their new home lined up. We’re still waiting to see what the next move will be for Bolmaro, who is rumored to be headed back to Europe, and Barton.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Speaking to several All-Stars in Salt Lake City over the weekend, Joe Vardon, Law Murray, and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic polled players on the NBA’s playoff format, the league’s top trash talkers, and their favorite road cities, among other topics. Interestingly, the All-Star respondents polled by The Athletic seem pretty open to the idea of a midseason tournament, with eight players saying either “yes” or “maybe” to the concept, while just three said “no.”
- While it doesn’t sound like something the NBA is seriously considering in the short term, commissioner Adam Silver – speaking at his annual All-Star weekend press conference – didn’t rule out the possibility of the league eventually conducting an in-season tournament that includes non-NBA teams. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com has the story and the quotes from Silver.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype identifies several players who won’t necessarily be free agents this summer but who are worth monitoring in the coming months as possible candidates to change teams in “pre-agency.”
- In a column for Yahoo Sports, Vincent Goodwill weighs the pros and cons of the NBA’s player movement era for players, teams, and fans.
Central Notes: Cunningham, Nembhard, Beverley, Love
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been sidelined since November 9 due to a leg injury and won’t return this season, but he has remained very involved on the sidelines and is evolving as a leader, even if he can’t actually take the court, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
“He’s using his voice more than ever, during games and talking before and after,” veteran Pistons guard Cory Joseph said. “Not only is he encouraging guys, but he’s also letting us know his thoughts, what he sees out there. It’s always different — and, of course, unfortunate — when you’re forced to take a step back and not play the game you love, but it is a different point of view. He’s keeping his mind engaged.”
“He’s the leader of this team, so anytime he has something to say, guys are all ears,” Pistons swingman Rodney McGruder said. “He brings us in all the time after huddles, before the game, talking on the bench, halftime. He’s pulling guys aside when he sees there’s a problem that needs to be fixed on the floor.”
As Edwards details, the Pistons’ coaching staff has made an effort to make sure that Cunningham feels connected to the team — his rehab and shooting work generally takes place right before or after practice, allowing the former No. 1 pick to observe his teammates’ work in those practice sessions. Despite his lost sophomore season, Cunningham is still considered the cornerstone of Detroit’s long-term future.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- In a Q&A with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, rookie guard Andrew Nembhard admits he felt as if he was a first-round talent in last year’s draft class, but says he wasn’t upset to land with the Pacers at No. 31. “It was a perfect situation in Indiana I fell into,” Nembhard said. “I don’t really feel no ill way towards it.”
- While it remains to be seen what sort of impact new Bulls guard Patrick Beverley will have on the court or in the standings, he should bring a much-needed spark to an “increasingly listless” team that’s in “dire need” of veteran leadership, contends Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Beverley officially signed with Chicago on Tuesday.
- It’s unfortunate that Kevin Love‘s tenure with the Cavaliers ended so unceremoniously, following a series of DNP-CDs, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. As Lloyd details, the good far outweighed the bad during Love’s time with the franchise, and the five-time All-Star were always be revered in Cleveland for the role he played on the 2016 title team.
Bulls Waive Malcolm Hill, Sign Terry Taylor To Two-Way Deal
10:00pm: The Bulls have officially signed Taylor and waived Hill, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
3:38pm: The Bulls are making a change to one of their two-way contract slots, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), who reports that forward Terry Taylor is getting a two-way deal from the team, while Malcolm Hill is being waived to make room for the newcomer.
Taylor, 23, was one of three players waived by the Pacers at this month’s trade deadline to accommodate the team’s new additions and has been a free agent since then.
After going undrafted out of Austin Peay in 2021, Taylor had a solid rookie season once he cracked Indiana’s rotation, averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 61.4% from the field in 33 games (21.6 MPG). However, he didn’t played much in his second season, averaging just 8.8 minutes per night across 26 games in 2022/23.
One of Taylor’s best games as a rookie came against the Bulls — he racked up 21 points, 14 boards, and five assists against Chicago on February 4, 2022.
Hill finished last season on a two-way contract with the Bulls and re-signed with the team in September on a new two-way deal, but he hasn’t made an impact at the NBA level in 2022/23. The 6’6″ wing has logged nine minutes across five games this season, recording five points and three rebounds in his extremely limited action. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers.
Bulls Waive Tony Bradley
9:51pm: The Bulls have officially waived Bradley, according to the NBA transactions log.
9:22am: The Bulls are expected to waive center Tony Bradley on Tuesday in order to open up a spot on their 15-man roster to sign Patrick Beverley, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Bradley signed a two-year contract with Chicago during the 2021 offseason and appeared in 55 games with the team last season, but hasn’t had a role for the Bulls in 2022/23. The big man has logged just 33 total minutes across 12 appearances, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 minutes during that time.
Assuming Bradley goes unclaimed on waivers, which seems like a safe bet, the Bulls will remain on the hook for the rest of his $2,036,318 salary — he’s still owed approximately $562K of that amount, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
There had been some speculation that the Bulls might release Goran Dragic in order to add Beverley, but it seems Dragic will stick around. The decision will result in a crowded point guard depth chart for the Bulls. Even with Lonzo Ball not expected to return this season, Chicago will still have Beverley, Dragic, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White in the mix at that spot (though some of them can play the two as well).
As for Bradley, Woj notes (via Twitter) that there are still some teams in the market for a backup center, so it’s possible the 25-year-old will find a new NBA home in the coming days or weeks. He’ll be playoff-eligible for a new team, since he’s being released prior to March 1.