Heat Notes: Dedmon, Robinson, Herro, Adebayo
With Orlando Robinson sidelined due to a fractured thumb and Omer Yurtseven not yet ready to return from ankle surgery, the Heat will have to figure out how they’ll handle their backup center minutes for the seven games before the All-Star break, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Inserting Dewayne Dedmon into Robinson’s role would perhaps be the simplest option, but the veteran big man hasn’t seen any action since being suspended for a game without pay last month, and Jackson hears from a source that the Heat is looking to trade him. If they move Dedmon before next Thursday’s deadline, the Heat could perhaps get another center back in that deal — otherwise, the team could turn to veteran Udonis Haslem for a few games before the All-Star break.
For his part, Dedmon said he hasn’t heard from the club whether he’ll be reinserted into the rotation or whether he’ll be traded, and is just taking things day-by-day for now.
“It’s the business of basketball,” Dedmon said, per Jackson. “Just like you show up to work, I show up to work every day. Whatever the team decides to do in the future, or whatever may happen, you roll with the punches. I’m going to be professional about what I have to do do with my approach to every game and make sure I’m prepared if my team needs me.”
Robinson, meanwhile, told reporters on Thursday that he’s hoping his recovery timeline following his thumb fracture doesn’t have to be measured in weeks, suggesting he’s hoping for a speedy return (Twitter link via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel).
Here’s more on the Heat:
- While the Heat will almost certainly stay out of luxury tax territory this season, next season’s payroll will likely blow past the tax line if the team intends to retain free agents like Max Strus, Victor Oladipo, and Gabe Vincent, Jackson writes in another story for The Miami Herald. Jackson would be surprised if ownership signed off on a huge tax bill for the current version of the team and suspects that something will have to give, which could affect how the front office approaches next week’s trade deadline. Moving off Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson now or in the summer would put the Heat in a better financial position, Jackson observes.
- Heat guard Tyler Herro said this week that he never sought clarity from the Heat on whether the team included him in any trade offers for Donovan Mitchell during the 2022 offseason, according to Jackson. “I was curious; I didn’t ask,” Herro said. “I’m sure I was.”
- Within the same Miami Herald story, head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed confidence that both Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler will be among the seven players voted by coaches as Eastern Conference All-Star reserves. “I think they’ll both make it,” Spoelstra said. “The coaches vote on that, and I think they’re recognized, both those guys, how much they impact winning.” The All-Star reserves will be revealed on TNT on Thursday night.
- Addressing the possibility of trying to recruit players to Miami in the future, Adebayo said he has mixed feeling about the issue — he would be willing to to it for the “greater good” of the team, but would feel uncomfortable asking Heat management to bring in a friend for the sake of it, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It would be if it results in winning, and not, ‘Oh, we just want to be on a team just so we can play together,'” Adebayo said.
Haynes’ Latest: Hyland, Hornets, Anunoby, Reddish, Barton
The Hornets are among the teams to register some interest in Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report stated during the latest episode of his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein.
Haynes, following up on his TNT report on Hyland from Tuesday, reiterated that the second-year guard would be open to a trade that sets him up for a larger role elsewhere. There has been “friction” between Hyland and Denver’s coaching staff, Haynes notes, adding that the Nuggets have confidence in rookie Christian Braun to take on some of Hyland’s minutes if a trade happens.
Echoing previous reports, Haynes also confirms that the Timberwolves are among the teams with interest in Hyland, but expresses some skepticism that the Nuggets would want to send the former first-round pick to Minnesota, since there’s still some resentment from Denver’s ownership group about how Tim Connelly‘s move to the Wolves played out.
Here are a few more items of interest from the podcast:
- Based on rumblings he has heard, Haynes believes that Raptors forward OG Anunoby would “embrace a change of scenery,” even if he hasn’t explicitly asked to be traded. Haynes also suggests that neither the Grizzlies nor the Pelicans want their Southwest rival to land Anunoby, which is a factor to keep in mind if Toronto seriously considers moving him.
- The Cavaliers, who have been in the market for help at the small forward position, are among the potential trade suitors to watch for Knicks forward Cam Reddish, according to Haynes. Dylan Windler‘s expiring $4MM contract would be a logical salary-matching piece in a Reddish trade if the Knicks are simply seeking a second-round pick, though that’s just my speculation.
- Things haven’t worked out well for Will Barton with the Wizards so far, Haynes notes, reporting that the veteran guard would be open to a change of scenery. Haynes identifies the Nets and Bucks as two teams worth keeping an eye on. It’s unclear whether Washington will find a trade for Barton or if he might emerge as a buyout candidate after the February 9 deadline.
Community Shootaround: All-Star Reserves
The 2023 NBA All-Star reserves will be officially announced on Thursday night during TNT’s broadcast prior to the tip-off of the Grizzlies/Cavaliers game.
As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, there will likely be plenty of players left disappointed once the announcements are made, given that there have been more All-Star caliber performances this season than there are spots on the All-Star rosters.
In the Eastern Conference, Sixers center Joel Embiid is a lock to be an All-Star reserve after missing out on a starting five that features Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, and Kyrie Irving, and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is probably a safe bet to join him.
That leaves five spots up for grabs for a group that includes Heat teammates Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, Knicks teammates Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Sixers guard James Harden, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, and Bucks guard Jrue Holiday.
At least four of those players will miss the cut, and that’s before we even get to other worthy All-Star contenders like Hawks guard Trae Young, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, and Bulls guard Zach LaVine.
In the West, where LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry are starters, a handful of would-be All-Stars may not have played enough games to earn a spot on the team.
The coaches who voted on reserves will have had to decide whether high-level performances by the likes of Suns guard Devin Booker (29 games), Lakers big man Anthony Davis (28 games), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (28 games) outweigh the fact that they’ve been unavailable for significant chunks of the season.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen are probably the best bets to be named Western Conference reserves. If they all make it, that would leave two spots open.
Voters who believe Booker, Davis, and Leonard haven’t played enough may lean toward Leonard’s Clippers teammate Paul George, Sabonis’ Kings teammate De’Aaron Fox, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, or Pelicans guard CJ McCollum, among others.
Of course, injuries could open up more All-Star spots beyond the standard 12 in each conference. It remains to be seen whether Durant and Williamson will be able to play in Salt Lake City, and it’s possible more players will have their availability compromised in the next couple weeks. But picking this year’s initial 24 All-Stars is no easy feat.
We want to know what you think. Which seven players in each conference would you select as your All-Star reserves now that the starters have been locked in? Which players are the most difficult omissions?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your picks!
Raptors Notes: VanVleet, Trent, Anunoby, Banton
Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet is a candidate to be traded within the next week, but the team doesn’t feel “heavy pressure” to make a move or risk losing VanVleet in free agency, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
As Grange notes, there’s a belief that VanVleet would like to remain in Toronto, not just due to fit and familiarity, but because he’s in a good position to get a raise from the Raptors if and when he declines his player option this summer.
“The worst thing that could happen to Fred is to be traded,” a source told Grange. “Unless you’re a superstar who is getting the max no matter what, the best way to get paid is by staying with your own team.”
While there’s some truth to that observation, it’s worth noting that VanVleet’s Bird rights would go with him to a new team if he’s traded on or before February 9, so that club wouldn’t face any cap-related limits if it wanted to give him a significant raise on this season’s $21.25MM salary.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- League sources believe Gary Trent Jr.‘s value on the trade market is equivalent to a protected first-round pick or a pair of “good” second-round picks, along with matching salary, according to Grange. Like VanVleet, Trent can become an unrestricted free agent in July by turning down a player option, but Toronto believes it can re-sign him and doesn’t feel significant pressure to trade him now, Grange adds.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic views Raptors forward OG Anunoby as a trade chip capable of having a real impact on the title race if he ends up landing with a team like Memphis, arguing that Anunoby’s defensive versatility and ability to match up with big wings makes him worth multiple first-round picks even if his offense doesn’t improve beyond its current level.
- Anunoby holds the No. 1 spot on The Athletic’s latest trade deadline big board, which ranks players based on several factors, including his potential impact and his “asset value.” Two other Raptors are in the top 10, with VanVleet coming in at No. 3 and Trent at No. 9.
- Second-year guard Dalano Banton, who played in 15 of the Raptors’ first 16 games this season, saw some action on Wednesday for the first time since December 18, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. A restricted free agent at season’s end, Banton was with the Raptors 905 in the G League for a while and also missed time due to a hip injury.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic considers four possible paths Toronto could take at the trade deadline, ranging from standing pat to blowing up the roster.
Suns Sign Saben Lee To Two-Way Deal, Waive Duane Washington
5:58pm: Lee’s two-way deal and Washington’s release are now official, the Suns announced (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
2:47pm: After signing Saben Lee to a pair of 10-day contracts, the Suns are making a move to ensure that he sticks with the team. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Phoenix has agreed to sign Lee to a two-way contract and will waive current two-way player Duane Washington Jr. to open up a spot.
The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee played for the Pistons during his first two years in the NBA, then spent time earlier this season on a two-way deal with Philadelphia before being cut in December. Over the course of his first 20 days in Phoenix, he averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per night in 10 games (17.3 MPG), with a shooting line of .455/.500/.774.
After a player signs two 10-day contracts with the same team, he’s ineligible to sign a third, so if the Suns wanted to retain Lee, a rest-of-season commitment was necessary. Phoenix has an opening on its 15-man roster, but chose instead to use one of its two-way slots on Lee — he’s still eligible to be a two-way player since he’s only in his third NBA season.
It’s not surprising that the Suns would choose to avoid locking in a 15th man with the trade deadline just eight days away, since they’ll have more roster flexibility at the deadline this way. Still, waiving Washington to make room for Lee likely wasn’t an easy call.
Washington has had several strong outings for the Suns in his second NBA season, including four games of 21 points or more. In total, he averaged 7.9 PPG and 2.0 APG in 31 games (12.7 MPG) while making 36.0% of his three-point attempts. Assuming he clears waivers, he could certainly draw some interest from other NBA teams.
Forward Ish Wainright occupies Phoenix’s other two-way slot.
Pelicans Notes: Travel Issues, Williamson, Slump, Murphy
The inclement weather that grounded the Pistons in Dallas and forced a postponement of Wednesday’s Pistons/Wizards game is also wreaking havoc on the Pelicans, who are scheduled to play in Dallas on Thursday.
After facing the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday, the Pelicans have been unable to fly into Dallas on Wednesday and now intend to stay another night in Denver, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link). A source tells Clark that the Pels’ plan is to fly into Dallas on Thursday in advance of the evening game vs. the Mavericks.
According to Marc Stein (Twitter link), the Pelicans – who practiced in Denver on Wednesday – had been considering a handful of options to get to Dallas, including a “less-than-inviting” scenario that would have seen them fly into Oklahoma City today and then take a bus the rest of the way. Flying on Thursday is the best-case scenario of those options, Stein adds (via Twitter).
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- After being limited to stationary shooting and dribbling, Zion Williamson was cleared on Tuesday to begin running as part of his rehab from a right hamstring strain, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said on TNT’s Tuesday night broadcast (Twitter video link). The Pelicans plan to reevaluate Williamson next Tuesday, but don’t want to set a timeline yet for his return to action.
- It was a brutal month for the Pelicans, who were a half-game behind Denver for the Western Conference’s top seed when January began and now find themselves holding the last play-in spot after losing 13 of 16 games, Clark writes for NOLA.com. The team has been without star forwards Williamson and Brandon Ingram for extended periods this winter, but doesn’t want to use that as an excuse. “No one feels sorry for us,” Larry Nance Jr. said. “That’s the reality of it. No Z, no B for an extended period of time. Threw off our rhythm a little bit. It’s hard to pick back up. After being first in the West, we have a target on our back. This schedule has been pretty unforgiving. We have to throw the first punch.”
- Pelicans wing Trey Murphy confirmed that he has accepted an invitation to participate in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City and tells William Guillory of The Athletic that he’s looking forward to trying to make his mark on the event. “I’m pretty excited. There are definitely some high flyers I’m going against,” Murphy said of reported participants Kenyon Martin Jr., Shaedon Sharpe, and Mac McClung. “I know those guys are going to come with some great dunks. I’ve seen some of the dunks they’ve done in the past. That just makes me want to come in and do even better.”
Pacers Notes: Turner, Haliburton, Theis, Cap Room
As a result of his contract renegotiation and extension, Pacers center Myles Turner now has base salaries of $34,596,500 this season, $20,975,000 in 2023/24, and $19,928,500 in ’24/25, Hoops Rumors has learned. Since Turner’s original base salary for this season was $17.5MM, his deal features exactly $58MM in new money.
Turner could technically earn his maximum salary of $37,096,500 this season, since he has another $2.5MM in likely and unlikely incentives available in 2022/23 from his previous contract. In his two new extension years, he’ll have $3MM in total bonuses ($1.5MM annually), so the renegotiation-and-extension could be worth up to $61MM overall.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Discussing his decision to sign an extension with Indiana, Turner expressed confidence in the direction of the franchise and suggested he believes he has plenty of room to continue improving, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I have such a strong belief in this organization and this city and what the city encompasses,” he said. “That’s a huge factor in my decision to stay it. … I’m just getting started. I’m just starting to feel like the best version of myself.”
- Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has been sidelined since January 11 due to elbow and knee injuries, practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday and is on track to be available on Thursday when Indiana hosts the Lakers, head coach Rick Carlisle said today (Twitter link via the team).
- Carlisle was less certain today about Daniel Theis‘ status for Thursday, tweets Dopirak, but the veteran center has been practicing this week and said after Tuesday’s session that he had “no pain (and) no issues,” according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Theis, out all season due to a knee ailment, continues to target a Thursday return, Agness adds.
- If the Pacers want to make use of the $10.7MM in remaining cap room they still have available this season, they’ll have to renounce their cap hold for Tyreke Evans, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Given that Evans hasn’t played in the NBA in 2019, the Pacers likely won’t hesitate to remove that cap hold from their books if an opportunity arises to take advantage of their cap space.
Suns Notes: Booker, Crowder, Wainright, Trade Options
Suns guard Devin Booker has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta, but it shouldn’t be long before he’s back on the court, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link), who hears from a source that Booker will return “soon” from the left groin strain that has sidelined him since Christmas Day.
After hosting the Hawks today, the Suns will embark on a five-game road trip that begins Friday in Boston. It remains to be seen whether Booker will be ready for the start of that trip, but it sounds like there’s a very good chance he’ll play at some point before the team returns to Phoenix on February 14.
Booker was reevaluated on Wednesday, with the Suns announcing that the star guard continues to make progress in his on-court activity and will have his status updated on a game-to-game basis going forward (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).
Here’s more on the Suns:
- As expected, Suns forward Jae Crowder met with the Bucks for a day this week after Phoenix granted him permission to do so, Rankin reports for The Arizona Republic. Rankin doesn’t have any additional details on the meeting, which took place at an “undisclosed location,” but it’s notable that the Bucks got the chance to talk directly to Crowder, who has been repeatedly cited as a Milwaukee trade target throughout the season.
- In an interesting story for The Athletic, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic details Ish Wainright‘s winding road to the NBA, which included a stint as an undrafted free agent for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2018 before he returned to basketball. Wainright, who occupies one of the Suns’ two-way contract slots, has appeared in 24 of the club’s last 25 games.
- In a pair of trade deadline primer stories for GoPHNX.com, Gerald Bourguet examines some realistic targets for the Suns, such as John Collins, D’Angelo Russell, and Gary Trent Jr., and considers some outside-the-box options, including scenarios where Deandre Ayton is dealt.
Pacers, Pelicans Among Potential OG Anunoby Suitors?
Appearing on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic adds a couple more teams to the list of potential OG Anunoby suitors, suggesting that the Pacers and Pelicans have registered some interest in the Raptors forward and are worth keeping an eye on.
Anunoby would have local appeal in Indiana, having played his college ball for the Hoosiers before he was drafted by Toronto in 2017. He would also make sense as a long-term fit among a Pacers core that includes guards Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin and center Myles Turner.
The retooling Pacers may not be in position to offer up many of their own draft picks for a player like Anunoby, but they do control 2023 first-rounders from Cleveland (top-14 protected) and Boston (top-12 protected). Those picks – especially Boston’s – figure to land late in the first round, but could be used to help sweeten a trade offer.
New Orleans, meanwhile, remains well stocked with draft assets as a result of blockbuster trades involving Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Besides holding all their own future first-rounders and a handful of swaps, the Pelicans also control the Lakers’ unprotected 2024 pick (with the option to defer it to 2025) and the Bucks’ unprotected 2027 pick.
Those extra selections would put the Pelicans in position to make a strong offer for Anunoby without mortgaging their future. In New Orleans, the former Hoosier could supplement a core that features Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum and could form a fearsome defensive duo alongside talented young forward Herbert Jones.
Charania reiterates that Phoenix and New York are among the other teams with interest in Anunoby, while Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms that the Knicks conveyed to the Raptors earlier in the season that they were comfortable offering three first-round picks for the 25-year-old. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reported this morning that the Knicks were widely believed to be willing to make that sort of offer.
Begley stresses that those conversations about Anunoby occurred before the Knicks reeled off eight straight wins in December and says it’s unclear what sort of protections would have been on those first-rounders. New York controls a handful of protected picks from other clubs, as we outlined in our earlier story.
Anunoby is currently sidelined due to a sprained left wrist, but Charania hears that the injury is not considered serious and that the forward could return to action when the Raptors return to Toronto next week following the conclusion of their current road trip.
NBA Postponing Wednesday’s Pistons/Wizards Game
The NBA is postponing Wednesday night’s game in Detroit between the Pistons and Wizards, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
The Pistons played the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday night and have been unable to travel back home since then due to a winter storm, as well as plane issues and other logistics, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.
According to Edwards and Sankofa, the Pistons were still in Dallas as of 11:00 am Central time today, with tonight’s game just seven hours from tipping off, so a postponement became necessary.
A date for the rescheduled game remains up in the air. As Sankofa notes (via Twitter), the Pistons and Wizards are off Thursday, so it could theoretically be played one day later. However, both teams already have games scheduled for both Friday and Saturday, making a Thursday matchup (which would result in a back-to-back-to-back) far less practical.
The NBA was forced to postpone dozens of games during the last two seasons for COVID-related reasons and typically rescheduled them for weeks or months later. This is the first time in 2022/23 that the league has had to postpone a game.