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.
Knicks Notes: Bey, Anunoby, Barrett
The Knicks are among the teams that has shown interest in Pistons forward Saddiq Bey, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley isn’t sure how far discussions between the two teams have gotten, but says Bey’s name is one that “has been talked about recently” as New York considers its trade options.
The Pistons are believed to be setting a high asking price for players like Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, and Bey, so it may be tricky for the Knicks to find a deal that works for both sides. Still, as Begley points out, the two front offices have worked together many times in recent years — New York acquired Derrick Rose from Detroit at the 2021 trade deadline and the two clubs completed a pair of offseason deals in 2022.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Begley previously reported that the Knicks were open to offering multiple first-round picks for OG Anunoby, while a separate report indicated that at least one team was prepared to put three first-rounders on the table for the Raptors forward. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, there’s a wide belief that the report was referring to the Knicks and that New York is the team willing to offer three first-rounders for Anunoby.
- However, Grange cautions that even if the Knicks are willing to offer three first-round picks, those may not be “high-end” selections. New York controls protected 2023 first-rounders from Dallas (top-10 protected), Detroit (top-18 protected), and Washington (top-14 protected). None of those picks can ever land in the top eight and it may still be multiple years before a couple of them change hands. They wouldn’t be nearly as valuable as the Knicks’ own unprotected picks.
- RJ Barrett didn’t play during the final seven minutes of regulation or at all in overtime on Tuesday as the Knicks fell to the Lakers, writes Andrew Crane of The New York Post. Barrett didn’t speak to reporters after the game, but appeared frustrated, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, while head coach Tom Thibodeau offered only a brief explanation for why he opted to close the contest with Immanuel Quickley instead of Barrett. “We were just looking for our group to get going,” Thibodeau said. “The group that was out there was what we went with.”
- In case you missed it, the Knicks will send a player to the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in Utah. Quentin Grimes was one of 10 sophomores to earn a spot in the player pool.
Northwest Notes: Hyland, Gordon, Towns, Blazers
Nuggets guard Bones Hyland would be open to a trade that allows him to secure a larger role on a new team, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report stated during Tuesday night’s broadcast of the Pelicans/Nuggets game in Denver (Twitter video link).
While Haynes’ info is new, it lines up with what we’ve heard during the last week from other reporters. Jake Fischer said last Friday that “occasional clashes” between Hyland and Nuggets head coach Michael Malone were a factor in Denver’s willingness to gauge his trade market, while Marc Stein alluded this week to “tensions” about the second-year guard’s playing time.
Hyland averaged 19.0 minutes per game during his rookie season in 2021/22 and has played a similar role in year two, logging 19.5 MPG so far in ’22/23. He’s tied for seventh among Nuggets players in minutes per game, but is one of the team’s top five scorers with 12.1 PPG.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- In a conversation with Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon spoke about the importance of continuity in Denver, his experience playing alongside Nikola Jokic, and the odds of earning his first All-Star nod. “It would mean a lot to me,” Gordon said of the All-Star possibility. “I hope I make it.”
- There’s still no set return timeline for injured Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who remains out indefinitely due to his calf injury, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said on Tuesday during a radio appearance on KFAN 100.3 (Twitter link via Dane Moore). However, the team’s “full expectation” is that Towns will return at some point this season, Connelly added.
- After resetting their roster last season with a series of major trades, the Trail Blazers – tied for 11th in the West with a 24-26 record – seem to be back in no-man’s land, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor considers what moves Portland can make around star point guard Damian Lillard to become a contender, arguing that center Jusuf Nurkic is a weak link and that the team should be open to the idea of moving any of Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, and Shaedon Sharpe if the return is right.
Warriors Among Teams Eyeing Matisse Thybulle
The Warriors have had internal discussions about the possibility of trading for Matisse Thybulle, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports that Golden State likes the Sixers wing as a defensive stopper.
Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that the Kings are also among the teams with some level of interest in Thybulle, which Pompey confirms. A league source tells The Inquirer that Sacramento head coach Mike Brown is a fan of the 25-year-old.
Thybulle has made the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his first three NBA seasons, but has yet to develop into a reliable contributor at the offensive end. He’s averaging just 2.7 points in 12.1 minutes per night (45 games) for Philadelphia this season. The former 20th overall pick is also on an expiring contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Multiple league sources tell Pompey that Thybulle’s inconsistent production and role in Philadelphia (he was out of the rotation earlier in the season) have hurt his trade value, suggesting he’s not worth a first-round pick at this point. As a result, Pompey wonders if the 76ers might be better off hanging onto the defensive ace, pointing out that the club has an 18-4 record when he plays at least 12 minutes and hasn’t lost any of the 10 games in which he has played at least 20 minutes.
It’s unclear what exactly the Sixers would be looking for if they traded Thybulle, who is earning $4.4MM in the final year of his rookie deal. If they talk to the Kings, Terence Davis could be one name who comes up — he’s rumored to be less than thrilled with his dip in playing time and is earning $4MM on an expiring contract. Philadelphia is also said to be in the market for a backup center, so Alex Len ($3.9MM) and Chimezie Metu ($1.9MM) may be of some interest, along with stretch four Trey Lyles ($2.6MM).
As for the Warriors, perhaps veteran stretch four JaMychal Green, who is on a minimum-salary contract and playing center in Golden State, would appeal to the Sixers. It’s hard to imagine Golden State parting with any of its recent first-round picks (James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, or Patrick Baldwin) in a deal for Thybulle. Wiseman would theoretically be an intriguing target for a Philadelphia team seeking size, but he can’t realistically be counted on for regular playoff minutes and his $9.6MM cap hit would complicate salary matching, as well as the Sixers’ reported desire to dip below the luxury tax line.
Matt Thomas Signs With Panathinaikos
Greek team Panathinaikos has signed veteran sharpshooter Matt Thomas through the 2023/24 season, the club announced in a press release.
Thomas, 28, spent last season with the Bulls, appearing in 40 games and averaging 4.0 PPG and 1.3 RPG on .410/.385/.800 shooting. The former Iowa State standout also played for the Raptors and Jazz from 2019-21, appearing in 126 total NBA regular season contests and making 40.4% of his three-pointers during that time.
As good a shooter as Thomas is, he had a hard time earning regular rotation minutes in the NBA due to his limitations as a ball-handler and defender. He began his professional career by spending two seasons in Europe from 2017-19, but this will be his first time playing in the Greek League.
Panathinaikos, which also competes in the EuroLeague, has no shortage of NBA players on its roster, including swingman Dwayne Bacon and former lottery picks Derrick Williams and Georgios Papagiannis. The team is looking to bounce back and move up the standings following an 8-13 start in EuroLeague play.
Pistons Granted Disabled Player Exception
The Pistons have been granted a disabled player exception due to Cade Cunningham‘s season-ending injury, reports James L. Edwards II of The Athletic (Twitter link). The former No. 1 overall pick underwent surgery in December to address a left tibial stress fracture.
A disabled player exception grants an over-the-cap team some extra spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed more likely than not to sideline him through at least June 15.
The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. In this case, Cunningham’s salary for 2022/23 is $10,552,800, so Detroit’s DPE will be worth $5,276,400.
As we explain in our glossary entry, the disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. The exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.
Although the disabled player exception gives a team extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t open up an extra spot on the 15-man roster. The club must have a roster spot available to use the DPE to add a player.
Teams had until January 15 to apply for disabled player exceptions, so if a player suffers a season-ending injury anytime between now and the end of the season, a DPE won’t be available for his club. The Pistons – and any other team with a disabled player exception – will have until March 10 to use their DPE.
L.A. Notes: LeBron, T. Bryant, Lakers, Conley, Clippers
After missing Monday’s game in Brooklyn due to left foot/ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James has been listed as questionable to play on Tuesday in New York, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
While that status indicates that his availability for tonight remains up in the air, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link) that LeBron will play against the Knicks. He’s just 117 points away from catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles-based teams:
- While his production fell off last week with Anthony Davis back, Lakers center Thomas Bryant showed on Monday that he remains a crucial – and highly effective – insurance policy, scoring 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting with Davis unavailable, Turner writes for The Los Angeles Times. “I’m willing to do whatever the team needs me to do in order to win,” Bryant said. “Whether that’s coming off the bench, I’m with it. Or if that’s starting, I’m ready as well.”
- Now that the Lakers have traded away their 2029 second-round pick, Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom considers how the team could add protections to their 2029 first-round pick if it’s traded this season. Protections aren’t allowed to be added to picks beyond seven years, so if the Lakers trade their 2029 first-rounder with protections at February’s deadline, they won’t be able to include language that pushes it to 2030.
- ESPN’s Tim MacMahon is the latest reporter to throw cold water on the idea of the Clippers acquiring point guard Mike Conley from the Jazz. After Jake Fischer reported last week that the idea of the Clips landing Conley was probably “unrealistic,” MacMahon said on an episode of The Lowe Post podcast that it’s unlikely to happen because L.A. is reluctant to give up a first-round pick. “If they are (going to give up a first-rounder) for a point guard, I think it’s more likely (Fred) VanVleet than it is for Conley,” MacMahon said (hat tip to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report).
- It took some time for the Clippers‘ star combo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to hit their stride this season, but the pairing is finally paying dividends, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. The team had won five straight games before Leonard and George sat out the second half of a back-to-back set on Sunday. L.A. won’t have another back-to-back until March.
NBA Announces Player Pool For Rising Stars Event
The NBA officially unveiled the 28-player pool for this year’s Rising Stars event on Tuesday, making the announcement via the NBA App. The following players made the cut:
Rookies:
- Paolo Banchero (Magic)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
- AJ Griffin (Hawks)
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Keegan Murray (Kings)
- Andrew Nembhard (Pacers)
- Jabari Smith (Rockets)
- Jeremy Sochan (Spurs)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Sophomores:
- Jose Alvarado (Pelicans)
- Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
- Josh Giddey (Thunder)
- Jalen Green (Rockets)
- Quentin Grimes (Knicks)
- Bones Hyland (Nuggets)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans)
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
G League players:
- Sidy Cissoko (Ignite)
- Mojave King (Ignite)
- Scoot Henderson (Ignite)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Grizzlies/Hustle)
- Mac McClung (Blue Coats)
- Leonard Miller (Ignite)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (Lakers)
As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by longtime NBA guard Jason Terry. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 17 as part of All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The NBA’s full press release with more information on the event can be found right here.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 1/31/2023
With the NBA’s 2023 trade deadline just 10 days away, Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today.
Click here to view the transcript, and join us on Thursday at 11:00 am Central time for our next live chat, hosted by Dana Gauruder.
Raptors Rumors: Trent, VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Achiuwa
Most executives who have spoken to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe that Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr. will be able to at least match – and likely exceed – the value of his $18.8MM player option on a new contract, which is why he’s considered a strong bet to opt out and become a free agent this summer.
Scotto said during a podcast with Blake Murphy of Sportsnet that there are people around the league who think Trent will surpass $20MM annually on his next contract. Although Murphy mentioned the possibility of a deal in the neighborhood of $25MM per year for Trent, Scotto is skeptical that he’ll get that much — if he does, it would be based on his age and potential for further growth (he just turned 24 years old).
As for Fred VanVleet, Scotto has heard that the Raptors’ point guard could be seeking a contract in the range of $30-35MM per year when he’s eligible for free agency this summer. That would put him in the same ballpark as a fellow guard like Jrue Holiday, for instance, Scotto observes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Executives around the NBA don’t expect Pascal Siakam to be on the move by February 9 unless the Raptors are blown away with a “crazy” offer, Scotto says.
- According to Scotto, a number of rival executives have speculated about the possibility of the Grizzlies making a run at Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Memphis has exhibited plenty of patience in building its roster in recent years and hasn’t seemed eager to sacrifice future draft capital to take a big swing — still, Anunoby would be an ideal fit on the roster, and the team has an extra first-round pick (Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 selection).
- Anunoby tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that there’s no truth to the rumblings that he wants out of Toronto. Within the same story, Grange examines the recent emergence of Precious Achiuwa and considers whether the ascendant big man could help ease the loss if the Raptors trade Anunoby.