Central Notes: Pistons, Bey, Turner, Nembhard, Allen
The Pistons have started big men Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III alongside one another in the frontcourt in each of their last five games, with longtime starting forward Saddiq Bey moving to the bench as Bojan Bogdanovic holds onto his starting spot.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic believes the two-big lineup will be one that the Pistons use for the foreseeable future, since it fits how they want to play — “bigger and more physically imposing,” as Edwards puts it. Detroit also envisions Stewart and rookie Jalen Duren as its long-term frontcourt of the future, Edwards adds, so it makes sense to get Stewart accustomed to playing next to another big man.
Bey had started 142 consecutive games for the Pistons before being demoted to the bench in the 15th game of the 2022/23 season. The third-year forward’s numbers have dipped this season – his 28.8% mark on three-pointers is by far a career worst – but he’s accepting his new role in stride, as Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link) writes.
“It’s an opportunity to try and help the team win as much as possible,” Bey said. “Whatever role the team needs me to do, I’m ready to do. It’s me walking the walk. This is the role (head coach Dwane Casey) needs me to do to help us win and I’m just going to try and contribute as much as I can and just play hard.”
For what it’s worth, Casey said that he still looks at Bey “as a starter” even though he’s currently asking him to be the primary scoring option for that second unit.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- It’s still unclear whether or not Myles Turner has a future in Indiana beyond this season, but the Pacers center seems to be enjoying himself and is more consistently engaged than he ever has been in the past, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “I’m having a great time,” Turner said. “My main focus is to come out and help this team win. I can sit and talk (about my future) in general all I want to, but that’s not what’s going to help this team win.”
- In a separate article for The Indianapolis Star, Dopirak writes that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard “desperately wanted” Andrew Nembhard in the 2022 draft despite his modest college numbers. Nembhard is making Pritchard look good so far, enjoying the best game of his young career on Monday when he racked up 31 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds in a road win at Golden State. Head coach Rick Carlisle recently expressed a belief that the No. 31 pick will end up being a top-12 or top-15 player in this year’s draft class.
- Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com makes the case that center Jarrett Allen is the most crucial part of the Cavaliers‘ success, breaking down his impact on both ends of the court.
Injury Notes: R. Williams, Toppin, Toscano-Anderson, Tate
We heard last month that Robert Williams hoped to return to the court by Christmas Day, but the latest word from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggests the Celtics big man could be back even earlier than that. Wojnarowski said during an appearance on NBA Today on Wednesday that Williams has made “great progress” and is getting close to making his season debut (Twitter video link via Dan Greenberg).
“The timeline right now is still potentially 10-to-12 days, but don’t rule out the possibility that Robert Williams wakes up one day and decides he’s ready to return,” Wojnarowski said. “I think we expect he’ll be back before Christmas.”
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the league:
- Knicks forward Obi Toppin, who left Wednesday’s game in the second quarter with a sore right knee, is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
- Lakers wing Juan Toscano-Anderson will also be undergoing an MRI after spraining his right ankle in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss in Toronto, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Toscano-Anderson has been out of L.A.’s rotation for most of the season and played more minutes (16) on Wednesday than he had since October 23. “It sucks,” head coach Darvin Ham said of the 29-year-old getting hurt while getting a rare opportunity to play a role.
- Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate, sidelined since October 30 due to a right ankle injury, began running earlier this week, but there’s still no timeline for his return, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Tate has appeared in just three games this season after signing a new three-year contract with the club in the offseason.
Health Updates: Lakers, Horford, Matthews, Payton
The Lakers will be shorthanded on Wednesday night in Toronto, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group, who tweets that star forwards Anthony Davis and LeBron James have both been ruled out by the team.
Davis is still battling the non-COVID illness that forced him to leave Tuesday’s contest in Cleveland early, while James is getting the second night of a back-to-back set off due to left ankle soreness. The Lakers have also listed guard Patrick Beverley as doubtful to play due to right knee soreness.
Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Celtics big man Al Horford has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Phoenix after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced today (via Twitter). If Horford has tested positive for COVID-19, it will likely be at least a few days before he’s cleared to return, so his availability for the rest of Boston’s West Coast trip is up in the air.
- Bucks wing Wesley Matthews has also been placed in the health and safety protocols and will be unavailable for Wednesday’s contest vs. Sacramento, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Like Horford, Matthews could miss more games beyond tonight’s.
- Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II is inching closer to his season debut following offseason abdominal surgery. Teammate Damian Lillard told reporters on Wednesday that Payton practiced in full today, tweets Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.
New York Notes: Knicks, Griffin, Simmons, Warren
One league source who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com referred to the Knicks‘ situation as a “depressing” one, arguing that their roster “just doesn’t work” and suggesting that even a positive addition like Jalen Brunson hasn’t helped all the pieces mesh.
“They’ve got some good players, but there’s no fit,” the source said to Bulpett. “The talent they have doesn’t help each other enough.”
The source identified forward Julius Randle as a player the Knicks should be looking to trade, contending that he’s too ball-dominant.
“They have to do something to shake it up there, because the mix they have isn’t working now and it’s not going to work,” he said. “They don’t guard like you’d expect with that coach (Tom Thibodeau). He’s a defensive guy, and their (defensive) rating is in, like, the bottom third or bottom quarter.”
The Knicks’ 112.9 defensive rating currently ranks 23rd in the NBA and 13th in the East.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The Knicks will get a good look on Wednesday at Hawks forward AJ Griffin, who was under consideration for New York at No. 13 in this year’s draft before the team traded that pick, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Griffin ultimately went 16th to Atlanta, while the Knicks’ trade helped them clear cap room to sign Brunson. “I think AJ Griffin has added a lot to their team. He’s an elite shooter. (He) has really played well for them,” Thibodeau said. “You know, he was on the (Knicks’ draft) board. I think we looked at a number of players that we felt were good. You look at all the possibilities. I thought we were very thorough in our approach, and we decided on the path we went down and felt good about it.”
- When he returns from his current injury absence, Ben Simmons may receive a lighter workload, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post, who notes that the Nets swingman suffered his calf strain while playing a fifth game in seven days. “I think we’re definitely going to look at (the workload) a lot differently,” Simmons said on Tuesday. “Maybe not (playing) back-to-backs or whatever it is. I think that’s going to be a joint thing with the training staff and with myself.”
- The Nets are also managing the playing time of forward T.J. Warren, who isn’t expected to be on the court for both games of the team’s back-to-back set this Friday and Saturday, so soon after returning from a two-year absence. “(The) goal is to (have him) playing for us at the end of the year in the playoffs,” Vaughn said, per Sanchez. “So we’ll probably … (be) more conservative this weekend with him.”
- In case you missed it, we published stories earlier today on the Knicks’ trade talks and their efforts to move Cam Reddish.
Spurs Rumors: Poeltl, Richardson, McDermott, 15th Man, Wesley
Center Jakob Poeltl is the player that the Spurs have gotten the most trade inquiries about, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk, who repeats what he reported last month, writing that the team continues to seek two lightly protected first-round picks in any deal involving the big man.
The Raptors and Warriors are among the teams that have shown the most interest in Poeltl, sources tell Ellis. Toronto has thus far been unwilling to offer a package headlined by more than one moderately protected first-round pick, Ellis writes.
As for a potential fit with Golden State, Ellis hears that the Spurs aren’t especially interested in James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga as the centerpiece of a hypothetical Poeltl trade. According to Ellis, San Antonio likes Moses Moody the most out of the Warriors’ three young prospects, but would want more than just Moody for Poeltl. In other words, Golden State would likely have to be willing to part with future draft assets to have a chance to land the veteran center.
The Spurs’ other trade candidates include Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott. Ellis says the club still wants a first-round pick in any deal involving Richardson, while McDermott will likely remain in San Antonio through the trade deadline unless a team offers a first-rounder for him.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Having recently signed Alize Johnson to a non-guaranteed contract to provide frontcourt depth following injuries to Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan, the Spurs will likely cut Johnson and sign a perimeter player once their regulars get healthy, sources tell Ellis. Bringing back Jordan Hall is one possibility, and San Antonio has also been doing its homework on former Jazz guard Jared Butler. One longer-shot candidate for that 15th roster spot, according to Ellis, is Isaiah Thomas, who could be a target if the front office feels as if the scoring burden on youngsters like Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell is getting too heavy.
- Richardson is expected to return to action on Thursday vs. Houston after missing six games due to a right ankle sprain, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. McDermott, out for two games with a sprained right ankle of his own, will also likely be back on Thursday, Orsborn adds (via Twitter).
- Spurs rookie Blake Wesley, who is recovering from a torn MCL, still has no official timeline for a return, but the club is hoping he’ll be back later this month, according to Orsborn (Twitter link).
Knicks Reportedly Working With Reddish’s Reps To Find Trade
The Knicks are working with Cam Reddish‘s representatives in the hopes of finding a landing spot for the fourth-year forward, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
A former 10th overall pick, Reddish emerged early this season as a key part of New York’s rotation, even starting eight straight games in November before suffering a right groin injury that sidelined him for three contests. In total, he has averaged 8.4 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .449/.304/.879 shooting in 20 appearances (21.9 MPG) this season.
However, Reddish’s playing time declined steadily after he returned from that groin injury and he received his first DNP-CD of the season on Sunday vs. Cleveland.
As Bondy notes, while Derrick Rose spoke to reporters this week about accepting his demotion out of the rotation, the Knicks have declined to make Reddish available to the media for three straight days, including on Wednesday ahead of a matchup against his former team, the Hawks.
We already knew, based on previous reports, that the Knicks had discussed Reddish in recent trade talks. The reported involvement of his agents in the effort to find a trade partner is a signal that his camp may feel a change of scenery is in Reddish’s best interest, which is similar to what we heard approximately three months ago.
As a 2019 first-round pick, Reddish is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency at the end of the season. He’s earning approximately $5.95MM in 2022/23.
For his part, head coach Tom Thibodeau said this week that Reddish’s demotion was about shortening the rotation and giving the Knicks the best chance to win, adding that one DNP-CD didn’t mean the 23-year-old wouldn’t seen any playing time going forward.
“Rarely is anything ever permanent. When another opportunity comes, be ready,” Thibodeau said, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “That’s all … right now (Reddish and Rose) are not in the rotation but be ready, you could be thrown into the rotation at any time. In the meantime, be a great teammate, help us in practice. That’s what you do control. I think that’s an important part of being a team.”
And-Ones: Campazzo, Podoloff Trophy, Scouting, CBA Talks
Free agent guard Facundo Campazzo, who spent the last two seasons in Denver and the early part of 2022/23 in Dallas, appears set to resume his career in the EuroLeague, but his destination has yet to be determined.
According to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net, Serbian club Crvena Zvezda has offered Campazzo a two-year contract worth 1.8 million Euros this season and 2.5 million Euros for 2023/24, with a third-year player option. The team also intends to cover a significant chunk of the remaining money Campazzo still owes to Real Madrid as part of the 2020 buyout agreement that allowed him to go to the NBA, says Barkas.
However, since Real Madrid still holds Campazzo’s EuroLeague rights, the Spanish club will have 10 days to decide whether or not to match the offer, per Barkas. That clock began on Tuesday.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA announced on Tuesday that the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named after the league’s first commissioner, will now be awarded to the team that finishes each regular season with the best record. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press observes, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy was previously awarded to the NBA’s annual Most Valuable Player up until 2021, but has since been revamped and repurposed.
- The NBA has loosened the rules related to the scouting of high school prospects, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Teams will now be permitted to attend a handful of important high school basketball events, despite the fact that the participants will be at least a year away from draft eligibility. There are no immediate plans to remove the one-and-done rule for draft prospects in the near future, Givony adds, so for the time being this change is simply about giving teams a head-start on evaluating top prospects before they enter college.
- Providing an update on the NBA’s labor talks, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article that he believes the league and the players’ union will likely agree to push back the December 15 opt-out deadline so that they can amicably continue their negotiations. Interestingly, Stein also says the NBA’s push for an “upper spending limit,” first reported in October, appears to be more serious than it has been in the past — in previous negotiations, the NBA dropped that request to gain other concessions, but the league is pursuing the de facto hard cap more “vigorously” this time around, according to Stein.
Chris Paul Set To Return For Suns
Suns point guard Chris Paul intends to make his return to the court on Wednesday night vs. Boston after missing the last month due to a heel injury, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, who says (via Twitter) that Paul is expected to suit up barring a last-minute setback.
Paul last played on November 7 in Philadelphia. He has missed 14 games as a result of what the team has referred to as right heel soreness and is officially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest.
The Suns, who began the season with seven wins in 10 games, haven’t missed a beat without Paul available, going 9-5 since he went down. The 16-8 squad holds the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the 15-8 Pelicans. Incidentally, Phoenix will face New Orleans three times in the next 10 games, so Paul should be available for those showdowns against his old team.
In Paul’s absence, Cameron Payne has been the Suns’ starting point guard and has thrived, averaging 15.1 PPG and 7.3 APG with a .395 3PT% in his 14 starts. He figures to continue playing a major rotation role even with CP3 back in the lineup.
Landry Shamet and two-way player Duane Washington also picked up some ball-handling responsibilities while Paul was out, but Washington likely won’t be part of the rotation, while Shamet will return to an off-ball role.
Suns forward Torrey Craig, who has missed the last three games due to a right groin strain, is also listed as questionable and is a candidate to return vs. the Celtics, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes.
Knicks Rumors: Rose, Reddish, Quickley, Fournier
The Knicks have been “active on trade calls” more than two months ahead of this season’s February 9 trade deadline, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who notes that the team has shown a tendency in recent years to complete its major moves well before the deadline arrives.
New York’s 2021 acquisition of Derrick Rose came approximately a month-and-a-half before the trade deadline, while last season’s Cam Reddish deal was finalized about four weeks ahead of the deadline.
Incidentally, Rose and Reddish are two of the players the Knicks are discussing most frequently with potential trade partners, along with Immanuel Quickley and Evan Fournier, league sources tell Katz.
Here’s where things stand with those four players, per Katz:
- There’s not a ton of demand for Rose, whose production and playing time have both dropped off this season. According to Katz, teams are wary of giving up much for the 34-year-old, especially given his injury history.
- The market for Reddish also isn’t particularly hot, with the Knicks considered very unlikely to recoup the sort of return they gave up for him last season (Kevin Knox‘s expiring contract and a protected first-round pick). Like Rose, Reddish has recently fallen out of Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation, which doesn’t help his trade value.
- The Knicks have discussed various types of deals involving Quickley. In scenarios where he’s the only outgoing player, the club has sought a first-round pick, Katz writes. The thinking is that New York has an overcrowded depth chart and wants to free up playing time, so the team is exploring player-for-pick or two-for-one scenarios, Katz adds.
- The Knicks’ front office has shown no interest in attaching draft assets to Fournier just to move him, since getting his contract off the books wouldn’t create much extra cap flexibility in 2023 (the club would still have $113MM+ in guaranteed money committed to eight other players). However, league sources tell Katz that New York has conveyed a willingness to attach Quickley or Reddish to Fournier when discussing potential trades.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Wizards, Hornets, Oubre
Heat guard Victor Oladipo made his season debut on Tuesday night, taking the court for the first time since May and scoring nine points in 19 minutes off the bench. However, it will take more than Oladipo’s return to fix Miami’s second unit, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
As Winderman outlines, with Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin promoted to the starting lineup, injuries affecting a handful of players, and the club unwilling to fill its 15th roster spot due to luxury tax ramifications, depth no longer seems to be one of the Heat’s strengths. Miami ranks 29th in the NBA in both bench scoring (26.6 PPG) and bench shooting (.420 FG%) so far this season.
Here are a few more notes from around the Southeast:
- While Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma have thrived as the Wizards‘ “Big Three,” the team needs more offensive production from its role players, especially with Beal out due to a hamstring injury, says Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Wallace singles out Monte Morris, Will Barton, and Deni Avdija as a few rotation players who “haven’t been operating at their full potential.”
- Injuries have prevented the Hornets from getting a clear sense of what works and what doesn’t, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “We haven’t played enough lineups together,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “We have individual goals for the guys. But in terms of our group, we’ve had no continuity. So, it’s been hard to figure out. Usually by 15 games, you can say, ‘When we defensive rebound, we win.’ ‘When we don’t turn the ball over, we’re good.’ And we’ve been all over the place. So that’s a good question, but we are not there yet.”
- In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer (subscriber link), Boone says Hornets forward Kelly Oubre is a player worth keeping an eye on this season. As Boone outlines, Oubre would be a movable asset if the team decides to sell, but he appears to have interest in remaining in Charlotte if the club is interested in keeping him.