Lakers Notes: Elimination, Westbrook, Vogel, Draft Pick
The Lakers were officially eliminated from play-in contention on Tuesday night as they lost in Phoenix and the Spurs picked up a win in Denver to clinch at least the 10th seed. There are still three games left on Los Angeles’ regular season schedule, but Tuesday’s loss marked the unofficial end of a historically disappointing year, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“Extremely disappointed,” head coach Frank Vogel said after the game. “Disappointed for our fan base. Disappointed for the Buss family, who gave us all this opportunity, and we want to play our part in bringing success to Laker basketball, and we fell short.”
Anthony Davis, who wondered earlier this week “what could have been” if the Lakers hadn’t had to deal with so many injuries, admitted on Tuesday that the club wasn’t exactly dominant even when he, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook were all healthy. But he still believes L.A. could have reached another level with more time to establish chemistry.
“I think even though we lost games where all of us were on the floor — me, Bron, Russ — I think we’re three great players, but we would have figured it out if we logged more minutes together,” said Davis, who pointed out the team had more starting lineups (39) than wins (31) this season. “But we weren’t able to do that, which makes it tough to be able to compete for a championship when your three best players haven’t logged enough minutes together.
“… I truly think that we could have done something special, if Bron and myself — and mainly me — were healthy for the entire season.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- With James and Davis unlikely to go anywhere, Westbrook looks like a candidate to be traded – or even released – this summer as the Lakers attempt to reshape their roster. But the former MVP will enter the offseason planning to remain in L.A. “I mean, that’s the plan. But nothing is promised,” Westbrook said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Yes, we want to be able to see what that looks like, what that entails over the course of an 82-game season. But we’re not sure if that’s guaranteed, either. So I just hope that we have a chance to be able to do something.”
- It’s unclear if Davis and James, who are both dealing with injuries, will play in the Lakers’ final three games now that the team has no chance at the play-in. “We’ll see,” Vogel said (Twitter link via Mark Medina of NBA.com). “We’ll meet with the front office, our players and the coaching staff, and see what’s best for our group.”
- While Vogel declined to speculate about his job security – or lack thereof – he seemed to acknowledge in a conversation with Bill Oram of The Athletic that he understands his probable fate. “It’s been a win-now job for each of the three years I’ve been here,” Vogel said. A Tuesday report stated that the Lakers will likely replace Vogel at season’s end.
- As Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets, the Lakers appear virtually locked into the No. 8 spot in the draft lottery, which is great news for the Pelicans, who will get L.A.’s first-round pick if it’s in the top 10. There would be a 99.6% chance of that happening if the Lakers remain in the No. 8 spot in the lottery standings. The Grizzlies, who would get the pick if it falls between 11-30, will likely end up receiving Cleveland’s 2022 second-rounder and New Orleans’ 2025 second-rounder from the Pelicans instead.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes an in-depth look at the major decisions facing the Lakers this offseason.
And-Ones: Selden, Brantley, MVP, OTE, Shue
Veteran shooting guard Wayne Selden, who began the 2021/22 season with the Knicks, has signed with Ironi Ness Ziona in Israel, the team announced in a press release. Selden has appeared in 127 total NBA games for Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, and New York since 2016. He spent the 2020/21 campaign with Ironi Ness Ziona, so the move represents a reunion for the two sides.
Former Jazz forward Jarrell Brantley is among the other NBA veterans who has signed with a team outside the NBA. Puerto Rico’s Leones de Ponce announced today in a press release that they’ve signed Brantley to a short-term deal. The former second-round pick played in 37 games for Utah from 2019-21 before he was waived last September.
Here are a few more notes from around the basketball world:
- Cole Huff of The Athletic singles out three under-the-radar veterans who are playing well after changing teams at the trade deadline nearly two months ago, highlighting Clippers forward Robert Covington, Spurs wing Josh Richardson, and Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III.
- Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the top contenders for this season’s Most Valuable Player award, but it looks like upwards of a dozen candidates could receive top-five votes. A panel of ESPN writers took a closer look at the field.
- In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony outlines the biggest takeaways from year one of the Overtime Elite league and explores what’s next for OTE. It became clear quickly that Overtime Elite is a “serious, ambitious venture with significant financial backing,” Givony writes.
- Gene Shue, a five-time NBA All-Star from 1958-62 and a two-time Coach of the Year in 1969 and 1982, passed away at age 90 on Monday, writes Tony Garcia of The Detroit Free Press. Shue enjoyed much of his success as a player in Fort Wayne and Detroit, then coached the Bullets (Baltimore and Washington), Clippers (San Diego and Los Angeles), and Sixers for over two decades.
Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler Entering NBA Draft
Tennessee freshman Kennedy Chandler will enter the 2022 NBA draft, hiring an agent and forgoing his remaining college eligibility, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on NBA Today on Tuesday (link via Jonathan Givony of ESPN).
Chandler is a projected first-round pick, according to Givony, who ranks him at No. 17 on ESPN’s big board. The six-foot point guard averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.2 SPG on .464/.383/.606 shooting in 34 games (30.8 MPG) for the Volunteers, earning a spot on the All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman team. He also led Tennessee to an SEC tournament championship and was named MVP of the tournament.
As Givony outlines, Chandler improved as the season went on, becoming a more vocal leader, improving his shooting, and playing strong defense.
“Adjusting to the speed of the college game was the big thing early on,” Chandler told ESPN. “Coach [Rick] Barnes had me watching a lot of Chris Paul and Tony Parker film. Learning how to make different reads, and understanding that every team is going to have a different game plan.
“… I want to show NBA teams how much stronger I will get through the pre-draft process. Being ready to play with physicality in the NBA, a six-foot guard like me can play with anybody in the league. Just being coachable, cerebral, that’s how I can separate myself in this process.”
Injury Updates: LeBron, LaVine, Murray, Powell, Knicks, More
Facing a must-win game in Phoenix on Tuesday and looking to keep their play-in hopes alive, the Lakers will once again be without star forward LeBron James, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James, who continues to deal with a left ankle sprain, has been ruled out for a second consecutive game and will now have missed three of the last four.
If the Lakers lose to the Suns and the Spurs win in Denver, L.A. would be officially eliminated from play-in contention by the end of the night.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Bulls guard Zach LaVine (knee) will likely miss Tuesday’s game vs. Milwaukee, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). LaVine’s left knee has been an issue for much of the season, though he has been able to play through the discomfort for the most part — this would only be the second game he has missed since the All-Star break.
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (ACL) has “really ramped up” his activity in the last week, Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown on Sunday (video link). While Wojnarowski describes Murray as “aggressive” in his efforts to get back on the court, he cautions that the guard is still experiencing some soreness at times in his surgically-repaired left knee.
- Norman Powell (foot) will be a full participant in Tuesday’s practice for the Clippers, according to head coach Tyronn Lue, who noted that the team isn’t playing five-on-five today. Lue is hopeful that Powell will be able to return within the next several days, tweets Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group.
- Asked today about whether Julius Randle (quad) or Derrick Rose (ankle) will play again this season, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau responded, “I don’t see it happening” (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic).
- Mavericks guards Sterling Brown and Trey Burke are out of the COVID-19 protocols and will be available on Wednesday vs. Detroit, per head coach Jason Kidd (Twitter link via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News).
- Out since March 14 due to a high ankle sprain, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. Washington (Twitter link). “I think he’s had a really good week, good evaluation,” head coach Chris Finch said (Twitter link via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic). “Just not sure if he’s ready to play in the game tonight, but try to push him today in our ‘stay in shape league‘ and see how everything goes.”
Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Nembhard, P. Williams, Key, Vildoza
Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $15K on Monday for his public criticism of the league’s officiating, the NBA announced in a press release. Bickerstaff griped about the foul calls on Sunday following a 112-108 loss to Philadelphia in which James Harden and Joel Embiid combined to attempt 32 free throws.
“We deserved to win that game. That game was taken from us,” Bickerstaff said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “We did a great job defensively, making their two best players have a difficult time from the field. But one thing you can’t defend is the free throw line. That’s absurd. That’s absurd. Our guys deserve way better than what they got tonight.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- RJ Nembhard‘s new contract with the Cavaliers is a straight-up conversion from his two-way deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Nembhard, who will earn $58,493 on the prorated minimum-salary contract, remains on track for restricted free agency this offseason.
- Having returned from a wrist injury on March 21, Patrick Williams is playing increasingly well for the Bulls as the postseason nears, according to Cole Huff of The Athletic, who says the second-year forward has been “efficient and opportunistic” on offense while showcasing his usual versatility on the defensive end. Having already displayed the potential to be a long-term cornerstone in Chicago, Williams could help in the short term too and be an asset in the playoffs if he keeps progressing, Huff writes.
- Braxton Key‘s new two-way contract with the Pistons is a two-year agreement, covering 2022/23 as well as the rest of this season, league sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link).
- Luca Vildoza‘s two-year deal with the Bucks will be non-guaranteed for next season, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 4/5/2022
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 12:15 pm Central time (1:15 pm ET).
Click here for the transcript of today’s chat, and join Dana Gauruder this Thursday at 11:00 am CT for our next live chat.
Auburn’s Jabari Smith Declares For 2022 NBA Draft
Auburn power forward Jabari Smith has confirmed that he’ll put his name into the 2022 NBA draft pool, making the announcement in a video published on the men’s basketball program’s official Twitter account.
While Smith didn’t specify whether he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility or testing the waters, it’s safe to assume – based on both the tone of his announcement and his projected draft range – that he has played his last college game.
A freshman in 2021/22, Smith started all 34 games he played for the Tigers and averaged 16.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.0 BPG in 28.8 minutes per contest. The 18-year-old also showed an impressive ability to knock down outside shots, hitting 42.0% of his three-point tries. He was a consensus second-team All-American and was named the NABC Freshman of the Year.
Smith is widely viewed as one of the top three prospects in the 2022 draft class, with some experts even placing him atop their boards. His time at Auburn came to a disappointing end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when the team was upset by Miami — Smith shot just 3-of-16 from the field in what was his worst offensive game of the season, but that performance is unlikely to hurt his draft stock much, if at all.
In his scouting report, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony refers to Smith as one of the most dynamic shooters in college and a “highly versatile” defender who has the ability to switch all over the floor. Smith is the No. 2 player on ESPN’s big board, behind only Chet Holmgren.
Smith is the second standout underclassman at Auburn to declare for the draft this spring, joining teammate Walker Kessler, who is also projected to be a first-round pick.
Thunder Sign Zavier Simpson To Hardship Deal
In addition to signing Georgios Kalaitzakis to a 10-day hardship contract, the Thunder have also added guard Zavier Simpson to their roster using a hardship exception, per NBA.com’s official transactions log.
As we noted when we discussed Kalaitzakis’ signing earlier today, Oklahoma City has a full 15-man roster, but is eligible to sign additional players to short-term contracts because the team qualifies for multiple hardship exceptions due to all its injured players. The Thunder now have 20 players under contract, including two-ways.
Simpson, who went undrafted out of Michigan in 2020, has spent his first two professional seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate. In 35 regular season NBAGL games in 2022, he has averaged 14.5 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.5 SPG with a .487/.353/.686 shooting line in 32.3 MPG.
It looked earlier this season like Simpson would get a call-up on a COVID-related 10-day hardship contract, but he entered the health and safety protocols himself before the deal was officially finalized. Three months later, he’ll get a chance to play in the Thunder’s final four games of the season.
Checking In On Active 10-Day Contracts
With just six days left in the 2021/22 season, no more standard 10-day contracts will be signed this spring.
Teams looking to fill open 15-man roster spots will do what the Pistons did with Carsen Edwards or what the Bucks are doing with Luca Vildoza, signing players to rest-of-season contracts, ideally with at least one extra non-guaranteed year tacked onto those deals.
It is possible that one or two more “10-day” contracts will be signed by teams eligible for hardship exceptions. Those clubs have full 15-man rosters but are hardship-eligible either because a player tested positive for COVID-19 or because several of their players are injured.
Those hardship 10-days, like the one the Thunder completed with Georgios Kalaitzakis on Monday, are technically just rest-of-season contracts that don’t give the team any form of Bird rights this offseason. Kalaitzakis will become a free agent immediately after the season ends, and Oklahoma City won’t be able to use the Non-Bird exception to re-sign him in the summer.
Here are the remaining active 10-day contracts, which will expire in the coming days:
- Utah Jazz: Greg Monroe (standard — runs through 4/6)
- Boston Celtics: Juwan Morgan (standard — 4/6)
- Indiana Pacers: Justin Anderson (standard — 4/6)
- Dallas Mavericks: Brandon Knight (COVID hardship — 4/7)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Reggie Perry (injury hardship — 4/8)
- Orlando Magic: Devin Cannady (standard — 4/9)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Jaylen Hoard (injury hardship — 4/10)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Georgios Kalaitzakis (injury hardship — 4/10)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Zavier Simpson (injury hardship — 4/10)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Kris Dunn (injury hardship — 4/10)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Drew Eubanks (injury hardship — 4/10)
The Mavericks, Thunder, and Trail Blazers have full 15-man rosters, so they won’t create any openings on their respective rosters when their current 10-day agreements expire.
However, the Jazz, Celtics, Pacers, and Magic are each using a roster spot on a 10-day player. When those contracts expire, those clubs could either bring back the same player on a rest-of-season contract or use that 15th slot on someone else. For instance, Utah might want to promote two-way player Trent Forrest to its standard roster to ensure that he’s playoff-eligible.
Nearly any free agent signed to a rest-of-season deal using a 15-man roster spot will be playoff-eligible, so the Jazz and Celtics will have plenty of options. Semi Ojeleye, Kyle Guy, Joel Ayayi, Luka Samanic, and Chris Smith are the only players who have been placed on waivers since March 1, making them ineligible for the postseason.
Thunder Sign Georgios Kalaitzakis To Hardship Deal
The Thunder have signed Greek forward Georgios Kalaitzakis to a 10-day contract using the hardship exception, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log. The deal was completed on Monday.
There are only six days left in the regular season, so referring to Kalaitzakis’ agreement as a “10-day” is a bit of a misnomer — it’s essentially a rest-of-season hardship deal that won’t give Oklahoma City any form of Bird rights on the rookie this offseason.
Kalaitzakis, 23, was the 60th overall pick in the 2021 draft and joined the Bucks to begin his NBA career. However, his initial contract with Milwaukee was only partially guaranteed and he didn’t see much action with the team, logging just 48 total minutes across nine games. He was waived in December when the club signed Wesley Matthews.
Kalaitzakis subsequently joined the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate, and appeared in 31 regular season games for the team, averaging 10.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG on .422/.241/.750 shooting in 19.7 minutes per contest.
The Thunder are missing about half their roster due to injuries — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, and Mike Muscala have all been ruled out for the season, and it’s possible Kenrich Williams and Tre Mann will join them. As such, Kalaitzakis will likely just be a depth piece to help the team finish out its regular season schedule.
Jaylen Hoard is also on a 10-day hardship deal with the Thunder, who now have 19 players under contract (including two-ways).