Zion Williamson Not Expected To Play This Season
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is not expected to return from his right foot injury before the end of the 2021/22 season, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Williamson, who underwent surgery on his foot during the 2021 offseason, has gone through a stop-and-start recovery process that included multiple setbacks. He hasn’t played in an NBA game since May 4, 2021.
According to Charania, the former No. 1 overall pick is able to bear weight on his foot and is making progress toward on-court work. However, with just 11 games left on the Pelicans’ regular season schedule, it’s an “improbably tight window” for Williamson to go through all the necessary remaining stages of his rehab, starting with one-on-zero work, Charania observes.
It’s possible the odds of a Williamson return would increase if the Pelicans were able to make a deep postseason run. But as things stand, New Orleans will have to win two play-in games to even earn a spot in the playoffs — and in that scenario, the club would be a massive first-round underdog against the No. 1 Suns.
Assuming Williamson doesn’t play this spring, he and the Pelicans will enter a hugely important summer with a ton of questions that remain unanswered. Williamson, whose commitment to New Orleans has been questioned since he entered the NBA in 2019, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
[RELATED: Community Shootaround: Zion Williamson]
The Pelicans will need to decide whether they’re comfortable putting a maximum-salary offer – or something very close to it – on the table for an extremely talented player who has had trouble staying healthy since entering the NBA and may prefer to play elsewhere. Williamson will have to decide whether he wants to try to work out a new deal with New Orleans, take his chances in a contract year in 2022/23, or perhaps even push to be traded.
Chris Paul Nearing Return For Suns
When word first broke on February 20 that Suns point guard Chris Paul had fractured his right thumb, the timeline provided for his potential return was six-to-eight weeks. The six-week mark from that date would be April 3, but Paul appears likely to be back even sooner than that, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to Amick, some sources close to the situation wouldn’t even rule out the possibility that Paul could play as soon as this Wednesday in Minnesota. Amick cautions that the exact timing for Paul’s return will be determined in the coming days.
The Suns guard has recently ramped up his activity and was seen taking part in a “rigorous” workout prior to Sunday’s game vs. Sacramento, according to Amick, who suggests that getting Paul’s conditioning back up to speed and deciding on a reintegration plan appear to be the last steps in his comeback process.
Of course, while a Wednesday return is apparently still in play, the Suns should be in no rush to get the 36-year-old back on the court. The team is 10-4 since Paul went down and holds a nine-game lead on the No. 2 Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings with just 10 games left to play.
In other words, Phoenix won’t need any help from CP3 to officially secure the West’s No. 1 seed. His return will be more about getting him enough regular season reps to ensure he’s ready to roll when the playoffs begin next month.
After visiting the Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Suns will play in Denver on Thursday and will host the Sixers on Sunday before traveling to Golden State to face the Warriors next Wednesday.
Jamal Crawford Announces Retirement
Veteran guard Jamal Crawford published a tweet early on Monday morning announcing his retirement as a professional basketball player.
“‘Goodbye to the game, all the spoils the adrenaline rush,'” Crawford wrote, quoting a Jay-Z song. “Thank you basketball, I owe you everything …..✌🏾”
While Crawford’s tweet doesn’t explicitly state that he’s retiring, it seems pretty safe to assume that’s his intent.
The longtime NBA guard turned 42 years old on Sunday and hasn’t played in the league since he appeared in a single game for the Nets during the 2020 bubble at Walt Disney World.
Selected out of Michigan with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, Crawford played in 1,327 regular season games and another 74 playoff contests across 20 seasons for the Bulls, Knicks, Warriors, Hawks, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Suns, and Nets.
Crawford averaged 14.6 PPG and 3.4 APG on .410/.348/.862 shooting in 29.4 minutes per game over the course of his career.
In his final non-bubble game, playing for the Suns in Dallas on the last day of the 2018/19 season, Crawford went off for 51 points. It was the most points he had scored in a game since 2007 and the second-highest mark of his career.
The Seattle native was a three-time Sixth Man of the Year, earning the honor in 2010, 2014, and 2016. He also won the league’s Teammate of the Year award in 2018.
Pelinka: Lakers Hope Monk Is “Part Of Our Future”
A number of the Lakers‘ 2021 offseason acquisitions haven’t worked out as well as the team had hoped, but one bright spot has been Malik Monk. The fifth-year guard has significantly outplayed his minimum-salary contract, averaging a career-high 12.9 PPG on .464/.394/.767 shooting in 63 games (27.6 MPG).
Los Angeles’ ability to offer Monk a raise when he returns to free agency this summer will be limited, but VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka would like to retain the former lottery pick if possible, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays.
“The partnership has been a win from both sides,” Pelinka said. “Both for the Lakers, in terms of the productivity he’s had for us and then I think on his side, just showing people what he can do in big moments in big games. … He’s a guy that we would see as hopefully a part of our future.”
According to McMenamin, when Monk reached unrestricted free agency last year, he only received interest from three teams: the Lakers, Knicks, and Mavericks. And by the sounds of it, none of those teams were willing to offer more than the league minimum.
“Did I think Malik could make a few more dollars than a minimum? Yes, I did,” agent Jeff Schwartz said. “Unfortunately, the offers just didn’t come. So then it was about finding the right place. … I was disappointed there was no bigger offers out there, but I also know sometimes you got to just go out and show it for a year.”
Asked to make a quick decision during free agency so that the Lakers could move onto other targets if he turned them down, Monk accepted L.A.’s offer and hasn’t regretted it, despite the team’s struggles this season. After four challenging seasons in Charlotte, Monk is playing more – and better – than ever with the Lakers and appreciates that the organization was willing to take a shot on him.
“They put a lot of trust in me,” Monk says. “And I just feel comfortable, man, to go out and perform for them.”
Because the Lakers will only hold Monk’s Non-Bird rights and won’t have any cap room this offseason, the highest starting salary they’ll be able to offer will likely be $6.34MM, the projected amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception. Without dipping into their MLE, the Lakers would only be able to give Monk a 20% raise above the minimum.
It’s possible a more lucrative offer will await Monk elsewhere, but the 24-year-old tells McMenamin he has had a “beautiful experience” with the Lakers, while Marcus Monk – Malik’s older brother and manager – suggests a return to L.A. is possible.
“We’re very loyal people,” Marcus said. “The Lakers were calling him nonstop once free agency opened. So we don’t forget about that. On the other side, it is a business. … But I would love to see him in a Laker uniform.”
Warriors To Reevaluate Stephen Curry In Two Weeks
After reports on Thursday indicated that star guard Stephen Curry had suffered a sprained ligament in his left foot and would be out indefinitely, the Warriors confirmed that injury diagnosis today.
The team stated in a brief press release that Curry will be reevaluated in two weeks, which suggests he’ll be sidelined for at least the rest of March. Golden State has seven games during that stretch and will have just five contests left in the regular season by the time Curry is reassessed.
The 47-23 Warriors are, of course, in no danger of losing their playoff spot, and still seem relatively likely to hold onto a top-three seed, since they have a 3.5-game lead over the No. 4 Jazz.
Still, it’s an unfortunate turn of events for a team that just got Draymond Green back on Monday following a 29-game absence and has had Klay Thompson miss so much time since 2019. The Warriors’ three stars have shared the court for just 11 minutes so far this season and it appears they won’t do so again until either the final week of the regular season or the postseason.
As long as Curry remains on the shelf, the Warriors will likely lean more heavily on Jordan Poole, with Gary Payton II poised to immediately reclaim a regular backcourt role upon his return from a knee injury. Two-way player Chris Chiozza could also see a little action in a reserve role.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Central Division
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents this offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Central players.
Zach LaVine, G, Bulls
2021/22: $19.5MM
2022/23: UFA
Stock: Up ⬆️
LaVine is dealing with a knee injury that has diminished his explosiveness, but it hasn’t slowed him down too significantly — he hasn’t scored fewer than 20 points in a game since the All-Star break, and he’s coming off a 33-point showing in Utah on Wednesday.
While the injury is a short-term concern that may need to be addressed surgically in the summer, there’s no reason to believe at this point that it will be a nagging issue in future seasons. LaVine is still significantly outperforming his current contract and is in line for a maximum-salary deal this summer, likely with the Bulls.
Collin Sexton, G, Cavaliers
2021/22: $6.35MM
2022/23: RFA
Stock: Down ⬇️
Sexton is also dealing with a knee injury, but it’s more serious than LaVine’s. The Cavaliers guard appeared in only 11 games before meniscus surgery sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
The fact that Sexton averaged 24.3 PPG with an efficient .475/.371/.815 shooting line in 2020/21 shouldn’t be overlooked, but there are a number of factors working against him. With Darius Garland and Caris LeVert under contract for next season and Sexton entering restricted free agency in an offseason when few teams will have cap room, the Cavs will have plenty of leverage in negotiations. Concerns about Sexton’s knee and his defense may further limit his ability to secure a significant raise.
An eight-figure annual salary is still certainly within reach for Sexton, but a payday in the $80-100MM range no longer looks like a good bet.
Bobby Portis, F/C, Bucks
2021/22: $4.35MM
2022/23: $4.56MM player option
Stock: Up ⬆️
Portis raised some eyebrows when he settled for a two-year, $9MM deal with the Bucks in 2021, giving the club a “hometown” discount after winning a title in Milwaukee. That agreement included a second-year player option, so Portis has the opportunity to revisit the open market in 2022. At this point, it’s hard to imagine he won’t take advantage of that opportunity.
With Brook Lopez out for much of the season, Portis has been thrust into a larger frontcourt role and has responded with a career year, averaging 15.3 PPG and 9.1 RPG on .484/.405/.752 shooting in 61 games (28.9 MPG). He’ll have Early Bird rights this time around, putting him in a better spot to get a raise from the Bucks, who shouldn’t expect the 27-year-old to once again accept a team-friendly rate.
Cory Joseph, G, Pistons
2021/22: $4.91MM
2022/23: $5.16MM player option
Stock: Up ⬆️
The Pistons have been one of the NBA’s worst teams since the start of the season, and any national attention they’ve gotten has focused primarily on Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, and the rest of their young core. Their 30-year-old journeyman point guard shouldn’t be overlooked though — Joseph is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career in Detroit this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 3.8 APG with a career-best .423 3PT% in 59 games (24.8 MPG).
Joseph may be happy with the Pistons and not interested in seeking a change of scenery. But if he decides to opt out this summer, he should certainly be able to earn a raise, perhaps from a team much closer to title contention.
T.J. Warren, F, Pacers
2021/22: $12.69MM
2022/23: UFA
Stock: Down ⬇️
Having officially been ruled out for the rest of 2021/22, Warren will enter unrestricted free agency having played just four games in the last two seasons due to foot injuries. It’s been an unfortunate run for the veteran forward, who had a great 2019/20 season and looked like one of the NBA’s very best scorers in the Walt Disney World bubble that summer.
What Warren has gone through is reminiscent of what happened to another former Pacer, Victor Oladipo, following his breakout years in Indiana. Oladipo battled leg injuries for two seasons and ultimately settled for a minimum-salary contract when he became a free agent.
Unlike Oladipo last year, Warren should be healthy when he reaches the open market this summer. But given how little teams have seen from him over the last two years, he may not be able to do a whole lot better than the minimum deal Oladipo got.
Southeast Notes: Unseld, Herro, Strus, Vincent, J. Johnson
Wes Unseld Jr. has been thrown into the deep end during his first year as an NBA head coach, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, who notes that the Wizards have used a franchise-record 29 players in games this season.
Injuries, trades, and COVID-19 outbreaks have shaken up the Wizards’ roster, and Unseld himself missed multiple games when he contracted COVID. Despite having to deal with a somewhat chaotic first season in D.C., Unseld has tried his best to take it all in stride.
“With this being my first experience in this chair, in a weird way it’s the norm. I can’t compare it to anything,” Unseld told Hughes. “But it’s not lost on me that this has been a bizarre experience, just because of all the things that we’ve had to process and go through.”
Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who is out for the rest of the season while he recovers from wrist surgery, said he had “huge respect” for the way Unseld has responded to a challenging year.
“That’s tough on a coach, a first-year coach,” Beal said. “I’m very impressed with how well he’s handled the adversity.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- With Tyler Herro extension-eligible beginning this July, Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a closer look at what the guard’s next contract might look like and considers how much the Heat should be comfortable paying to lock up a player who is currently a sixth man.
- Now that the Heat‘s roster is healthier than it has been all season, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent aren’t getting the same sort of consistent minutes they were earlier in the year. However, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, the two reserves said they were prepared for that possibility, recognizing that the coaching staff needs to experiment with different lineups ahead of the postseason. “They got to play with things. They got to see what works, see what doesn’t work and try to get this chemistry going in a short span,” Vincent said. “I kind of knew it was coming. But you don’t really know how it’s going to go. You could only prepare for something like that so much.”
- Nate McMillan‘s inclination to trust his veterans over rookies has meant there has been no NBA role this season for first-rounder Jalen Johnson, who has spent much of his rookie year in the G League. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks are still very intrigued by the potential of Johnson, who was recalled today from the NBAGL with John Collins out, but it remains unlikely that he’ll see regular minutes this season.
Hoops Rumors’ Lists, Trackers, Features
In addition to passing along news, rumors, and analysis on a daily basis, Hoops Rumors provides a number of additional features and resources that can be found anytime on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Since those links are easy to overlook and aren’t readily accessible to our app users, we want to periodically highlight a number of our lists, trackers, and other features.
For instance, our lists of 2022 free agents by position/type and by team are constantly updated, as is our list of 2023 free agents and our breakdown of current free agents.
We have a number of features related to NBA trades, including a roundup of this season’s deals, a list of the trade exceptions currently available to teams, and details on which teams can still send and receive cash in trades during the 2021/22 league year.
We have info on how teams are using mid-level and bi-annual exceptions in 2021/22, as well as which clubs are hard-capped and which have open roster spots. Our 10-day contract tracker, two-way contract tracker, and contract extension tracker provide information on many of the deals signed this season.
We’ve got details on how much this season’s maximum salaries, minimum salaries, and mid-level/bi-annual exceptions are worth, as well as projections for how much the maximums, minimums, and mid-level/bi-annual will be worth in 2022/23.
The Hoops Rumors Glossary provides in-depth explanations on many concepts related to the salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement, presented in the simplest possible terms.
Many of our features and trackers are cyclical and will be reintroduced as the year goes on. For example, it’ll just be a matter of time before we start keeping tabs on all the early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft.
Be sure to check out the sidebar on our desktop site or our Features page for all of our current resources.
Knicks Notes: Payne, Barrett, Kemba, Rose, Fournier
Knicks assistant Kenny Payne has officially been hired as the new head coach of the University of Louisville’s men’s basketball team, the program announced today in a press release. Payne received a six-year deal and will make $3.35MM annually, with his new contract going into effect on Monday, per Brett Dawson of The Louisville Courier-Journal.
During Payne’s introductory press conference on Friday, Louisville athletic director Josh Heird thanked Knicks management, noting that the team didn’t want to lose Payne but understood the hiring was “bigger than basketball” (Twitter link via Dawson).
Payne, meanwhile, said that he and Knicks executives Leon Rose and William Wesley have been crying “six, seven times a day” within the last little while about his decision to leave the team (Twitter link via Dawson).
“We are beyond thrilled for Kenny Payne that he will have the opportunity to coach his alma mater, Louisville,” Rose said in a statement issued today by the Knicks. “We wish him nothing but the best and thank him for his contributions over the past two seasons.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- With RJ Barrett set to become extension-eligible for the first time this offseason, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News wonders if the former No. 3 overall pick has earned maximum-salary consideration, or at least something close to it. For his part, Barrett said that getting a long-term commitment from the Knicks has long been a goal for him. “I’ve been trying to play my butt off and do everything out there to achieve that,” he said.
- In addition to not seeing any more game action this season, Kemba Walker isn’t around the Knicks at all and isn’t working with team trainers, head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed this week. A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that Walker is doing some of his training in New York and some in his former home of Charlotte, where his mother still lives.
- Derrick Rose (ankle) still hasn’t received clearance to practice, creating uncertainty about whether he’ll be back before the end of the regular season, Berman writes in the same New York Post story.
- While Evan Fournier‘s first season in New York hasn’t been a huge success, the Frenchman is on track to set a franchise record, Berman observes in a separate New York Post article. With 201 made three-pointers this season and 13 games left to play, Fournier is just 17 threes away from passing John Starks and establishing a new single-season Knicks record.
Checking In On Traded 2022 First-Round Picks
There are just over three weeks left in the 2021/22 NBA regular season, so it’s worth completing one last in-season check-in on the traded first-round picks for the 2022 NBA draft.
Many of the traded first-rounders for the ’22 draft come with protections, so there’s a chance they might not change hands this year at all.
Using our list of traded first-round picks for 2022 and our reverse standings tool, here’s our breakdown of which of those traded picks are most and least likely to change hands, and which ones remain up in the air:
Current lottery standings
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Detroit Pistons
- Traded to Thunder (top-16 protected).
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Traded to Hawks (top-14 protected).
- Indiana Pacers
- Sacramento Kings
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
- San Antonio Spurs
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Traded to Trail Blazers (between 5-14) or Hornets (15-30).
- New York Knicks (tie)
Los Angeles Lakers (tie)- Lakers’ pick traded to Pelicans (between 1-10) or Grizzlies (11-30).
- Washington Wizards
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Traded to Hawks (top-18 protected).
Before we get into specific picks, there are a couple caveats worth mentioning here. For one, the eventual draft order could look much different from the lottery standings if two or three teams get lucky and move up into the top four on lottery night.
For instance, even if the Pelicans finish with the NBA’s ninth-worst record, that doesn’t mean they’ll send their pick to the Trail Blazers — they could luck out and jump into the top four, hanging onto their first-rounder.
Additionally, four of these teams will make the play-in tournament. Currently, those four teams project to be the Hornets, Hawks, Lakers, and Pelicans. If one of those teams subsequently wins a pair of play-in games and earns the No. 8 playoff seed in its conference, that team would move out of the lottery and out of the top 14 of the draft (likely getting the No. 15 pick).
In other words, even if the Pelicans finish with the league’s ninth-worst record, Charlotte could still get New Orleans’ first-rounder if the Pels win two play-in games.
With all that in mind, we can safely say the Pistons, Thunder, and Trail Blazers will keep their picks. Detroit and Oklahoma City aren’t making the play-in, and based on how Portland has performed since shutting down Jusuf Nurkic after the All-Star break, the Blazers aren’t making it either. As a result, the following will occur:
- The Pistons will owe their top-18 protected pick to Oklahoma City in 2023.
- The Thunder will send their 2024 second-round pick and 2025 second-round pick to Atlanta, extinguishing any future obligations.
- The Trail Blazers will owe their top-14 protected pick to Chicago in 2023.
It’s also a pretty safe bet that the Hornets will keep their first-round pick. They’d have to go on a serious hot streak in the coming weeks in order to finish with a top-12 record in the NBA. As a result…
- The Hornets will owe their top-16 protected to Atlanta in 2023.
The Pelicans‘ and Lakers‘ first-round picks remain very much up for grabs and will be worth watching closely down the stretch. For what it’s worth, if the season ended today and the Pelicans didn’t earn a playoff spot via the play-in tournament, they’d have about a 20% chance to move up into the top four and keep their pick.
A coin flip determines the draft lottery order when two teams finish the season with identical records, so if the Lakers and Knicks were to tie for the NBA’s 10th-worst record and the Lakers didn’t make the playoffs via play-in, the Grizzlies and Pelicans would be watching that coin flip very closely. It could end up determining whether New Orleans gets the No. 10 overall pick or Memphis gets No. 11 overall.
Current standings for rest of first round
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Traded to Thunder (unprotected).
- Brooklyn Nets
- Traded to Rockets or Heat (the Rockets will get the most favorable of Brooklyn’s and Miami’s first-rounders, while the Heat get the least favorable of the two.)
- Toronto Raptors (tie)
Cleveland Cavaliers (tie)- Raptors’ pick traded to Spurs (top-14 protected); Cavaliers’ pick traded to Pacers (top-14 protected).
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Chicago Bulls
- Denver Nuggets (tie)
Boston Celtics (tie)- Celtics’ pick traded to Spurs (top-four protected).
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Traded to Nets (Brooklyn has the option of deferring the pick to 2023).
- Dallas Mavericks (tie)
Utah Jazz (tie)- Jazz’s pick traded to Grizzlies (top-six protected).
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns
- Traded to Thunder (top-12 protected).
Let’s start with a few of the simplest traded picks in this section — there’s no chance the Suns‘ selection will end up in the top 12, and there’s virtually no chance the Celtics‘ pick will land in the top four or the Jazz‘s pick will fall in the top six.
For Boston’s or Utah’s pick to fall within its protected range, one of those teams would need to slump badly enough to fall to seventh in its conference, then lose two play-in games, then get lucky enough in the lottery to claim a top-four pick despite being No. 14 in the lottery standings. It’s the longest of long shots, so we can safely assume those picks will convey.
If the season ended today, the Spurs would get either the No. 21 or No. 22 pick (depending on a coin flip) from Boston, the Grizzlies would receive either No. 24 or No. 25 from Utah, and the Thunder would get No. 30 from Phoenix. Additionally, the Thunder would receive the Clippers‘ unprotected pick, tentatively at No. 15 (though the play-in tournament could shift it slightly in one direction or the other).
It’s also a safe bet the Rockets, who control Brooklyn’s first-rounder and have the option of swapping it with Miami’s pick, will simply hang onto the Nets‘ selection. Right now, it projects to be No. 16, far more favorable than the Heat’s No. 27, and it could even move into the lottery if Brooklyn is eliminated in the play-in tournament.
That leaves three more traded picks still somewhat up in the air.
The Raptors and Cavaliers will both give up their first-rounders if they land outside of the top 14. It seems likely that will happen, but until those clubs clinch playoff spots – either via the play-in or simply by finishing in the East’s top six – it’s not a certainty. For the time being, it looks like the Spurs and Pacers can probably bet on receiving picks in the late teens (No. 17 and No. 18 if the season ended today and the Raptors won a play-in game).
Finally, the pick the Sixers have traded to the Nets is unprotected, but Brooklyn has the option of passing on it and receiving Philadelphia’s 2023 first-rounder instead. I wouldn’t expect the Nets to take advantage of that deferral option as long as the pick remains at No. 23 — unless they want to roll the dice on James Harden leaving or another Joel Embiid injury, the Nets probably can’t reasonably expect the 76ers’ 2023 first-rounder to be better than No. 23.
However, if the Sixers finish the season strong and that pick ends up at, say, No. 26 or 27, it would create a more difficult decision for Brooklyn.