Pacific Notes: DiVincenzo, Sarver, Wiseman, Powell
Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo is coming off his best game since being traded from Milwaukee to Sacramento at last month’s deadline. On Wednesday, facing his old Bucks team, he put up 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting (4-of-8 on threes), chipping in four rebounds and three steals.
According to James Ham of ESPN 1320 in Sacramento (Twitter link), head coach Alvin Gentry said after Wednesday’s game that there’s a good chance DiVincenzo will move permanently into the Kings’ starting lineup before the regular season is over. Gentry added that he almost made that move for Wednesday’s contest.
DiVincenzo started all 66 games he played in 2020/21 for Milwaukee, but has started just one of 31 games for the Bucks and Kings this season following his return from ankle surgery.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- A coalition of social justice activists is calling on the NBA to remove Robert Sarver as the owner of the Suns, writes Howard Beck of SI.com. The American Sports Accountability Project published a letter on its new website stating that the group is “profoundly disturbed by the reports of racism, misogyny and abusive behavior allegedly committed” by Sarver. An independent investigation into the allegations against Sarver is ongoing.
- After playing three games in the G League, center James Wiseman was recalled to the NBA by the Warriors on Wednesday. He’s practicing with the team this week and could make his season debut with Golden State as early as Sunday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
- Clippers wing Norman Powell, who is recovering from a fractured left foot, had the boot removed from his foot this week, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. There’s still no guarantee that Powell, who last played on February 10, will be back before the regular season ends in 23 days.
Stephen Curry Out Indefinitely With Foot Injury
11:22am: There’s optimism that Curry will be able to return to action by the time the playoffs start in mid-April, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. Curry is expected to consult with specialists for further evaluation of his injured left foot.
10:41am: Wednesday night’s MRI revealed a sprained ligament in Curry’s left foot, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the All-Star guard will be sidelined indefinitely.
X-rays on the foot were negative, so there’s no fracture, Charania adds.
7:13am: After exiting Wednesday’s loss to Boston in the second quarter due to left foot soreness, Warriors star Stephen Curry underwent an MRI on the foot, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
The Warriors have yet to clarify whether they expect Curry to miss time. As Andrews notes, head coach Steve Kerr simply told reporters after Wednesday night’s game that they’d know more once they get the results of the MRI.
Curry’s injury occurred when he and Celtics guard Marcus Smart battled for a loose ball, with Smart rolling into Curry’s leg when he dove to try to corral it (video link). Kerr, who was seen yelling at Smart, took exception to what he considered a “dangerous” play.
“I thought Marcus dove into Steph, and that’s what I was upset about,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “A lot of respect for Marcus. He’s a hell of a player, a gamer, a competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few summers ago. We talked after the game and we’re good. But I thought it was a dangerous play.”
Smart said after the game that the contact was unintentional and that he was just trying to “make a play” for his team. Curry’s teammate Draymond Green said Smart’s dive was “maybe unnecessary,” but dismissed the idea that it was a dirty play.
Curry, who initially tried to walk off the injury, eventually exited to the locker room and was ruled questionable to return for the second half. He was subsequently ruled out. We’ll have to wait for the Warriors to reveal the results of the MRI to see whether Curry will miss any additional action for a Golden State squad battling for playoff positioning.
Dante Exum Discusses Decision To Finish Season In Europe
After veteran guard Dante Exum signed a three-month contract with Barcelona in early December, reports indicated that his plan was to return to the NBA once that deal expired on February 28. However, the former NBA lottery pick eventually decided to stick with Barcelona for the rest of the 2021/22 season.
Appearing on the BasketNews Talks podcast with Donatas Urbonas, Exum explained why he signed an extension to remain in Europe rather than seeking out a new NBA opportunity.
“For me, it always goes back to just — I’m a basketball player, I want to play. Coming over here, I was given the opportunity to play. The fans showed a lot of love and wanted me to stay,” Exum said. “… If I went back to the NBA, it’s just so many unknowns. Is it a 10-day (contract)? Is it just going there and just sitting on the bench?
“Instead of going back and just trying to find a place or trying to find where the next home is, I just wanted to stay here, be comfortable. I started to get comfortable in Barcelona. I was starting to play well, so I think I wanted to finish out (the season).”
Exum, 26, was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft and spent most of the next seven years in the NBA, first with the Jazz and then with the Cavaliers. However, he battled injuries during those seven seasons and was limited to just 245 total regular season appearances.
Known as a strong perimeter defender, Exum averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.1 APG with a .407/.305/.764 shooting line for Utah and Cleveland. This season in Barcelona, he has recorded 7.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.0 APG on .528/.556/.867 shooting in 13 EuroLeague contests (17.6 MPG).
According to Exum, one of his goals this year was to show he can stay healthy for a full season. If he avoids injuries for the rest of the season in Spain, he could revisit the NBA free agent market this summer, though he indicated he’d also be comfortable continuing his career overseas.
“I think the biggest jump is making that first step to come over to Europe and play,” Exum said. “If nothing works out (in the NBA), I know I can come back to Europe. I know the system. I know how everyone plays over here. So it will be an easier adjustment.”
Wolves Notes: Trash Talk, Beverley, Edwards, Towns
The Timberwolves cruised to a 124-104 win on Wednesday night in Minnesota, handing the reeling Lakers their third consecutive loss and the 12th loss in their last 15 games. En route to the victory, several Wolves players seemed to relish the opportunity to talk trash to Los Angeles players, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.
In a pair of sequences that went viral, Karl-Anthony Towns and Patrick Beverley mocked Russell Westbrook after he put up an airball (video link), and Beverley mockingly plugged his nose and appeared to call Westbrook “trash” after forcing a turnover (video link). After the game, James brushed off the trash talk as “part of the game,” while Westbrook said he wasn’t bothered by it, taking a shot at the Wolves in the process.
“Nobody over there has done anything in this league that would make me pick my eyes up, like, ‘Oh, they’re talking mess. Let me respond.’ No. It’s fine,” Westbrook said, per Youngmisuk. “They’re good. They won the game. Happy for them. Move onto the next one.”
Beverley, who has gone back and forth with Westbrook in the past, replied to the Lakers guard’s comments via Twitter later in the night: “Playoffs every year. 2 western conference finals with 2 different Teams 👀👀👀 individual stats or team stats? I thought it was a team sport??”
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Both Beverley and Anthony Edwards spoke on Wednesday about the Timberwolves’ increasing confidence, explaining that this season’s team has a level of “swag” that has been missing in the past. “Being on the other side, coming into Minnesota, a swagless team over the years. Not really understanding an identity, but this year is very different,” Beverley said, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “We know exactly who we are. We’re not backing down from anybody. Humbly though, very humbly. Not arrogant in that sense. Very comfortable in our skin.”
- Towns has faced criticism over the years, especially following Jimmy Butler‘s departure, based on a perception that he lacks toughness and doesn’t have a killer instinct. But Beverley, who had heard those stories before joining the Wolves, has been pleasantly surprised by what he has seen from the big man this season. “I thought my biggest task when I came here was going to be KAT and it’s not. It’s been great,” Beverley said (Twitter link via Hine). “Man, of course you hear all those stories about different players before you meet them. … It’s totally the opposite of everything I’ve heard.”
- After sustaining an ear injury last Friday, Beverley has returned to the starting lineup for Minnesota’s last two games and played well, but he said on Wednesday night that he’s been having some trouble hearing and will see a specialist about the issue, tweets Hine.
Community Shootaround: March Madness
Following the conclusion of this week’s First Four games, the 64-team field for the NCAA Tournament has officially been set. Games will tip off in a matter of hours, beginning with Michigan and Colorado State in the South region. The full bracket for this year’s tournament can be found right here.
We don’t cover college basketball much at Hoops Rumors — in fact, we typically only discuss it in relation to the NBA, which means focusing on top draft-eligible prospects.
As a result, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Gonzaga, the No. 1 seed in the West region, to see what top prospect Chet Holmgren can do in the tournament. We’ll also be watching Duke, the No. 2 seed in that same region, led by star freshman Paolo Banchero. If the Zags and Blue Devils aren’t upset in the earlier rounds, Holmgren and Banchero could square off in the Elite Eight.
While Holmgren and Banchero are two of the most intriguing prospects worth monitoring, there’s no shortage of potential lottery picks on top-seeded teams. Here are some of the others we’ll be watching when the tournament tips off:
- Jabari Smith, Auburn (No. 2, Midwest)
- Jaden Ivey, Purdue (No. 3, East)
- Keegan Murray, Iowa (No. 5, Midwest)
- Jalen Duren, Memphis (No. 9, West)
- AJ Griffin, Duke (No. 2, West)
- Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (No. 3, Midwest)
- TyTy Washington Jr., Kentucky (No. 2, East)
- Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (No. 1, South)
- Ochai Agbaji, Kansas (No. 1, Midwest)
- Jeremy Sochan / Kendall Brown, Baylor (No. 1, East)
While draft-eligible prospects are our focus, we want your predictions on winners, potential upsets, and possible disappointments.
Who are your Final Four picks? Who are your favorite upset candidates? Are you calling your shot on any Cinderella teams to make it to the Sweet Sixteen or beyond? Which team are you picking to win it all?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your March Madness thoughts and predictions!
Raptors Sign Armoni Brooks To Second 10-Day Deal
6:32pm: Brooks has signed his contract, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.
12:46pm: The Raptors will bring back guard Armoni Brooks on a second 10-day contract, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Brooks’ first 10-day deal with the team ran through Tuesday before expiring overnight.
Brooks, 23, appeared in four games during his first 10 days with Toronto, averaging 8.3 minutes per contest. His impact was limited — he scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 33 total minutes.
Still, the Raptors apparently liked what they saw enough to commit to Brooks for at least 10 more days. Once Brooks’ second 10-day deal expires, the team will have to either sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk, since players can’t sign more than two standard 10-day contracts with the same club in a single season.
A former Rocket who was waived by Houston in February, Brooks will once again occupy the 15th spot on Toronto’s standard roster, so no corresponding roster move or hardship exception is necessary to complete the signing. He’ll earn $85,578 on the deal.
Assuming the Raptors re-sign Brooks prior to Wednesday’s game vs. the Clippers, his new contract will run through March 25, covering the club’s next five games.
Draft Notes: March Madness, New Mocks, Ignite Prospects
In honor of March Madness, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) conducted a mock draft made up exclusively of players participating in the NCAA Tournament and shared insights on what to watch from those players during the event.
The very top of ESPN’s March Madness mock remains unchanged, since Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, and Purdue’s Jaden Ivey will all be participating in the tournament.
Here are a few more draft-related notes, with the start of March Madness right around the corner:
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has published his annual draft guide, including his top-30 big board. While there are no major surprises near the very top of O’Connor’s board, he diverges from the consensus in a few instances further down, including ranking G League Ignite wing Jaden Hardy at No. 12.
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com takes an in-depth, region-by-region look at the games and players to keep a close eye on during the NCAA Tournament, identifying sleepers, prospects with the most at stake, and the potential matchups that scouts would most like to see.
- In his newly-updated 2022 mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has Jabari Smith coming off the board with the No. 1 pick. G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels, the No. 10 prospect on ESPN’s big board, slides all the way down to No. 23 in Wasserman’s mock.
Southeast Notes: Isaac, Magic, Hachimura, Morris
Discussing the decision to rule out Jonathan Isaac for the remainder of the season, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and Isaac himself said on Tuesday there hasn’t been a setback in the forward’s recovery process from a torn ACL, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. That recovery process has simply taken a little longer than Isaac and the Magic expected.
“In terms of building the muscle around my knee, it’s taken a bit longer than we’ve wanted it to,” Isaac said.
According to Weltman, Isaac has been participating in half-court contact drills, but hasn’t progressed to full-court contact. There isn’t enough time left in the regular season for Isaac to go through the last few steps he needs to return to action, so the Magic will count on having him available to start the 2022/23 season.
“This is another example of why you just do the work everyday and kind of let the work and timeline unroll at its own pace,” Weltman said, per Price. “That’s the right way to do it.”
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), the injury protection language in Isaac’s rookie scale extension means the Magic would only be on the hook for $23.6MM of the $52.2MM owed to him over the next three seasons if they were to waive him. However, there’s no indication that Orlando is considering that possibility.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- With Isaac and Bol Bol officially ruled out for the rest of the season, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley should have a clearer sense of which rotation options will be available to him for the final few weeks of 2021/22, Price writes in a separate story for The Orlando Sentinel.
- After starting all 105 games he played during his first two NBA seasons, Rui Hachimura has come off the Wizards‘ bench in all 27 of his appearances in 2021/22. However, as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said it’s possible Hachimura will re-enter the starting lineup before the end of the season. “Everything is on the table,” Unseld said. “I like where he is right now, but as he progresses, we’ll see… Where he is right now from where he was two months ago, it’s night and day.”
- After returning on Saturday following a four-month absence due to a neck injury, Heat forward Markieff Morris said he only briefly entertained the possibility that he wouldn’t make it back this season, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “At times, doubt crept in,” Morris said. “It probably wasn’t until January when the doubt crept in because it was just so long and there were a bunch of things happening that didn’t go as planned. … Other than that, if you ask me personally, I already knew that I would come back to play. It was more so not a matter of if, it was a matter of when.” Morris has played 17 minutes in each of his two appearances since returning, reclaiming his role as the team’s backup power forward.
Poll: How Will Nets’ Season End?
While the Nets have been one of the NBA’s biggest underachievers this season, their performance hasn’t yet inspired much panic. The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag, for instance, still consider Brooklyn the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference this spring.
Unlike the disappointing Lakers, who haven’t looked great even when they’re playing at full strength, the Nets have played well during the rare instances when they’ve had something resembling a healthy lineup. But they’ve been missing key pieces for much of the season — Kevin Durant has only played in 42 of 69 games, primarily due to a knee injury, while Kyrie Irving‘s vaccination status has resulted in him making just 19 appearances to date.
On top of those issues, Ben Simmons has yet to make his Nets debut and Joe Harris is out for the season due to an ankle injury.
Harris won’t play again for Brooklyn this spring, but you could talk yourself into Durant, Irving, and Simmons all being available for the postseason. Durant is currently healthy; New York City’s private sector vaccine mandate could theoretically be adjusted in the next few weeks, freeing up Irving to play at home as well as on the road; and head coach Steve Nash expressed optimism this week that Simmons will make his Nets debut before the end of the regular season.
But things could just as easily go the other way. A pair of orthopedic specialists who spoke to The New York Post speculated that Simmons won’t return this season due to his ongoing back issues. And there’s still no timeline for New York City’s private sector vaccine mandate to change. Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday that he’s not going to base any decisions on whether or not the Nets have Irving available for the postseason.
“I’m focused on nine million people,” Adams said, per Kevin Sheehan, Bernadette Hogan and Sam Raskin of The New York Post. “And so, I am not looking at one person, I’m looking at my city not closing down again, not having to deal with this crisis again. … I’m not going to be rushed in based on a season schedule. I am going to do this right for the people of the city, and I’m not focusing on one individual.”
A healthy Durant and a solid collection of role players are capable of making some noise in the playoffs, but with Irving only available on the road and Simmons not available at all, Brooklyn’s ceiling would be limited.
It’s also worth noting that the 36-33 Nets will likely have to win at least one game in a play-in tournament before even clinching a playoff spot, and there’s no guarantee they’ll have Irving available in that scenario.
If the season ended today, the Nets would visit the 38-30 Raptors for the first play-in game, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed. A loss in that contest would mean hosting the Hawks (34-34) or Hornets (34-35), with the No. 8 spot up for grabs. Local vaccine mandates currently prohibit Irving from playing in either Toronto or Brooklyn.
The Nets could avoid that play-in dilemma by moving into the top six, but they’re still 3.5 games back of the No. 6 Cavaliers, so there’s some work to do on that front. With Irving only available for three more games this season, it seems just as plausible that the Hawks or Hornets could catch the Nets for the No. 8 spot, which would put even more play-in pressure on Brooklyn.
We want to know what you think. Obviously, the Nets’ upside hinges largely on Irving’s and Simmons’ availability, but based on what we know today, how do you see the team’s season playing out? Is Brooklyn headed for an early postseason exit, or is an NBA Finals appearance still within reach?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
How will the Nets' season play out?
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They'll win one or two playoff series 40% (295)
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They'll lose in the first round 25% (184)
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They'll be eliminated in the play-in tournament 17% (125)
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They'll win the NBA Finals 11% (82)
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They'll win the East and lose in the NBA Finals 8% (56)
Total votes: 742
New York Notes: Simmons, Durant, Payne, Sims
A pair of outside orthopedic specialists who spoke to Brian Lewis of The New York Post expressed skepticism that Ben Simmons will play for the Nets this season due to his ongoing back issues. However, head coach Steve Nash remains confident that Simmons will return, telling reporters on Tuesday that he has “extremely high hopes” about seeing the three-time All-Star before the end of the regular season.
“He’s just doing his rehab, strengthening,” Nash said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “We’re still doing that side of things rather than court work right now.
“… The biggest thing we’ve tried to do is to have him be involved in everything. The traveling is the one caveat where sometimes you’re weighing the cost-benefit of him on airplanes and buses and different beds. When he’s with us we want him in every meeting, in every walkthrough, in every film session, whatever it may be so he’s around the group. We’d love for him to travel, be with the team all the time, but we have to weigh that scenario as well.”
The Nets have just 14 games left on their regular season schedule, and presumably would be reluctant to bring back Simmons in the middle for a play-in game of in the middle of the playoff series if he hasn’t gotten at least a few regular season reps under his belt.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- Nets star Kevin Durant missed too much time this season to be a legitimate MVP candidate, but John Hollinger of The Athletic believes Durant could be the league’s current “Most Dangerous Player” — in other words, the player opponents fear most in a short-term situation like a fourth quarter or playoff series.
- The University of Louisville appears to be zeroing in on Knicks assistant Kenny Payne as its top head coaching candidate, sources tell Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated. Forde cautions that nothing is definite yet, but says if talks between the two sides go well, Louisville could announce a deal with Payne before the end of the week.
- With the Knicks leaning more on rookie center Jericho Sims as of late, Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post suggests that the possibility of losing big man Mitchell Robinson in free agency this offseason might be more palatable than it initially appeared. After appearing in just 18 of New York’s first 59 games and averaging 6.5 minutes per contest, Sims has played in the team’s last nine contests, logging 13.9 MPG. He had arguably his best game in Sunday’s loss to Brooklyn, scoring six points on 3-of-3 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds in a season-high 23 minutes.