Nets Notes: Simmons, Durant, Irving, Brown
With Nets guard Ben Simmons considered “week to week” as he reconditions, the odds of him taking the court in time to play his old team in Philadelphia on March 10 have steadily declined. On Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today (video link), ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski essentially closed the door on the idea of Simmons playing next Thursday.
“It’s not happening,” Wojnarowski flatly stated, after Shelburne suggested it was “very unlikely.”
According to Shelburne, the Nets want Simmons to be able to “go hard” in practices with the team for at least a full week before he’s cleared to play, and so far he hasn’t reached the stage in his ramp-up process where he’s doing that at all.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Kevin Durant, who is set to return on Thursday following a 21-game injury absence, said today that he feels “energized” and is confident the 32-31 Nets can finish the season strong, though he knows that confidence only goes so far. “I can be confident all I want, if we don’t go out there and actually put the work in then nothing going to happen,” Durant said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “So I can speak about how confident we are and how things look and give you taglines what our team may be; I can market my team to you right now, but we got to go out there and actually get in some reps, practice and the game in order to really see who we are, and what works best for us.”
- While it’s great news for the Nets that Durant is back, Kyrie Irving‘s ongoing part-time availability and Simmons’ absence mean the club is running out of time to have its new Big Three establish chemistry, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
- Chris Sommerfeldt and Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News explain why Irving’s status as a New Jersey resident doesn’t make him from exempt from the vaccine mandate that applies to professional athletes who play in New York City.
- When Brooklyn waived DeAndre’ Bembry in order to accommodate last month’s blockbuster trade with Philadelphia, the team was essentially choosing Bruce Brown over Bembry, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post, who says that decision has paid off. Brown has started the Nets’ last eight games, averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG on .493/.471/.769 shooting during that stretch.
And-Ones: Boylen, Buyout Market, I. Cousins, Murry
Jim Boylen‘s stint as the Bulls’ head coach was short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful, as he led the team to a record of just 39-84 (.317) from 2018-20. After his tumultuous tenure in Chicago, Boylen was extremely appreciative to get the chance to coach Team USA’s qualifying team for the 2023 World Cup, as he tells Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
“This opportunity, you kind of get your sea legs back. I got my voice back,” Boylen said. “It was a godsend to come and do this, and also, this is the biggest challenge I’ve ever had.”
Boylen has led Team USA to a 3-1 record in the qualifiers to date, picking up wins in February over Puerto Rico and Mexico. There are four more qualifying windows to come, with the next one scheduled for June.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- When many of the top players available on the 2021 buyout market joined the Nets or Lakers, some league observers and fans pushed for changes that would prevent big-market teams from scooping up veteran talent essentially for free. However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (video link) argues within a recap of 2022’s relatively quiet buyout market that the impact of buyout signings is generally overstated — none of last year’s moves were difference-makers and it’s unlikely that any of this year’s will be either, says Marks.
- Former Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins has signed an NBA G League contract and is joining the Maine Celtics, according to our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Cousins was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, but has yet to appear in a regular season NBA game, having spent most of his professional career in Europe.
- One of the former NBA players who had been playing in Ukraine this season, Toure’ Murry spoke to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today about his stressful experience leaving the country following Russia’s invasion last month. “There was risk of going to the Poland border and getting sent back. There were no guarantees. So we took a leap of faith going through Romania,” said Murray, explaining that he was eventually able to get a train to Bucharest, a flight to Amsterdam, and then a flight home to Houston. “It worked out in terms of getting across the border. But going through the situation, we had no idea if we would get out.”
Eastern Notes: Harden, Sixers, J. Smith, Oladipo, Bucks
James Harden‘s effort level came under scrutiny during his final games in Brooklyn, but he appears more motivated to keep his foot on the gas pedal for his new team. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, Harden raved about the environment in Wells Fargo Center on Thursday after making his home debut with the Sixers, calling it “exciting” to play in front of the Philadelphia fans.
“The love, the fans, it feels like home. Just the love, the support, man, from looking around, hearing, ‘We love you, James,'” Harden said. “That right there makes me go out and play harder, and I just wanted to do whatever it takes to get the win.”
While the Sixers have looked great since Harden made his debut last Friday, two of their three wins have come against a reeling Knicks team. With matchups against Cleveland, Miami, Chicago, and Brooklyn up next on the schedule, the 76ers will face a tougher test as they look to continue developing chemistry and push for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
“Every game for us is gonna be tough,” Harden said, per Bontemps. “We’re new, we’re fairly new, we’re still learning each other. Every game is going to be a learning experience for us, and we’ve got to just find ways to continue to chip away, continue to get better, win or lose. Obviously it’s better when you win to figure it out, but it’s going to be great tests for us and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Here’s more from around the East:
- Pacers center Jalen Smith was fined $20K by the NBA for “directing profane language toward a game official,” the league announced on Wednesday. Smith was ejected from the game as a result of the incident, which took place during the third quarter of Indiana’s loss to Orlando on Monday.
- Heat guard Victor Oladipo has returned to the team after taking part in three practices this week with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat still haven’t provided an update on Oladipo’s potential season debut, but Chiang confirms that the club is hoping he’ll be able to play within the next couple weeks, as ESPN reported over the weekend.
- After coming out of the trade deadline with three open roster spots, the Bucks filled two of them with former Nets, and both DeAndre’ Bembry and Jevon Carter have given Milwaukee a boost with their intensity and versatility on defense, says Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It’s fun, man,” Carter said after Monday’s game. “I was telling the guys … I haven’t played this hard in I don’t know how long. … Just being out there playing with a team that’s locked in defensively is just, for me, it’s just fun to be a part of, honestly. That’s really all I can say, I’m just having fun.”
Players Who Have Spent The Most Time This Season On 10-Day Deals
It has been a record-setting season for the 10-day contract, which got more use than ever this winter as teams missing players due to COVID-19 scrambled to add multiple replacements at a time using the league’s newly-updated hardship provision.
By our count, an unprecedented 118 players have signed at least a single 10-day deal this season, and many of those players received more than one. Because hardship deals didn’t count toward the usual limit of two 10-day contracts per season with a single team, a handful of players even inked three or four 10-day pacts with the same team.
While no players were able to match or exceed the NBA’s rookie minimum salary on 10-day deals alone, a handful of players signed so many 10-day contracts that they earned a salary comparable to a two-way player.
[RELATED: Salaries For 10-Day Contracts In 2021/22]
With the help of our 10-day contract tracker, here’s a look at some of the players that have spent the most time this season on 10-day deals:
Chris Silva
- Total 10-day contracts: 5
- Days spent on 10-day contracts: 50
- Teams: Heat (x4), Timberwolves
- Total earnings on 10-day contracts: $479,650
One of two players who has signed four 10-day contracts with the same team this season, Silva might not be done yet — all four of his 10-day deals with the Heat were completed using the hardship provision, which means he could still sign one or two more standard 10-days with the team before the end of the season. Miami has an open roster spot, so it’s not out of the question.
Even if he doesn’t sign another 10-day contract this season, Silva’s earnings have already exceeded the base salary for a player on a two-way deal ($462,629).
Lance Stephenson
- Total 10-day contracts: 5
- Days spent on 10-day contracts: 43
- Teams: Pacers (x4), Hawks
- Total earnings on 10-day contracts: $690,095
One of Stephenson’s 10-day hardship deals with the Pacers was terminated after just three days so that he could sign a standard 10-day contract in order to remain on the active roster. As a result, he didn’t spend quite as many days as Silva as a 10-day player this season.
Still, Stephenson is one of just two players to have signed five 10-day contracts this year, and no player has earned more money via 10-day deals than he has this season. Stephenson also parlayed those four short-term commitments from Indiana into a rest-of-season deal.
Stanley Johnson
- Total 10-day contracts: 4
- Days spent on 10-day contracts: 40
- Teams: Lakers (x3), Bulls
- Total earnings on 10-day contracts: $480,332
Danuel House
- Total 10-day contracts: 4
- Days spent on 10-day contracts: 40
- Teams: Jazz (x3), Knicks
- Total earnings on 10-day contracts: $445,828
Wenyen Gabriel
- Total 10-day contracts: 4
- Days spent on 10-day contracts: 40
- Teams: Clippers (x2), Nets, Pelicans
- Total earnings on 10-day contracts: $383,720
There are five NBA players who have signed at least four 10-day contracts so far this season, with Johnson, House, and Gabriel joining Silva and Stephenson.
Johnson and House took very similar paths. Both players signed a single hardship 10-day contract with one team in December (the Bulls for Johnson and the Knicks for House), but didn’t get a chance to make a real impression for that team — Johnson was almost immediately placed in the COVID-19 protocols himself, while House logged just three total minutes for New York. Both players subsequently caught on with new clubs, signing a hardship 10-day contract and then a pair of standard 10-days before finalizing a full-season agreement.
Gabriel, meanwhile, has bounced around the NBA a little more this season, signing a total of four 10-day hardship deals with three separate teams. He didn’t earn a rest-of-season commitment from any of them, but eventually landed with the Lakers on a two-way contract.
Players who have signed three 10-day contracts this season:
- Zylan Cheatham, Heat/Jazz/Pelicans
- Marquese Chriss, Mavericks (x3) *
DeMarcus Cousins, Nuggets (x3) *- Mamadi Diakite, Thunder (x3) *
- James Ennis, Nets/Clippers/Nuggets
- Tim Frazier, Magic (x2)/Cavaliers ^
- Langston Galloway, Nets (x2)/Bucks
- Shaquille Harrison, Nets (x2)/Grizzlies
- Haywood Highsmith, Heat (x3) #
- Justin Jackson, Suns (x2)/Celtics *
- Greg Monroe, Timberwolves/Wizards/Bucks
- Xavier Moon, Clippers (x3)
- Davon Reed, Nuggets (x3)
- Cassius Stanley, Pistons (x3)
- Isaiah Thomas, Lakers/Mavericks/Hornets ^
- D.J. Wilson, Raptors (x3) ^
* Chriss, Cousins, Diakite, and Jackson each had one of their 10-day contracts terminated early, so they’ve technically spent fewer than 30 days on 10-day deals this season.
^ The third 10-day contracts for Frazier, Thomas, and Wilson are still active.
# Highsmith’s third 10-day contract is still active. Additionally, his second deal was technically an 11-day contract since it ran through the All-Star break and needed to cover a minimum of three games.
Pelicans Provide Update On Zion Williamson’s Recovery
The Pelicans provided a brief update today on Zion Williamson‘s recovery from right foot surgery, issuing a press release that said recent imaging showed “improved bone healing” in the fifth metatarsal of his foot.
According to the team, Williamson will gradually progress to full weight-bearing exercise and basketball activities. However, while the star forward’s recovery is trending in the right direction again after a couple setbacks in December, he’s still out indefinitely, per today’s announcement.
Williamson underwent surgery on his right foot during the 2021 offseason and has yet to play at all this season. Comments that he and head of basketball operations David Griffin made on Media Day in September strongly suggested the 21-year-old was targeting opening night for his return. Griffin later claimed that when he said Williamson would be ready for the season, he hadn’t meant the start of the season, but Zion himself was clearly aiming to be back for opening night.
It has now been more than five months since Griffin and Williamson addressed reporters on Media Day, and time is running out for the former No. 1 overall pick to play at all in 2021/22 — the Pelicans’ regular season schedule will conclude in just five-and-a-half weeks, and the club wouldn’t be guaranteed more than a single play-in game unless it can move up to No. 8 in the conference standings.
Whether or not Williamson plays this spring, the coming offseason will be a very significant one for him. The former Duke standout will be eligible for a rookie scale extension, and signing a long-term deal would go a long way toward answering questions about whether or not he wants to be in New Orleans. If he and the Pelicans don’t reach a deal, rumors about his possible discontent would only intensify.
Kevin Durant Expected To Return On Thursday
Nets star Kevin Durant is expected to return to action on Thursday after being sidelined for the team’s last 21 games due to a knee injury. As Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets, Durant isn’t listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Brooklyn vs. the Heat.
Durant was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral in his left knee on January 16. At the time, an ESPN report stated that team officials were optimistic the former MVP would be able to get back on the court in about four-to-six weeks. The Nets played it safe with their leading scorer — Thursday will represent the seven-week mark since that diagnosis.
In 36 games (36.5 MPG) so far this season, Durant is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with a shooting line of .520/.372/.894.
His return will be significant for a Nets team that only has Kyrie Irving available on a part-time basis due to his vaccination status and is still waiting for three-time All-Star Ben Simmons to make his Brooklyn debut. The club slumped badly with Durant out of action, winning just five of its last 21 games and slipping from the No. 2 seed in the East to No. 8.
Simmons is reportedly being considered “week to week,” and Irving is still waiting for some good news regarding the vaccine mandate that applies to New York City’s private sector. The Nets are hopeful that the roster will be at full strength before the postseason begins in mid-April. Of course, as things stand, Brooklyn will have to win a play-in game to even earn a playoff berth.
Agent Anticipates Jokic Will Sign Super-Max Deal In Offseason
Misko Raznatovic, the agent for Nikola Jokic, expects the star center to sign a super-max contract extension with the Nuggets during the 2022 offseason, he said during an appearance on Donatas Urbonas’ podcast at BasketNews.com.
“According to our expectations, it should be signed this summer,” Raznatovic said. “The extension of the maximum amount, what he obviously deserved.”
Raznatovic’s comments are essentially just further confirmation of an outcome that has long been anticipated.
Jokic qualified for a super-max contract – also known as a designated veteran extension – when he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2021. However, he only had six years of NBA service at that time, and a player signing a super-max deal, which starts at 35% of the salary cap instead of 30%, must have at least seven years under his belt. So even though he had met the performance criteria, Jokic had to wait one more year to extend his contract.
The 27-year-old has done nothing this season to dissuade the Nuggets from putting that super-max offer on the table, having averaged 25.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.4 steals on .567/.364/.806 shooting in 55 games (33.0 MPG).
Jokic, who will be eligible to officially sign his extension once the new league year begins in July, can tack five new years onto the final season of his current contract, which will pay him $33.6MM in 2022/23. We can’t yet pin down the exact value of the reigning MVP’s super-max extension, since it will be based on the salary cap in 2023/24.
Last month, the NBA projected a $121MM salary cap for the ’22/23 season, so it’s a safe bet that number will continue to rise the following year — we just don’t know by how much. For instance, if the ’23/24 salary cap is $124MM, Jokic’s five-year extension would be worth $251.7MM. A $128MM cap would result in a $259.8MM deal.
No matter what the precise amount of the extension is, it’ll be a record-setting payday for Jokic, one that his agent expects him to take in stride.
“Luka Doncic organized a nice party for his last contract that put some kind of challenge primarily for me because I am very well known for organizing parties and participating in social life,” Raznatovic told Urbonas with a smile. “But knowing Nikola, probably nothing will happen, and everything will be the same. Just one piece of paper to be signed.”
Zach LaVine Still Not 100%, Could Require Offseason Surgery
After missing some time in January and February due to knee soreness, Bulls guard Zach LaVine had an encouraging visit with a specialist prior to the All-Star break, getting fluid drained from his left knee and getting the OK to return to the court.
However, speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times and K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, LaVine admitted that his knee still isn’t back to normal and likely won’t be until next season.
“I mean my knee isn’t 100 percent. That’s just the reality of it,” LaVine said. “… Now, can I still go out here and contribute? I can still do that, but it’s just something I’ve got to fight through until the end of the season. … I might not be 100 percent. But me at 80 percent, 70 percent, whatever it is, it’s still one of the best players in the NBA. So, damn sure one of the best players on the court when we play.”
LaVine said that if his knee didn’t feel “sturdy” or “structurally right,” he wouldn’t be playing, but that’s not the issue — it’s more about dealing with some pain and a more limited range of motion. He plans to continue receiving treatment and playing through the injury for now, then will “deal with it” more thoroughly once the season is over.
“We don’t know what that is going to be and how exactly we’re going to approach it. But it is pretty much like a band-aid,” LaVine said. “It’s making me feel better for the time being and getting me to a place where I feel comfortable playing and being effective on the court over this last stretch. And then the offseason, I’ll deal with whatever I have to.”
As Cowley notes, when asked if he’ll have to undergo surgery in the summer, LaVine didn’t rule out that possibility, suggesting that it’s “going to be a discussion for me and my doctor” to determine what course of action gives him the best chance to get back to 100%.
LaVine will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so it’s not ideal timing for him for him to be battling an injury. While he’ll still be a strong candidate for a maximum-salary contract, playing at less than 100% down the stretch and then possibly undergoing a surgical procedure won’t exactly boost his free agent stock. Still, he said today that he’s focused on helping his team and has no interest in shutting himself down for the season.
“I have a big responsibility here with the team, my teammates, my coaches, the city of Chicago. I take a lot of pride in that. It means something to me,” LaVine said. “And I hope people understand that I’m going out here and definitely not putting myself first here in this situation. I don’t get my contract right now. I’m not a free agent until the end of the season. So until then, I’m focused on the season. It’s pretty black and white to me.”
Devin Booker Enters Health And Safety Protocols
Suns star Devin Booker has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss Wednesday’s game vs. Portland, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Rosters around the NBA were thrown into disarray in December and January as most teams experienced outbreaks of COVID-19. However, Booker is the first player to be placed in the league’s health and safety protocols since the All-Star break. Wizards center Daniel Gafford, the last player in the protocols, was cleared on February 13.
Hopefully, if Booker contracted the virus, it’s an isolated incident rather than the beginning of another league-wide increase in cases. The NBA hasn’t mandated daily coronavirus tests for the last few weeks, requiring players to get tested only if they’re unvaccinated, they’re a close contact of someone who tests positive, or they experience COVID-19 symptoms.
Assuming Booker did test positive, he’ll be out for at least five days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. A best-case scenario for Phoenix would be that Booker registered a false positive and is able to exit the protocols within the next day or two.
The Suns are already missing Chris Paul (thumb), so they’ll be without both of their backcourt stars when they face the Trail Blazers tonight. However, it appears Cameron Payne (wrist) should be available to play for the first time since January 22 — he’s listed as probable on Phoenix’s injury report.
Lakers Rumors: Westbrook, Vogel, Pelinka, LeBron
The Lakers‘ struggles in 2021/22 will have ramifications beyond this season, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says that point guard Russell Westbrook, head coach Frank Vogel, and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka all have uncertain futures in Los Angeles.
The Lakers didn’t like any of the deals available for Westbrook at this year’s trade deadline, but the two sides have mutual interest in finding the former MVP a new home in the offseason, sources tell Fischer.
Of course, Westbrook’s $47MM salary will make it challenging to find a taker, with one team strategist telling Fischer that his club wouldn’t trade for the veteran guard unless the Lakers were willing to include two first-round picks. However, other team personnel around the league are more confident that Los Angeles will have better luck shopping Westbrook once he’s on an expiring contract this summer, Fischer adds.
According to Fischer, Westbrook gave an “impassioned” speech to Lakers players prior to All-Star weekend, stressing the need to be unified in their push for the postseason. Fischer notes that Westbrook tried to motivate the Wizards in a similar manner last year and it paid off, as the team finished strong and claimed the No. 8 seed in the East. The Lakers haven’t shown signs of turning their season around so far — they’re 1-4 since the All-Star break.
Here’s more from Fischer on the Lakers:
- Few people in coaching circles that Fischer has spoken to expect Vogel to hang onto his job with the Lakers for the 2022/23 season. Assuming Vogel is replaced, the expectation is that the franchise would focus on finding an experienced replacement rather than a first-timer, Fischer notes.
- While some league insiders aren’t convinced Pelinka will keep his job atop the Lakers’ basketball operations department, Fischer says the team’s general manager still has strong support from key decision-makers within the organization. “His relationship with Kurt [Rambis] and Linda [Rambis] and Jeanie [Buss], it is very much a mom-and-pop shop,” one assistant GM told Bleacher Report.
- According to Fischer, there has been “growing speculation” about Omar Wilkes of Klutch Sports emerging as a candidate to replace Pelinka as the Lakers’ GM. However, some of Fischer’s sources dismissed that idea, with a few suggesting that those rumors are being fueled by Wilkes’ competitors at Creative Artists Agency, since Wilkes is competing with CAA to represent top college prospects such as Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
- Some rival front offices have griped about the way Pelinka operates in his trade talks with other teams, according to Fischer. Last offseason, the Kings were irritated to learn via media reports – rather than from Pelinka himself – that the Lakers were passing on Buddy Hield to acquire Westbrook, and one GM tells Bleacher Report that Pelinka wasn’t returning some teams’ calls at last month’s trade deadline. “He was an a–hole as an agent,” one assistant GM said to Bleacher Report. “He had the most powerful players and if he wanted the player moved, he would’ve eviscerated you as a staff to get whatever he wanted. You can’t do that to people, and then expect them to work with you when you join their side.”
- Addressing the possibility of LeBron James eventually leaving the Lakers to return to Cleveland, Fischer echoes Marc Stein’s belief that the Cavaliers aren’t itching to pursue that scenario. While the Cavs might be open to the idea, they probably wouldn’t want to break up their young core to accommodate LeBron and wouldn’t want to have him “co-piloting personnel decisions,” Fischer writes. James said during All-Star Weekend that “the door’s not closed” on a return to Cleveland, but later stated that he wants to remain with the Lakers for “as long as I can play.”