Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Zion, Griffin, Nance, Hart
Amid persistent speculation about whether Zion Williamson is happy in New Orleans, veteran Pelicans guard CJ McCollum came to his teammate’s defense on Thursday, essentially telling reporters to back off while the former No. 1 overall pick recovers from a foot injury.
“Leave the young fella alone, man,” McCollum said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “He’s trying to rehab in peace. Trying to get himself ready to come back. We spoke, and I’ll speak to him later this week or next and just catch up with him. He’s a very talented player. He’s going through a lot. You guys are putting him on the spot on the daily. I think he’s just trying to recover on his own time and focus on his rehab.”
McCollum pointed out on Thursday that he has dealt with multiple foot injuries in his own career, including a hairline fracture that sidelined him for a good chunk of the 2020/21 season. He said he knows what Williamson is going through during his long rehab process.
“You feel disconnected. You feel away,” McCollum said. “It’s tough mentally and physically. I know it’s frustrating.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- In a separate story for NOLA.com, Clark takes a closer look at the apparent tension between Williamson and the Pelicans, revisiting some points he made in a September report and sharing some new details. According to Clark, Williamson and his camp seem to have a “lack of trust” in Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin. Clark also says that Zion’s stepfather Lee Anderson has “maintained a great deal of control” over the young forward’s career since he was drafted and that some people who knew Williamson and his family before he reached the NBA have discussed whether Anderson has Zion’s best interests at heart.
- Rod Walker of NOLA.com believes that a lack of communication, both publicly and privately, has exacerbated the divide between Williamson and the Pelicans, arguing that even a brief social media post from Zion reiterating that he wants to be in New Orleans would go a long way toward silencing the noise.
- Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Hart are good friends and would’ve loved the chance to play on the same team rather than being traded for one another, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. They made the most of the situation by agreeing to temporarily swap houses when Nance was dealt to New Orleans and Hart was sent to Portland.
- Nance referred to his recent knee surgery as a minor procedure and said he hopes to be back on the floor soon, according to Lopez. It has been two weeks since Nance went under the knife — reports at the time suggested it would take the forward about six weeks to recover, so he could return in a month or so.
Western Notes: Lillard, Blazers, Kings, Lakers, Micić
Appearing on Draymond Green‘s podcast, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard expressed some enthusiasm about the team’s direction, singling out teammates Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, Jusuf Nurkic, and Josh Hart, and suggesting Portland has “got some pieces to the puzzle” and just needs to keep adding to those pieces.
As Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com relays, Lillard also pushed back against the idea that Portland can’t be an appealing free agent destination, arguing that if the Blazers have a chance to seriously contend, they’ll attract talent.
“No offense, but people (are) going to Oklahoma City, people going to Milwaukee, you know what I mean?” Lillard said. “People are going places and Portland ain’t what people think it is, otherwise I wouldn’t have been living here this long. If you just couldn’t live here, I wouldn’t be living here this long.
“I think that’s part of it, but at the end of the day, people are going places that’s like ‘You went there?’ (Carmelo Anthony) went to OKC when we was trying to get ‘Melo to come here. Ask ‘Melo where he would go first. And I’ll say this: not just because of the living situation.”
Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:
- The Kings‘ trade deadline shake-up create a more positive vibe around the organization, point guard De’Aaron Fox said this week, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think the mood is definitely a bit better,” Fox said. “It’s definitely different when guys come into new situations, guys coming from Indiana, guys coming from Detroit and Donte [DiVincenzo] coming from Milwaukee … it’s like a breath of fresh air when you have a change of scenery.”
- Lakers head coach Frank Vogel shared a series of injury-related updates on Thursday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Most notably, Kendrick Nunn (knee) has begun his ramp-up process again following a setback last month, Anthony Davis (foot) is off his crutches, and Carmelo Anthony (hamstring) is probable to return on Friday after missing the team’s last five games.
- Speaking to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, veteran international agent Misko Raznatovic expressed dissatisfaction with the rules governing draft-and-stash players like his client Vasilije Micić, whose NBA rights are held by the Thunder. “One team gets your rights and then, (even if) you’re the best player in Europe, they don’t want to trade you and they don’t want to give you (a fair contract) offer,” Raznatovic said. “And then you never play in the NBA, (even if) you’re better than 80% of the guys who are there. I don’t believe this is fair.” Raznatovic did note that Micić has an annual NBA escape clause in his contract with Anadolu Efes, so he’ll talk to the Thunder again this summer to see if they can work something out.
Jevon Carter Signs With Bucks
FEBRUARY 24: The Bucks have officially signed Carter, according to a team press release.
FEBRUARY 22: Fourth-year guard Jevon Carter intends to sign with the Bucks after he clears waivers, agents Mark Bartelstein and Reggie Brown of Priority Sports tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Bucks were said to be seriously pursuing Goran Dragic in order to add some depth to their backcourt. Having missed out on the 35-year-old, they’ll instead sign the player who was released to make room for Dragic in Brooklyn. The Nets officially announced earlier today that they’ve waived Carter.
Carter, 26, began his NBA career in Memphis in 2018 and had a couple promising seasons in Phoenix from 2019-21, averaging 4.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .418/.397/.789 shooting and playing solid defense in 118 games (14.1 MPG) for the Suns.
He was traded to Brooklyn during the offseason in a deal that sent Landry Shamet to the Suns, but struggled with the Nets. His shooting percentage dipped to 33.3% and he wasn’t a consistent part of the rotation after the first month of the season.
While Wojnarowski’s report says Carter will clear waivers on Wednesday, it looks like it’ll actually happen on Thursday, unless the Nets cut him a day before they officially announced the move. As we observed on Monday, Milwaukee needs to make a roster addition on or before Thursday in order to get back to the league-mandated 14-player minimum — it appears Carter will be the team’s new 14th man.
The Nets will remain on the hook for Carter’s $3.9MM guaranteed salary for 2022/23 after he clears waivers and signs with the Bucks.
Sixers Sign Willie Cauley-Stein To 10-Day Deal
February 24: Philadelphia has officially signed Cauley-Stein to a 10-day deal, the team announced.
February 22: The Sixers are expected to sign free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). The team has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to finalize the signing.
Cauley-Stein, 28, began the season with the Mavericks, averaging 1.9 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 18 games (9.8 MPG) for the club. The veteran big man played his last game for Dallas on November 27 and was unavailable for several weeks after that for personal reasons before eventually being waived on January 15.
The Sixers had to include Andre Drummond in their blockbuster deadline-day trade that netted them James Harden, so there’s been a sense that they’ll use their 15th roster spot sooner or later to add another backup center.
If Cauley-Stein plays well for Philadelphia, it’s possible he’ll earn a longer look from the club. He had a solid season in 2020/21 as the Mavs’ primary backup center, recording 5.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG on 63.2% shooting in 53 games (17.1 MPG).
Cauley-Stein will earn $120,083 over the course of his 10-day deal, with the Sixers taking on a $95,930 cap hit.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Set To Return For Thunder
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will return to action on Thursday after missing the team’s last 10 games due to a right ankle sprain, head coach Mark Daigneault said today (Twitter link via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman). Gilgeous-Alexander suffered the injury on January 28.
The 18-40 Thunder are 6.5 games back of the No. 10 seed and aren’t expected to prioritize making the playoffs this season, so it’s safe to assume they wouldn’t be bringing back Gilgeous-Alexander if he weren’t feeling 100% healthy.
The star point guard had been averaging 22.7 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 4.7 RPG shooting in 43 games (34.6 MPG) before going down with his ankle injury. He has struggled to score efficiently this season, however, posting career-low shooting percentages of 42.4% from the floor and 27.8% on threes.
Rookie guard Josh Giddey has been thriving with Gilgeous-Alexander out of the lineup, having recorded three consecutive triple-doubles in the games leading up to the All-Star break. He likely won’t have the ball in his hands as much with SGA on the court, so Daigneault may have to get creative with his lineups and his rotation to ensure Giddey doesn’t lose that momentum.
According to Daigneault, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (foot), Mike Muscala (ankle), Ty Jerome (hip), Luguentz Dort (shoulder), and Kenrich Williams (knee) are still sidelined. Daigneault didn’t offer any guarantees when asked if Muscala, who is considering offseason ankle surgery, will be back this season (Twitter links via Mussatto).
Kemba Walker Won’t Play For Rest Of Season
The Knicks and Kemba Walker have agreed that the veteran guard won’t play for the remainder of the 2021/22 season, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, the plan is for Walker to work out in preparation for 2022/23. He’ll be on an expiring $9.2MM contract in the offseason, giving the Knicks and agent Jeff Schwartz a clearer path to work out a trade at that time, Woj adds.
The Knicks have issued a statement that confirms Walker won’t play for the rest of the season and suggests the plan was instigated by the point guard and his camp.
“We fully support Kemba’s decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and to use this time to prepare for next season,” team president Leon Rose said in the statement. “His long-term success on the court remains our priority.”
It’s the second time this season that the Knicks have shut down Walker. The club pulled him from its rotation at the end of November and sat him for 10 games before reinserting him into a lineup that had been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19. Since then, the 31-year-old has been affected by knee soreness and has played off and on.
Although Walker had a good stretch of games in December, even earning Player of the Week honors, his health issues and defensive shortcomings has limited his ability to be a consistent, reliable contributor this season.
The four-time All-Star is averaging a career-low 11.6 PPG and 3.5 APG on .403/.367/.845 shooting in 37 appearances (25.6 MPG). The Knicks have a 114.5 defensive rating and a -9.1 net rating with Walker on the court, compared to a 107.0 defensive rating and +1.9 net rating when he’s not playing.
It’s been a disappointing homecoming for Walker, who signed a two-year, $17.9MM contract with the Knicks after being bought out by the Thunder during the 2021 offseason. The New York native had hoped to help lead the team to a second consecutive playoff appearance, but the Knicks have taken a step backward in 2021/22 and currently rank 12th in the East with a 25-34 record.
Alec Burks, Miles McBride, and/or Immanuel Quickley are candidates to take on additional ball-handling responsibilities in Walker’s absence, though many of Kemba’s minutes will likely be claimed by Derrick Rose, who is nearing a return from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since December.
Malcolm Brogdon Expects To Return On Friday
Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon expects to return on Friday after missing over a month due to a right Achilles injury, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. It will be Indiana’s first game after the All-Star break, with the Thunder in town.
Although Brogdon last played on January 19, the injury has bothered him for longer than that. The Achilles issue and a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols have limited the veteran guard to just three total appearances since December 15.
In 28 games (33.4 MPG) this season, Brogdon has averaged 18.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.1 RPG, though he’s had a down year from a shot-making perspective — his .307 3PT% would be a career low.
With a 20-40 record, Indiana is well out of the playoff picture, but Brogdon indicated today that he’s not throwing the towel in on the season. “I want to play. I want to win,” he said of his approach the rest of the way (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files).
The Pacers will likely be curious to see how Brogdon looks alongside newly-acquired point guard Tyrese Haliburton. The organization clearly views Haliburton as part of its long-term backcourt, so if he and Brogdon mesh quickly, that bodes well for the veteran’s future in Indiana. A report earlier this month suggested there are some rival executives who believe the Pacers will trade Brogdon in the offseason.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided a few more injury updates on Wednesday, telling reporters that Myles Turner (foot) is still at least a “couple weeks” away, while T.J. Warren (foot) practiced, but still doesn’t have a timeline set for his return (Twitter link via Boyd).
Jusuf Nurkic Out At Least Four Weeks With Foot Injury
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is battling left foot plantar fasciitis and will be out for at least the next four weeks, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Blazers, Nurkic has played through symptoms of plantar fasciitis all season. He’ll undergo treatment and will be reevaluated at the four-week mark.
Nurkic had played terrific basketball as of late for Portland, averaging 21.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game during the team’s four-game win streak leading into the All-Star break. The hot streak boosted his season-long averages to 15.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 56 appearances (28.2 MPG).
While it’s possible Nurkic’s symptoms have worsened this month and made it impossible for him to continue playing through the injury, I suspect today’s announcement is more about the organization’s priorities for the rest of the season.
The 25-34 Blazers currently hold the No. 10 seed in the West and technically still have a shot at the playoffs, but the front office likely isn’t especially motivated to make it — the team would lose its first-round pick if it lands outside of the lottery. As such, it makes sense for Portland to hold out players like Nurkic and Damian Lillard, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, rather than making an all-out push for a spot in the postseason.
With Nurkic sidelined, Drew Eubanks could play an immediate role for the Blazers after signing a 10-day hardship contract on Tuesday. We may also see more small-ball lineups from head coach Chauncey Billups.
Nurkic will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he and the Blazers reportedly have mutual interest in working out a new deal.
Richaun Holmes Faces Uncertain Future With Kings
The Kings signaled their commitment to Richaun Holmes last summer when they signed him to a four-year, $46.5MM contract with a 15% trade kicker, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, following the team’s acquisition of Domantas Sabonis, Anderson now believes a trade looks like the most likely outcome for Holmes.
Holmes became Sacramento’s full-time starter at center early in the 2019/20 season and held that role until earlier this month. Since Sabonis’ debut, Holmes – who averaged 25.7 minutes per game through his first 37 games – has played just 15.3 MPG in four appearances off the bench.
While the sample size is small, Holmes’ production is also way down in his reduced role. After averaging 11.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG on 68.3% shooting as a starter this season, he has put up just 3.0 PPG and 2.0 RPG on 38.5% shooting in his last four games.
Head coach Alvin Gentry hopes to get Holmes on track after the All-Star break, stressing that the club still values him and acknowledging there may be an adjustment period while the 28-year-old and the Kings get accustomed to his new role, as Anderson details.
“We’ve talked a little bit about it,” Gentry said on Tuesday. “He’s been here for the whole week. He’s coming in every single day, the whole week, and I think he understands that we love him as a player. You think about everything he did for us last year, and hopefully he’s over all of these crazy injuries that he’s had, and he’ll have a good 20 games.”
Despite Gentry’s insistence that there’s still a place for Holmes in the Kings’ plans, Anderson suggests an offseason trade appears to be a real possibility.
League sources told The Bee that general manager Monte McNair continued to work right up until the February 10 deadline after acquiring Sabonis, exploring several other trade scenarios. A report on the morning of the deadline stated that rival executives viewed Holmes and Marvin Bagley III as the Kings players most likely to be moved — Bagley was dealt to Detroit, but Holmes stayed put.
If potential trade partners believe the Kings are motivated to move Holmes in the offseason, McNair’s leverage may be limited, but Sacramento should still be able to generate a market for the veteran center, who had a career year in 2020/21 with 14.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. Holmes will be owed $23.3MM for the two years after this season, with a $12.9MM player option for 2024/25.
Nets Notes: Irving, Dragic, Nash, Harris
The Nets and point guard Kyrie Irving got some promising news today, as New York City mayor Eric Adams told reporters that he “can’t wait” to phase out the city’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements for indoor spaces.
Irving has been unable to play home games all season long due to the local regulations that apply to unvaccinated athletes, but the mayor’s comments today suggest those regulations could be adjusted in the coming weeks.
“I’m not going to get ahead of the science,” Adams said (video link via The Glue Guys). “… They gave us benchmarks. We’re going to follow those benchmarks. But I look forward to the next few weeks going through a real transformation. … We’re moving in the right direction. We’re going to do it in a safe way.”
For now, New York City’s vaccine mandate remains unchanged, so Irving will be ineligible to suit up when the Nets host Boston on Thursday night. But if the city plans to phase out the mandate within the next several weeks, that bodes well for Kyrie’s chances of suiting up in the postseason, which begins in mid-April.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- While Goran Dragic is looking forward to playing alongside stars like Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Irving, his decision to sign with the Nets was ultimately influenced by his relationship with head coach Steve Nash, who assured Dragic he’d be an important part of the team, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “If it wasn’t for Nash, Dragic would be either with the Bucks or Clippers,” a source told Scotto.
- A source tells Scotto that the Nets and Joe Harris will likely make a decision on whether or not the forward needs a second ankle surgery after seeing how things go this week with his recovery process.
- His roster doesn’t look like he expected it to when the season began, but general manager Sean Marks hasn’t adjusted his expectations for the Nets, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “Championship. That’s it,” Marks said to a group of season-ticket holders. “I’d be doing 17 players and another 60 staff members over there a massive disservice if I said anything other than that, because that’s what we’re all here for.”