Heat Notes: Herro, Silva, Oladipo, Vincent, Lowry
Heat guard Tyler Herro has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who tweets that Herro was in attendance at the team’s practice on Tuesday. Herro initially entered the protocols last Wednesday and has missed Miami’s last three games.
The Heat haven’t released their injury report yet for Wednesday’s contest vs. New York, so it’s unclear if Herro will be reactivated for that game or if he’ll need a little more reconditioning time. Either way, it’s good news for the Heat that they no longer have any players in the COVID-19 protocols.
Here’s more out of Miami:
- Assuming Herro is able to play on Wednesday and no other players enter the health and safety protocols, the Heat will have to make forward Chris Silva ineligible for the rest of his 10-day contract, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Silva is on a hardship deal and can only be active if at least one Miami player is in the protocols. His contract runs through Sunday night.
- Victor Oladipo, who is still recovering from quad surgery, moved around well on the Heat’s practice court on Tuesday, taking part in a “vigorous” workout and running without a limp, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson suggests there’s a chance Oladipo could make his Heat debut in February. “He’s itching to get back,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. “… We’ll see what happens. He’s starting to be at practice more and more. We’re starting to hear his voice and he’s starting to get opportunities to run in transition. When he’s able to suit up, it’s going to be a big day for all of us.”
- There was some concern entering the season about whether the Heat had sufficient depth at point guard behind Kyle Lowry, but Gabe Vincent has proven capable of handling the position despite having previously played more of a combo guard or shooting guard role. “He has improved as much as anybody as I’ve ever seen, seriously, in my entire career. I really mean that, too,” Heat forward Duncan Robinson said of Vincent, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I remember playing against him in the G League and honestly he kind of played like me. Catch-and-shoot and shooting threes. Obviously, he still shoots it at a high level. But he just does everything. He passes, he defends, he makes all those little plays in between. He’s just a guy that you love to play with, he really is.”
- Lowry, who has missed the Heat’s last four games, remains away from the club for personal reasons, tweets Jackson, so Vincent is expected to continue starting at point guard.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 1/25/2022
Hoops Rumors’ weekly live chat took place this afternoon. Click here to join today’s chat transcript.
We’ll be introducing a new weekly live chat hosted by Dana Gauruder this Thursday (January 27) at 11:00 am CT, so be sure to get your questions ready for that one.
My next live chat will be next Tuesday, February 1, at 12:00 pm CT.
James Harden Reportedly Interested In Testing Free Agent Market
Word is circulating around the NBA about James Harden‘s increased interest in testing the free agent market this summer, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says the Nets star has “clear intentions” of becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
Harden holds a $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season, but the expectation is that he’ll turn down that option and seek a longer-term contract. The former MVP, who has always signed extensions prior to free agency in the past, expressed interest back in September in going through free agency, even while he suggested that his plan was to remain in Brooklyn.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve never been a free agent before. I’ve always just been loyal, just signing contract extensions, just being there, being there, being there,” Harden said during training camp. “I just want to take my time with it. It’d be a very, very difficult thing to leave here, or to leave Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But I think this season I just want to focus on winning a championship and everything else will work itself out.”
On the surface, Harden’s plans to reach free agency aren’t a cause for concern for Brooklyn. The Nets will be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team, and he, Durant, and Irving make the team a perennial title contender. He’s among a handful of star free-agents-to-be – along with Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal – who can maximize their future earnings by forgoing an early extension and waiting until the offseason to sign a new deal. As Fischer acknowledges, Harden may very well remain with Brooklyn after testing the market
However, multiple reports this week have stated the Sixers are looming as a potential suitor for Harden, and Fischer hears from sources that the 32-year-old has recently told confidants he may be interested in exploring opportunities outside of Brooklyn.
Fischer shares a few more potential red flags for the Nets, writing that Harden has been frustrated by Irving’s status as a part-time player, as well as Steve Nash‘s fluid rotations. Fischer also hears from multiple sources that Harden hasn’t enjoyed living in Brooklyn as much as he liked living in Houston.
Fischer stresses that Harden isn’t asking for a trade and that he’s extremely likely to finish the season in Brooklyn. Beyond that though, it seems there are no guarantees.
Suns Sign GM James Jones To Contract Extension
The Suns have signed general manager James Jones to a contract extension, he confirmed to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Terms of Jones’ new contract aren’t known — Spears described it only as a multiyear deal.
Jones initially became the Suns’ interim co-GM – alongside Trevor Bukstein – following Ryan McDonough‘s dismissal in 2018. He was given sole control of the position on a permanent basis in 2019, just two years after his retirement as a player. Since then, Jones has presided over one of the NBA’s most drastic turnarounds.
The Suns had a 19-63 record in 2018/19, but went 34-39 and then 51-21 in the league’s two COVID-shortened seasons, earning a spot in the NBA Finals in 2021 — and earning Jones an Executive of the Year award. Although they lost in six games to Milwaukee, the Suns appear well-positioned to make another run at a title this season. They currently own a league-best 37-9 record.
Several of the most important players in the Suns’ lineup – including Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges – were acquired by the previous front office regime. However, Jones has made a handful of key moves since taking the reins, including hiring Monty Williams as the club’s head coach.
Jones was also responsible for the 2020 trade that sent Chris Paul to the Suns, as well as the team’s signings of free agents like Cameron Payne and Jae Crowder. One of his first roster moves in 2019 was trading No. 6 overall pick Jarrett Culver to Minnesota for Dario Saric and No. 11 pick Cameron Johnson. The selection of Johnson was viewed by draft experts at the time as a reach, but both he and Saric became regular rotation players in Phoenix, while Culver lasted just two seasons with the Wolves.
Suns owner Robert Sarver is still under investigation following allegations that he created a toxic and hostile workplace. Jones, who suggested in the fall that he hadn’t witnessed the abusive behavior described in ESPN’s report, told Spears that the investigation into Sarver “didn’t give me pause” in accepting the extension offer from the team.
Trade Market Notes: Grant, Wall, Finney-Smith
Discussing the Jerami Grant situation on his latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that Grant’s agents provided the Pistons with a handful of preferred destinations in the event their client is traded.
“I was told his representation came to the Pistons and said ‘If you’re going to trade him, here’s a list of teams we would be interested in going to play for,'” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM).
The Pistons have a good relationship with Grant, so if they get multiple trade offers they like, I imagine they’ll try to get something done with one of the teams on his list. However, as Windhorst notes, the Pistons still aren’t sure whether they’ll move Grant at all, let alone to one of his preferred landing spots.
Here are a few more notes on the 2021/22 NBA trade market:
- In that same Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears said that John Wall is working out in Miami, away from the Rockets, as the team continues to survey his trade market. Although Houston has had some conversations about Wall, most of those scenarios are viewed as “pie in the sky,” according to Spears, who adds that the club views a swap involving Russell Westbrook as the most realistic option for Wall at this point. During his conversation with Spears, Windhorst stated that the Rockets guard isn’t interested in losing any money in a buyout agreement.
- Already viewed as a strong defender, Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith has expanded his offensive game this season, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Finney-Smith has taken on more ball-handling responsibilities, and his scoring average of 10.3 PPG would be a career high. Besides benefiting the Mavs on the court, Finney-Smith’s development has increased his value on the trade market, Caplan observes. It also likely puts him in line for a bigger payday when he reaches free agency this summer, which the Mavs and any potential suitor will have to take into account as they weigh possible deals.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype took an in-depth look at what each NBA team could – and should – do at the February 10 trade deadline.
Sixers Rumors: Harden, Simmons, Trade Talks
After Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Sixers‘ preference would be to retain Ben Simmons until the offseason in order to pursue James Harden, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cited sources who said the same thing.
“At the end of the day, it’s Harden all the way,” one league source told Pompey. “They want Harden, whether they get him now (or) whether they get him on a forced sign-and-trade this summer.”
The idea of the Nets trading Harden during the season can probably be ruled out. But the former MVP will be eligible for free agency this summer, so he’ll have leverage at that point if he wants a change of scenery. Still, the Sixers wouldn’t have the cap space necessary to sign Harden outright, so Brooklyn would have to get on board with the idea of acquiring Simmons in a sign-and-trade.
Sources tell Pompey that the Nets are aware of Philadelphia’s plan to pursue Harden in the offseason and know that the star guard has good relationships with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and co-owner Michael Rubin. But Harden has previously stated that he plans to remain in Brooklyn long-term — and even if he has a change of heart, it would likely take a lot of convincing for the Nets to send him to a division rival.
“If I’m the Nets, am I giving up James Harden until I know what Ben is going to be?” one source said to Pompey. “And am I giving him up to go 100 miles away? I’m going to have to see [Harden] several different times a season.”
For what it’s worth, Pompey says people close to the Sixers deny that the team is focused specifically on Harden, reiterating that Morey just wants a star player in return for Simmons — Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard are among the other potential targets who have been frequently mentioned. Harden may be atop Philadelphia’s wish list though, and sources who spoke to The Inquirer suggested Harden would welcome playing with center Joel Embiid.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Some of Pompey’s sources believe potential trade partners are wary of seriously engaging in talks with the Sixers for fear of leaks. “Whenever teams inquire, it shows up in the media at some capacity within the next 24 hours,” a source told The Inquirer. “Everyone is wanting Daryl to come to them with hard proposals. No one wants to be the one to bring something in because they are afraid as soon as they do it, they’re going to be exposed.”
- One source told Pompey that trade discussions with the Sixers are also challenging because Morey has a tendency to move the goal posts — you might think you’re getting close to making a deal, then Morey will come back and ask for more.
- In a pair of stories for PhillyVoice.com, Kyle Neubeck examines the Harden rumors in an effort to determine how seriously to take them, and ranks hypothetical Simmons trade packages from most to least intriguing.
- David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer advocates for patience on the Simmons front, since trading the former No. 1 overall pick represents the Sixers’ best chance to get Embiid the help he needs to turn the team into a title contender. While taking the best offer at the deadline may help in the short term, it could backfire in the longer term by limiting the team’s ceiling, Murphy writes.
COVID-19 Updates: Murphy, J. Green, Wigginton
Pelicans rookie wing Trey Murphy III entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Monday prior to New Orleans’ win over Indiana, according to the team (via Twitter).
The 17th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Murphy has played a minor role for the Pelicans this season, averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 36 games (12.8 MPG). The 21-year-old hasn’t logged more than three minutes in a game since December 28, so his absence didn’t affect the club’s rotation on Monday. He’ll remain in the protocols until at least this weekend unless he can exit early by registering two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart.
Here are a few more protocol-related updates from around the league:
- Nuggets forward JaMychal Green is no longer on the team’s injury report, indicating that he has exited the COVID-19 protocols, as Mike Singer of The Denver Post tweets. Jamal Murray is the only Nugget still in the protocols, and he’s not ready to return from his ACL surgery yet anyway.
- Bucks two-way player Lindell Wigginton entered the protocols over the weekend, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Wigginton is the only Milwaukee player currently in the protocols.
- As our health and safety protocols tracker shows, there are currently 12 players in the protocols. Only the Grizzlies (three players) and Pistons (two players) have more than a single player affected at the moment. We’ll continue to update that tracker going forward, but since the number of players entering and exiting has declined significantly in the last couple weeks, it will likely be updated just once or twice per day, rather than several times.
Treveon Graham Signs G League Contract
Veteran NBA wing Treveon Graham has signed a G League contract, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link). Graham is the latest in a long line of former NBA players who have entered the NBAGL this season in an effort to make it back to the league.
A former undrafted free agent out of VCU, Graham appeared in 180 regular season games between 2016-20 for the Hornets, Nets, Timberwolves, and Hawks. The 28-year-old has averaged just 4.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .383/.333/.691 shooting in 16.0 minutes per contest.
After becoming a free agent in 2020 when his contract with the Hawks expired, Graham signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks. He was waived before the 2020/21 regular season began and hasn’t been on an NBA roster since then.
Graham’s last extended stint in the G League came in his first professional season back in 2015/16. He made 46 appearances for the Idaho Stampede that year, averaging 15.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 30.4 MPG.
Trade Rumors: Ross, Harris, Dinwiddie, Mavs, Grant, Pistons
The Magic are widely expected to trade Terrence Ross and/or Gary Harris before the February 10 trade deadline, assuming they can get sufficient draft capital in return, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.
Ross and Harris aren’t among the top tier of players on this season’s trade market, so it may not require massive offers to get the Magic to part with one or both of them. For that reason, Stein writes, some people around the NBA view Ross in particular as a “natural target” for a team like the Jazz or Lakers — Utah and L.A. are seeking upgrades on the wing but have already given up future first-round picks and may not have the assets necessary to make a run at a higher-end target.
Here are a few more trade-related updates from around the league:
- Some executives who spoke to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report believe the Wizards are open to discussing point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who hasn’t meshed especially well with Bradley Beal. While it makes sense that Dinwiddie wouldn’t be untouchable, I’d be a little surprised if the Wizards gave up on their backcourt pairing this quickly.
- Pincus adds within the same story that the Mavericks have been mentioned as a possible “dark-horse” suitor for Pistons forward Jerami Grant. A Dallas offer would likely start with Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell, says Pincus.
- Grant may well be traded at the deadline, especially if the Pistons can acquire a player like John Collins or Patrick Williams, but we shouldn’t be surprised if he stays put, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Edwards believes there’s a “real possibility” that general manager Troy Weaver decides to hang onto Grant until the offseason if he doesn’t get an offer he loves.
- Edwards also expects the Pistons to remain on the lookout for a deal that nets them a promising young big man after their acquisition of Bol Bol fell through. Edwards identifies Kings forward Marvin Bagley III and Suns center Jalen Smith as two players worth keeping an eye on.
Nikola Jokic, Trae Young Named Players Of The Week
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Hawks guard Trae Young has earned the honor in the Eastern Conference, the league announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the first time this season that Jokic has won the award, which is a little surprising, given his MVP-caliber numbers. During the week of January 17-23, the big man averaged a triple-double in three games, putting up 36.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, and 2.3 SPG on .650/.400/.862 shooting in 39.2 MPG. The Nuggets went 2-1 in those games, with a loss to Memphis on Friday.
Young, meanwhile, led the Hawks to a 4-0 week, pulling the team within 1.5 games of a play-in spot in the East. The 23-year-old averaged 31.3 PPG, 9.0 APG, and 4.0 RPG with a .476 3PT% in 36.6 MPG, earning Player of the Week honors for a second time this season. He poured in eight 3-pointers in Atlanta’s win over Charlotte on Sunday.
Jokic won the West’s Player of the Week award over fellow nominees Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Dejounte Murray, and Jusuf Nurkic. The other nominees in the East were Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Miles Bridges, Darius Garland, and Khris Middleton (Twitter link).