Blazers Rumors: Lillard, Front Office, McCollum, Nurkic, Covington, More
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will become eligible for a two-year, $106MM extension during the 2022 offseason. That extension – which Lillard wants to lock in, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski – would begin in 2025/26 and would cover his age-35 and age-36 seasons.
Lillard and his agent need Portland’s next permanent general manager to sell team ownership on offering that super-max extension, according to Wojnarowski, who hears that the guard’s camp had concerns about Neil Olshey‘s willingness to recommend such an offer to Jody Allen. Chris Mannix of SI.com also hears that Olshey wasn’t sold on tacking two more years (at $51MM and $55MM) onto Lillard’s deal.
Although Lillard and his camp will be motivated to help the Blazers find a GM who is receptive to offering that extension, most of the top-level candidates who figure to draw interest from Portland aren’t enthusiastic about making that offer, says Wojnarowski. In fact, some of those potential candidates told Woj that they’d be more interested in the Blazers’ job if they could trade Lillard and rebuild, rather than extending the six-time All-Star.
According to Wojnarowski, Lillard’s camp is “privately selling the idea” of the Blazers trading some of their current players and continuing to build around Dame (on a new extension). However, candidates for the permanent general manager job in Portland believe they’ll need to sell themselves to team ownership, not to Lillard and his camp.
While it remains possible Lillard’s group will have some input in the GM choice, Wojnarowski suggests they’ve been “thwarted on several leverage plays” this year, including their preference for Jason Kidd as Terry Stotts‘ replacement and their desire to trade for Ben Simmons.
Here are several more rumors out of Portland:
- The Blazers haven’t begun reaching out to potential candidates for the permanent GM job, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who hears that there’s no concrete list of contenders yet beyond interim GM Joe Cronin. The organization is still deciding whether to hire a firm to research and recommend candidates, per Wojnarowski.
- The Pelicans offered Jrue Holiday to Portland in 2020 in exchange for CJ McCollum and three first-round picks, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. A deal involving McCollum remains possible, but the Blazers are considered more likely to move Jusuf Nurkic and/or Robert Covington, says Fischer, adding that the team is “presently known to be down on both players.”
- Lillard has expressed interest since the 2020 offseason in a handful of defensively-minded wings, per Fischer. Besides Simmons, Lillard has also shown interest in playing with Jaylen Brown and Aaron Gordon, sources tell Bleacher Report.
- According to Fischer, Lillard’s lower abdominal tendinopathy is an injury that has bothered him off and on for years. The All-NBA guard even considered surgery this past offseason to address the issue, Fischer adds.
- There are several teams with interest in trading for Lillard, but three teams in that group told Wojnarowski they’d want to wait for the 31-year-old to request a trade before calling Portland, since the Blazers’ leverage would be reduced in that scenario. The Sixers have made an offer, but the Knicks haven’t, Wojnarowski adds. For his part, Lillard would have limited leverage to push for a specific landing spot if he asks out, since he still has three more years left on his current contract after 2021/22.
- Multiple league sources with knowledge of the situation tell Fischer that some Blazers players this season have been frustrated with Chauncey Billups‘ “coaching demeanor,” as well as his offensive system. In the latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Ohm Youngmisuk, and Ramona Shelburne discussed the fact that Billups’ tendency to call out players publicly may rub the current generation the wrong way.
- There have been whispers that Blazers owner Jody Allen might decide to sell her stake in the Blazers following the NBA’s next television agreement, says Fischer. If that’s the plan, there will be even more pressure on the team to make sure its next front office hire and big roster moves are the right ones.
T.J. McConnell Undergoes Hand Surgery, May Miss Rest Of Season
2:21pm: The Pacers issued a press release confirming that McConnell underwent surgery today to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. According to the team, the guard will be in a cast for the next 10-to-12 weeks. Once he gets the cast off, the Pacers will provide an estimate for his recovery and return to action.
12:52pm: Pacers guard T.J. McConnell has undergone surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right hand, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, McConnell is expected to miss several months and may not return at all this season.
McConnell has only made six starts for the Pacers in 2021/22, but he has been an important part of the team’s rotation. Entering action last Wednesday, the 29-year-old had appeared in all 23 of Indiana’s games and was averaging over 25 minutes per contest, with 8.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.1 SPG on 50.3% shooting.
McConnell left last Wednesday’s contest vs. Atlanta after playing just three minutes, having suffered what was initially called a right wrist injury. The veteran guard received multiple opinions on how to treat the ailment and it appears he and the team ultimately decided surgery was the right path.
It’s possible that McConnell’s status is a factor in the Pacers’ apparent willingness to pivot to a rebuild rather than continuing to push all-out for a playoff spot.
McConnell re-signed with Indiana in the offseason, agreeing to a four-year deal worth nearly $34MM. He’ll become trade-eligible on January 15, but because he’s unlikely to be of much use to contending teams this season, he’ll likely remain with the Pacers through the February 10 deadline. If Indiana falls out of the playoff hunt, the club may focus on getting McConnell back to 100% for the start of next season, rather than trying to bring him back this spring.
Raptors’ Anunoby, Birch To Remain Sidelined For “Foreseeable Future”
Raptors forward OG Anunoby and center Khem Birch aren’t on the verge of returning to the court, according to head coach Nick Nurse, who said on Tuesday that the two veterans will remain sidelined for the “foreseeable future,” according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Anunoby, who is dealing with a left hip pointer, has been out of action since November 15. Right knee swelling has kept Birch on the shelf since November 21. Both players were starters when they were last healthy.
Nurse said last week that Anunoby hadn’t suffered a setback in his recovery from his hip issue, but that he had “hit a wall” in the rehab process and that the injury wasn’t healing like the team had hoped. It appears the fifth-year forward hasn’t taken any significant steps forward since then.
As for Birch, Nurse told reporters today that the 29-year-old has undergone tests that haven’t revealed any serious damage to his knee. However, the Raptors have had trouble getting the swelling under control and are trying to stop it from flaring up.
After experimenting with a small-ball lineup for several games, Toronto made Birch its starting center when Anunoby went down in mid-November. Since Birch’s injury, Precious Achiuwa has reclaimed that role, with Yuta Watanabe and Chris Boucher playing regular minutes off the bench.
Bam Adebayo Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks
DECEMBER 7: Adebayo underwent surgery on Monday to repair the torn UCL in his right thumb and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, the Heat confirmed today (via Twitter).
DECEMBER 1: Heat big man Bam Adebayo has sustained a torn UCL in his right thumb, according to a press release from the team. Adebayo will undergo surgery on the injury this weekend and has been ruled out indefinitely.
The Heat will have a better sense of Adebayo’s potential recovery timeline once the procedure is complete. The expectation for now is that he’ll be sidelined for approximately six weeks, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggests (via Twitter) that a four-to-six week recovery is possible, but Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes notes (via Twitter) that no player has come back in less than five weeks from an in-season torn UCL repair.
Adebayo, 24, is the anchor of Miami’s defense and one of the team’s go-to scorers. In 18 games (32.9 MPG) so far this season, he has averaged 18.7 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG with a .519 FG%.
The Heat have had bad injury luck against Denver so far this season. Forward Markieff Morris hasn’t played since the November 8 meeting between the two teams, having suffered whiplash when he was hit from behind by Nikola Jokic. Adebayo tore the UCL in his thumb during the Heat’s rematch vs. the Nuggets on Monday.
Morris and Dewayne Dedmon, who is currently day-to-day with a knee injury, would see an uptick in minutes during Adebayo’s absence if they’re available. P.J. Tucker could also take on an increased role, a backup big man like Udonis Haslem or Omer Yurtseven could start playing regular minutes.
Pacers Open To Roster Shakeup, Intend To Be Active On Trade Market
After getting off to a slow start this season, the Pacers have become receptive to the idea of pivoting to a rebuild and trading multiple veterans, sources tell Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. According to The Athletic’s duo, the team intends to be “very active” prior to the February 10 trade deadline.
Charania and Kravitz identify swingman Caris LeVert and big men Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis as some of the Pacers’ potential trade candidates. All three players have generated “significant interest” from rival teams, per The Athletic’s sources. It’s unclear if Indiana would be willing to move both Turner and Sabonis or just one of the two, but Charania and Kravitz suggest a breakup of the two centers “now appears on the horizon.”
T.J. Warren, who is on an expiring contract, could also theoretically be a trade chip, but he continues to recover from a foot injury and has told team management that he’d like to remain in Indianapolis, sources tell Charania and Kravitz. Malcolm Brogdon is ineligible to be traded this year after recently signing an extension.
The Pacers would like to open up more playing time for rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. The team raved about Jackson during the preseason and Duarte has quickly become a favorite of head coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Athletic.
Pacers owner Herb Simon, who is 87 years old, has historically resisted the idea of rebuilding due to concerns that any extended period of losing could substantially hurt attendance in one of the NBA’s smaller markets. However, with the Pacers already second-last in the league in attendance this season, Simon – apparently recognizing that it can’t get much worse – has become more willing to get on board with a rebuild, per Charania and Kravitz.
The Athletic’s duo clarifies that the Pacers don’t intend to embark on a years-long “tankathon” akin to the Sixers’ “Process,” but president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard and the front office are prepared to make some major roster changes and look ahead to the future after starting the season with a 10-16 record (13th in the East).
It’s worth noting that Indiana has been hurt this season by poor showings in crunch-time minutes and perhaps isn’t as bad as that 10-16 record suggests. Despite missing Warren – their top scorer in the 2020 Orlando bubble – the Pacers have a positive point differential through their first 26 games. However, even with some better late-game luck and a healthy Warren, the current roster probably doesn’t have the upside to legitimately contend for a title.
Rival teams aren’t sure how soon the Pacers will be ready to make deals, according to Charania and Kravitz. The expectation is that the front office will exercise patience and wait for the best offers to materialize, so it’s possible Indiana won’t do anything major until closer to the deadline. Trade talks around the league figure to start picking up a little next Wednesday, when more than 100 players become newly trade-eligible.
Pacific Notes: Vogel, Lakers, Fox, Kings, Wiseman, Klay
Asked on Monday about the criticism Lakers coach Frank Vogel has received this season and the job he has done, LeBron James didn’t exactly provide a full-throated endorsement for Vogel, but suggested that he and his teammates – not the head coach – bear responsibility for the team’s up-and-down start, as Bill Oram of The Athletic and Dave McMenamin of ESPN relay.
“I think criticism comes with the job, you know?” James said. “Frank is a strong-minded guy. He has a great coaching staff. And we as his players have to do a better job of going out and producing on the floor.”
Vogel is less than two years removed from taking the Lakers to a title in his first season on the job, but the club had a disappointing first-round exit last season and is just 12-12 so far this year. Although Vogel signed a contract extension during the offseason, that deal tacked just one year onto his current contract, so he’s only locked up through 2022/23. Still, he said he’s not concerned about facing increased scrutiny.
“There’s going to be criticism with this job,” Vogel said, per McMenamin. “It’s something we’re all accustomed to. And I’ve been a coach for 10 years, I’ve seen it all. Is it more national? Yes, it’s more national. Is there a bigger fanbase in this market in L.A.? Yes, there is. But it’s been there for every head coach, and it’s something I’m not unfamiliar with. So it just comes with the job.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Executives around the league think that if the Kings make a big move to shake up their roster, De’Aaron Fox might be at the center of it, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. General manager Monte McNair has drafted Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell since taking the reins of the front office in 2020, while Fox was selected by the previous regime.
- The Warriors‘ public messaging about James Wiseman‘s recovery timeline following meniscus surgery has been a little inconsistent, but it has become increasingly clear that he won’t return until sometime in the new year, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who notes that Wiseman’s timeline has been similar to that of Jaren Jackson Jr. last year — the Grizzlies’ big man missed about eight-and-a-half months after undergoing meniscus surgery.
- Klay Thompson won’t accompany the Warriors on the team’s five-game road trip that begins on Saturday in Philadelphia, head coach Steve Kerr said on Monday (Twitter link via Slater). Golden State’s home games on Dec. 20 and Dec. 23 have been cited as possible return dates for Thompson.
CJ McCollum Talks Lillard, Olshey, Trade Rumors, More
The dismissal of Trail Blazers head of basketball operations Neil Olshey could have a real impact on the future of guard CJ McCollum, whom Olshey valued especially highly.
Under Olshey’s leadership, the Blazers were extremely resistant to moving McCollum, even though he looked like the most obvious trade candidate if the team sought to make a splash and acquire another star to complement Damian Lillard.
In the wake of Olshey’s firing, McCollum’s top advocate within the organization is gone. And a report on Monday suggested that Lillard would like to see the club acquire Ben Simmons to improve its defense — such a deal would likely require McCollum’s inclusion.
Asked by Jason Quick of The Athletic about whether Lillard’s push for roster upgrades – possibly at McCollum’s expense – has put a strain on their relationship at all, McCollum said he remains close with his longtime backcourt partner.
“Me and Dame have a good relationship,” McCollum said. “I think when Dame speaks, you hear him. When you hear ‘sources’ and ‘anonymous,’ I don’t necessarily know if that is Dame or not, because it’s not Dame putting his name on it. He generally puts his name on things. I know where he stands with me, and he knows where I stand with him. The organization, they need to do what is best for themselves.
“… If he wanted me to leave, I think he would say that. He’s not speaking on me behind closed doors because that’s not in his DNA. He’s not built like that. He’s solid, and I know his word is his bond.”
McCollum admitted that it has been a tough season so far. The 11-14 Blazers are off to a slow start, and the 30-year-old guard’s numbers are down — his 20.6 PPG is his lowest mark since 2014/15 and his .424 FG% would be the second-worst shooting rate of his career. McCollum said that he and his wife are expecting their first child in a matter of weeks, which has diverted his focus away from the court at times.
McCollum stressed that it’s not in his character to “run from” adversity, but acknowledged that he isn’t oblivious to rumors about the Blazers potentially making changes to their roster after having overhauled their coaching staff and front office this year. He spoke to Quick about a handful of topics in a discussion that’s worth checking out in full if you’re an Athletic subscriber. Here are some of the highlights:
On his first impressions of head coach Chauncey Billups, including Billups’ willingness to call out the Blazers’ players if he’s not happy with their effort:
“I like Chauncey. I like his approach. I think he’s approaching things the right way. He’s not a guy who thinks he knows it all. I think he’s approaching things the right way — asking for feedback, asking questions, and he’s holding himself accountable, which is important. It’s on us to be better, and he has stated that.”
On Olshey’s exit from the franchise:
“It was tough, unfortunate. Neil is a good friend of mine, obviously. He was someone who had faith in me, trust and belief in me, and I was in a solid position. I mean, a GM of a franchise, having been in the NBA a long time … it was just unfortunate that the situation occurred, and what happened in the investigation. I mean, obviously, they found something that was worthy of letting him go, which is not ideal. But it was tough.”
On the general upheaval within the organization:
“This is different than anything I’ve ever experienced because of the circumstances. This is the first year of my career where we lost our whole coaching staff, brought in a new coach, a new staff, the GM gets fired in the middle of the season … all of that affects you on the court. But there is no excuses. I didn’t come here to tell you ‘There’s a lot of s–t going on’ … but yeah, there is. There’s s–t going on — every day. And I’m a f—ing human being. But look, at the end of the day, my job is to play basketball. So I go play basketball.”
On whether he feels less certain about his future in Portland with Olshey gone:
“That’s a question for somebody else. I just do my job: show up for work and do my job.”
Alex Caruso To Be Reevaluated Next Week
The Bulls expect to be without key reserve Alex Caruso until at least early next week, head coach Billy Donovan stated on Monday evening. Donovan told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Caruso, who is dealing with a right hamstring strain, would be reevaluated in about a week.
According to Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com (Twitter link), Donovan said that Caruso’s hamstring injury isn’t considered significant, but the team wants to play it safe in order to ensure the veteran guard doesn’t make the minor ailment any worse.
Caruso’s offensive numbers during his first year in Chicago – 8.5 PPG and 4.1 APG on .442/.333/.857 – have been relatively modest through 23 games. However, the 27-year-old has been a major part of the Bulls’ top-five defense. He leads the league with 2.2 steals per game despite averaging a relatively modest 28.6 MPG.
The Bulls’ net rating is nine points better when Caruso plays (+8.9) than when he sits (-0.1).
With Caruso on the shelf and Coby White and Javonte Green in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Bulls figure to lean heavily on Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu in the backcourt. Shooting guard Matt Thomas also logged a season-high 19 minutes in Monday’s win over Denver.
Pelicans Sign Gary Clark To Non-Guaranteed Deal
December 3: The Pelicans have officially signed Clark, the team announced in a press release.
December 2: The Pelicans are signing forward Gary Clark to a non-guaranteed contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
New Orleans has a full 15-man roster, but will be able to move Didi Louzada to the suspended list now that he has served more than five games of his 25-game ban for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, as Christian Clark of NOLA.com confirms (via Twitter). When Louzada’s suspension ends, the Pelicans will have to get back down to 15 players by trading or waiving Clark or another player.
Clark, 27, has appeared in a total of 132 NBA regular season games since making his debut in 2018. Last season, he averaged 3.1 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 39 games (16.8 MPG) for the Magic, Nuggets, and Sixers. He’s known more for his defense, having put up very modest offensive numbers (3.2 PPG on .346/.311/.889 shooting) in his NBA career.
Clark had been playing for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League this season, where he was averaging 14.4 PPG and 6.9 RPG with 1.5 SPG through eight games (31.3 MPG). While it’s a small sample, he has been letting it fly from beyond the three-point line in the NBA G League and has made 37.3% of 7.4 attempts per game so far.
Clark’s minimum-salary contract will pay him just over $9,900 per day.
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Claxton, Fournier, Burks
Appearing on Toucher and Rich on Boston radio on Thursday morning, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens expressed displeasure with one of the quotes included in Tim Bontemps’ ESPN report on the team last week. As we relayed, an anonymous assistant coach who spoke to Bontemps questioned Jayson Tatum‘s desire to win, suggesting that the forward only wants to win “on his terms.” Stevens vehemently disagreed, calling the comment “a joke.”
“I thought that quote was absolutely ridiculous, to be honest,” Stevens said, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “I don’t ever react to that stuff and I actually sent a note to one of the people I work with like, ‘This is idiotic.’ Just be around (Tatum) every day. That guy loves to win. He’s sitting there with his feet in the ice bucket after every game that we lose and he looks despondent. This guy’s competitive. I know that for a fact. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Stevens said that anonymous assistant coach shouldn’t be making that sort of comment without putting his name to it, but acknowledged that wouldn’t happen because it would provide Tatum with bulletin-board material when the Celtics played the assistant’s team.
“Jayson would kill him every time he played him for the rest of his career,” Stevens said. “That’s the way those guys in this league are wired.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Nets center Nicolas Claxton, a restricted free agent in 2022, recently hired new representation, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link), who says Claxton has signed with CAA Sports. Bondy adds that the non-COVID illness which has kept the big man out of action since October 25 is mononucleosis. Claxton appears to be nearing a return though. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN notes (via Twitter), he’s not listed on the team’s latest injury report for Friday’s game.
- Ian O’Connor of The New York Post says the Knicks‘ benching of Kemba Walker should send a message to Evan Fournier, another one of the team’s major free agent additions whose play has been inconsistent since he arrived in New York.
- The decision to pull Walker out of the rotation and start Alec Burks is paying early dividends for the Knicks, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Burks has led New York in scoring in his first two games as a starter and the team is playing better defense.