Health Updates: White, Butler, Claxton, Harris
Bulls guard Coby White expects to make his 2021/22 debut “real soon,” he said on Wednesday, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. White, who has been recovering from June shoulder surgery, practiced with the Windy City Bulls on Tuesday and took part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with Chicago’s G League team, then went through shootaround with the NBA club on Wednesday.
“It’s been a long road, it’s been a long five-to-six months (of rehab), so it’s a blessing to be back out there and playing again,” White said after that shootaround, according to Schaefer. “I’m pretty much fully back (at practice) right now.”
White will travel with the Bulls for their five-game Western Conference road trip, which begins on Friday. Asked on Wednesday if he’ll play at all during that trip, White replied, “Maybe. It’s a possibility.”
Here are a few more health updates from around the NBA:
- Heat star Jimmy Butler was forced to exit the team’s Wednesday loss to the Lakers early due to a sprained right ankle (link via ESPN). Head coach Erik Spoelstra had no post-game update on Butler’s status, so it remains unclear if the injury will sideline him for a few games or if he’ll be able to return quickly.
- Nets center Nicolas Claxton will likely miss at least a couple more games, but he appears to be nearing a return from the illness that has sidelined him since October 25, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I don’t know if it was a disease or what, but he was just ill. I can’t really say more than that,” head coach Steve Nash said. “But he started ramping back up again (on Wednesday). So I don’t know how long that process will take. I think they have to assess where he’s at, and then see how he goes and then we’ll figure out when he can play again.”
- Tobias Harris has missed the team’s last six games due to a positive COVID-19 test, but Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said on Tuesday that the veteran forward is doing better and should return sooner rather than later, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Harris is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Toronto — if he’s unable to play tonight, he’s probably a good bet to be back on Saturday.
Knicks’ Thibodeau On Starters’ Struggles: “We’ve Gotta Figure It Out”
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau benched his starters for the final 14 minutes of the team’s loss to the Bucks on Wednesday, as ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. After the game, Thibodeau said the five-man group – Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson – “just didn’t play well,” adding that “we’ve gotta figure it out.”
The Knicks’ starters were especially ineffective on Wednesday — Robinson was minus-15 during his minutes, while the other four starters were minus-22 or worse.
However, their struggles weren’t just a a one-game aberration. The Knicks’ starting five, which has been the most-used lineup in the NBA this season, has an abysmal -14.4 net rating (including a 119.3 defensive rating) in 205 total minutes. That’s the second-worst net rating of any NBA lineup that has logged more than 80 minutes so far in 2021/22.
Thibodeau isn’t buying that the group just needs more time to develop chemistry, according to Bontemps.
“You know what they say: When it’s 10 games, they say you need 20,” Thibodeau said. “When you say 20, they say you need 30; at 30, you say 40. And before you know it, the season is over. So that’s a bunch of bulls–t.”
The Knicks’ bench, led by Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, and Taj Gibson, has been productive this season and has been a key factor in the team’s 7-5 start. It’s possible moving one of those players into the starting lineup could help jump-start that group and shore up the defense, but Thibodeau may prefer not to make such a move when the reserves are playing so well in their current roles.
Warriors Notes: Thompson, Green, Wiggins, Wiseman
Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson has made “really good progress” in his recovery from Achilles surgery, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link), who said during an NBA Countdown appearance that Thompson could even be a little ahead of his previously-reported timeline.
“I’m told if he continues on his current course in rehab that a target date for his return will be set probably within the next couple weeks and there’s optimism it could be as soon as December 20th, December 23rd,” Wojnarowski said, noting that the Warriors have home games on those dates. Christmas Day was previously identified as a potential target date.
“The plan for Klay Thompson is to continue to ramp up,” Woj continued. “The Warriors will go on a road trip in mid-December, and at that point, if Klay continues on this track, he’d go down and play with the Warriors’ G League team. And the idea is – and the hope is – they’ll have him back perhaps prior to Christmas.”
Thompson has missed two full seasons due to ACL and Achilles tears and the Warriors are off to an NBA-best 10-1 start in his absence, so there’s no pressure to rush him back before he’s 100%. On ESPN’s NBA today earlier this week, Brian Windhorst (video link) suggested Thompson’s getting close to that level.
“The whispers going on around the league right now about Klay Thompson, people are watching him, people are talking to people in the Warriors’ organization, and they say he looks good,” Windhorst said. “Now I’m not saying he’s coming back and he’s going to be (scoring) 40 points in his first quarter. But he looks good working out and there’s a real confidence that – especially by the end of the season – Klay’s going to be BACK back.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Draymond Green left Wednesday’s win over Minnesota in the third quarter due to a right thigh contusion, as Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. Head coach Steve Kerr called it a “pretty nasty” contusion and said Green would be questionable to play on Friday, but added that Green’s knee didn’t appear to be affected at all. “When he came off the floor he said it was a bad thigh, muscle bruise,” Kerr said. “Like he just got kneed in the thigh, but it was close to the knee. But I have no reason to believe it has anything to do with a joint contusion from what I understand.”
- Andrew Wiggins said on Wednesday that the Timberwolves have turned over their roster so much since his time in Minnesota that it’s “basically like facing a whole new team” when he faces his former club, per Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle. Wiggins also remains appreciative of the trade that sent him to Golden State. “Something had to be done, just the way everything was going,” he said. “The way things were, we knew changes were coming eventually. I feel like it worked out for both teams.”
- Kerr provided a minor update on James Wiseman on Wednesday, hinting that the second-year center could begin scrimmaging next week with Santa Cruz, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (video link). Wiseman continues to make his way back from knee surgery.
Pelicans’ David Griffin Reportedly On Hot Seat
There has been more and more chatter around the NBA in recent weeks about David Griffin‘s job security, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says that Griffin’s hold on his position as Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations appears increasingly tenuous.
The Pelicans came into the season with playoff aspirations, but have lost eight consecutive games and own a league-worst 1-11 record. The team has been without Zion Williamson so far, and Griffin has faced criticism for making misleading comments on Media Day about when the former No. 1 pick would be ready to return from his offseason foot surgery.
[RELATED: Williamson Out Until At Least Mid-To-Late November]
When Griffin took the reins in New Orleans in 2019, the Pelicans were in position to draft Williamson and cash in on trades involving stars Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, giving them a massive leg up in the rebuilding process.
Although Griffin did well to stock up on draft picks in the Davis and Holiday blockbusters, he has made a handful of other questionable moves, including extending Steven Adams and then dumping him a year later before the extension even took effect. Additionally, besides Williamson, Griffin’s first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 – Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Kira Lewis – have yet to make a major impact at the NBA level.
According to Fischer, another recent incident raised eyebrows around the league. A NOLA.com report in September claimed that Griffin blamed the Pelicans’ poor start in 2019/20 on former head coach Alvin Gentry, telling one person, “I give Alvin all the answers to the test, and he still fails.” After Sacramento beat the Pelicans in New Orleans on October 29, Griffin approached Gentry – now a Kings assistant – to say hello, but Gentry viewed Griffin’s friendliness as inauthentic, per Fischer.
During that interaction, Fischer says, Griffin denied multiple details from that NOLA.com report, while Gentry pointed out that the Pelicans had essentially the same record under Stan Van Gundy (31-41) in 2020/21 as they did under Gentry in ’19/20. “You must not have given Stan the answers to the test, either,” Gentry shouted at Griffin, per Fischer’s sources, who say the two men had to be separated.
Meanwhile, Willie Green, the third coach of Griffin’s tenure with the Pelicans, expressed frustration following the club’s loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, as Andrew Lopez of ESPN details. Four New Orleans players combined for five technical fouls in the game, prompting Green to call out his players after the game for complaining about foul calls they “haven’t earned.” The first-year head coach also wasn’t happy with his players’ compete level.
“It’s not the losing streak. It’s not one quarter. It’s our approach to this game,” Green said. “There were moments in the game where we just didn’t have guys who didn’t compete hard enough for me. Hard enough for our team. That’s a non-negotiable for me. That’s the deal. That’s who we are. As the leader of this team, I can’t have that. I can’t have guys on the floor if they aren’t going to give 110%.”
Getting Williamson and Brandon Ingram (hip) back on the court will go a long way toward making the Pelicans competitive again, but the club’s early-season slump is creating an increasingly difficult path to playoff contention. If New Orleans doesn’t bounce back in a major way, significant changes could be coming, and the head coach is unlikely to be the fall guy for a third straight year — that means Griffin finds himself firmly on the hot seat.
Pacific Notes: Sarvers, LeBron, Lakers, Caruso, Kuminga
After Baxter Holmes of ESPN published a report accusing Suns owner Robert Sarver of racist and misogynistic conduct, three former team employees received messages from Sarver’s wife, Penny Sarver, Holmes writes in a new ESPN story. She called one former Suns employee “a liar,” said another was “crushing my families’ lives,” and accused a third of being “very bitter,” as Holmes relays.
“Please put your hatred aside and realize the hurt you are causing by spreading lies and fabrications,” she wrote to the third former employee. “Is your time in the spotlight that important? If something happens to one of my children, I will hold you and (former Suns head coach) Earl Watson personally responsible. Think about your own child for a second and imagine the tables turned.”
Reached for comment, Penny Sarver said she wanted to “set the record straight and to share how disappointed and hurt I am by the lies that are circulating about my husband and the Suns organization.” However, one of the former employees contacted by Sarver told Holmes it was hard to interpret the message as anything “other than as a threat.”
Meanwhile, Alex Prewitt and Jon Wertheim of SI.com have obtained video of Robert Sarver telling sexually explicit jokes and anecdotes during a posthumous “roast” of former Suns minority owner Dick Heckmann, who passed away in October 2020. While explicit material is expected at such an event, some of Sarver’s comments may have crossed a line and are consistent with complaints from many of Holmes’ sources about the Suns owner’s penchant for inappropriate workplace humor.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- In an appearance on ESPN (video link), Brian Windhorst said that LeBron James‘ abdominal strain is “not a severe injury” and won’t keep him out for an extended period. The Lakers star has been out since last Tuesday and the team hasn’t provided a timeline for his recovery or return.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores whether the Lakers made a mistake not re-signing Alex Caruso and what the cost of doing so would’ve been after accounting for tax penalties. While matching the Bulls’ four-year, $37MM deal for Caruso would’ve helped shore up L.A.’s backcourt defense and given the team a very movable contract, Pincus estimates that the Lakers’ overall 2021/22 payroll (salary and taxes) would’ve increased by about $33MM with that deal on the books.
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said this week that No. 7 overall pick Jonathan Kuminga, who hasn’t seen much NBA action so far, will have to be patient and will benefit from getting G League reps with Santa Cruz. “He had a lot of guys who were drafted right before or right after who are all playing a lot,” Kerr said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “So it’s not easy for him, but he understands he’s on a very good team and he’s got to pay his dues and learn from the guys and there’s a lot to be said for that route in terms of development. I think he understands that and he’s working really hard.”
Western Notes: Blazers, Ainge, Lillard, Landale, Gay
It’s too early to say whether the Trail Blazers‘ investigation into Neil Olshey‘s conduct will lead the franchise to make any major changes at the top of the front office. However, Howard Beck of SI.com said on the latest episode of The Crossover NBA Show that he wouldn’t be surprised if Danny Ainge‘s name is connected to the president of basketball operations role in Portland if the team looks to replace Olshey (hat tip to RealGM).
“I don’t know if Danny would take it, but I would expect Danny Ainge would be in the mix for a vacancy in Portland,” Beck said, admitting that he was putting the horse before the cart. “It’s one of the cities he’s been connected to over the years because of his history there.”
Ainge, who spent a couple seasons with the Blazers as a player, was also born and raised in Oregon, which is the “history” Beck is referring to. Ainge has shifted into a consultant role in Boston after stepping down as the Celtics’ head of basketball operations this summer.
Let’s round up a few more notes from around the Western Conference…
- The NBA has acknowledged that its referees are still working to find the right balance between instituting the league’s new philosophy on foul calling and continuing to allow freedom of movement. Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard believes there’s still plenty of work to do, as Kurt Helin of NBC Sports relays. “I feel like the way the game is being officiated is unacceptable,” Lillard said on Tuesday night. “I don’t want to go too deep into it so they make a big deal out of it, but the explanations, the s–t that’s getting missed, I mean, come on. I felt like coming in, the rule change wouldn’t affect me, because I don’t do the trick the referees, the trick plays… (but) it’s just unacceptable.”
- Spurs big man Jock Landale has been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News, who says it’s unclear whether or not Landale tested positive for COVID-19. The rookie is the second Spur to enter the protocols, joining fellow center Jakob Poeltl.
- Rudy Gay, who signed with the Jazz in the offseason, is inching closer to making his debut for the team, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. The team said on Tuesday that Gay has been taking part in “controlled court work,” and Todd says he’s begun participating in 3-on-3 action. Utah will provide another update on the veteran forward on Monday.
Rockets Notes: House, Christopher, Lucas, Green
When he first joined the Rockets in 2018/19, Danuel House was a young player being shown the ropes by veterans like James Harden and Chris Paul. Three years later, the 28-year-old has become one of the veterans on a young Houston squad and has embraced the responsibility that comes along with that, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes.
“As one of the older guys, it’s helping guys, especially guys in my position, knowing who we guard and what we’re doing,” House said. “The same thing I was taught is what I’m giving back. It’s a cycle. What the guys that were here in a Rockets uniform taught me before they went to their next destination. I’m trying to give it to the guys that are still here with me.”
House has missed the Rockets’ last six games due to a sprained right foot, but is poised to return to action on Wednesday vs. Detroit.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- Although he was a first-round pick in July, Josh Christopher hasn’t seem much action yet and has been overshadowed by Houston’s more high-profile rookies. However, the Rockets have loved the team-first attitude he has brought to the club, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “The way he talks, the way he works: during practice, after practice, before games, after games. The spirit that he offers up to the group. All those things are what culture personified looks like,” assistant coach Will Weaver said. “And when you can have someone doing that who’s not getting minutes, that to me speaks even louder than guys who are in the rotation providing those kinds of behaviors.”
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN takes a look at the impact that veteran assistant coach John Lucas is having on the Rockets’ youngsters, including No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green and third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. By his own admission, Lucas takes more of a tough-love approach to teaching than head coach Stephen Silas, who is relatively laid back. Discussing his work with Green, Lucas said, “My love for him is not praising his ass, but to keep a foot in it.”
- Given that the Rockets project to be picking pretty high in the 2022 draft, Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle decided to take an early look at some of the top college prospects that fans in Houston should be monitoring this season.
2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Utah Jazz.
Free agent signings:
Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.
Mike Conley: Three years, $68.04MM. Third year partially guaranteed. Includes $4.5MM in unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.- Rudy Gay: Three years, $18.55MM. Third-year player option. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Hassan Whiteside: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Jarrell Brantley: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($84,414). Accepted qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
- Note: Brantley was later waived.
- Malik Fitts: Two-way contract. Converted from Exhibit 10 contract.
- Trent Forrest: Two-way contract. Accepted two-way qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
Trades:
- Acquired either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers’, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) and cash ($2MM) from the Thunder in exchange for Derrick Favors and the Jazz’s 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
- Note: The Jazz created a $7,475,379 trade exception in the deal.
- Acquired the draft rights to Jared Butler (No. 40) pick, the Grizzlies’ 2022 second-round pick, and the Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick from the Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to Santi Aldama (No. 30 pick).
- Acquired Eric Paschall from the Warriors in exchange for the Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick (top-42 protected).
Draft picks:
- 2-40: Jared Butler
- Signed to two-year, minimum-salary contract. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Contract extensions:
- None
Departing players:
- Jarrell Brantley
- Derrick Favors
- Ersan Ilyasova
- Juwan Morgan
- Georges Niang
- Matt Thomas
Other offseason news:
- Promoted general manager Justin Zanik to head of basketball operations.
- Executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey transitioned to advisory role
- Rudy Gay underwent offseason surgery on his right heel and remains sidelined to open the regular season.
- Hired Erdem Can and Irv Roland as assistant coaches.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
- Carrying approximately $153MM in salary.
- Used full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.89MM) to sign Rudy Gay.
- Would need to shed salary to use more than taxpayer portion of mid-level exception or any part of bi-annual exception ($3,732,000), since doing either would create a $143MM hard cap.
- One traded player exception ($7,475,379) available.
The Jazz’s offseason:
The 2020/21 season represented Utah’s best chance in over a decade to make a serious playoff run. The Jazz posted the league’s best regular season record (52-20) and, after dispatching the Grizzlies in the first round of the postseason, they faced a Clippers team that lost its best player – Kawhi Leonard – to a season-ending knee injury in Game 4, with the series tied at two games apiece.
The Jazz, who had a couple banged-up starters in their own right, couldn’t take advantage of the golden opportunity, dropping the next two games to the Kawhi-less Clippers to bring their season to an end.
It was a discouraging finish, but a promising season overall for the Jazz, whose top six most-used players remained under contract for 2021/22, providing a solid starting point for this season’s roster.
Although Utah didn’t have to worry about bringing back stars like Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the team was facing a bit of a cap crunch. Re-signing Mike Conley and Georges Niang while retaining all of last year’s roster would have put team salary way over the luxury tax line, and while new owner Ryan Smith was willing to become a taxpayer, he wasn’t quite prepared to spend like the Warriors or Nets.
In order to keep the payroll in check, the Jazz made some tough decisions. Conley was a crucial part of the club’s success last season and had to be re-signed, but Niang was allowed to walk, while Derrick Favors was attached to a protected future first-round pick and sent to Oklahoma City in a salary-dump trade.
The Favors trade put the Jazz in a better financial position to give Conley a three-year deal worth about $68MM, plus incentives. It’s a steep price to pay for a point guard who turned 34 in October, but it cost Utah less to lock him up than it cost the Suns and Heat to sign Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, who are older, or the Bulls to sign Lonzo Ball, who is less accomplished. Conley’s third year also isn’t fully guaranteed, so the Jazz will have an exit ramp if they need one.
With Conley back and Favors and Niang gone, fortifying the frontcourt was a top priority for the Jazz. The team addressed that need by using the full taxpayer mid-level exception to add forward Rudy Gay, signing center Hassan Whiteside to a minimum-salary contract, and acquiring forward Eric Paschall in a minor trade with Golden State.
Gay is an especially intriguing addition. Like Niang, he has the size to match up against bigger opposing forwards. Unlike Niang, Gay has the ability to create his own shot on offense, giving Utah another weapon alongside Mitchell, Conley, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Gay is recovering from offseason heel surgery and has yet to suit up for the Jazz, but he looks like a nice fit. He’ll likely cut into Paschall’s minutes once he’s ready to play.
In replacing Favors with Whiteside, the Jazz acknowledged that they don’t need to spend big on a big man who is essentially just there to back up Gobert. Whiteside isn’t the star that his numbers in Miami and Portland might’ve suggested, but as long as he’s willing to accept a modest role and buy into a team-first philosophy, he’s perfectly capable of providing 15 or 20 productive minutes per game, especially going up against second-stringers.
The Jazz saved a little more money and acquired some future assets by moving down from No. 30 to No. 40 on draft night. The deal netted Utah a pair of future second-round picks (one was flipped to the Warriors for Paschall) and allowed them to fill out the roster with a minimum-salary player instead of a first-rounder who would earn $2MM as a rookie. And by all accounts, Jared Butler – the prospect the club selected at No. 40 – was the same player Utah was eyeing at No. 30.
Butler, originally viewed as a potential mid first-round pick, slipped down draft boards due to reported concerns about his knees and a heart condition. However, he received full clearance from the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel, and the Jazz loved what they saw from the former Baylor star in training camp. He may not get to play much on a veteran-heavy team with title aspirations, but Butler has a good deal of upside for a mid second-rounder.
The other major development in Utah this offseason was the demotion of longtime head of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey, with general manager Justin Zanik taking the reins. The move didn’t necessarily represent a significant change in direction for the organization, given that Zanik had worked under Lindsey for several years. But it was certainly looked like a vote of confidence in head coach Quin Snyder, who reportedly had a “long-running disconnect” with Lindsey.
The Jazz’s season:
I wrote above that last season was Utah’s best chance in a long time to make a deep playoff run. But this year’s team might be even better. Barring injuries, there’s no reason not to expect the Jazz to finish the 2021/22 campaign with one of the NBA’s best records, and they’ll be a very tough out in the playoffs.
Until the Jazz break through, there will be questions about Mitchell’s ability to be a No. 1 option on a championship team, about Gobert’s ability to make the sort of impact in the playoffs that he does in the regular season, and about the team’s ability to slow down offensive initiators with size, like LeBron James and Paul George. Utah will be motivated to answer all those questions this spring.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
Hoops Rumors’ 2021/22 NBA Reverse Standings
Throughout the 2021/22 NBA season, Hoops Rumors will be maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on the tentative 2022 draft order. Our 2021/22 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, will be updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.
Our Reverse Standings are essentially a reflection of what 2022’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. We’ve noted each club’s odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, based on the league’s current lottery format.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Draft Lottery]
In instances where two non-playoff teams or two playoff teams have identical records, the order in our standings isn’t necessarily definitive — for draft purposes, the NBA breaks ties via random drawings, so those drawings would happen at the end of the year.
Of course, the 14 non-playoff teams all draft before the 16 playoff teams, even if some non-playoff teams have better records than those that made the postseason. Our reverse standings account for playoff seeding, though for now they assume that the Nos. 7 and 8 teams in each conference will earn those final two postseason spots. Since the NBA’s play-in format opens the door for the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds to sneak into the postseason, we may have to account for a little movement in the draft order at season’s end.
Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For example, the note next to Charlotte’s pick says the Hornets will send their pick to the Knicks if it’s not in the top 18. As of today, the Hornets’ pick projects to be 11th, meaning that pick wouldn’t change hands.
Some conditions on traded picks are more complex, leaving little room to fully explain them in our footnotes. We broke down all the details on those traded first-rounders right here.
Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2022. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!
Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.
Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Brown, Schröder, VanVleet, Bonga, Claxton
A report stating that the Celtics have interest in Ben Simmons prompted Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe to explore whether Boston should aggressively pursue a deal for Simmons, and Jay King and Rich Hofmann of The Athletic to discuss whether the 25-year-old would make the C’s a better team.
Simmons’ play-making ability would make him an intriguing fit for the Celtics and Washburn hears from a league source that the three-time All-Star would be interested in coming to Boston. However, the general sense is that it would be very difficult for the two division rivals to find an agreement that works for both sides. The Sixers are unlikely to accept an offer that doesn’t include Jaylen Brown, whereas the Celtics are unlikely to include Brown in any offer.
In fact, multiple league sources who spoke to Brian Robb of MassLive.com were “adamant” that the Celtics don’t have any interest in moving Brown at all, either for Simmons or in any other deal. I’m sure Boston would reconsider that stance if a player a tier above Brown became available, but presumably the team doesn’t view Simmons as that sort of player.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The Celtics intend to keep Dennis Schröder in their starting lineup while Brown recovers from his hamstring strain in order to have Josh Richardson and the club’s young wings remain in their bench roles, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
- Besides wanting to get back to the playoffs, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has a series of individual goals that he’d like to achieve, as he said on The Raptors Show with Will Lou (link via Sportsnet.ca).“I definitely would like to be an All-Star,” VanVleet said. “I want to win all the awards. I want to be All-Defensive … Those are all goals that I have. The good thing for me is that I probably won’t achieve any of those if we aren’t a good team or a top team.”
- Raptors forward Isaac Bonga has accepted a G League assignment, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). Because he’s in his fourth NBA season, Bonga had to sign off on being sent to the NBAGL. The 22-year-old has only logged seven minutes across three games in Toronto so far, but should get a chance to play a starring role for the Raptors 905 when they open their season on Thursday.
- The Nets recalled center Nicolas Claxton from the G League on Tuesday, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Despite being back with Brooklyn, Claxton has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game and there’s still no indication he’s closer to returning from the illness that has sidelined him since October 25.