Injury Notes: Middleton, Giannis, Kawhi, THJ, Gafford
Bucks wing Khris Middleton sustained a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to Indiana. He wound up playing 36 minutes, but he didn’t practice on Thursday and head coach Doc Rivers said “there’s a little” concern about Middleton’s availability for Game 3 on Friday, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“It’s another holding our breath situation, so honestly, I don’t know,” Rivers said (Twitter link via Nehm).
Middleton has averaged 19.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 5.0 APG while shooting 53.6% from the field through two games (35.5 MPG). Milwaukee would certainly miss the three-time All-Star if he’s unable to go on Friday, particularly with Giannis Antetokounmpo still out.
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Speaking of Antetokounmpo, Rivers said the Bucks‘ two-time MVP was doing quite a bit of “shooting and moving” at Thursday’s practice. However, he was unable to go through live drills, as Nehm relays (via Twitter). Antetokoutnmpo was listed as doubtful before being ruled out prior to the first two games of the first-round series vs. the Pacers. The 29-year-old has been sidelined since April 9 due to a left calf strain.
- Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed that Kawhi Leonard‘s knee responded well following Tuesday’s loss to Dallas, which was his first game back in three-plus weeks, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Lue said Leonard will go through a non-contact practice on Thursday, Townsend adds. It’s unclear if the six-time All-Star will see even more minutes in Friday’s Game 3 after playing 35 a couple days ago.
- Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. will be sidelined for Friday’s Game 3, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “He’ll be evaluated in a few days,” head coach Jason Kidd said. Hardaway sprained his right ankle in Game 2 and didn’t play the entire second half. Starting center Daniel Gafford (back) did not practice on Thursday and is questionable for Friday’s game, Kidd added.
- In case you missed it, the Lakers will still be without Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) and Christian Wood (knee) for Thursday’s Game 3 vs. Denver. Both players had reportedly been aiming to return tonight.
Western Notes: Thunder, Pelicans, Loucks, Christie, Kings
The Thunder demolished the Pelicans by 32 points on Wednesday, led by 80 combined points from Rookie of the Year finalist Chet Holmgren (26), MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33) and rising second-year forward Jalen Williams (21), per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. The trio was extremely efficient, going 32-of-49 from the field (.653%).
After Pels center Jonas Valanciunas opened by scoring the first 11 points for New Orleans, Oklahoma City countered by giving Holmgren looks from the perimeter, Lopez writes. The 2022 No. 2 overall pick responded with 15 points in the opening frame en route to a double-digit lead.
“He was great to start,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Holmgren. “He was aggressive, he was assertive, made quick decisions and obviously was a big reason why we got out to that lead. He just played to his strengths and didn’t try to stray from them. We all know when he does that, he’s really good.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Perhaps more concerning than the loss itself was the way the Pelicans lost. As William Guillory of The Athletic details, New Orleans came away from Game 1’s two-point loss somewhat encouraged and responded with an absolute dud of a performance in Game 2. The Pelicans allowed OKC to score 124 points on a shooting line of .590/.483/.900. They had 18 turnovers, including eight offensive fouls. And they only finished with 92 points for the second straight game. Yes, the Pelicans are playing without Zion Williamson, but an ugly early exit could lead to major changes in the offseason, Guillory writes.
- Kings head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL (Twitter link), that assistant coach Luke Loucks will move to a front-of-bench role after Jordi Fernandez‘s departure to Brooklyn. Brown added that assistant Doug Christie will likely coach Sacramento’s Summer League team, though that isn’t set in stone.
- After winning a tiebreaker with Golden State, there’s now a 92.9% chance the Kings will end up with the No. 13 overall pick in June’s draft. GM Monte McNair said Sacramento is “excited” about the prospects who could be available at that spot, but the team will explore its options with the lottery pick, including potentially trading it, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320 and TheKingsBeat.com.
Nets Notes: Fernandez, Marks, Simmons, Whitehead, B. Johnson
At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez was optimistic about a quick turnaround following a disappointing 2023/24 season, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“We will see results right away,” Fernandez said. “This industry is about getting results and getting better. So how much are you gonna get better? It’s how we believe the process is important.
“We know that there’s proper steps to take and we’ll see improvement right away. But the most important thing to me is to believe in team success over personal success.”
Fernandez added that he was enthusiastic about the young talent on Brooklyn’s roster, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“The youth excites me,” Fernandez said. “When you have a young roster — and talented — that means you’re going to have those guys for a long time. So you can develop them, and then they can perform at their best, and they’re here with you. So that’s extremely exciting.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- General manager Sean Marks said one of the reasons Fernandez stood out in the Nets’ head coaching search was his ability to coach players at various stages of their careers, according to Lewis. “Something that separates Jordi from a lot of the candidates (is), we found that he could look at a developmental roster, he could do various different pathways,” Marks said. “He’s coached stars before, he’s been the head director of development before so he’s worn many hats and there’s no roster that he’s not going to be able to get the respect of those guys.” Marks noted that as a big market, Brooklyn has an inherent ability to attract stars, which could accelerate the team’s timeline.
- Marks said the team expects Ben Simmons to be ready for training camp in the fall, as Adam Zagoria of NJ.com relays (subscription required). “There should be no reason not to,” Marks said. “I mean, the doctors and therapists and so forth have told us that he should be ready to go next season. Again, it’s going to be on Ben’s timeline. We’re going to have to see how he progresses through the summer.” Simmons was limited to 15 games in ’23/24 and underwent his second back surgery in two years last month.
- Another injured Net, Dariq Whitehead, should be ready to go for Summer League in a few months, Marks told reporters, including Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. The 2023 first-round pick had season-ending surgery for a stress reaction in his left shin back in January.
- They don’t currently control a draft pick in 2024, but Marks said the Nets could look to move into the draft if a player they like is available, Kaplan writes. Marks also suggested BJ Johnson, who is the team’s director of player evaluation, could be in line for a promotion after former front office executives Jeff Peterson and Ryan Gisriel left to join the Hornets. “I think some of our guys have done a terrific job,” Marks said, per Kaplan. “In terms of just simply drafting, I mean, you want to take BJ Johnson. BJ runs our draft and has done so for the last several years. So, there’ll be more pressure and more responsibility placed on several of the guys in-house here.”
Northwest Notes: Murray, Jordan, Thunder, Finch
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray struggled mightily through three quarters on Monday, going just 3-of-16 from the floor as the defending champions trailed the Lakers by as many as 20 points. As Tony Jones of The Athletic writes, when Murray told his teammates he wanted to affect the game in other ways by becoming more of a play-maker, they emphatically disagreed and told him to stay aggressive.
“The thing about Jamal is that we know what he’s capable of,” reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic said. “We obviously would like him to make every shot, but we know that everyone goes through a bad stretch. We know what he’s capable of, and we want him to shoot the ball because we know he can make all kinds of shots.”
Murray responded by catching fire in the fourth quarter, going 6-of-8 from the field and scoring 14 of his 20 points, Jones notes, including a game-winning buzzer-beater over Anthony Davis (YouTube link).
“There really is a playoff Jamal,” head coach Michael Malone said. “All of those commercials you see, the persona is real. He will never shy away from the moment, and all he needs is to see one go in.”
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- He only appeared in 36 regular season games this season for the Nuggets, but DeAndre Jordan played nine minutes off the bench in Game 1 when other players were in foul trouble, notes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I told D.J. as we approach these playoffs, last year every time we called upon him — foul trouble, whatever’s going on in the game — he delivered,” Malone said as part of a larger quote. “He stays ready. … And I felt that he had a real positive impact (in Game 1). His size, his presence.”
- Tyler Parker of The Ringer compares and contrasts the current Thunder squad to the era featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Oklahoma City finished with the West’s No. 1 seed in 2023/24 and is currently up 1-0 in its first-round series with New Orleans after a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander game-winner in Game 1.
- Coach of the Year finalist Chris Finch is “clearly the right coach” for the Timberwolves, argues Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune. As Reusse writes, many media members picked the Suns to defeat the Wolves in their first-round matchup after Phoenix went 3-0 against Minnesota during the regular season. But Finch has pushed all the right buttons thus far as the Wolves hold a 2-0 lead behind a suffocating defense and perhaps the best game of Jaden McDaniels‘ career.
Cavs’ Dean Wade To Miss At Least Remainder Of First Round
The Cavaliers released an update on Dean Wade on Wednesday, announcing (via Twitter) that the injured forward will miss the rest of Cleveland’s first-round series with Orlando.
According to the Cavs, Wade recently underwent an MRI on the right knee sprain that has kept him on the shelf since March 13. He continues to do daily rehab, but needs more time to recover. Wade has no timeline for a return, with the team saying he’s out indefinitely.
A fifth-year forward who played college ball at Kansas State, Wade is one of Cleveland’s best defensive players. He averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from long distance in 54 games this season, including 32 starts (20.5 minutes).
A report at the beginning of April indicated that there was concern about Wade’s postseason availability. Based on today’s update, it certainly doesn’t sound like his return is imminent. Isaac Okoro and Georges Niang will likely continue to receive steady minutes off the bench with Wade out.
The good news for the Cavs is that they won both of their home games to hold a 2-0 lead thus far over the Magic. Game 3 is set for Thursday night in Orlando.
Wolves’ Naz Reid Named Sixth Man Of The Year
Timberwolves big man Naz Reid has been named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 2023/24 season, the league announced on Wednesday evening (via Twitter).
A former undrafted free agent, Reid averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .477/.414/.736 shooting in 81 games this season (24.2 MPG).
Reid is the first player in Timberwolves franchise history to win the Sixth Man award, per a team press release.
The 24-year-old was a major reason why Minnesota didn’t skip a beat when Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined with a knee injury late in the season. The Wolves went 14-6 without Towns and 56-26 overall, good for the No. 3 seed in the West.
The voting was remarkably close (Twitter link via the NBA). In fact, it was the smallest margin between first- and second-place finishers since the current voting format was implemented 21 years ago, according to the league (via Twitter).
Reid finished with 45 first-place votes, 39 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes for a total of 352 points. Runner-up Malik Monk had the exact same number of second- and third-place votes, but finished with two fewer first-place votes for 342 total points.
Kings guard Monk appeared in 72 games this season for Sacramento, all off the bench. He averaged 15.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 5.1 APG on .443/.350/.829 shooting in 26.0 MPG.
Bucks big man Bobby Portis, who finished third in Sixth Man voting last season, finished a distant third again in ’23/24, receiving 81 total points. He averaged 13.8 PPG and 7.4 RPG on .508/.407/.790 shooting without missing a game this season for Milwaukee (24.5 MPG).
Clippers wing Norman Powell (65 points) and Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (40 points) finished fourth and fifth in voting, respectively. No other player received more than three points.
Powell actually received the most third-place votes of any player, but fewer first- and second-place votes than Portis, which is why he finished behind Milwaukee’s forward/center.
Jose Alvarado, Russell Westbrook, T.J. McConnell, Jonathan Isaac, Jaime Jaquez, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bojan Bogdanovic all received at least one vote.
Kings Notes: Monk, Brown, Ranadive, Offseason, Vezenkov
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sixth Man of the Year finalist Malik Monk made it pretty clear that he plans to test the open market in free agency this summer, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
“I can go somewhere else with a lot more money and be in a worse situation, so you never know,” the Kings guard said. “I’ve got a great agent who’s going to do his job. I think my job is done.”
Sacramento holds Monk’s Early Bird rights, so the team is somewhat limited in what it can offer him this summer. Monk said in a perfect world, he’d “definitely” like to return, but he’s not sure what the future will hold, as Anderson relays (Twitter links).
“I came here, (played with) one of my best friends, turned the organization around, turned the city around,” Monk said. “The city loves me and I love the city, so the emotions are everywhere right now.”
Monk added that he would prefer a starting role, but he’s willing to come off the bench if it’s better for whichever team he signs with, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 and The Kings Beat (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Even though they lost their second play-in game in disappointing fashion, the Kings have undoubtedly played much better under 2023 Coach of the Year Mike Brown the past two seasons. Sources tell Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic that Brown is essentially entering the last season of his contract (2025/26 is a mutual option), and he hopes to sign a long-term extension that includes a raise. However, owner Vivek Ranadive hasn’t presented an extension offer to this point, and it’s unclear if he’ll be willing to commit to Brown going forward, per The Athletic.
- Anderson of The Sacramento Bee recently released an offseason preview for the Kings, with Monk’s future the biggest question mark.
- In a feature for The Ringer, Howard Beck wonders if Sacramento will be able to escape NBA purgatory as a good-but-not-great team. “We knew the expectations were coming for us right away,” GM Monte McNair told Beck. “That’s what we’ve seen this year. And that’s the reality of the NBA. For us, it’s trying to figure out: How do we continue to take those next steps? And that means getting back into the playoffs and eventually winning a round or two.”
- Despite dealing with injuries and inconsistent minutes, rookie forward Sasha Vezenkov said he had no regrets about coming stateside last summer, Ham tweets. “I made the right choice, no doubt about it,” last season’s EuroLeague MVP said. The 28-year-old will earn $6.7MM next season, with a $7MM team option for ’25/26.
Colorado’s Cody Williams Entering 2024 NBA Draft
Colorado freshman forward Cody Williams, a projected lottery pick who is currently No. 10 on ESPN’s big board, is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, he told Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
In 24 games for the Buffaloes in 2023/24 (28.4 MPG), Williams averaged 11.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 1.6 APG on a .552/.415/.714 shooting line. He’s considered one of the top defenders in the 2024 class, according to ESPN.
At one point, Williams was considered a contender for the top overall pick, ranking No. 2 in ESPN’s mock draft in February. However, minor injuries limited his effectiveness toward the end of the season, per Wojnarowski and Givony.
In addition to scoring efficiently, particularly in the open court, Williams was frequently tasked with defending the opposing teams’ top scorer, ESPN’s duo adds. The Arizona native is the young brother of Thunder forward Jalen Williams.
Pistons Notes: FA, Trade Targets, Draft, President, More
Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic said the Pistons will likely explore the viability of pursuing Miles Bridges or Tobias Harris in free agency, though he conceded that could change depending who they hire to be the new president of basketball operations.
While he doesn’t expect Detroit to give anyone a long-term, maximum-salary deal, Edwards suggested a short-term deal with a higher annual salary could be an option if the team pursues Bridges or Harris. Edwards also thinks the Pistons will undergo a “significant roster overhaul” this offseason through a combination of trades and free agent signings, with Malik Monk another impending free agent to potentially keep an eye on.
Scotto said the Nets want to keep Nic Claxton on a long-term contract, and Brian Lewis of The New York Post recently told Scotto he believes there’s better than a 50/50 chance the center will remain with Brooklyn. However, Edwards thinks Claxton would fill a major need for Detroit as a rim protector, even though it might push Jalen Duren to a reserve role.
Edwards previously listed five ideas for the new head of basketball operations, and Scotto believes Bucks GM Jon Horst, a Michigan native, is the main name to keep an eye on.
As for the futures of GM Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams, Edwards said he wouldn’t be surprised if neither is back next season, particularly Weaver. Despite being on a lucrative long-term deal, Edwards placed the odds at 60/40 that Williams would not be Detroit’s head coach in 2024/25.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Edwards of The Athletic predicts that, of the veteran free agents Detroit has this offseason, only Simone Fontecchio will be retained. Edwards is convinced of that happening, putting the odds at 100%. He also thinks Fontecchio will receive a four-year deal worth in the range of $56-68MM as a restricted free agent. The Italian forward has said he expects to be back next season.
- In a mailbag for The Detroit Free Press (subscription required), Omari Sankofa II discusses the Pistons’ basketball operations hierarchy, among other topics. The objective of hiring a president of basketball operations, according to Sankofa’s sources, is to “unify a front office that has clearly hit a significant stump, to say the least, in its ongoing remake of the team.” That person would have full autonomy over who gets hired and fired, Sankofa adds.
- If the Pistons decide to keep their first-round pick, who should they target? If it lands No. 1 overall, Edwards of The Athletic would select French big man Alexandre Sarr, who played for the Perth Wildcats of the NBL this season. However, if it were up to him, Edwards says he’d trade the pick. After finishing with the worst record in the NBA for the second straight season, Detroit has a 14% chance of landing the top selection and can do no worse than No. 5 overall.
Hawks Notes: Young, Agent, Murray, Saleh
After previously reporting — multiple times — that Atlanta is going to attempt to move Trae Young or Dejounte Murray this offseason, Marc Stein hears the “leaguewide expectation” of that scenario has only grown since his initial story in February (Substack link).
There’s also “a growing belief in many corners of the league” that the Hawks would rather trade Young than Murray, Stein reports.
Still, Young might not have as much trade value as Atlanta hopes, Stein observes, since he’s on a maximum-salary rookie scale extension and isn’t exactly known for his defense.
League sources tell Stein that while Young still has Klutch Sports as an agency, his father, Rayford Young, recently became a certified NBA agent. Murray is also represented by Klutch, Stein notes.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution passes along several highlights from Friday’s end-of-season press conference. The Hawks were eliminated from postseason contention after losing to the Bulls in the play-in tournament. “Every year teams are different,” Young said. “I mean, obviously, I want to be here. I want to be here, but I want to win, too. I’ve said that since I’ve been here. I want to be here. I want to win championships here and do that. But I want to win. So, that’s pretty much all it is for me. That’s my motto, and that’s been me from the beginning.”
- Young also said he was comfortable with taking on a reduced role if it benefits the team, as Williams relays. “People may think that I have to feel like I’m the best player on the team or 1A or first option,” Young said. “I mean, I’m not that way. I’ve never been that way. So I’m just a guy that’s trying to get everybody involved and win the game, and I know when we win, everybody eats.”
- The Hawks plan to hire Onsi Saleh away from the Warriors to be an assistant general manager, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Saleh was Golden State’s VP of basketball strategy and team counsel, Woj adds. According to Stein, Saleh was a “highly regarded salary-cap specialist” with the Warriors. The hiring won’t impact the job status of current assistant GM Kyle Korver, per Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.