Projected First-Rounder Bobi Klintman To Enter NBA Draft
Swedish forward Bobi Klintman, who spent the 2022/23 season with Wake Forest before heading to Australia in ’23/24 to play for the NBL’s Cairns Taipans, plans to enter the 2024 NBA draft, he tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
“I hope that NBA teams that watched me saw I wasn’t afraid to take on a challenge,” Klintman said. “The path I took is one only a few players are willing to take. It’s harder than the college route. Hopefully NBA teams saw that I’m tough. I’m ready to play through pain if needed. I wanted to prove I could excel playing a physical brand of basketball, and I believe I did that.”
Klintman, a 6’10” combo forward, is currently ranked No. 22 on ESPN’s best available prospects list. He is hoping to become the first Swedish player selected in the first round, Givony writes.
In 23 NBL games this season (21.3 MPG), Klintman averaged 9.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG while posting a .443/.357/.793 shooting line.
According to Givony, Klintman has intriguing upside due to his combination of size, length, athleticism and production. The 21-year-old was an early entrant last year, but was projected to be a second-round pick, so he withdrew his name and tried to boost his stock by joining the NBL’s Next Stars program. It seems like the move paid off — he’s up 26 spots on ESPN’s list compared to 2023.
New York Notes: Knicks Injuries, Nets, Johnson, Sharpe, Thomas
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gave injury updates on multiple players on Thursday, as Fred Katz of The Athletic relays (All Twitter links).
Thibodeau said forward OG Anunoby, who is recovering from right elbow surgery, has been doing contract drills and is playing five-on-five, which indicates he’s getting close to returning. He’ll be day-to-day moving forward, though he hasn’t yet been fully cleared to play. Anunoby last suited up on January 27.
According to Katz, Thibodeau gave a brief update on Mitchell Robinson, who has been sidelined since December 8 following foot surgery, saying, “Mitch looks good. He told me to tell everyone that.”
Thibodeau also said star guard Jalen Brunson was able to participate in most of Thursday’s practice, but he wasn’t sure what his status would be for the injury report ahead of Friday’s game vs. Orlando, Katz adds.
Here are a few more notes out of New York:
- With 20 games remaining, the Nets are three games behind the Hawks for the No. 10 seed in the East — the final spot in the play-in tournament. As Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post writes, Brooklyn has the league’s second-easiest remaining schedule, but is embarking on a stretch with 10 of 11 games on the road, where the team is just 9-19 thus far in 2023/24. How the Nets fare over that stretch could determine whether or not they make the playoffs.
- Nets forward Cameron Johnson exited Tuesday’s victory over Philadelphia with a right ankle sprain and was unable to return, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Yeah, it’s just a right ankle sprain and we’re gonna evaluate him [Wednesday],” interim coach Kevin Ollie said. “I imagine they’ll evaluate him [Tuesday night], but we’ll have more information [in the morning].” Johnson is officially out for Thursday’s matchup in Detroit, Lewis tweets. On the NBA’s latest injury report, backup center Day’Ron Sharpe has also been ruled out due to a right wrist contusion he sustained during a hard fall Monday.
- In more positive news for the Nets, their second-leading scorer could return this weekend, according to Lewis (Twitter link). Cam Thomas has been battling a right ankle/midfoot sprain and will be out Thursday, but he might be back either Saturday vs. Charlotte or Sunday vs. Cleveland. The third-year guard will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
Hornets To Hire Dotun Akinwale Jr. As Assistant GM
New executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson is making the first addition to his front office, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Hornets are hiring Hawks executive Dotun Akinwale Jr. as their new assistant general manager.
Akinwale is currently Atlanta’s vice president of player personnel, having been promoted last summer. One of his responsibilities was managing the team’s pre-draft workout process, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A native of Maryland, Akinwale played basketball at Thiel College in Pennsylvania before graduating and getting his NBA start as an intern with Orlando. He spent two seasons with the Magic, and over the past nine seasons he has worked his way up the ranks in Atlanta, but now he’ll be heading to Charlotte to work with his former Hawks colleague Peterson.
Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall is familiar with both Peterson and Akinwale, as he was previously a minority owner of the Hawks. Peterson, 35, most recently worked as a Nets executive before being hired to become Charlotte’s top basketball decision-maker.
In an interview on Wednesday, Peterson said the team planned to make some new hires in the front office, which is now coming to fruition.
Heat Notes: D. Robinson, Martin, Mills, Jovic
While Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson says he’s fine with either role, he has been far more effective starting in 2023/24 compared to coming off the bench, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
“The competitive aspect, you always want to be out there,” he said. “But… you got to have a full 100 percent buy in of what we’re trying to achieve.”
The numbers are pretty eye-opening: in Robinson’s 24 starts, Miami is 18-6 and +149 in his 782 minutes on the court. He has averaged 16.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 4.0 APG on .487/.456/.841 shooting in those 24 appearances (32.6 MPG).
Conversely, in the 32 games with Robinson coming off the bench, the Heat are 15-17 and -53 in his 799 minutes (they’re 2-3 in games he’s missed). As a reserve, he has averaged 11.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 3.2 APG on .424/.362/.946 shooting in 25.0 MPG.
As Jackson writes, Robinson is very unlikely to remain a starter once Tyler Herro – who will miss his sixth consecutive game Thursday with a right foot injury – returns from injury. Robinson says he’s still improving and trying to make it difficult for the coaching staff to keep him in the game whether he’s starting or not.
“It’s always an ambition of mine to have the biggest role for myself possible,” Robinson said. “I don’t put any limitations on what I can achieve.
“I’m 29 years old. I still feel like I’m improving and still feel like there’s more to tap into from a basketball perspective and the impact I can have. I don’t know what that’s going to look like as far as the actual role. Let those decisions fall in the hands of the coaching staff, and deal with it the best way I can, which is showing up working and handling my business.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Fourth-year forward Caleb Martin is dealing with a “loose tooth or two, six stitches in his mouth, a sore thumb and a balky ankle,” but he has been playing his best basketball of the season of late, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link). “I think I’m just letting go,” Martin said of his improved three-point shot. “I think mentally I’m just playing more free and stop overthinking. I’m not overthinking stuff as much. I’ve spent a lot of time in the gym with the coaches. I know I’m a good shooter. So I’m not going to miss when I’m just letting it go.” Martin is averaging 14.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 1.0 BPG while shooting 15-of-23 (60.9%) from deep over the past five games.
- New free agent addition Patty Mills says he sees similarities between the Spurs and Heat organizations and he hopes that will make the first time he’s switched teams midseason a bit smoother, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “Although it’s only been 24 hours, the impression of what the culture is here hits very hard,” Mills said. “It doesn’t take long for you to understand, to see it and to appreciate it. And within those 24 hours, there’s definitely [things] I’m used to and what I’m also about. That will be set up here for a smooth transition, hopefully.” Mills, who played 10 seasons with San Antonio, will be active Thursday, though it’s unclear if he’ll play.
- Mills also said he was “fully committed” to playing for the Australian national team in the Olympics this summer in Paris, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The news isn’t surprising — it will be the 35-year-old guard’s fifth Olympic appearance with the Boomers, who won the bronze medal at the last Olympics in Tokyo.
- Second-year forward Nikola Jovic says he would like to play for either Partizan or Crvena Zvezda — two EuroLeague teams in his native Serbia — in the future, he told Srdjan Todorovic of Telegraf. “… I love both teams, I follow them a lot, ” Jovic said, per BasketNews. “At some point, I would like to come back to play for one of our two big teams, especially because I played in Mega against both of them, and I would like to feel everything that happens there.”
Suns Sign Ish Wainright To Two-Way Contract
6:40pm: The Suns have officially signed Wainright, according to a release from the team (Twitter link via PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet). As we outlined in a separate story, Theo Maledon was waived to open up a two-way slot for Wainright.
3:37pm: The Suns are signing free agent forward Ish Wainright to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Wainright, 29, played 105 regular season games and 13 playoff contests with Phoenix from 2021-23. However, his non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract was released before the 2023/24 season began due to a roster crunch, and he was claimed off the waiver wire by the Trail Blazers.
Before he was claimed by Portland, a report stated that Phoenix had interest in bringing back Wainright, and several months later, that will come to fruition.
In part due to injuries, Wainright only appeared in seven games for the Blazers. They cut him in January before his contract became fully guaranteed, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Known more for his defense than his offense, Wainright has averaged 3.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG while shooting 33.1% from deep in 112 career regular season games over the past three seasons (11.8 MPG).
As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports observes (Twitter link), the Suns currently have three players — the maximum allowed — on two-way contracts, but a report last week indicated Saben Lee was a strong candidate to be converted to a standard deal. If Lee is promoted to Phoenix’s open standard roster spot, the team wouldn’t need to release anyone to add Wainright, as he would just fill Lee’s vacated spot.
Raptors Sign Jahmi’us Ramsey To 10-Day Contract
4:54pm: Ramsey has officially signed his 10-day contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
1:48pm: The Raptors intend to sign free agent guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A former second-round pick (43rd overall in 2020) who played one season of college basketball at Texas Tech, Ramsey spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings prior to being waived in February 2022. He appeared in 32 games with Sacramento, averaging 3.1 PPG in just 7.1 MPG.
Ramsey has spent the past two seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate. In 30 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Blue in 2023/24, the 22-year-old shooting guard has averaged 20.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .531/.406/.699 shooting in 29.5 MPG.
Toronto has an opening on its standard roster and won’t need to release anyone to add Ramsey, who will earn $116,075 over the course of his 10 days with the team.
Pacers, Quenton Jackson Complete Two-Way Deal
4:52pm: Jackson’s two-way deal with the Pacers is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
2:05pm: Free agent guard Quenton Jackson is signing a two-way deal with the Pacers, agents Adie Von Gontard and Gino Littles tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Jackson, 25, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022. He signed a two-way deal with the Wizards last February, playing in nine NBA games as a rookie and averaging 6.2 points and 1.7 assists in 15.0 minutes per contest.
Washington released Jackson last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He wound up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Chicago and has been playing for the G League’s Windy City Bulls during the 2023/24 campaign.
In 38 Showcase Cup and regular season games with Windy City this season, the 6’5″ point guard has averaged 16.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.3 minutes, posting a .478/.221/.768 shooting line.
Indiana had an open two-way spot after promoting Kendall Brown to a three-year standard contract, so no additional transactions are needed to sign Jackson.
Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum Named Players Of The Month
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for games played in February, the league announced (Twitter link).
Doncic, the Western Conference’s winner, continues to put up eye-popping statistics in 2023/24, averaging 33.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on .517/.398/.787 shooting in 11 games last month (37.2 MPG).
He helped guide Dallas to an 8-3 record in February, though the Mavs have since lost two straight and currently hold a 34-27 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the West.
Tatum, meanwhile, led the way for a Boston team that was 9-1 in February, averaging 27.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.7 APG and 1.1 SPG on .480/.351/.887 shooting in 36.0 MPG.
Tatum is the first repeat Player of the Month winner this season, having also earned the honor for October/November. After claiming spots on the All-NBA First Team each of the past two seasons, the 26-year-old appears on track for another all-league spot in 2023/24, with the Celtics currently 48-12, the No. 1 seed in the East (and the NBA).
The other nominees in the West were Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East, per the NBA (Twitter links).
Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller Named Rookies Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Hornets wing Brandon Miller have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for February, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the second straight time both players have won the monthly award for rookies.
Wembanyama, the West’s winner, averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists on .474/.413/.831 shooting in 12 games last month (28.9 minutes per contest). The No. 1 overall pick also posted staggering defensive stats in those appearances, averaging 2.0 steals and 3.9 blocks to boost his season-long averages to 1.3 steals and a league-high 3.4 blocks per game.
Miller, the East’s winner, averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals on .448/.374/.882 shooting in 13 February games (34.5 minutes). The former Alabama guard/forward was the No. 2 overall pick.
Per the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Utah’s Keyonte George, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, and Houston’s Amen Thompson, while Toronto’s Gradey Dick, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez, and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson — Amen’s identical twin brother — were the nominees in the East.
LeBron James, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of The Week
Lakers forward LeBron James and Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).
James, the Western Conference’s winner, helped guide L.A. to a 2-1 record last week, averaging 30.3 points, 8.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks with a .569/.500/.600 shooting line in his three appearances (37.6 MPG). The four-time MVP also eclipsed 40,000 career points in Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets, expanding his lead as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Brown, who won for the East, had a strong week as well, averaging 28.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.0 SPG on .623/.471/.846 shooting in 29.3 MPG in convincing victories over Philadelphia, Dallas, and Golden State. The Celtics, who have won 11 straight games, hold (by far) the best record in the NBA at 48-12, six games ahead of the Thunder.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brandon Ingram, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, while Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Evan Mobley, and Brown’s teammate Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter links).