Central Notes: Stewart, Eubanks, C. Porter, Dosunmu, Terry
During Wednesday’s game vs. Phoenix, the Pistons released a statement regarding the pregame incident between forward/center Isaiah Stewart and Suns center Drew Eubanks.
“We are aware of the incident between Isaiah Stewart and Drew Eubanks prior to this evening’s game. We are in the process of gathering information about what happened and what provoked it, and responding to the NBA and local authorities.”
Eubanks was punched in the face by Stewart after arriving at the Footprint Center. He said he was OK and called it a “soft punch,” per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Eubanks played in the game, while Stewart remains sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Here’s more from the Central:
- Craig Porter Jr.‘s new four-year contract with the Cavaliers will pay him a guaranteed $1.5MM in 2023/24, nearly tripling the salary of his old two-way deal, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Porter’s base salary for ’24/25 is $1.9MM, with $1MM in guaranteed money. However, years three ($2.2MM) and four ($2.4MM) are fully non-guaranteed, with no special trigger dates beyond the league-wide guarantee date of January 7. The final season — ’26/27 — is a team option, Marks adds.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu had a stellar performance in Tuesday’s win over Atlanta, scoring a career-high 29 points (on 12-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three) and dishing out seven assists while playing terrific defense on Trae Young, who finished just 3-of-14 from the field, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Dosumnu has become a much more consistent offensive threat of late, averaging 15.9 PPG on .592/.525/.773 shooting over in the 14 games (32.3 MPG) leading up to Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland. “He’s got incredible stamina and endurance,” head coach Billy Donovan said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “It’s a skill. [Udonis] Haslem had it. Joakim [Noah] had it. The more fatigued and tired they get, the more stubborn they get and the more competitive and the more they push. He’s got that in him. He can keep his motor running high. For him to do what he did offensively and then to play the defense he did was a pretty remarkable performance with the number of minutes he got.”
- Second-year wing Dalen Terry has received rotation minutes for the Bulls in 2023/24 due to injuries to Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Torrey Craig (Craig has since returned), and while his performances have been uneven, he says the speed of the NBA game is starting to slow down for him, Johnson writes for NBC Sports Chicago. “This season I feel I improved a lot on my discipline, just realizing that sometimes my fouling gets me out of the game,” Terry said. “My confidence level is just so much different than it was last year. … My rookie year, sometimes I was out there and I was like, ‘Man, everything is going so fast.’ It just happened. Now I can see stuff happen before it happens. That’s been the easiest part to me.” Terry, 21, was the 18th pick of the 2022 draft.
Lakers Rumors: LeBron, Knicks, Bronny, Murray, LaVine, More
At the end of last month, Lakers forward LeBron James sent out an hourglass emoji on social media that led to plenty of speculation — and eventually an unsuccessful trade pursuit by the Warriors. Later that week in New York, James made some not-so-subtle comments about his love for playing in Madison Square Garden and said he considered signing with the Knicks as a free agent in 2010.
While James may have been attempting to put pressure on L.A.’s front office by using New York as leverage, the Knicks haven’t had any internal discussions about pursuing him this summer, a league source tells Sam Amick, Anthony Slater and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
As The Athletic’s authors explain, the Knicks won’t have cap room in free agency to make a run at James if he declines his $51.4MM player option, and shedding salaries would mean parting with important rotation players. The Knicks view that possibility as a “serious setback to their long-term plan.”
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has no desire to trade James, and wants him to retire a Laker, multiple team sources tell The Athletic. For his part, James recently informed the team’s brass he wants to stay, per The Athletic’s report.
Here’s more on the Lakers, all from Amick, Slater and Buha:
- Rival executives have become “increasingly convinced” that the 39-year-old superstar may want out of L.A., and view drafting his son Bronny James as something of a starting point to pursuing LeBron, according to The Athletic’s trio. James has spoken many times over the years about his desire to play in the NBA with his son. The Lakers are also open to the possibility of adding Bronny to keep LeBron happy, as that’s a priority for the organization, a high-ranking team source tells the authors.
- According to The Athletic, James has long been in favor of adding a star-level ball-handler in the backcourt — hence 2021 trade for Russell Westbrook, which obviously worked out poorly. James pushed the front office to pursue Kyrie Irving over multiple transaction windows in the past, and supported the idea of trading for Dejounte Murray (Hawks) or Zach LaVine (Bulls) — two fellow Klutch clients — prior to this season’s deadline, sources tell Amick, Slater and Buha.
- The Lakers will have three first-round picks available to trade this summer after standing pat at the deadline — either 2024 or 2025 (New Orleans can acquire this year’s pick or defer it to next year), plus 2029 and 2031. As Buha previously reported, L.A. would ideally like to use those draft assets for Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Trae Young (Hawks) or Irving (Mavericks), though it’s unclear how many of those players – if any – will actually be available on the trade market this offseason. For what it’s worth, rival teams have been speculating that Atlanta might be willing to part with Young after holding onto Murray at the deadline.
Warriors To Explore Trades For Star Wing In Offseason?
Warriors sources confirm to Sam Amick, Anthony Slater and Jovan Buha of The Athletic that Golden State made an unsuccessful run at Lakers superstar LeBron James prior to last week’s trade deadline. However, there’s “zero indication” the Warriors came close to acquiring James, per The Athletic’s report.
Still, the fact that Golden State tried to pry James out of L.A. shows the Warriors are willing to take big swings to try and capitalize on Stephen Curry‘s still-excellent form, despite his advancing age (he turns 36 next month). And it opened the door to a possible pursuit again this summer, when James could hit unrestricted free agency if he declines his $51.4MM player option.
According to The Athletic, James won’t be the only marquee player the Warriors will explore going after, assuming they’re even available. Their “dream scenario” would be trading for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, with Clippers wing Paul George and Suns forward Kevin Durant among the other star wings on their wish list.
Antetokounmpo has only ever played for Milwaukee and signed a long-term extension before the season began that has him under contract through at least 2027, with a player option for 2027/28. George holds a $48.8MM player option for ’24/25 and has openly said he hopes to sign an extension with the Clippers (he’d have to decline the PO to sign an extension). Durant, who won back-to-back titles with Golden State in 2017 and 2018, could hit free agency in 2026.
The emergence of Jonathan Kuminga — whom GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. called “virtually” untouchable after the deadline — has given the Warriors an internal pathway to a possible star running mate for Curry. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. Depending on what route Golden State takes, Kuminga could also be an enticing headliner in a blockbuster trade, The Athletic’s authors note.
As Amick, Slater and Buha write, only one of the Warriors’ future first-round picks (2030) is tied up in a trade beyond this year’s draft, and the team will have some financial flexibility as well, with Klay Thompson on an expiring $43.2MM contract and Chris Paul on a pseudo-expiring deal (his $30MM salary for ’24/25 is non-guaranteed).
Grizzlies Sign Jordan Goodwin To 10-Day Contract
FEBRUARY 13: The Grizzlies have officially signed Goodwin to his 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
It will technically be an 11-day deal, since 10-day contracts are required to cover a minimum of three games. Memphis plays twice more before the All-Star break, then resumes play on February 23 vs. the Clippers.
FEBRUARY 12: The Grizzlies intend to sign Jordan Goodwin to a 10-day contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Goodwin played four college seasons at Saint Louis before going undrafted in 2021. He’s in his third NBA season, having previously played for the Wizards and Suns.
A 25-year-old guard who’s known as a strong rebounder and defender, Goodwin was sent from Phoenix to Brooklyn ahead of last week’s trade deadline in the deal that saw Royce O’Neale land with the Suns. Goodwin was subsequently released by the Nets, and after clearing waivers, he became an unrestricted free agent.
Goodwin appeared in 40 games with Phoenix this season, averaging 5.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.0 APG in 14.0 MPG. He struggled with scoring efficiency, posting a lackluster .389/.288/.862 shooting line.
As our tracker shows, Memphis currently has a full 15-man standard roster. However, the Grizzlies have been decimated by injuries in 2023/24 — as with several other players they’ve signed to 10-day contracts, Goodwin’s deal will almost certainly come via the hardship exception.
According to Wojnarowski, Goodwin is expected to join Memphis “as soon as Tuesday,” which means his Grizzlies debut could come on Wednesday vs. Houston.
USA Basketball Announces February AmeriCup Qualifying Roster
USA Basketball has announced its 12-man roster for a pair of AmeriCup qualifying games that will be played later this month, according to a press release written by Michael Terry. The Americans will host Cuba in Kissimmee, Florida, on February 22, then will travel to Cuba for a second game on Feb. 25.
The roster is as follows:
- Jordan Bell, F/C
- Deonte Burton, G/F
- Michael Carter-Williams, G
- Will Davis, F
- RaiQuan Gray, F
- Dusty Hannahs, G
- Matthew Hurt, F
- Jayce Johnson, C
- Stanley Johnson, F
- Elfrid Payton, G
- Jahmi’us Ramsey, G
- Justin Wright-Foreman, G
Ten of the 12 players have at least some level of NBA experience, with Davis and Jayce Johnson the only exceptions. Carter-Williams, Stanley Johnson, and Payton are all former lottery picks. None of those 10 players are currently on NBA rosters, however, with Hurt being the most recent to play in the league (with Memphis on a 10-day hardship contract).
As previously reported, Jerome Allen will be the head coach for this round of qualifying games, with Melvin Hunt, Sydney Johnson and Bill Bayno serving as assistants. Bayno will also be a scout, per the release. Allen, Hunt and Bayno are all former NBA assistant coaches.
As Terry writes, the two qualifying games this month are the first of three qualifying windows ahead of the 2025 AmeriCup. In the other two qualifying windows, held Nov. 2024 and Feb. 2025, the U.S. will face Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, respectively.
Per the release, qualifying rounds consist of 16 teams distributed into four, four-team groups. Each team will play each opponent in their group twice, once at home and once away. The top three teams in each group (12 total) will advance to next year’s AmeriCup, which will occur Aug. 23-31, 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua.
Team USA has won the AmeriCup seven times, according to Terry, with the last victory coming in 2017. The Americans won bronze in 2022, which was the last time the tournament was held.
Heat’s Terry Rozier Week-To-Week With Right Knee Sprain
The Heat received good news on Monday, as an MRI revealed that Terry Rozier avoided a major injury, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the veteran guard is considered week-to-week with a right knee sprain.
According to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter links), there’s “legitimate optimism” that Rozier could return either right after or a few games after the All-Star break, though Winderman acknowledges the Heat tend to be cautious when it comes to injuries.
Rozier sustained the scary-looking injury (YouTube link via ESPN) midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s game vs. Boston. He landed awkwardly on his right leg on an attempted layup and trainers had to help him to the locker room.
The Heat traded Kyle Lowry and their lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick to acquire Rozier from Charlotte last month. If the pick doesn’t convey in ’27, the Heat will send their unprotected 2028 first-rounder to the Hornets instead.
Rozier, 29, was having a career-best season in Charlotte, averaging 23.2 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.9 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .459/.358/.845 shooting in 40 games (35.5 MPG), but he has struggled early on in his tenure with the Heat, averaging just 12.6 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.5 RPG and 0.8 SPG on .359/.234/.958 shooting through 10 games (29.9 MPG).
Fellow guard Josh Richardson was also injured against Boston, suffering a dislocated right shoulder in the second quarter. He’ll be reevaluated in a few weeks, per Charania.
Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Week
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter). Doncic won for the Western Conference, while Mitchell was the East’s winner.
Doncic helped lead Dallas to a 4-0 week, averaging 31.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals on .513/.442/.686 shooting in 37.5 minutes per game. The perennial All-NBA guard has taken his game to new heights this season, averaging career highs in several categories, including points (34.5), assists (9.4), and minutes (a league-high 37.6) per game, three-point percentage (38.0%) and free throw percentage (77.6%).
According to the Mavs (Twitter link), Doncic has earned more Player of the Week honors than any player in the West since 2019/20. This was his 11th weekly award over that span.
As for Mitchell, the East’s reigning Player of the Month helped guide Cleveland to a 4-0 week as well, averaging 27.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block on .541/.459/1.000 shooting in 33.0 minutes. Mitchell, who was selected as an All-Star for the fifth time in 2023/24, will also be participating in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend.
The Cavs are the league’s hottest team, having won 17 of their past 18 games.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Brandon Ingram, while Miles Bridges, Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
Pelicans’ Dyson Daniels Out Indefinitely With Torn Meniscus
2:22pm: According to a press release from the Pelicans, Daniels has a torn lateral meniscus and is receiving additional evaluations “to determine appropriate treatment options,” with another update to come in the future.
1:55pm: Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels has sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee and will be out indefinitely, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (via Twitter).
The No. 8 pick of the 2022 draft, Daniels has been a rotation regular for New Orleans in his second NBA season, averaging 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 52 games, including 15 starts (21.9 minutes). He posted a .438/.291/.640 shooting line in those contests.
While the 20-year-old Australian isn’t a great offensive player at this point in his development, he’s excellent on the other end, frequently defending opposing teams’ top perimeter scorers. Daniels is among the league leaders in steals per game, Charania notes.
It’s a tough setback for Daniels and the Pelicans, who have dealt with numerous injuries to key players over the past few seasons. The former G League Ignite guard had appeared in every game during the 2023/24 season prior to the injury.
As Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets, Pelicans reserves like Naji Marshall, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado are candidates to receive more playing time with Daniels sidelined.
Celtics Notes: Trades, Stevens, Springer, Tillman, Roster
The Celtics made a somewhat surprising trade with a division rival on Thursday, landing third-year guard Jaden Springer from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. Speaking to the media on Friday, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the former first-round pick was a player they’d been eyeing for a few years, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com.
“We’ve tracked his development pretty closely over the years,” Stevens said. “We liked him in the draft a few years ago. He was the youngest player in that draft. He’s still a puppy. He’s still 21 years old. He was unbelievable in the G League playoffs last year. He’s done a lot of good things against us when he’s been up in Maine. We’ve seen him live several times up there. He’s a guy we’ve been tracking for a while.”
Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe hears from a source (Twitter link) that Springer was “strongly endorsed” by a pair of former 76ers assistant coaches who are now with the Celtics — Sam Cassell and Tyler Lashbrook.
“He is an athlete that can play athletically in the playoffs, right?” Stevens said of Springer, per Jay King of The Athletic. “But he also has a lot of growing to get better and he’s committed to that. He’s got a long runway ahead. So we’ll see how this year shakes itself out for him. See how it all fits with the team. But he’s a guy that we believe in.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- According to King, Stevens indicated that part of the reason Boston was interested in Springer and Xavier Tillman, the team’s other trade acquisition (from Memphis), is that they’re young players who could develop with the Celtics, who have a chance to retain them long-term. Tillman will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but Boston has his Bird rights, so it will be able to potentially re-sign him without worrying about salary cap limitations. Springer, meanwhile, already had his fourth-year team option exercised, and will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025 if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension in the offseason. The Celtics project to be over the second tax apron next season, when they’ll be more limited in how they can construct their roster due to the new CBA.
- Stevens said the front office didn’t want to disrupt the team’s chemistry, which is why the Celtics made a pair of relatively minor moves. As with Springer, Tillman was a player they’d liked for quite a while, particularly due to his defensive versatility and basketball IQ. “He competes, he passes, thinks the game well,” Stevens said, per King. “All the stuff that we’ve been fortunate with the guys we have around our best players, that they brought to the table. He knows how to play. So we’re excited to have him.” However, Tillman indicated that he’s still dealing with a left knee injury and has no timetable for his Celtics debut.
- While Stevens praised two-way center Neemias Queta, who has been viewed as a candidate to be promoted to a standard deal, he said the Celtics aren’t in a rush to fill the opening on their 15-man roster, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “I don’t know if making that final decision and saying, ‘OK, these are our 15 guys right now with two months left in the season,’ makes a lot of sense. I think we need to utilize this time to evaluate,” Stevens said.
- The Celtics send the Trail Blazers $3MM in cash as part of their Dalano Banton trade, reports Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Pistons Notes: Trades, Weaver, Grimes, Fontecchio, Hayes, Brown
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver has drawn criticism for the team’s lack of success during his tenure, which included a record-setting 28-game losing streak this season. Speaking to the media on Friday, Weaver maintained that he’s the right person to lead the basketball operations department going forward, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
“Absolutely, I’m the right guy,” Weaver said. “I sat here in June 2020 and said we’re going to restore the Pistons, and that’s what we’re going to do. We have a plan in place, a young core that’s showing that they’re growing and have a chance to be special players. It’s on us to continue to fortify that group. We have things in place, our core is in place. Have a coach in place to lead us. Absolutely, excited about the future. Like I said, we’ll own what’s behind us. But more importantly, we’re excited about what’s ahead of us.”
Weaver also addressed the additions of Quentin Grimes and Simone Fontecchio, who were acquired in separate trades with New York and Utah, respectively.
“Grimes is a 3-and-D guy,” Weaver said, per Sankofa. “(Houston coach) Kelvin Sampson, I spoke with him about (Marcus Sasser) and he said his two hardest workers were Sasser and Quentin Grimes. We’re excited about adding Grimes. He fits the profile that we need. Doesn’t need the ball to hit shots and he defends at a high level. Great teammate. We expect him to step into a role to help support the young core. .. He was a target for us.
“This guy has made huge, huge strides from his first year in the NBA to this season,” Weaver continued, about Fontecchio. “Versatile, his shooting, toughness, the vigor he plays with. We’re excited about what he adds. A young veteran even though it’s his second year in the NBA.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- While Detroit made five in-season trades in 2023/24 and overhauled much of the roster, Grimes and Fontecchio are the only newly acquired players who look like locks to be on the team to open ’24/25, Sankofa writes in a subscriber-only story. Fontecchio will be a restricted free agent this summer, Sankofa notes, while Grimes will be a RFA in 2025 if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
- Former No. 7 overall pick Killian Hayes — Weaver’s first draft choice as GM — was released yesterday in order to make room for the incoming players. Head coach Monty Williams hopes the 22-year-old guard catches on with another team, as Sankofa tweets. “He had some good moments with us,” Williams said of Hayes. “(Sasser) was playing at a pretty good clip and then Monte (Morris) came back, and I wanted to try some new things … I think he would agree he had a great opportunity here and I wish him the best.”
- The trade deadline moves can’t rectify Detroit’s “nonchalant” 2023 offseason, which played a significant factor in the team’s 8-43 record, but having competent wing shooters who can also defend like Grimes, Fontecchio and Troy Brown puts the roster in a better spot for the rest of the season and in the future, says James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Cutting Hayes and trading Morris also made clear that Sasser should be viewed as part of the team’s core, Edwards writes. While Weaver’s asset management is certainly questionable, the Pistons will likely have a top-five pick on top of a ton of cap room to make impact signings or trades this summer, according to Edwards.
- In another story for The Athletic, Edwards predicts the team’s post-deadline depth chart, with Fontecchio as the starting small forward and Grimes as the backup shooting guard, though he expects both to play heavy minutes. Edwards also believes Brown will find his way into a rotation spot down the stretch.