And-Ones: Dumars, Silver, 2024 Draft, Hill, Snell
In an interview with Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars said that while he has sympathy for injured players, such as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Haliburton, who may miss out on postseason awards due to the 65-game requirement, he noted the rule was collectively bargained and approved by the National Basketball Players’ Association last year.
“You’re always gonna have unintended consequences, that’s the first thing,” Dumars told Yahoo Sports. “The second thing, you kind of knew that the first couple of guys that were going to get close to that mark, it will become an issue. So it probably was going to become a talking point at some point. It could’ve been a month from now. The number is what the number is. I’m not surprised, (though).”
Dumars also said the NBA has been talking to coaches, general managers and the competition committee about the rise in scoring over the past decade.
“The question is posed to each one of those groups: Is the balance out of whack? Do we need to balance this more to allow defenses to defend more, to do more on the defensive end of the court? And by and large, people are saying it wouldn’t be bad to have a little bit more defense,” Dumars said.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Ringer’s staff listed what they view as the 15 biggest challenges facing NBA commissioner Adam Silver over his next 10 years in office. Silver recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in charge of the league office through the rest of the decade. Perhaps the biggest challenge? According to Howard Beck, that will be finding the next “face of the league” when LeBron James and Stephen Curry retire.
- Jonathan Givony of ESPN (subscriber link) recently released an in-depth notebook from a 10-day scouting trip across Europe, with potential 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher among the players covered. At 6’10”, Risacher possesses a tantalizing blend of two-way skills and has excellent basketball instincts, according to Givony, who says the French 18-year-old has an “incredibly high floor” due to his “confidence, productivity and efficiency” while also having considerable upside.
- Grant Hill, a Hall of Fame player who is currently managing director of USA Basketball as well as a minority owner of the Hawks, is among a group of noteworthy investors who have agreed to buy the MLB’s Baltimore Orioles, per The Associated Press (link via ESPN.com). Longtime Orioles star Cal Ripken Jr. is another investor in the team. Hill has ties to the area, as he’s from northern Virginia, not far from Washington D.C.
- Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports explains why former NBA wing Tony Snell has family and health reasons for wanting to make it back to the league. Snell needs one more year of service (10) to qualify for the union’s premium medical insurance plan for families; he’s currently the only one covered, but he has two sons with autism spectrum disorder (Snell is also on the spectrum). The 32-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate.
Pacific Notes: Warriors Rumors, Lakers, Clippers
The Warriors aren’t interested in trading Draymond Green or Klay Thompson ahead of the February 8 deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, but they might consider moving Chris Paul or Andrew Wiggins.
Former No. 1 overall pick Wiggins is having a disappointing year, but he’s played much better recently, while Paul, who is currently injured after undergoing hand surgery, is 38 years old and on a pseudo-expiring contract. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, head coach Steve Kerr said he was aware of Wiggins being mentioned in trade rumors, but he hopes he’s still on the roster late next week.
“I’m very hopeful and I expect him to be here when the trade deadline passes,” Kerr said, per ESPN.
As for Green and Thompson, Windhorst’s report isn’t surprising. While Shams Charania of The Athletic has said Stephen Curry will be the only Warrior off the table in trade talks, he also downplayed the possibility of a trade involving Green or Thompson, two longtime veterans who helped Golden State win four championships — and make six Finals appearances — from 2015-22. Other reporting indicated Curry would have to sign off on such a deal, which was always considered unlikely.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Appearing on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show on Wednesday (Twitter link), Kerr said the Warriors might be better served by waiting for injured players to return rather than making trades. “We’re not going to find better players than (Chris Paul and Gary Payton II) in a trade,” Kerr said. “It’s exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level.” Payton has been out since January 2 with a grade 2 left hamstring strain. Kerr also mentioned Moses Moody as another injured contributor. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Moody will miss this weekend’s back-to-back, but he has a chance to return on Monday after being out since January 10 due to a left calf strain. Dario Saric is also out for at least Friday, as he’s away from the team with an illness.
- After a major upset victory over the Celtics in Boston on Thursday without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Lakers guard Austin Reaves said the team responded well to James’ frustrated comments about “doing their jobs,” which occurred after Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Atlanta (YouTube link). Reaves scored a season-high 32 points (on 10-of-18 shooting, including 7-of-10 from deep) in Thursday’s win.
- The Clippers had more total victories in December and January than any team in the NBA. Should they even make a trade? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that P.J. Tucker, Bones Hyland and Brandon Boston look to be the three most likely trade candidates, but L.A. may just stand pat.
- Tucker expressed frustration with his role — or lack thereof — in December, and nothing has changed since. However, he’s 39, doesn’t contribute much on offense, and holds a $11.54MM player option for 2024/25, which all hurt his trade value. According to Murray, the veteran forward has been a positive locker room presence, particularly for Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but the Clippers forward admits he’s trying to balance being a professional “while trying to get in a better situation for me, personally,” he told The Athletic. “It kind of is what it is at this point.” Tucker expressed skepticism about the possibility of turning down his player option, making him an unlikely buyout candidate. “That all depends on the situation, timing, where,” Tucker said. “It’s a lot of things that plays into that. I worked hard to be able to get myself in that position. The contract I got, the timing I got it, and all that … it means a lot and something I don’t take for granted. It’s definitely going to take a lot of thought and it’s going to take a real, real opportunity for me to have to go against that.”
Knicks, Rich Paul Reportedly Work Out Differences
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul met with Knicks management on Friday and “things were hashed out,” a source told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The two sides are now focused on moving forward with a better working relationship, says Bondy.
Paul had a long-running feud with Knicks management of unknown origin, though it’s worth noting that New York has a reputation of favoring clients of CAA, the agency that employed Leon Rose before he took over as New York’s president of basketball operations.
While Paul’s most famous client is Lakers superstar LeBron James, he represents many players around the league, including Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. The former All-Star has been one of the more accomplished players frequently mentioned in trade rumors this season.
A December report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv said “some prominent members” of the Knicks viewed Murray as an “ideal trade target,” but there was a hurdle to overcome due to Paul. However, Begley also said Paul was open to an in-person meeting with the Knicks to work out their differences, and now that has reportedly come to fruition.
It’s unclear if the cleared air between Paul and Knicks brass will be the impetus for renewed trade talks for Murray, but it’s certainly a noteworthy development with the trade deadline less than a week away.
The Hawks are viewed by rival executives as the “most active and aggressive team” on the trade market, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, and they’re said to be interested in third-year wing Quentin Grimes. New York has multiple future first-round picks — which Atlanta reportedly covets for Murray — and also has Evan Fournier for salary-matching purposes.
Cavs’ Mitchell, Suns’ Booker Named Players Of The Month
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Suns guard Devin Booker have been named Players of the Month for games played in January, the league announced on Thursday (Twitter link).
Mitchell, the Eastern Conference winner, averaged 28.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, 5.2 RPG and 2.1 SPG on .473/.357/.812 shooting last month. He helped lead Cleveland to an 11-2 record in January, despite missing starters Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for most of those games.
Mitchell, 28, is only the second player in Cavs history to be named the East’s Player of the Month, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. LeBron James earned the award 26 times in his two stints with the team.
Booker, the West’s winner, averaged 30.0 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .539/.400/.860 shooting in 16 games last month. Phoenix went 11-5 over that span. According to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link), Booker, the reigning Player of the Week, now holds the most Player of the Month awards in Suns franchise history with three, passing several noteworthy players who had two.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard, Lauri Markkanen and Domantas Sabonis, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Coby White were nominated in the East (Twitter links).
Raptors Notes: Young, Poeltl, Quickley, Barrett, Gasol
Filling in at small-ball center with Jakob Poeltl sidelined with a sprained ankle, Raptors forward Thaddeus Young had perhaps his best game of the 2023/24 season in Tuesday’s victory over his former team, the Bulls, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
At 35 years old and in his 17th NBA season, Young finished with 16 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes while battling traditional centers in Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond. Young had only made seven cameo appearances this season prior to Poeltl’s injury, but has appeared in 11 straight games since.
“They’re two big guys who know how to rebound, very physical,” Young said of Vucevic and Drummond. “Takes a toll on you. But one thing I’m willing to do is fight with them and do the job that’s needed to be done. For me, it’s always about the battle. I enjoy the competition level. So for me, I’m willing to take whatever challenge there is, whether it’s me guarding guards, guarding my position or playing center.
“I don’t pay too much attention to that. Yeah, I’m 35 years old. But that’s young in regular life. When you play over 1,000 basketball games, that’s old to everybody else. But I just continue to play and show that I can play at a high level. As long as I’m able to do that, I’ll continue to play.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Young has drawn praise from his head coach and teammates for his leadership, professionalism, diligent work ethic, and ability to produce when called upon, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. The longtime veteran says his family has pushed him to play for a few more years, but he plans to discuss his future with them again when the time comes. Young is playing on expiring $8MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. “As the years go by, (TJ, Young’s oldest son) gets older (13), and I definitely want to start putting a lot of time and work into him, making sure that I give him the same opportunities I had,” Young said, per Koreen. “This is something I have to sit down with my family and talk about. They’ve been saying, ‘Go to Year 20. You can do it.’ Physically, yeah, I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong. I’m healthy, I can continue to go. But at that point, it’s just a matter of how much longer I want to play.”
- Poeltl has missed the past 11 games with the ankle sprain, but Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca says the Austrian big man’s return is “likely imminent,” noting that the former No. 9 overall pick has been full speed in workouts for nearly a week. Poeltl has shown his value to Toronto in part because the team has struggled mightily without him — as Grange observes, the Raptors are just 2-9 without Poeltl this season.
- In another story for The Athletic, Koreen writes that Poeltl’s injury has made it difficult for the new-look roster to jell. The Raptors want Immanuel Quickley, who has missed the past three games with a quad injury, to develop chemistry with Poeltl, but they’ve only played four games together thus far. Another new addition, RJ Barrett (knee swelling), has also missed the past two games. Poeltl and Quickley were full practice participants on Thursday, but Barrett did not do contact work (Twitter link via Koreen). The Raptors’ next game is Friday in Houston, and all three players are currently considered questionable, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
- Marc Gasol officially retired on Wednesday, prompting Raptors vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri to release a statement regarding the longtime veteran center, who started for Toronto when the team won the championship in 2019. “Marc has a special place in the hearts and memories of Toronto and of Canada,” Ujiri said. “He’s a champion on the court, where his unbelievable vision and masterful defense were key parts of our run to the 2019 title. He’s a champion in life too, with important contributions to communities around the world through the Gasol Foundation. He’s a three-time All-Star, first team All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Olympic silver medalist and, I believe, undisputed winner of best performance in the history of championship parades. Marc, the Raptors honor your grit and grind and we send you and your family our thanks and our best, warmest wishes for a happy retirement.”
Spurs’ Wembanyama, Hornets’ 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 January, the league announced on Thursday (Twitter link). Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, won for the Western Conference, while Miller, the No. 2 pick, won for the East.
A 7’4″ French phenom, Wembanyama spent much of January on a minutes restriction after suffering a sprained ankle, but was extremely effective while on the court. In 26.7 minutes per night over 14 games, the 20-year-old averaged 24.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.4 blocks on a .506/.324/.831 shooting line.
Wembanyama currently leads the NBA with 3.2 blocks per game while also chipping in 1.1 steals.
Miller, meanwhile, averaged 16.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 14 games for Charlotte last month (30.3 minutes per game). The 21-year-old posted a .421/.333/.833 shooting line.
According to the NBA, Chet Holmgren and Cam Whitmore were the other nominees in the West, while Bilal Coulibaly and Jaime Jaquez were nominated in the East (Twitter link). Holmgren and Jaquez took home the monthly awards for October/November and December.
Knicks’ Julius Randle To Be Reevaluated In 2-3 Weeks
Two-time All-NBA forward Julius Randle will be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks after sustaining a dislocated right shoulder last Saturday against Miami, the Knicks announced (on Twitter).
The news was expected and doesn’t reveal much beyond the fact that Randle will be sidelined through at least the All-Star break, as that’s the time period (February 15-22) when he’ll be reevaluated, observes Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Randle, 29, had appeared in every game this season for the Knicks prior to the injury, which came as Jaime Jaquez attempted to draw a change late in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Randle landed awkwardly with his right arm extended, then headed toward the training staff and was taken to the locker room for X-rays.
The two-time All-Star has missed the past two contests, both victories, and will miss at least seven more games before the All-Star break. The Knicks are the hottest team in the league, having won 14 of their past 16 games.
With Randle sidelined, Josh Hart has started in his place and seen a major uptick in minutes, with Precious Achiuwa also sliding down to power forward at times in addition to playing center.
NBA Fines Sixers, Pelicans For Injury Reporting Violations
The Sixers and Pelicans have each been fined for injury reporting violations, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Philadelphia was fined $75K for failing to include MVP center Joel Embiid on the injury report “in an accurate and timely manner” prior to Saturday’s game in Denver, while the Pelicans were fined $25K for a similar infraction involving Trey Murphy on Saturday vs. Milwaukee.
According to the NBA, the 76ers’ harsher punishment “takes into account Philadelphia’s prior history of fines for violating injury reporting rules. The league review confirmed there was no violation of player participation policy because Embiid’s absence was due to a confirmed injury.”
Embiid has missed two of the past three games with left knee soreness and will be sidelined for Thursday’s contest in Utah. He’s set to undergo additional testing today.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, half the money from the team fines will go to the NBA and half will go to the NBPA.
Trade Rumors: Pelicans, Carter, Tate, Hayes, Nets
The Pelicans are looking to shore up their frontcourt defense, but there aren’t many impact centers available on the trade market, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscriber link). Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. has been floated as a potential trade candidate, but Clark hears there is some “doubt” about Orlando moving him this season.
New Orleans doesn’t appear to hold much interest in Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray, but Clark says the Pelicans would make a “significant offer” for Nets wing Mikal Bridges if were ever made available. Multiple reports have stated Brooklyn is not interested in moving the 27-year-old.
According to Clark, the Pelicans may look for help on the buyout market if they can’t find a trade they like. They have an open roster spot and have Malcolm Hill on a 10-day deal, Clark notes.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Suns have shown some level of interest in Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM has heard the opposite, tweeting that Phoenix isn’t interested in Tate. The 28-year-old is earning $6.5MM this season and has a $7.1MM team option for 2024/25.
- Pistons guard Killian Hayes received a Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision for the first time this season in Wednesday’s loss vs. Cleveland. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Hayes’ benching felt like “the unofficial end” of the former lottery pick’s time in Detroit, though it’s unclear if Hayes will be moved prior to the February 8 deadline or perhaps let go in the offseason. “It’s just hard to play four point guards,” head coach Monty Williams said. “(Marcus) Sasser is playing off ball just to get him on the floor. I talked to Killian (before the game) and told him this was the route I was going to go.” Edwards hears Detroit nearly traded Hayes last summer before hiring Williams, who was interested in working with the 22-year-old.
- Multiple Nets players, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, have popped up in recent trade rumors. Cam Thomas says the team is doing its best to ignore the outside noise, as Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post relays. “Unspoken really, nobody really wants to talk about everybody’s situation,” Thomas said. “Everybody reads stuff, but I think it’s (an) unspoken (thing). Nobody talks about that kind of stuff. We’re just enjoying the moment that we have here and just playing together as a team. We playing well as a team. Everybody gets along, so we’re just enjoying the moment.“
Western Notes: Kuminga, Lakers, Wolves, Watson
At 20-24, the No. 12 seed in the West, the Warriors certainly aren’t where they hoped to be in the standings at this point in the 2023/24 season. However, one bright spot of late has been the play of third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, says Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
As Slater writes, Kuminga has been highly efficient attacking the paint over the past seven games, scoring 20-plus each game in averaging 25.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 61.9% from the field (32.0 minutes). Star guard Stephen Curry thinks Kuminga is turning a corner in his development.
“(He has) clarity on how he can impact the game,” Curry said. “Defensive intensity, pressure, taking what the defense gives him on the offensive end. Whether it’s attacking driving lanes, finishing at the rim, getting transition buckets for us, and knocking down open shots. There’s just an element of aggressiveness. You don’t want him out there second-guessing anything.”
Playing Kuminga more and letting him learn from mistakes shows the team finally realized it needed to shake things up, especially on offense, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who notes that Andrew Wiggins has played well lately too with Draymond Green starting at center.
Kuminga’s prominent role is in stark contrast to the uneven minutes he received earlier this season, with a report just a few weeks ago suggesting the 21-year-old was losing faith in head coach Steve Kerr. However, Slater recently said Kuminga has felt better about his situation since he met with Kerr in the wake of that report.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Christian Wood sent out a tweet saying “lol” shortly before the Lakers announced their starting lineup on Tuesday featured Jaxson Hayes starting at center with Anthony Davis sidelined, but he said after the game it wasn’t related to basketball, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I meant to quote (tweet) something,” Wood said. “I thought I did and I just pressed send, and I couldn’t check my phone before because we have to go out (to the court), but it was an accident. … I looked at it just now. … It came off a certain type of way. I didn’t mean it that way.” After the loss to Atlanta, LeBron James also sent out a cryptic hourglass emoji, Buha adds. The trade deadline is next Thursday, and the Lakers are currently 24-25.
- The Timberwolves have only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once in franchise history. How will they handle the pressure of being considered a title contender? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explores that topic, writing that Karl-Anthony Towns‘ willingness to adjust his game has paid dividends thus far in 2023/24. “The winning helps. It’s good when you’re able to sacrifice to see the result you wanted and share the success,” Towns said. “We’re all making this happen. This is not just a singular effort. This is a team coming together and saying ‘We really want to do something special.’“
- Already an impressive defender in year two, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson says he’s looking to expand his game on the other end of the court, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Watson has been taking far more mid-range shots lately, an area he’s comfortable in. “Coming in as a young player and trying to make a name for yourself and get a spot in the rotation, you’re not just coming in shooting of the dribble jumpers,” Watson told DNVR. “That’s not analytically the best shot, especially if you’re someone just coming in and trying to create his role. Now that I’ve created my role and people know what I’m going to do on the defensive end, it’s just been more about me expanding my game offensively, seeing what works, trial and error, and getting ready for when it counts in the playoffs.”