Central Notes: Lillard, A. Jackson, Smith, Merrill, Jerome
Bucks guard Damian Lillard became the 51st player in NBA history to surpass 20,000 career points in Tuesday’s victory over San Antonio, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. Lillard scored a season-high 40 points, shooting 14-of-22 from the floor, 7-of-12 from long distance, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
“I don’t want to fake downplay it like it’s nothing,” Lillard said. “I know it’s a big deal. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s a rare space to be in.”
According to Megargee, Lillard is the eighth active player to reach the milestone, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Chris Paul. Lillard, James, Harden and Curry are the only players in league history to record at least 20,000 points, 5,000 assists and 2,000 three-pointers, Megargee adds.
Here’s more from the Central:
- Rookie Bucks wing Andre Jackson Jr. recently started two games in place of Malik Beasley, who was out with an illness. Beasley reclaimed his starting job on Tuesday, but Jackson will continue to receive rotation minutes, head coach Adrian Griffin told reporters, including Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). “He did a tremendous job the past couple games. … We’re all extremely pleased with his progress so far,” Griffin said as part of a larger quote. Jackson, 22, was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
- After missing the past nine games with a left knee bone bruise, Pacers big man Jalen Smith will be active for Wednesday’s contest vs. Charlotte, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Smith had been one of the more productive reserves in the league on a per-minute basis prior to the injury, averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds on .707/.667/.741 shooting through 14 games (15.4 MPG).
- Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill hasn’t played much this season, averaging just 8.4 MPG in his 13 appearances prior to Monday’s game. But he was instrumental in the Cavs’ overtime victory over Houston on Monday night, scoring a career-high 19 points while also chipping in four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 24 minutes, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Merrill, whose contract is non-guaranteed, converted 5-of-10 from behind the arc in an expanded role with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out for the next several weeks.
- In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, a source tells Fedor that Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome‘s recovery from a high ankle sprain has reached a “plateau,” and his progress (or lack thereof) has “confounded” the team’s medical staff. Jerome, who signed a two-year deal with the Cavs as a free agent over the summer, remains in a walking boot and is out indefinitely, Fedor writes.
Nets Announce Injury Updates On Simmons, Walker, Smith
While Nets guard Ben Simmons “has displayed consistent strength improvement” with the nerve impingement in his lower left back over the past couple weeks and has ramped up his individual on-court work, he’s still out at least two more weeks, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com).
Simmons has been sidelined since November 6 due to the back injury. He has been dealing with similar issues for the past three years, and back pain played a role in limiting him to 42 games last season. The 27-year-old is up to 20 missed games thus far in 2023/24, with several more to follow — the Nets play nine times over the next couple weeks, including three back-to-backs.
Brooklyn also provided updates on guards Lonnie Walker (hamstring strain) and Dennis Smith Jr. (upper back strain). Walker, who has been out for the past eight games, has gradually increased his activity and is expected to play 5-on-5 soon, per the release — the team hopes he’ll return to the lineup next week.
Smith, who has missed the past six games, is the closest to returning. He has been cleared for full basketball activities, and while he’s out tonight against New York, he’s listed as questionable for Friday’s contest vs. Denver.
The Nets are currently 13-13, the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Grizzlies Waive Kenneth Lofton Jr.
DECEMBER 18: The Grizzlies have officially waived Lofton, the team confirmed in a press release on Monday night. The move opens up a spot to formally activate Morant.
DECEMBER 17: The Grizzlies plan to release Kenneth Lofton Jr., reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
As Cole explains, the Grizzlies need to create a roster spot with Ja Morant nearing a return from his 25-game suspension; that’s expected to occur Tuesday vs. New Orleans. Lofton won’t be traveling on the team’s two-game road trip, which starts Monday in Oklahoma City.
Two different reports from the past week indicated that Lofton was the most likely player to be cut. When Morant was placed on the suspended list following the fifth game of the season, the Grizzlies signed Bismack Biyombo, and they’ll reportedly be keeping him around for now.
Lofton, a second-year forward/center, was promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract near the end of the 2022/23 season.
The 21-year-old had an opportunity to earn minutes in the frontcourt this season, with Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke sidelined with long-term injuries, plus Xavier Tillman missing extended time. But he was unable to establish himself as a consistent contributor this fall, averaging just 2.6 points per game on 37.8% shooting in 15 appearances (6.6 MPG).
A source tells Cole that Lofton met with head coach Taylor Jenkins earlier in ’23/24 to gain a better understanding of why he wasn’t playing, but Jenkins reportedly told him there weren’t many minutes available.
Lofton has two years left on his contract after this season, but both are non-guaranteed. That means if he clears waivers, the Grizzlies will only be on the hook for his ’23/24 salary, which is $1,719,864.
According to Cole, Lofton is expected to draw interest from rival teams due to his ability to score. He averaged a double-double for the Memphis Hustle (the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate) last season, winning the NBAGL’s Rookie of the Year award in the process.
Lauri Markkanen Hopes To Remain With Jazz
In a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, forward Lauri Markkanen made it clear he hopes to remain with the Jazz. An All-Star for the first time in 2022/23, Markkanen also won the Most Improved Player award in his first season with Utah.
Markkanen’s name has popped up in recent trade rumors, though rival executives expect him to stay put. He’s on a very team-friendly contract, making $17.26MM this season and $18.04MM in 2024/25.
Here are a few highlights from Amick’s interview with the Finnish star.
On the team’s slow start (Utah is currently 9-17 after going 37-45 last season):
“I try to look at the big picture. Obviously, we haven’t had the easiest start to the year, but I think it’s about keeping that long-term mindset in mind and trying to get better every day. Of course, we want to win every game, but even when you lose I think there’s things that we can learn and get better at. It’s not the easiest start, but everybody’s being positive still and working on the team stuff and individually as well. We just have to try to get more together and hopefully, we can grab a couple of these wins.”
On Salt Lake City:
“Oh, yeah. Love it. So we’d like to be there. We like the environment. It’s a pretty comfortable place to be.”
On dealing with trade rumors:
“I’ve been traded, I guess, technically three times with draft night included. Sometimes I knew about it. Sometimes I didn’t. So I kind of learned the business side of basketball. I’ve kind of learned to just go day by day and really put the work in and try to play to the best of my abilities and whatever happens happens, really. Like I said, I love being in Utah and it’s a compliment of what you’ve done in the past (that teams have interest). We’ll see. But yeah, I just want to emphasize that I really believe in what we’re building here with the Jazz. Go day by day. Do your best. That’s all you can do.”
The interview is worth reading in full for those who subscribe to The Athletic.
Miles Bridges Denied Access To Canada, Unlikely To Play Monday
3:50pm: Bridges is unlikely to play on Monday night, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
1:23pm: Forward Miles Bridges was denied entry at the Canadian border on Sunday night and the Hornets are trying to get him to Toronto prior to Monday’s game against the Raptors, a league source tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
While the reason for the denial of access isn’t known, it may be due to his plea deal from last November, when he pleaded no contest — accepting punishment and conviction without admitting guilt — in a felony domestic violence case. He also faces newer allegations that are related to the original case.
As Boone writes, any person with a criminal record can be denied access into Canada. Those with past convictions can file a waiver of exclusion to try and gain clearance, and the process can take several weeks to possibly receive entry. It’s unclear if Bridges filed the waiver, which also has a fee attached, per Boone.
Bridges, 25, remained unsigned all of last season while his legal situation played out. Following an NBA investigation, he received a 10-game suspension to open ’23/24, though the league technically called it a 30-game suspension, with 20 games applied retroactively. Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 after signing a $7.92MM qualifying offer in the offseason.
In an article evaluating fake trade proposals, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says he heard the Pistons have had “internal discussions” about Bridges within the past year. However, due to the forward’s “baggage,” Edwards believes Detroit will avoid Bridges, at least in the short term.
After finishing last season a disappointing 27-55, Charlotte has once again struggled to open ’23/24 and currently holds a 7-17 record. Bridges is averaging 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 14 games (36.2 minutes per contest).
Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).
It was the first time that each of the star players have earned the weekly award in the 2023/24 season. Doncic has now been named Western Conference player of the week 10 times, while Antetokounmpo has won for the East 22 times, per their respective teams.
Doncic has been carrying an extremely heavy workload of late amid injuries to multiple teammates, including Kyrie Irving (heel contusion). The Slovenian star led Dallas to a 3-1 week, averaging 36.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11.5 assists and 1.5 steals on .490/.359/.969 shooting in his four appearances (41.0 minutes). The Mavs are currently 16-9, the No. 3 seed in the West.
Greek star Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, averaged 36.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 63.9% from the field in leading Milwaukee to a 4-0 week. The Bucks are currently 19-7, the No. 2 seed in the East.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Keegan Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zion Williamson were the other Western nominees, while Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid and Donovan Mitchell were nominated in the East.
Trade Rumors: LaVine, Kings, Raptors, Anunoby, Murray
Previous reporting indicated that Bulls guard Zach LaVine prefers to end up with the Lakers if he’s traded, but his agent Rich Paul says that’s not the case.
“It’s not one team,” Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I don’t have a specific destination for Zach. I want what’s best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that’s in Chicago or somewhere else.”
Paul pointed out that his agency — Klutch Sports — has players on 24 of the league’s 30 teams. LaVine is currently sidelined with a foot injury that’s expected to keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. The priority for now is to get the two-time All-Star healthy, Paul told Amick.
Here are some more trade rumors from Amick:
- The Kings have been linked to Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby several times in the past, and while their stance might change, the cost of trading for either player might be too exorbitant for Sacramento, according to Amick. As Amick explains, the Kings likely wouldn’t be willing to make a massive offer with both players possibly hitting unrestricted free agency next summer; Siakam is on an expiring contract, while Anunoby is “widely expected” to turn down his 2024/25 player option (which is worth $19.9MM). Amick hears that Anunoby, in particular, “does not appear to be of significant interest” to Sacramento.
- His injury and expensive contract long-term contract would almost certainly dampen what they’d willing to offer, but Amick suggests the Kings could be interested in LaVine if the price is right. Sacramento went into the offseason focused on improving its defense, Amick writes, and the team has been pretty successful on that front, going from 24th in ’22/23 to 14th in ’23/24. However, after having the NBA’s best offense last season, the Kings are 14th on that end right now too, and Amick suggests they’re focused on adding more shooting and scoring — LaVine’s best attributes. Sources tell Amick that LaVine would be “very amenable” to teaming up with De’Aaron Fox — another Klutch client — in the Kings’ backcourt. That aligns with a report last month from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
- Both Amick and Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee confirm the Kings are highly unlikely to trade second-year forward Keegan Murray, who just erupted for a career-high 47 points on Saturday, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 11 consecutive three-pointers in a single game. As Anderson writes, Murray set multiple franchise records in the victory over Utah: Points in a quarter (26), threes made in a quarter (seven) and threes made in a game (12). He finished a remarkable 12-of-15 from long distance.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Kerr, Green, Gobert, Roster
The Warriors nearly blew another double-digit lead on Saturday against Brooklyn, but they pulled out a “much-needed” victory behind the brilliance of two-time MVP Stephen Curry, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Curry, who finished with 37 points, went 7-of-7 from the field in the fourth quarter for 16 points, including 10 during a stretch of one minute and 40 seconds.
“Steph has had to carry this team, let’s be honest,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “And then the Draymond (Green) news, he was emotionally spent the last few days. And it was a slow start tonight. Then, as he’s done so often, he flipped the switch. You can kind of see when it happens right away. And he was incredible.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- While Green is “ultimately to blame” for the long line of incidents that led to his indefinite suspension, he’s not the only one who bears responsibility, according to Jim Trotter of The Athletic, who argues that Kerr and the Warriors put “winning ahead of accountability” and “pacified” Green instead of punishing him, which played a role in his repeated misconduct. Trotter points to Kerr’s comments regarding Green’s lengthy history of ejections and suspensions leading up to the punch of Jordan Poole as evidence that Kerr continues to minimize the behavior. “Everything before that, over a decade of play, what are we really talking about? We’re talking about getting ejected for yelling at the ref or throwing a ball,” Kerr said with a shrug (video link).
- Green was suspended for five games earlier this season for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock for several seconds, and the two have a contentious relationship. But Gobert said he has “empathy” for Green after he was suspended indefinitely. “I have empathy for him,” Gobert told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “You see somebody that’s not well inside and suffering. You take away the game and all that, and you want somebody to be well and be able to do what we do every night and compete and be happy.”
- Golden State currently holds an 11-14 record, trailing Phoenix by two games for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said he still thinks the roster has championship upside. “Yeah, I do; I do believe this whole roster does, as the way it was designed,” Dunleavy said. “We certainly believed that, whatever it was, eight weeks ago, when we started the season. Some things haven’t broken our way. But these things change quickly. We get everybody rowing in the right direction, I think it’s doable. But hey, six weeks from now, the (Feb. 8) trade deadline, maybe something comes up that makes more sense and we do something. But this is a group that the core guys have been there are capable of doing it.”
Nets Notes: Thomas, Simmons, Smith, Walker
Since returning from an ankle sprain that caused him to miss nine games, third-year Nets guard Cam Thomas had been in a shooting slump, converting just 37.9% of his field goal attempts in the seven games leading into Saturday’s contest at Golden State.
While Brooklyn wound up losing to the Warriors in a nail-biter, Thomas was able to snap of out the slump, pouring in 41 points on 15-24 shooting (62.5%), writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“Yeah, just the way I was … just my feeling out there, the way I started the game off. I felt good coming in, feeling better, getting there by the day,” Thomas said. “In transition when I did a little floater, that’s when I really felt like I was good. I felt good. So my rhythm is coming back, getting there where I need to be. So you know, I just wanna keep it up and keep going.”
As a former first-round pick who had his fourth-year option exercised, Thomas will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. He’s averaging a career-high 23.9 points per game through 16 games in 2023/24.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Saturday was the two-week mark from when the Nets said there would be an update Ben Simmons, who has been sidelined since November 6 with a nerve impingement in his lower back. However, as Lewis tweets, head coach Jacque Vaughn said he had no clarity on Simmons’ status, and he wouldn’t know more until they return to Brooklyn. The Nets conclude their five-game West Coast trip on Monday in Utah, with their next home game coming on Wednesday against the Knicks.
- Backup guard Dennis Smith Jr. will miss his sixth straight game on Monday, Lewis adds (via Twitter). A free agent addition over the summer, Smith has been battling an upper back sprain.
- The Nets have gone 1-3 thus far on their road trip, and they’ve been missing the athleticism and “spark” of Lonnie Walker, Smith, and Simmons, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Like Smith, Walker was a minimum-salary free agent addition. He will miss his eighth consecutive game on Monday due to a groin strain.
Suns’ Bradley Beal Exits Friday’s Game With Ankle Injury
In just the second game featuring all of the members of Phoenix’s “big three,” Suns guard Bradley Beal sustained a right ankle injury in the first quarter of Friday’s contest against New York, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (all Twitter links here).
Beal appeared to be in a lot of pain after attempting a shot and having Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo step under his foot as he landed, which caused him to roll his right ankle (video link). DiVincenzo received a Flagrant 1 foul on the play.
Beal stayed in the game to shoot free throws and was able to walk off the court without assistance, but he seemed to have a limp and immediately headed back to the locker room. The Suns later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest, Bourguet adds.
It’s a tough setback for Beal, who was making just his sixth appearance of the 2023/24 season after battling a back injury for much of the fall, which caused him to miss 19 games. Phoenix’s other two stars — Kevin Durant and Devin Booker — have also missed time this season due to various injuries (four absences for Durant, nine for Booker).
As Bourguet tweets, the sample size is extremely small, but the Suns are plus-15 in the 23.8 minutes the trio have shared the court together thus far.
Hopefully the injury turns out to be minor, though it certainly looked like a bad sprain. Despite dealing with several injuries, the Suns have held their own to this point and had a 13-11 record entering Friday’s game.
Here are a few more injury notes on the Suns:
- Sharpshooter Grayson Allen was questionable heading into the game but he returned from a three-game absence on Friday after dealing with a right groin strain, as Bourguet relays (via Twitter). Allen, who was acquired via trade in the offseason, is averaging career highs in several statistics, including points (12.3), rebounds (4.5), assists (2.9) and three-point percentage (46.8) through 19 games, all starts.
- Josh Okogie missed his second straight game on Friday with a right hip injury, but it’s not a long-term concern, head coach Frank Vogel told reporters, including Bourguet (Twitter link). The 25-year-old is in his second season with the Suns after re-signing on a two-year deal in free agency over the summer.
- Forward Nassir Little, who was acquired in the same blockbuster trade as Allen, recently returned from an orbital fracture, which requires him to wear a face mask on the court. He thinks the play he was injured on (video link) was a “dirty” one by Kings center JaVale McGee, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “I feel like it was a dirty play, I watched it over and over,” Little said. “He had hooked my arm … I could have broke my arm.”