Nets Waive Alondes Williams
The Nets have waived rookie guard Alondes Williams, the team announced.
Williams won ACC Player of the Year in 2021/22 for Wake Forest, but went undrafted this past June. He caught on with the Nets shortly after the draft, signing a two-way contract.
The 23-year-old only made one NBA appearance for a total of five minutes. However, he was a regular for the team’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, averaging 9.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG in 11 games (26.2 MPG) during the Showcase Cup.
Williams struggled with turnovers (2.5 per contest) and efficiency (.368/.341/.625 shooting line) during the Showcase Cup, which may have played a factor in his release. The Nets have a full 15-man standard roster, but now have a two-way opening.
Heat Suspend Dewayne Dedmon One Game Without Pay
After consulting with the NBA, the Heat have suspended backup center Dewayne Dedmon for one game without pay for conduct detrimental to the team, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter), Dedmon cannot be sanctioned further by the NBA after being suspended by the Heat due to a “no double-jeopardy” rule.
Dedmon was suspended for an incident during Tuesday’s victory over Oklahoma City. After being subbed out of the game less than three minutes into the second quarter, he got into an argument on the sidelines with head coach Erik Spoelstra and assistant Caron Butler.
When the big man, visibly angry, left the bench and began walking toward the locker room, he swatted at a Theragun and sent the massage device flying onto the court in the middle of play (video link via Bleacher Report). Dedmon was ejected from the game for the incident.
The 33-year-old has dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot in 2022/23, which has limited his effectiveness. Through 29 games, he’s averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds on .512/.306/.727 shooting in 11.7 minutes per contest.
Dedmon makes $4.7MM this season, so he will lose approximately $32K as a result of the one-game suspension.
Knicks Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Hartenstein, Grades
RJ Barrett returned to the Knicks‘ starting lineup on Wednesday against Indiana and did not have a minutes restriction, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters, including ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). The fourth-year forward missed six straight games after suffering a pretty gruesome finger injury which required six stitches.
Through 35 games (34.1 MPG), Barrett is averaging 19.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 3.0 APG on .427/.332/.762 shooting.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Immanuel Quickley proved that he deserves a bigger role after strong performances starting in place of Jalen Brunson and Barrett, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Thibodeau is a big fan of the third-year guard’s basketball IQ and defense. “The thing I love about Quick is that he’s smart, he’s very, very smart,” Thibodeau said. “He knows, he understands what he has to do to help our team defense. I think it’s his greatest strength. So he can play — even when he’s guarding twos, his size, because of his intelligence, he knows how to create body position. Very good with his hands, his feet, rarely is he out of position, and I think that does your defense a lot better. And he’s going to give you great effort all the time.”
- Free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein provided nice play-making for the Clippers last season, but the Knicks haven’t utilized him in that role. He said his first season with the Knicks has been “up and down,” writes Greg Joyce of The New York Post. “It’s been a little difficult, but at the end of the day, it’s about what the team needs,” Hartenstein said of adjusting roles. “Everyone sacrifices certain aspects of their game. Not everyone’s playing exactly how they want to play, but that’s every team. … Now I just kind of have to sacrifice one of my best attributes. But whatever the team needs. We got three guys that are very ball-dominant and I think that’s kind of how we’ve been winning. It’s hard to say much if we’re winning.”
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News hands out midseason grades for the Knicks. Both Brunson and Mitchell Robinson received an A.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Vucevic, Magic, Favors, Heat
Johnny Davis, the 10th overall pick last June, has rarely seen the court for the Wizards, making just 10 appearances for an average of 5.0 minutes per contest. The rookie guard has spent most of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, averaging 11.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.0 SPG on .408/.352/.786 shooting in 14 games (25.2 MPG) during the Showcase Cup.
Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has been keeping a close eye on the lottery pick’s G League performances, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
“I think the injuries have been a big piece of it. It’s hard to really evaluate a guy who hasn’t had a ton of opportunities here. I’ve seen a lot of growth with his G-League development,” Unseld said of Davis, who is currently sidelined with a right hip strain.
“The level of confidence he’s playing with, I think he’s starting to see the game slow down for him. Offensively, I think he’s starting to settle in to see the types of plays and the types of shots we want him to take. So, there’s a lot of growth there. I know it’s not translating as fast as maybe we would all like to see, but I think it bodes well.”
Go-Go head coach Mike Williams also spoke to Hughes about Davis, saying he’s done a nice job defensively, but he needs to work on his decision-making and shooting offensively.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- The Wizards are shorthanded for tonight’s game against the Bulls. In addition to guard Bradley Beal, who continues to be sidelined with a left hamstring strain, big men Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (right rib contusion) were downgraded from questionable to out (Twitter link). Deni Avdija and Taj Gibson started in place of Gafford and Porzingis. Backup forward Rui Hachimura should also see an uptick in minutes.
- In an appearance on The Sixth Man Show podcast, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was asked if he would be open to returning to the Magic if it made sense for him down the road. “Of course, I mean yeah,” Vucevic said. “That’s something that I would love to do at some point. We’ll see when that is possible, if that’s realistic and how it all works out. But yeah, for sure, I would like to, if anything, at least get one last year in Orlando. I think it’s only right it happens, so we’ll see. … I feel like I have a lot of basketball left, so who knows what will happen, but yeah, for sure, it’s something that’s on my mind, I can’t say it’s not.” The two-time All-Star will be a free agent in the summer.
- Veteran center Derrick Favors, an Atlanta native who just inked a 10-day contract with the Hawks, says he grew up a fan of the team. “Oh, definitely a fan growing up,” Favors said, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). “Back when they had like Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, those guys. I’m definitely a fan, Al Horford. And just being from Atlanta has always been a dream to, you know, at least put the jersey on at least one time. So, it’s definitely a dream, and I’m blessed and humbled to be here.” According to Williams, Favors went through shootaround Wednesday, but he wasn’t sure if he’d see the court against the Bucks. “It’s up to them, you know, if they call the name, call my number, I’ll be ready,” he said. “You know, if not, then you know, I’ll be ready for the next game. So, you know, we’ll see.”
- Head coach Nate McMillan provided a little more context on Favors’ potential role during his 10-day stint, Williams adds (Twitter links). He said he would prefer Favors to go through a practice before actually playing, but he might play Wednesday if needed. McMillan views Favors as an “insurance policy” when the Hawks need more size.
- The Heat have dealt with so many injuries this season that head coach Erik Spoelstra admits that he sometimes forgets who is actually available to play, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We’ve been dealing with a lot of moving parts,” he said. “I kept on forgetting who’s available and who’s not.” Miami only had a seven-man rotation after Dewayne Dedmon was ejected Tuesday.
Heat’s G League Affiliate Acquires Justin Champagnie
The Heat‘s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, has claimed former Raptors forward Justin Champagnie off waivers, the Skyforce announced in a press release.
Champagnie, went undrafted in 2021 after two seasons at Pitt. He caught on with the Raptors, signing a two-way deal and appearing in 36 games as a rookie for an average of 7.8 minutes per contest. Champagnie then had his two-way deal converted to a standard contract last summer, but it was only partially guaranteed and he was waived by Toronto at the end of last month.
The 21-year-old has only made three NBA appearances thus far in 2022/23, but he has been a standout performer in the G League, averaging 22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .521/.368/.714 shooting during the Showcase Cup with Toronto’s affiliate, the Raptors 905. He remains an NBA free agent.
There is a viable pathway for Champagnie to land an NBA deal with the Heat if he performs well with the Skyforce and certain moves are made.
Backup center Dewayne Dedmon has fallen out of the Heat’s rotation and a recent incident with the coaching staff likely won’t do him any favors. If he gets traded, which seems probable, rookie center Orlando Robinson, who is on a two-way contract, is viewed as strong candidate to be promoted to a standard deal.
If both of those things transpire, Champagnie could receive Robinson’s two-way spot. If the Heat dump Dedmon’s salary in a trade, then they could also look to add a second player on their standard roster — their 15th spot is currently open due to their proximity to the luxury tax line, but removing Dedmon’s cap hit would give them the flexibility to fill it.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Pacific Division
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Pacific players.
Russell Westbrook, G, Lakers
2022/23: $47,063,478- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Up
There were concerns about whether Westbrook would accept a more limited role entering the 2022/23 season, given his combativeness and lack of accountability at the end last season’s disastrous campaign. He clearly didn’t respect former head coach Frank Vogel, despite the Lakers winning a title under Vogel in ’19/20.
The ’16/17 league MVP is on the downside of his career at 34 years old, and he’s certainly not going to approach his current salary on an annual basis in free agency. Moving to the bench also hasn’t helped him score more efficiently — his 49.3 true shooting percentage is his lowest mark in 13 years, and very close to a career low (48.9 as a rookie).
So why is his stock up?
His attitude, effort level and effectiveness on defense have changed dramatically under Darvin Ham. He’s also been less of a ball-hog and a more willing passer in ’22/23.
Before the season started, I thought he might be looking at a one-year deal in the $3-7MM range in free agency. Now, I think he could get something like a two-year deal for the standard mid-level exception ($23.3MM), although it is admittedly difficult to come up a list of suitors – his playing style is polarizing.
JaMychal Green, F/C, Warriors
- 2022/23: $2,628,597
- Note: Green is also earning $5,571,403 from his previous contract with the Thunder.
- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Down
Taking into account his full salary following a buyout agreement with the Thunder, Green has earned between $7MM and $8.5MM in five of the past six seasons primarily due to his inside-outside game and ability to rebound at a solid clip.
However, the outside part of his game has been lacking the past two seasons. He shot just 26.6% from deep with the Nuggets in ‘21/22 and is at 26.5% through 28 games this season.
Green is still rebounding well, but he’s turning the ball over more, has always been fairly foul-prone, and will be 33 in June. If the poor outside shooting continues, he’s likely looking at another veteran’s minimum deal in a best-case scenario, because he’s not big enough (6’8″, 227 pounds) to protect the rim as a center and isn’t shooting well enough to be serviceable as a stretch four.
Harrison Barnes, F, Kings
- 2022/23: $18,352,273
- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Neutral
Barnes had a very slow start this season, averaging just 9.9 points on a .368/.167/.800 shooting line through nine games. Unsurprisingly, he has rebounded nicely by averaging 15.9 PPG on .505/.378/.818 shooting over the past 30 contests, with only four games below double-digit points.
The 31-year-old doesn’t excel in any one area, but he does a lot of things pretty well, and he also doesn’t have easily exploitable weaknesses. Those types of players tend to be even more valuable in the postseason than the regular season, so Barnes will have a long list of suitors if he reaches free agency.
Barnes is in the last year of a four-year, $85MM contract. Being on the wrong side of 30 hurts a little (he turns 31 in May), but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to land another deal at similar value.
Thomas Bryant, C, Lakers
2022/23: $2,133,278- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Up
Bryant, 25, has been one of the league’s best bargains this season, producing at a high level offensively while pulling down 11.8 rebounds per 36 minutes on a veteran’s minimum deal. He plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, something the Lakers desperately needed.
Given his defensive limitations, I’m not sure you necessarily want him to be a full-time starter – having a solid foundation in the middle is really important. Still, he has shown that he’s over his ACL tear and will certainly command a raise as a free agent – something in the $7-12MM range annually should be within reach.
Dario Saric, F/C, Suns
- 2022/23: $9,240,000
- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Down
Saric’s current situation is somewhat reminiscent of Bryant’s last season — the reason Bryant got a “prove it” contract for the minimum is that he didn’t quite look fully recovered from his ACL tear. Unless he turns things around in the second half of ‘22/23, that’s likely what Saric will be facing in the offseason as well, because he’s struggled mightily to this point.
Having said that, he’s only 28, and his game isn’t predicated on athleticism, so there’s a chance he could be a nice buy-low candidate in free agency.
Health Updates: Luka, LeBron, Bam, Smart, Vassell, Bol
Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest at the Clippers, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). The star guard is dealing with left ankle soreness.
Doncic is one of the NBA’s best players and a leading MVP candidate, so obviously his potential absence would be detrimental to the team’s chances — Dallas has gone 0-4 this season without him, including Sunday’s loss at Oklahoma City.
The 23-year-old is having a remarkable season. Through 37 games (36.9 MPG), he’s averaging a league-leading 34.0 PPG, plus 8.8 RPG, 8.7 APG and 1.6 SPG on .499/.355/.742 shooting. The points, steals, FG% and 3PT% are all career highs, as is his 61.3 true shooting percentage.
The Mavs are currently 23-18, the No. 4 seed in the West.
Here are some more health updates from around the NBA:
- After previously being downgraded to questionable with left ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James has now been ruled out for tonight’s matchup at Denver, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. In his 20th season, the reigning Western Conference player of the week is averaging 29.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 6.7 APG and 1.0 SPG on .510/.295/.756 shooting through 31 games (35.9 MPG).
- Heat center Bam Adebayo has a right hand injury, which is why he sat out the final 5:11 of Sunday’s loss to Brooklyn, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). Adebayo said he’s actually been dealing with it for a few days, but the injury was aggravated in the first half. “I don’t know how he’ll feel tomorrow,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There was a really hard hand contusion in the first half and he tried to gut it out in the second half, and you could see he was basically playing with one hand. It was just extremely sore. So I had to make that tough call and take the decision out of his hands in the fourth quarter and we’ll just evaluate him tomorrow.” Adebayo said X-rays were negative, and an MRI on Monday revealed a wrist contusion, but nothing more serious. He’s officially listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. the Thunder, according to Chiang (Twitter link).
- Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been ruled out of Monday’s game against Chicago, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Smart is dealing with a left knee contusion. Fellow guards Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon should see an uptick in minutes with Smart sidelined.
- The Spurs didn’t announce a timeline for Devin Vassell‘s return following knee surgery, but head coach Gregg Popovich said on Friday that the third-year guard is expected to be back later this season. “I’m thinking maybe a little after the All-Star break,” he said, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).
- Forward Bol Bol has cleared the league’s health and safety protocols and will rejoin the Magic for Tuesday’s contest at Portland, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link). Bol will ultimately miss four games after entering the protocols last Tuesday — he’s out for tonight’s matchup at Sacramento. The 23-year-old is having a breakout fourth season for Orlando, averaging 12.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.6 BPG on .588/.388/.739 shooting through 37 games (32 starts, 26.1 MPG).
LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Week
Lakers forward LeBron James and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (Twitter link).
Interestingly, both players only appeared in three of their teams’ four games, though they were both undefeated when they played. James won for the Western Conference, while Mitchell was the East’s winner.
The Lakers had a 4-0 week, with James averaging 35.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 54.8% from the field and 76.7% from the free throw line. The 38-year-old has been playing incredibly well lately, but he continues to be cold from deep, shooting just 12.5% from three last week.
The Cavs went 3-1 last week, with Mitchell averaging 37.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.0 steal on .530/.353/.861 shooting in his three appearances. The highlight of Mitchell’s week, of course, was his 71-point outburst against the Bulls, as he became just the seventh player in NBA history to score 70-plus points in a game. He also contributed 11 assists, eight rebounds and a block during that performance.
According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Thomas Bryant, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaren Jackson Jr., while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Kevin Durant, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Zach LaVine were nominated in the East.
Anthony Davis Could Return In A Couple Weeks
The Lakers are optimistic that Anthony Davis could return to the lineup in a couple weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Davis will begin ramping up his rehab when the team returns to Los Angeles later this week, McMenamin reports. The Lakers play in Denver tonight, but then have a five-game home stand starting Thursday against Dallas.
The 29-year-old is dealing with a bone spur fractured off the navicular bone in his right foot, as well as a stress reaction in that same bone. However, it’s the stress reaction that has been Davis’ primary focus, with the bone spur considered an old injury that he’s been unknowingly playing through for several years.
Davis sustained the stress reaction on December 16 against Denver. He was dominating on both ends of the court leading up to the injury, averaging an eye-popping 35.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 64.1% shooting in his last 12 full games.
Both Davis and head coach Darvin Ham told reporters at the end of last month that the pain from the stress reaction had subsided, with Davis hopeful that he might be able to return in around four weeks, though he wasn’t committed to that number. Still, McMenamin’s report lines up with what Davis said, so it appears things have been going well since the last update.
Center Thomas Bryant, who is on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, has excelled in Davis’ absence, McMenamin notes. In the 12 games since Davis got injured, Bryant is averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 66.9% from the floor and 74.2% from the line.
The Lakers have gone 7-5 during that span. During the team’s five-game winning streak, Bryant is averaging 21.2 points and 13.6 rebounds while shooting 71.9% from the floor and 86.7% from the line.
Superstar forward LeBron James believes the three players can be successful together, though Bryant and Davis have yet to share the court this season, according to McMenamin.
“I’ve already kind of had visions of what that could possibly look like with the frontcourt of myself, AD and Thomas on the floor together,” James said of Bryant’s contributions. “I think it could be extremely beneficial for our ballclub.”
Speaking of James, he has been downgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest due to left ankle soreness, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
The Lakers are currently 19-21, the No. 11 seed in the West, but only trail the No. 5 seed Kings by two games.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harrell, Drummond, Rivers
Friday marked Joel Embiid‘s second straight missed game due to left foot soreness, but head coach Doc Rivers said the team is confident it won’t be a long-term injury, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). Rivers added that Embiid is “doing better,” but he isn’t sure how long the Sixers‘ star center will be sidelined.
Embiid landed on Jaxson Hayes‘ foot during the fourth quarter of Monday’s game vs. New Orleans. The 28-year-old is having another incredible season, averaging 33.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.7 BPG on .532/.341/.853 shooting through 28 games (35.5 MPG).
Even after dropping Friday’s game, Philadelphia has a winning record (6-4) so far without Embiid this season, which is impressive considering how important he is to the team.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Backup big man Montrezl Harrell had a tumultuous offseason after being arrested on a felony marijuana trafficking charge, which was later reduced to a misdemeanor possession charge. He wound up signing a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Sixers, and had a slow start to the 2022/23 season, splitting minutes with Paul Reed at backup center. However, he’s had a bigger role with Embiid sidelined, and it’s an opportunity he doesn’t take for granted, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I had a lot of stuff transpire … especially in the beginning of the season,” Harrell said Wednesday night. “So just to be able to be out here and play this game and still be able to call it my job is a blessing.” Harrell is averaging 18.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 2.0 BPG in 25.4 MPG over the past two contests.
- Former Sixers center Andre Drummond said he was “definitely blindsided” by last season’s trade to the Nets, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Drummond, Seth Curry and Ben Simmons were shipped to Brooklyn for James Harden. Drummond wound up signing a two-year deal with the Bulls in the offseason, but he still has found memories of his time with the Sixers, per Mizell. “They welcomed me. They made me feel very comfortable when I got here,” Drummond said Friday night. “We just had a lot of fun as a team. We really cared about each other. We had one common goal, which was to win as many games as possible and to be great. … “[It’s] sad that we had to break things up in February. Definitely miss playing here. … The city of Philadelphia, man, the fan base was one of a kind. I loved it here.”
- In his latest mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pompey writes that Rivers’ job should be safe until at least the offseason due to injuries to Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers have gone 23-12 after a 0-3 start, and the starting lineup has only played six of 38 games together thus far. However, Pompey believes Rivers might get fired if the Sixers have another disappointing playoff exit. Pompey also thinks Philadelphia will keep its 15th roster spot open until at least the February 9 trade deadline, if not longer.