Hornets Notes: Bridges, Thomas, Hayward, Offseason
Hornets forward Miles Bridges said this week that he’s grateful to the city of Charlotte and loves being a part of the team, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges will be a restricted free agent this summer when the team tenders him a $7.92MM qualifying offer, which is a foregone conclusion after his breakout fourth season.
“My mom loves it here, my kids love it here,” Bridges said Thursday. “Charlotte has really taken me in and brought me in. I got drafted as a 20-year-old kid. And for me to grow up here and for everybody to embrace me like they have, that’s something I’ll never forget. Especially going into the contract season. Charlotte took me in as a 20-year-old kid, and now I’m a 24-year-old man, and I love it here.”
The Hornets and Bridges had a disappointing end to their season, as the 24-year-old was ejected from Wednesday’s blowout play-in tournament loss to Atlanta and then received a $50K fine for throwing his mouthpiece into the stands and hitting a teenage fan (he later apologized). He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists after averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 80 games this season.
Bridges sees himself as part of the team’s core alongside LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, and hopes to stick with them long-term, per Boone.
“I would love to play with Melo and Terry for the rest of my career,” Bridges said. “Those are my guys, my brothers. All of us damn near averaged 20 (points) this year, so just to have that type of relationship with such dynamic players and bring it to the basketball court every night, you don’t see that too much in the NBA. And we have that relationship and that’s what it is. It will always be like that. So I’m just happy to be a part of them.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- Backup point guard Isaiah Thomas, an unrestricted free agent this summer who served as a mentor to Ball, would also like to stick with Charlotte. “Man, I want to be here,” Thomas said, according to Boone. “I see something special in this group. I see a place where I can really help. But I would love to be here. This team gave me a chance when really nobody was giving me one. They allowed me to come in and be who I am. They embraced that on and off the floor.”
- Gordon Hayward is suffering from a bone chip in his left foot, which is why he missed the team’s play-in game, Boone tweets. Hayward initially sprained ligaments in his left ankle back in February, which caused him to miss 22 games, but after just one game back he started experiencing pain and was diagnosed with the foot injury, as Jonathan M. Alexander of The Charlotte Observer relays.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic explores the team’s offseason and future, noting that a starting-caliber center and improving the defense are areas that need to be addressed, but doing so could be easier said than done.
Pacers Notes: Offseason, Haliburton, Turner, J. Smith
After a disappointing 25-win season for the Pacers, Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star contends that the team should continue to reshape its roster this offseason, with a focus on building around a core duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. Doyel thinks that 2021 first-round picks Isaiah Jackson and Chris Duarte should be in the conversation for the starting lineup next season, but shouldn’t be considered locks by any means.
Doyel would also like to see Indiana part with Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield, and not bring back free agent T.J. Warren, who only played four games over the past two seasons (zero in 2021/22) while recovering from consecutive stress fractures in his left foot.
The draft will be key, Doyel notes. The Pacers have a 42.1% chance of landing a top-four pick, and will own the Cavs’ first-round pick if Cleveland beats Atlanta and advances as the No. 8 seed (the Cavs keep the pick otherwise). Indiana also owns a couple of second-round picks from Houston (No. 31) and Phoenix (No. 58).
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Haliburton said he had a humbling experience as a teenager when he faced off against another future NBA player, according to James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “I think my biggest one would be Tre Jones from the Spurs,” Haliburton said. “I don’t know if he knows this, but we played each other when I was like 16. He killed me. Oh my God, he killed me. I left that day like, ‘Oh my God, I’m not cut for this. I’m just probably not that good.’ So being able to play against him in the NBA, it’s crazy how it comes full circle.”
- The offseason will be a big one for Jalen Smith, who will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Indianapolis Star. “This is a huge offseason, and a scary offseason,” Smith said. “Obviously, as a young player, you don’t want to make the wrong decision. … This offseason is gonna come down to a lot of thinking. A lot of late night conversations with my agency, my family, just trying to figure out the right path for me.” The Pacers will be prohibited from offering Smith a starting salary higher than $4.67MM, the amount of his 2022/23 option that was turned down last fall.
- Boyd and Nat Newell explore the team’s offseason on the “Pacing the Pacers podcast,” per Clark Wade of The Indianapolis Star.
Stephen Curry On Track To Return For Game 1 Vs. Denver
As long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks in Thursday’s scrimmage, Stephen Curry is on track to return for Game 1 of the Warriors‘ playoff series against Denver on Saturday, sources tell Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Curry was able to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a left foot sprain and bone bruise on March 16 vs. Boston. Golden State was just 8-10 in games Curry missed this season, but finished out the season strong by winning its last five games to secure the No. 3 seed in the West.
The two-time former MVP had a down season by his spectacular standards, but still had a tremendous impact on both ends of the court. In 64 games this season (34.5 minutes per night), he averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .437/.380/.923 shooting.
Curry’s potential return and health will be key factors in Golden State’s chances for a deep playoff run. If the Warriors can defeat the Nuggets in the first-round, they’d face the winner of the Memphis/Minnesota series in the semi-final.
The Warriors returned to the playoffs in 2021/22 after a two-year absence, finishing with a 53-29 record. The team famously went to the Finals in five straight seasons from 2015-2019, winning three Championships in the process.
Timberwolves’ Patrick Beverley Fined $30K By NBA
Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley has been fined $30K by the NBA for “inappropriate statements during a media interview and on social media, including the egregious use of profanity,” the league announced (via Twitter).
Beverley made the comments following Tuesday’s 109-104 play-in tournament victory over the Clippers, which secured the No. 7 seed in the West for Minnesota. He said the win was extra special after spending four seasons (2017-21) as a Clipper before being traded twice last offseason, initially to Memphis, then to Minnesota. He failed to come to terms on extension with the Clippers in 2021 prior to being traded, calling the team’s offer “borderline disrespectful.”
“I gave my blood and sweat and tears to that organization,” Beverley said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “You guys know the story. Blood, sweat and tears, to just be written off like that, ‘He’s injury-prone. He’s old.’ This, this, that, that. To be able to come here and play them in a play-in and beat their ass, no other feeling, man. No other feeling.”
Beverley also said after the game that he told his former Clippers teammates to “take (their) ass home,” adding that he “f—ing told y’all” the Timberwolves would make the playoffs.
In his first year with the Wolves, the 33-year-old averaged 9.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.9 BPG, with a shooting line of .406/.343/.722. Beverley signed a one-year, $13MM extension with Minnesota in February, so he’s under contract through 2022/23.
Beverley was just fined $25K a couple days ago after he was ejected from the team’s regular season finale against Chicago. However, since he’s earning $14,320,987 this season, the combined $55K in fines won’t put much of a dent in his pocket.
Game 1 of Minnesota’s series against Memphis, the No. 2 seed, is set to tip-off Saturday at 2:30pm CT on ESPN.
Nets Waive James Johnson, Promote Kessler Edwards
APRIL 10: Edwards’ new contract is now official, the Nets announced (via Twitter). It includes a team option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
APRIL 7: The Nets have waived forward James Johnson, our JD Shaw tweets, and plan to promote rookie Kessler Edwards to a standard deal so he’s eligible for the postseason, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson, 35, is a 13-year NBA veteran who’s appeared in a total of 747 regular season games. In 62 games (10 starts) with the Nets this season, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists on .469/.271/.527 shooting in 19.2 minutes per night.
Edwards, 21, was the 44th overall pick of the 2021 draft after three seasons with Pepperdine. He’s been on a two-way contract this season, and clearly the Nets like what they’ve seen from the young forward, because they want him to keep contributing for a potential playoff run.
Through 46 games (22 starts) this season, Edwards is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds on .412/.359/.824 shooting in 20.1 minutes. He took advantage of his opportunity over the winter months when the team was ravaged by players in the health and safety protocols, as he’d rarely seen action to that point.
Edwards is known as a strong, versatile defender and is a better spot-up shooter than Johnson, as evidenced by their respective three-point percentages. Because Johnson was waived so late in the season, he will not be eligible to play in the postseason with another team.
Luka Doncic’s 16th Technical Foul Rescinded
APRIL 9: The NBA has rescinded Doncic’s 16th technical, and he will be eligible to play Sunday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
APRIL 8: Mavericks star Luka Doncic received his 16th technical foul on Friday night against the Blazers and faces an automatic one-game suspension for the team’s season finale, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
There’s a chance that the NBA could rescind the technical, which would allow Doncic to play in the finale, a home game against San Antonio on Sunday. Doncic successfully challenged one other technical this season and had it rescinded after a league review.
As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon relays, Doncic was upset about a non-foul call at the end of the first quarter after he was undercut from behind on a half-court shot attempt. He tried to make his case to the referee closest to him, and when that was ignored, he went to crew chief Tony Brothers and asked about the play, only to be T’d up.
“I asked him, ‘How is that not a foul? How is that not a foul?'” Doncic said, offering an explanation to Mavs VP of basketball communications Scott Tomlin. “He T’d me up. That’s unfair. That’s unfair.”
The impending suspension is significant because it could have a major impact on the Western Conference playoff seedings. Dallas is only one game behind Golden State for the No. 3 seed, but holds the tiebreaker — if the Mavs win their last two games and the Warriors lose at least one, the Mavs would jump up to No. 3. The Warriors have back-to-back road games against San Antonio and New Orleans this weekend to finish their season.
Doncic’s technical fouls will be reset when the playoffs start, so his pending suspension will only impact the seedings, not his availability for the postseason. If the technical holds up and he’s suspended, he’ll lose his game check worth $70,168, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Lakers Sign Mac McClung To Two-Way Deal
APRIL 9: McClung has officially signed his two-way contract with the Lakers, the team announced on social media (Twitter link).
APRIL 8: The Lakers intend to sign G League guard Mac McClung to their open two-way spot, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (via Twitter).
Los Angeles recently created a two-way opening by promoting Wenyen Gabriel to a standard contract on Friday after waiving Trevor Ariza on Thursday.
McClung, 23, went undrafted in 2021 after three college seasons. He started his collegiate career with Georgetown, but transferred to Texas Tech following his sophomore year. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers last summer, but was waived in October before the season began.
McClung signed a couple of 10-day hardship contracts with the Bulls in December and January, but only appeared in one NBA game for just three minutes. He has spent the majority of the season in the G League with the Lakers’ affiliate, South Bay, where he was named NBAGL Rookie of the Year.
In 35 NBAGL appearances, including 33 with South Bay, McClung stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.4 steals on .459/.365/.857 shooting. Once the signing becomes official, the Lakers will have a full 15-man roster and both two-way spots filled.
Pacific Notes: Poole, Thompson, S. Johnson, Kawhi, Kaminsky
Warriors veteran Andre Iguodala recently compared two third-year players, former teammate Tyler Herro and current teammate Jordan Poole, and thinks both players could be in for big paydays on their next contracts.
“It’s funny. I’m hearing Tyler is looking at a max contract. I’m laughing at Jordan, like, it’s the same thing,” Iguodala said (video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).
As third-year former first-round pick, Poole is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, though Golden State might opt to wait until after the 2022/23 season to offer him a new deal in order to maintain financial flexibility. He’d be a restricted free agent at that point.
Poole is having a breakout season for the Warriors, averaging 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .454/.368/.920 shooting (.602 true) through 74 games (30 minutes per night). He’s been outstanding since the beginning of March, averaging 25.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists on .492/.437/.910 shooting in the past 19 games.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Warriors guard Klay Thompson will miss Saturday’s game at San Antonio for precautionary reasons, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Thompson has typically been held out of the second game of back-to-backs, but coach Steve Kerr decided to switch things up and rest him on the first night this time instead. Thompson has been red-hot lately, scoring a combined 69 points over his past two games.
- After Friday’s win over the Thunder, forward Stanley Johnson said he hopes the Lakers exercise their team option to retain him for next season, according to team beat reporter Mike Trudell (Twitter link). “Hopefully I’ve played well enough that they would take me back,” Johnson said.
- Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said on Friday that Kawhi Leonard hasn’t advanced past individual workouts yet, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times relays (via Twitter). Leonard has missed the entire season after suffering a torn ACL last June.
- Suns head coach Monty Williams said “it was tough decision for us” to part with Frank Kaminsky, who was released on Thursday. “He meant a lot to us, and me personally, I’m grateful for everything he did for us. I just wish he could’ve gone on with us, but these are tough decisions that we have to make. The cool part was, he totally understood and it just says a lot about who he is as a person,” Williams said (video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
Chaundee Brown Signs Two-Way Deal With Hawks
10:50am: Atlanta has officially signed Brown to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.
8:28am: The Hawks intend to sign swingman Chaundee Brown to their open two-way spot, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 6’5″ Brown went undrafted out of Michigan in 2021 and got some preseason run with the Lakers on an Exhibit 10 deal. He was cut ahead of the regular season and joined L.A.’s G League affiliate, South Bay.
The Lakers promoted Brown to a two-way contract in November, but was waived in December in order to sign Mason Jones. He appeared in two games with the Lakers for an average of 10.5 MPG, struggling to find a foothold and averaging just 1.0 PPG and 1.0 RPG.
At the end of December, Brown signed a 10-day hardship deal with Atlanta and received significant playing time (27.7 MPG) across three games with the club as it dealt with a major COVID outbreak, averaging 9.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG in the process.
The 23-year-old has spent the majority of the season in the G League with South Bay, appearing 38 games (31.3 MPG) while averaging 16.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 1.7 APG on .459/.322/.875 shooting. The Hawks had an open two-way slot after promoting Skylar Mays to a standard deal, but have a full 15-man roster and both two-way spots will be filled once Brown’s contract becomes official.
Bulls Notes: DeRozan, LaVine, Losing Streak, Ball, Caruso
After another blowout loss on Friday night, this time at the hands of the Hornets by a score of 133-117, Bulls stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine didn’t mince words about the way the team performed, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Charlotte started the game 11-for-11 from the field and scored 79 points in the first half, the most Chicago has allowed in a half this season.
“We got our a—- beat. Simple as that,” DeRozan said. “They attacked us. We couldn’t guard them. They had their way.”
Fans at the United Center booed the Bulls at a couple separate points during the listless performance, and LaVine said those boos were earned.
“To be honest, they should (boo). It’s embarrassing,” LaVine said. “We’re a really good basketball team and we’re not playing like it. They (the fans) know that. We know that. It’s understandable. We understand they have our back. But we have to play better.”
Chicago has lost four straight heading into Sunday’s finale at Minnesota and is locked into the No. 6 seed in the East after Toronto beat Houston on Friday. LaVine said the mood in the locker room isn’t great right now, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“Everybody is upset, man. We’re getting our a– kicked. They just jumped on us,” LaVine said. “We singing the same story, and I always try to be very uplifting and try to see the bright side, but I’m tired of talking. We say a lot of words and we say the right thing, but we got to figure it out. We’re not doing that, plain and simple.”
As Schaefer notes, the Bulls are struggling at the worst possible time with the playoffs looming — they’re just 7-15 since the All-Star break and playing poorly on both ends of the court, with the fifth-worst point differential in the league during that span.
Here’s more on Chicago:
- DeRozan said he’s not interested in resting for the finale, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “There’s nothing like having a rhythm while playing,” DeRozan said after Wednesday’s loss. “I’m going to continue to play this thing out, and hopefully we’re going in the right direction come next week. It’s going to come. It sucks right now over the last couple of weeks, but I have the utmost confidence in the guys.”
- LaVine was less certain about his status for Sunday’s game, but said he’d rather play if he can, as Schaefer relays. “We’ll evaluate it. I don’t know yet,” LaVine said. “I’ve been playing injured the whole year. I want to continue to fight. But I’m gonna listen to the medical staff, my team, and figure out what’s best for us moving forward. But I plan on trying to play.” LaVine has been battling left knee soreness throughout the season.
- Head coach Billy Donovan said Lonzo Ball will continue to rehab in Chicago with the goal of reducing discomfort in his surgically repaired left knee, but a second surgery doesn’t appear to be necessary, Cowley writes in a separate story. “I have not heard anything, or no one has told anything to me that he will need another surgery,” Donovan said. “So I don’t necessarily believe that is going to take place.” Ball was ruled out for the season on Wednesday after experiencing a couple setbacks during rehab.
- Within the same article, Donovan said Alex Caruso is still dealing with back problems. “He still has some mobility issues, discomfort,” Donovan said. “He’s been hampered with the back for some time now.” As Cowley observes, it sounds like Caruso might not be 100% for the playoffs — he has missed the past two games while dealing with the injury.