Stein’s Latest: Bickerstaff, Mitchell, Kidd, Stone, Donovan
Pressure is mounting on the Cavaliers, who have stumbled to an 11-16 record after the All-Star break after once sitting at 36-17, NBA insider Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post. While an 18-2 record spanning through December and January improved coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s standing within the organization, he may be on the hot seat following this disappointing stretch of games.
As Stein writes, Bickerstaff is still dealing with the fallout from losing to the Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs in just five games. Frustration is growing in Cleveland after last season’s playoffs and this season’s lackluster recent stretch, according to Stein.
The Cavaliers as a whole are feeling pressure, given the need to sign Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension this offseason. Mitchell is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract next year if there’s no extension and there’s a “growing belief” from rival teams that the Cavs might be forced to trade their superstar if the two sides can’t agree to an extension, Stein writes.
The Cavaliers paid a hefty price to bring in Mitchell in 2022, sending out Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton and multiple first-round picks for the All-Star guard.
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- The Mavericks are 16-2 since they inserted Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. into the starting lineup, and have officially secured their second 50-win season since Jason Kidd took over as head coach in 2021. An offseason extension for Kidd seems likely, according to Stein.
- Likewise, the Rockets‘ strong play in the second half of their season means general manager Rafael Stone may also earn a contract extension, Stein writes. The Rockets are hovering around the .500 mark after winning just 22 games last season. The Ime Udoka hiring and the additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are among the reasons for Houston’s impressive season, which were all accomplished without sacrificing any of its core pieces. Still, future decisions regarding whether the team will continue to build around Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green or trade for a higher-profile star are percolating, per Stein.
- Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s name was thrown around in regard to the newly opened Kentucky coaching job, but Stein expressed skepticism about the chances of him moving back down to the college ranks, where he most notably coached at Florida from 1996-2015. It looks like Stein’s skepticism was warranted, as Kentucky is reportedly targeting BYU’s Mark Pope to be its next head coach, meaning Donovan will stay with the Bulls, tweets NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.
Raptors Notes: Dick, Quickley, Freeman-Liberty, Barnes, Temple, Porter
Raptors rookie guard Gradey Dick, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, began his first season in the league bouncing in and out of the rotation. However, he has been firmly entrenched as a rotation player since Jan. 20 and is averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc since then. Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange details how Dick underwent a mid-year turnaround and became one of the bright points in an otherwise disappointing Raptors season.
The rookie sharpshooter struggled in the fall, shooting just 24.4% from three in his first 14 games and going through G League assignments. According to Grange, a mid-January meeting with head coach Darko Rajakovic led to a plan to save Dick’s rookie season — a plan that included more intense, hands-on trainings. Since then, he has looked like the player the Raptors thought they were getting when they selected him in last year’s draft out of Kansas.
“I told somebody just the other day: He’s progressed the most as a rookie — easily — on the court, as anyone I’ve seen,” teammate Garrett Temple said. “His game play, his ability to accept coaching and put it into play, the defensive things that he’s able to do now versus what he was able to do to begin his season. On court, he’s been even more impressive than just off-court in my opinion because he progressed so much and you know, I’m really proud of him for that. He’s gonna be a player in this league, no question. He’ll be fine in this league for a long time.”
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- Immanuel Quickley is set to be the Raptors’ point guard of the future after arriving in the OG Anunoby trade alongside RJ Barrett, and he’s due for a major pay raise as he approaches restricted free agency this summer, Grange writes. Quickley has averaged 18.7 points and 6.8 assists per contestsince arriving in Toronto, and there’s little doubt he’s going to be the team’s long-term starter there, assuming he re-signs this offseason.
- While there’s no wondering who the starter will be at point guard, there are more questions regarding who will back up Quickley moving forward. In the same piece, Grange points to Javon Freeman-Liberty as one potential option to monitor. “[Freeman-Liberty] is showing really good signs of willingness to be exposed, to be vulnerable, to learn, to fail and to grow through the process,” Rajakovic said. “I think it’s just the question a lot, a lot of repetition. He is going to have amazing summer, amazing opportunity ahead of him, another summer league opportunities. So it’s gonna be good opportunity for him to make that next jump.“
- After being ruled out for the season with a hand injury, it sounds as though Scottie Barnes is progressing well. According to Grange (Twitter link), Barnes is progressing to reconditioning and has gone through some controlled scrimmages. Grange adds that Barnes should be 100% healthy and available by the summer.
- Jontay Porter remains away from the Raptors as he deals with an NBA investigation regarding betting irregularities surrounding his games. Temple, a vocal veteran voice for the team, said during an appearance on The Raptors Show (Twitter link) that he plans to reach out to Porter in the coming days. “In the days ahead I’ll probably send a text, ‘Just checking on you, seeing how you’re doing,‘” Temple said. “No reply is needed in those scenarios… just a situation to let guys know we didn’t forget about you.“
Southeast Notes: Bertāns, Micić, Wizards, Wagner
Hornets forward Dāvis Bertāns joined the team alongside Tre Mann and Vasilije Micić at the February trade deadline, but wasn’t viewed as a centerpiece of the deal that sent Gordon Hayward out of Charlotte. However, as The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone points out, Bertāns is performing well for the Hornets after working his way into the rotation, averaging his most points (8.8) and minutes (20.8) per game since he was with the Wizards in 2020/21.
Bertāns quickly became one of former head coach Steve Clifford‘s trusted reserves, with the team running set plays for the dangerous three-point scorer. In his 27 games with the Hornets so far, he’s shooting 37.3% from deep on 6.3 attempts per night. In fact, he has 18 games with multiple three-pointers made off the bench, marking the most in the NBA during that stretch.
“He’s a terrific shooter, obviously, but he creates a lot of problems for the defense just with his movement,” Clifford said. “And he never holds the ball. He either shoots it or moves it, which is the play.”
Bertāns’ play provides a glimpse into what could be next season when LaMelo Ball is healthy, with the 6’10” allowing the star guard more room to maneuver with his floor-stretching capabilities. However, Boone ponders whether Bertāns will remain with the team next season. Bertāns has an early termination option for next season worth $16MM and could get multiyear offers from contending teams if he hits the open market, Boone writes.
For what it’s worth, Bertans seems to have enjoyed his time in Charlotte so far this season.
“I’ve always loved shooting in [Spectrum Center], so it’s good to have more games [there] than before,” Bertāns said. “And definitely the crowd. Even though the season hasn’t been great winning-wise, the fans have been great and it’s a lot more people in [that] arena than other teams that are not making the playoffs. So, I think a bright future is ahead for the organization.”
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- Like Bertāns, Micić didn’t play much for the Thunder after coming over from Europe to begin his NBA career this season. However, he has turned a corner after earning playing time with the Hornets, averaging 11.3 points and 6.4 assists in his first 28 games (19 starts) with Charlotte. “I’m more comfortable every day,” Micić said this week, according to Eurohoops.net. “… I’m trying to play more relaxed, at my own rhythm, without chasing anything. It’s hard when you don’t have enough minutes, but at this moment, with these circumstances, I have these minutes, and I’m just hoping it looks good from the outside.” Micić is in the first year of the three-year, $23.6MM deal he signed last offseason. He’s under contract for about $7.7MM next year and has a team option worth $8.1MM in 2025/26.
- At 15-65, the Wizards are wrapping up what will be the worst season in franchise history in regard to record. ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye explores Washington’s rebuild and how the Wizards have gotten to this point. Akintoye cautions against the ritual of losing and expecting to lose, along with the lack of cohesion that can follow.
- Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said Franz Wagner is “progressing slowly” from his right ankle sprain, according to Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Twitter link). “He’ll go through some work tomorrow as well and we’ll continue to see how he responds to those treatments,” Mosley said.
New York Notes: Thomas, Walker, Hartenstein, Brunson
Nets guard Cam Thomas has transformed his game this season, becoming increasingly potent as a scorer, but also adding play-making to his bag of tricks, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“I’d say I’ve grown as a passer because I’m playing more. If anybody doesn’t really play much, then they get in for a few spurts — I mean, let’s be real — nobody’s looking to pass when they first get in, they’re looking to get some buckets,” Thomas said. “I’d probably say really just me playing more and knowing I have more opportunity to find the guys.”
Thomas, averaging 21.9 points while shooting 44.5% from the floor and 36.2% from three, has more than doubled his assist average from last season. In his past nine games, he’s averaging 4.3 assists while contributing 26.0 points per game. Because of his play, his teammates have been giving him rave reviews.
“It’s been beautiful watching him grow and everybody is reaping the benefits,” Nic Claxton said. “He’s got to keep going and we’re gonna follow him.”
Thomas is heading into the last year of his rookie deal next season, so the Nets will soon face a significant decision on him. As Lewis writes, Brooklyn will need to determine whether to extend him, let the market determine his value when he hits restricted free agency, or see if they can package him in a trade for a star. For what it’s worth, teammate Dennis Schröder believes Thomas is deserving of a big payday. Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
“That’s a max player right there,” Schröder said, per SNY (Twitter link).
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- Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie is also a firm believer in Thomas. According to Lewis, Ollie believes Thomas should be in the conversation for the league’s Most Improved Player award. “He should be in there, definitely, just with his body of work,” Ollie said. “I know he has a lot of guys he’s competing with as well. But with his body of work, his consistency and him being able to score the ball in the capacity that he’s scoring is always great.” Thomas has seen the biggest scoring increase from last season to this one of any player in the league, jumping from 10.6 points to 21.9 points per game.
- Nets guard Lonnie Walker‘s playing time has dipped while playing under Ollie, from 18.1 minutes per game to 15.2. “All the little things: playing defense rebounding, making the right plays,” Ollie said when asked how Walker could earn more minutes, per Lewis (Twitter link). “That’s just how it is. So have him understand that and when your shot’s not falling, doing the other things to make an impact on the game.” Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
- Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein blames the Nets for his fall to the middle of the second round in the 2017 draft, which potentially cost him millions, according to The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “They red-flagged me for my knee. I never had knee problems in my life,” Hartenstein said on the ‘Roommates Show’ podcast with hosts Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (Apple Podcasts link). “The only thing I had something with [was] my back. I knew that. So I’m like, maybe it’s my back.” Hartenstein said he heard he was projected between the Nos. 15-35 pick but instead fell to 43. Second-round picks are given smaller salaries and fewer guarantees than first-rounders. The Nets used pick No. 22 on Jarrett Allen in that draft. Hartenstein is set for unrestricted free agency this offseason and looks to be due for a payday after capitalizing on his opportunity with New York.
- Brunson came just one point shy of tying Carmelo Anthony‘s single-game franchise scoring record when the Knicks fell to the Spurs in overtime on Friday, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Brunson dropped 61 points, a new career high, while connecting on 25 of his 47 shot attempts. He set the franchise record for field goals made and had the most field-goal attempts in a game since Kobe Bryant shot 50 in his final game. However, Victor Wembanyama‘s 40-point, 20-rebound double-double allowed the Spurs to upset the Knicks despite Brunson’s 61.
- As Bondy writes in a separate story, head coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t thrilled with how the refs called Brunson, who shot just six free throws. “A foul is a foul. That’s what I do know,” Thibodeau said, noting the 32-12 free throw discrepancy in favor of San Antonio. “And what I’m hearing [from the referees], I don’t really like. I don’t know what else you could do, what else you can say. It’s clear as day. It really is that simple.“
Toumani Camara To Miss Rest Of Season After Rib Injury
Trail Blazers rookie Toumani Camara will miss the rest of the 2023/24 season after suffering a rib injury, according to team PR (Twitter link). Camara exited the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s matchup with the Hawks and further testing showed that he fractured his left rib and has a small laceration in his kidney, per the team.
According to the team, Camara spent time in a hospital in Atlanta for further observation but is improving and has been released. He’s expected to make a full recovery after missing the rest of this season.
Camara, 23, was the 52nd overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Suns out of Dayton. He was then re-routed to the Blazers in the three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks.
Camara made an impact right away in his rookie season, finishing the year averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 45.0% from the floor in 70 appearances (49 starts). He was one of the only constants in a tumultuous season for Portland — he led the team in games played and is one of just four Blazers to have made 60 or more appearances.
Camara might not make an All-Rookie team, but he was certainly one of the more impressive rookies this year. He ranked seventh in rebounds per game among all first-year players, as well as ranking 19th in points per game. He, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace are currently the only rookies with 70 or more appearances, though that will surely change before the season ends.
The remaining seasons of Camara’s four-year rookie deal are non-guaranteed, but his 2024/25 minimum salary will become guaranteed if he’s on the roster past July 20.
Raptors Notes: Porter, Agbaji, Size, March, Barrett
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defended his brother — Raptors forward Jontay Porter — who is at the center of an NBA investigation regarding betting irregularities, according to ESPN. The elder Porter said his younger brother Jontay wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his NBA career.
The investigation is the result of prop bets involving Jontay on Jan. 26 and March 20, games in which he exited early and his unders were described by DraftKings as the No. 1 money-making bet in each of those games. Jontay hasn’t publicly addressed the situation and has missed the past three games for personal reasons. He’s averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 26 games (five starts) on a two-way deal with the Raptors this season.
Michael Porter Jr. said he had no more details than the media did but that he vouched for Jontay, who has been more than happy to be in Toronto on a two-way deal this season.
“Jontay loves the game of basketball… I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball, and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,” said Michael, who also discussed how betting affects players, including how they receive backlash if they don’t play up to the bettors’ standards.
“So, it’s a part of the game now. I think that it’s obviously a dangerous habit. It’s a dangerous vice for people,” he said. “You know, the love of money is the root of all evil. So, I think that even though it is a thing, we as players just have to accept that. We get paid a lot of money to play this game, and I know these people, these fans, they want to make some money, as well. It’s definitely something that has kind of taken over the sporting world — I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
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- Ochai Agbaji had a scary fall on Wednesday against the Knicks, landing hard on his back and being down for several minutes before being helped to the locker room, The New York Post’s Peter Botte observes. Agbaji did not return with a right hip contusion. After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic said Agbaji got X-rays but they didn’t show any signs of a fracture. “For a second it was really scary because he couldn’t move at all,” Rajakovic said. Agbaji won’t play on Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen (Twitter link), but he’s all good and seems to mainly just be sore.
- After trading away OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, the Raptors are lacking in size, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange writes. Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher and Scottie Barnes, as well as Agbaji and Porter, are out. That left the Raptors with just Kelly Olynyk, Jalen McDaniels and Jordan Nwora as the only players on the standard roster available on Wednesday who were 6’8″ or above — 6’9″ two-way forward Mouhamadou Gueye was available as well.
- The Raptors are heading into their final game of March at 1-13 in the month, with the sole win coming in a five-point home win over the 18-55 Hornets. This month has also featured losses to the 14-60 Wizards and 13-61 Pistons, as well as the franchise’s record for biggest home loss set two different times (41 points on March 5 against the Pelicans and 44 points on Wednesday against New York). As Koreen writes, the Raptors were on pace for 31 wins at the time of Barnes’ injury and they’ve been without their four most important players. Koreen opines that even though this month has been abysmal, it shouldn’t make fans doubt the Anunoby or Pascal Siakam trades, noting that the Raptors at least have a direction after three straight middling seasons.
- RJ Barrett had his first media session on Friday following the tragic passing of his brother. “Basketball is my sanctuary, so this actually brings me peace,” Barrett said. “It helps me every day to be here, and also just be on a schedule and just be around the guys. Hanging out with your teammates… they’re funny, you get to hang out with them, you get to go practice and even support the guys when I’m not playing. Whatever it is, just being around has been helping a lot.” The Raptors organization and his teammates have tried to support Barrett and were all on hand for the funeral last week in Ontario, according to Grange.
Pistons Sign Chimezie Metu For Rest Of Season
10:15am: The Pistons have officially signed Metu to his new contract, according to a team release.
9:26am: The Pistons are signing forward/center Chimezie Metu for the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds that Metu’s deal will feature a team option for the 2024/25 season.
Metu recently completed a 10-day contract with Detroit, appearing in six games and making two starts. He averaged 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 26.0 minutes per night.
Metu began the season in Phoenix after signing with the Suns last offseason but was traded at the deadline to the Grizzlies as part of the three-team deal that sent Royce O’Neale to Phoenix. He didn’t appear in a game in Memphis before being waived.
On the season, Metu is averaging 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 43 games (seven starts).
The USC product was selected with the 49th overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Spurs. He played there for two seasons before spending the next three with the Kings.
Metu has averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game over the course of his NBA career, with his best statistical season coming in ’21/22 when he averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG while making 20 starts for Sacramento.
Heat Notes: Play-In Territory, Cain, Jovic, Rozier
The Heat are spending their second straight year trying to close out the season by clawing their way out of play-in territory. Sitting at seventh in the East at 40-33, this wasn’t where the team expected to be after becoming the first No. 8 seed to make the Finals in a non-lockout-shortened season in 2023, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
On their path to the NBA Finals last year, the Heat lost to the Hawks in their first play-in matchup and trailed against the Bulls in a winner-take-all game with about four minutes left. Miami would prefer to not have to endure that uphill climb again, Chiang writes, but it’s very much a possibility for a Heat team that’s a game behind the Pacers for sixth and two game back of Orlando for fifth in the conference.
“The opportunity is still there for us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what we have to continue to understand. There can be disappointments during the season, there are ups and downs. You ultimately are where your record says you are. But there’s an opportunity in front of us if we can take advantage of it and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”
Chiang explores the reasons why the Heat have gotten to this point, including injury woes, struggling against the league’s best teams, and more. Miami entered Thursday with the league’s fifth-highest total of games missed due to injuries (250) and has set a new franchise record with 35 different starting lineups this season. Additionally, the trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro have played just 21 games together this year.
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- While developmental prospect Orlando Robinson and two-way players Alondes Williams and Cole Swider are in the G League ahead of the playoffs, two-way wing Jamal Cain remains with the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Cain is set to finish his second straight season on a two-way deal with the Heat after seeking a standard contract in the offseason and not getting one. As Winderman notes, Miami opted to give Dru Smith a standard contract after training camp to address their point guard depth and then picked up Delon Wright and Patty Mills instead of promoting Cain when more roster spots opened up. Cain has impressed when it counts and has more appearances in the NBA than G League this season, but as part of his two-way deal, he won’t be eligible for the playoffs. He’ll be a restricted free agent again this offseason.
- Second-year Heat forward Nikola Jovic exited Friday’s game against the Trail Blazers with a right knee contusion and did not return, as relayed by Winderman (Twitter link). After playing sparingly in his rookie season and beginning this year outside the rotation, Jovic has turned into a key rotation piece for the Heat. He has started in each of his last 17 games, averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while connecting on 40.6% of his 4.1 three-point attempts per game. According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Jovic’s injury isn’t considered anything serious.
- Heat guard Terry Rozier always envisioned playing in Miami and the possibility of landing with the team appealed to him, Chiang writes in a separate story. Much of that comes down to his well-documented respect for franchise legend Dwyane Wade, who swapped jerseys with Rozier during his farewell season in 2019. Rozier further discussed that relationship with Chiang: “I just look back to when I was 6, 7 years old, I was just in the gym by myself. Me going to shoot the ball, going to the hole, I used to fall on purpose. I used to try to copy D-Wade, I used to think I was D-Wade all the time. Just fast forward to now, it’s kind of full circle where I can put on a Heat uniform and I can give the best version of myself.“
Kings’ Malik Monk Feared To Have Sprained MCL
Kings guard Malik Monk is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee and is undergoing further testing, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Those tests will provide a better idea of a recovery timeline for the guard.
For comparison’s sake, Monk’s teammate Trey Lyles was ruled out for at least two weeks with a sprained MCL earlier in March, while Heat guard Delon Wright missed about a month-and-a-half earlier this season with a similar diagnosis.
Monk suffered the injury after Mavericks guard Luka Doncic fell onto him after a drive. According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Charania, Monk was in the locker room in “decent spirits” but was definitely in pain and left the arena with a noticeable limp.
This is another blow to an injury-riddled Kings team also dealing with the losses of Lyles and Kevin Huerter, who was recently ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgery.
“It’s unfortunate,” teammate Harrison Barnes said, per The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson. “Obviously, still trying to figure out the severity of it, but that’s part of the business. I think last year we were extremely healthy and we didn’t have to worry about that. This year, we’ve been a little bit injury plagued.”
Monk has been one of the most productive guards off the bench in the league this season and is the betting odds favorite for Sixth Man of the Year. He has averaged career highs of 15.3 points and 5.1 assists per game this season while shooting 44.3% from the field and 35.0% from three.
Without him, Davion Mitchell and Kessler Edwards saw an increase in minutes. Sasha Vezenkov, who has been out since Feb. 9, is on the verge of returning, according to Slater and Charania, and could factor into the rotation. Chris Duarte is also potentially in line for more minutes.
“Hey, we’ve got to have the next man step up,” Kings coach Mike Brown said, “Nobody’s going to fill Malik’s shoes, so we just have to do it by committee.”
The Kings have now lost back-to-back games to slip into eighth place in the West and back into the play-in tournament picture. A win against Dallas on Friday would have kept them in sixth in the standings, but instead they’re two games behind the Mavericks and are soon scheduled to play the likes of the Clippers, Knicks, Celtics and Thunder.
Nemanja Bjelica Retires
Veteran forward Nemanja Bjelica announced his retirement from professional basketball via his Instagram on Saturday (hat tip to Sportando).
Bjelica played seven seasons in the NBA with the Timberwolves, Kings, Heat and Warriors, winning a title with Golden State in what would be his final NBA season in 2021/22.
“20 years… thank you basketball…,” Bjelica’s Instagram post reads.
Bjelica began his career in 2007 while playing with the Traiskirchen Lions in the Austrian League. He went on to be selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2010 draft but didn’t make his way to the NBA until 2015, when he signed with the Wolves.
Over the course of his career, Bjelica became well-regarded as a stretch four and reliable rotation piece. He had his two best statistical seasons of his career in 2018-20 while playing with the Kings, where he averaged 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41.1% from three and starting in 137 of his 149 appearances.
Bjelica was traded from the Kings to Miami at the 2020 deadline and then signed with the Warriors in 2021. He averaged 6.1 points in the regular season (71 games, 16.1 minutes) to help the Warriors to the playoffs and eventually the title.
After leaving the NBA in 2022, Bjelica returned to Fenerbahce, where he had earned a EuroLeague MVP award in 2015. He was released after the season and then made the move to Crvena Zvezda in Serbia but didn’t play a game. Reports surfaced in October 2023 that Bjelica might retire, due in part to injury issues. Today’s news confirms that’s his plan.
In 449 career games (162 starts) in the NBA, Bjelica averaged 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 46.6% from the floor and 38.4% from beyond the arc.