New York Notes: Towns, Hart, Embiid, Nets, Johnson
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns missed Wednesday’s overtime victory over Philadelphia due to a thumb injury. He has a bone chip in the thumb, which he injured during a loss to Detroit on Monday, but plans to play through it, Peter Botte and Stefan Bondy of the New York Post report.
The thumb is also sprained but surgery isn’t necessary or anticipated, either during or after the season, the Post duo adds. Towns is averaging 25.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in his first season in New York.
We have more on the New York City teams:
- Josh Hart called out unnamed Knicks teammates after recent losses for letting “egos” and “individual agendas” get in the way of team goals. Coach Tom Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Hart needs to choose his words more carefully, Bondy writes. “I think oftentimes the next day after you look at the film, you’re putting a mic in front of someone right after a game. And sometimes they may say things, we all may say things that we wish we had not said until you watch the film the next day,” the coach said. “And then there’s usually a pretty good reason why something occurred. So before you say something, you probably should think.”
- The Knicks are fortunate they didn’t go all in and trade for Joel Embiid when rumors circulated last season about the team’s interest in the Sixers center, Bondy opines. They would have squandered their draft capital and other assets for an oft-injured center still owed $300MM due to his extension without injury protections. Of course, Philadelphia never actually made Embiid available.
- The games just keep getting uglier for the rebuilding and tanking Nets, as they suffered the worst loss in franchise history on Wednesday. The 126-67 pummeling by the Clippers was also one of the 10 biggest routs in NBA history, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. “This is not the time to point or deflect anything,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “It’s time for everybody to own, and I will own first. The guys kept fighting; I don’t think that they quit. And it’s one of those days that you don’t do anything right, you don’t have that right energy and togetherness. But you try and you just need a little bit more focus and all these things.” Cameron Johnson, who could be moved before the trade deadline, missed the second game of a back-to-back due to a sprained right ankle, Lewis adds.
- With the front office clearing more cap space than any other team for next offseason and hoarding draft picks in trades, the Nets have the flexibility to make a franchise-altering move, Lewis writes for the New York Post (subscription required). The big prize would be Giannis Antetokounmpo if he ever asks out of Milwaukee, as the Nets covet the superstar forward.
Cam Johnson, D'Angelo Russell Return, Lead Nets To Win
- Cameron Johnson, who had missed five consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain, and D’Angelo Russell, who had been sidelined for four straight with a right shin contusion, both returned to action for the Nets on Tuesday and led the team to a win over Portland, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Johnson is considered Brooklyn’s top remaining trade candidate, so it was good news for his market value that he picked up right where he left off, scoring 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 27 minutes against the Blazers.
Eighteen More Players Become Trade-Eligible
Today is Wednesday, January 15, which means that a total of 18 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.
Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:
- The player re-signed with his previous team.
- He got a raise of at least 20%.
- His salary is above the minimum.
- His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.
The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Wednesday:
- Precious Achiuwa (Knicks)
- OG Anunoby (Knicks)
- Goga Bitadze (Magic)
- Miles Bridges (Hornets)
- Max Christie (Lakers)
- Nic Claxton (Nets)
- Haywood Highsmith (Heat)
- Isaiah Joe (Thunder)
- Johnny Juzang (Jazz)
- KJ Martin (Sixers)
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
- Malik Monk (Kings)
- Josh Okogie (Suns)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (Grizzlies)
- Note: Pippen doesn’t meet the criteria detailed above, but was converted from his two-way contract to a standard deal on October 15. He’s trade-eligible today because it has been three months since he signed that contract.
- Immanuel Quickley (Raptors)
- Obi Toppin (Pacers)
- Aaron Wiggins (Thunder)
- Patrick Williams (Bulls)
Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.
That group includes Kings forward Doug McDermott, who becomes trade-eligible on Thursday, Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser (trade-eligible on January 23), Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (Jan. 26), Grizzlies big man Jay Huff (Jan. 28), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (Feb. 2), and Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (Feb. 5).
Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including stars like Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, and Jamal Murray.
Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.
Nets Notes: Lottery Prospects, Evbuomwan, Simmons, Russell, Johnson, Watford
From a draft standpoint, the Nets won by losing Sunday night at Utah, but the players weren’t happy with the outcome, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. They scored the final six points of regulation to force overtime, but saw the game slip away as Isaiah Collier drove for a nearly uncontested layup in the final seconds.
“I know this is kind of like a rebuild situation, but we’ve got to go in there like we want to win regardless of what the front office is expecting,” Ben Simmons said.
The Nets have been on a downward trajectory lately that has coincided with management’s decisions to trade away Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith as part of a long-term rebuilding project. They’re 2-10 in their last 12 games and have moved from 15th to sixth in the lottery standings over the past month.
“We should have won but we just gotta keep chopping,” Nic Claxton added. “We’ve been losing a lot, and everybody’s tired of losing. They sat out all their players and we still lost.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- Tosan Evbuomwan has been a tremendous addition since signing a two-way contract at the start of the month, Lewis states in a separate story. The second-year forward scored a career-high 22 points Sunday night and was often on the court late in the overtime contest. Evbuomwan is averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds through his five games as a Net. “Amazing … always under control,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Looks like a guy that has been there before and he’s 23. Very happy to see him, keep working with him, keep developing him. He’s doing his job.”
- Simmons left the game midway through overtime after exceeding his minutes limit, Lewis adds. He played more than 31 minutes, which is more than the team’s medical staff wants to see considering his recent physical history. “Ben, I’m sure that if I asked him, he wanted to be in, but at the same time, we know where we started this summer,” Fernandez said. “We know where we are at right now. We like the progression, and we’re going to keep doing that. We’re going to do what’s best for him, his body, first and then for the team.” Simmons hasn’t been cleared to play in back-to-back games and will likely sit out Tuesday at Portland or Wednesday against the Clippers.
- Fernandez couldn’t offer definite return dates for D’Angelo Russell, who missed his fourth straight game with a right shin contusion, or Cameron Johnson, who sat out for the fifth straight time with a sprained right ankle, Lewis adds in another piece. “Yeah, they’ve been doing their work and they’re day-to-day,” Fernandez said. “But we’re happy with what we’re seeing and how they’re working. Obviously they’re with the group. So is Trendon (Watford). And it’s just good to have them around and have some sweat equity and see them work.” Watford, who has a strained left hamstring, isn’t expected to return to action during the current road trip.
New York Notes: Bridges, Knicks, Marks, Johnson
Knicks forward Mikal Bridges‘ first year in New York continues to be somewhat up and down. As Andrew Crane of The New York Post observes, the former All-Defensive Teamer went scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting from the floor in a lopsided recent 126-101 Friday defeat to the Thunder.
“I just gotta make them,” Bridges said of his shooting woes. “I think I’m just short on a lot of them probably these past couple games. I just gotta put a little more lift probably on it.”
Across his last three contests, Bridges has shot just 6-of-32 from the floor.
On the season, the 6’6″ wing is averaging 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, all solid stats. He’s connecting on a just-mediocre 33.2% of his 6.8 three-point attempts per night, however. That represents a career-worst, and Bridges’ first time below 36% since his 2018/19 rookie season.
There’s more out of the Big Apple:
- The Knicks obliterated Milwaukee, 140-106, on Sunday, but a happy victory hardly erases New York’s recent slump, opines Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link). The team has gone 2-4 across its last six contests, a brutal stretch to follow up a nine-game win streak. Bridges’ recent shooting issues have been a concern, while All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns missed one of those losses with an injury. But it’s tough to excuse the team’s middling effort in its recent blowout loss to Oklahoma City, Vaccaro opines.
- Nets general manager Sean Marks is angling to capitalize on what’s expected to be a starry 2025 draft class, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Part of that goal includes prioritizing the future over the present, be that trading away veterans or thinking longer-term and not necessarily looking to win games now. Since opening night, Brooklyn has already dealt away veterans Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in the interest of draft equity and future cap space. “We’re going to have to be systematic with some of the decisions we make,” Marks told Lewis. “And they may not always be in line with winning the next game or putting the most talent out there.” For now, the 13-25 Nets have the sixth-worst record in the league, and thus the sixth-best lottery odds. “To be frank, you’ve still got to get a little lucky,” Marks said. “The hot-button topic has always been the draft. We all know we’ve still got to get lucky. At the end of the day, the Ping-Pong balls are going to drop a certain way.”
- While there has been some speculation that the Grizzlies could emerge as a real trade bidder for Nets forward Cameron Johnson, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal remains somewhat dubious, tweeting that the two sides have yet to engage in significant talks with regard to a Johnson trade.
Stein’s Latest: Nets, Butler, Giannis, Suns, Nembhard, Coaches
The Nets are the only NBA team projected to have maximum-salary cap room during the 2025 offseason, but they have no plans to pursue Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who could be the biggest free agent on the market next summer, reports Marc Stein in his latest Substack article.
According to Stein, despite their impressive cap flexibility and stash of future draft assets, the Nets aren’t necessarily locked in on the idea of pursuing a star via trade or in free agency over the summer — if no favorable opportunities to land a star arise, they may simply be patient and continue building through the draft.
On the other hand, if Giannis Antetokounmpo were to become available, that would substantially alter the Nets’ plans, according to Stein, who says rumblings around the NBA suggest the Bucks forward would be Brooklyn’s “dream target” and that the Nets would make a push for him if Milwaukee were willing to trade him. That’s probably a long shot this year though, since have been no indications the Bucks would ever consider moving Antetokounmpo unless he specifically asked for it.
Here’s more from Stein:
- Stein is the latest reporter to confirm that there’s strong mutual interest between the Suns and Butler. “I’ve heard they want him bad,” one league source told Stein. Still, until Phoenix can find a taker for Bradley Beal and get Beal to sign off on that destination, the Suns don’t have a path to acquiring the Heat forward.
- Andrew Nembhard would be an ideal target for a team facing apron restrictions due to his $2.02MM cap hit, his long-term team control, and his lack of poison pill restrictions following his extension. However, Stein says the Pacers guard is considered one of the most valuable assets on Indiana’s roster and is viewed as essentially “off-limits” in trade talks.
- Taking an early look at the Coach of the Year race, Stein describes Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers as the clear favorite and says he’d fill out his hypothetical ballot with Jamahl Mosley of the Magic at No. 2 and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons at No. 3. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka earns an honorable mention.
Cap Observations: Bucks/Apron, Hornets’ Trade Chips, Nets’ Cap Room
It hasn't exactly been a quiet start to 2025 on the NBA rumor mill, as Jimmy Butler's trade request has led to plenty of speculation about where the Heat star could land and how a potential deal could impact the rest of the market. But it may still be a couple more weeks before the in-season trade market truly heats up ahead of the February 6 deadline.
In the meantime, we're taking a closer look at a handful of cap-related topics that have been on our minds, including a scenario in which the Bucks aren't subject to second-apron restrictions, an under-the-radar team to watch as a deadline seller, and why cap room projections for the Nets are a little all over the place.
Let's dive in...
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Westbrook, Gordon, MPJ, Fernandez
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and point guard Russell Westbrook recorded triple-doubles in the same game on Friday for the second time this season, leading the team to a victory over the shorthanded Nets.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, the duo made NBA history by become the first pair of teammates to have 25-point triple-doubles in the same regular season game. Jokic put up 35 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds, while Westbrook contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“(Jokic) does a hell of a job making the game easy for everyone,” Westbrook said. “And since I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to do the same thing and find ways to be able to make the game easy for him and other guys. When we’re both doing that, our team is really good.”
Denver is 10-5 this season when Jokic registers a triple-double and 3-0 when Westbrook does so.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Westbrook has been an ideal fit so far in Denver, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who suggests that both the point guard and the team are benefiting from the arrangement — the Nuggets got a veteran leader who can take some pressure off of Jokic with his ball-handling and play-making, while Westbrook got a chance to play more like himself under a coach who believes in him. “I told him that I wanted him to challenge himself to be the best version of himself,” head coach Michael Malone said. “No offense to any of his past coaches, but if you put Russell Westbrook in the corner, you’re not getting the whole package. We’ve made an effort to get the ball into his hands quite a bit this season.”
- Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon appears to be on the verge of returning from the calf strain he aggravated on Christmas Day. After being upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game, Gordon has been listed as questionable to suit up on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
- Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is having arguably the best season of his career, with averages of 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on .521/.415/.708 shooting through 37 contests (34.5 MPG). With that in mind, Durando explores in a Denver Post story (subscription required) whether trading Porter would help or hurt the club’s roster. The 26-year-old, who is earning $35.9MM this season, is considered Denver’s most logical trade chip if the team makes a bigger in-season deal, since the other Nuggets with eight-figure cap hits – Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gordon – aren’t going anywhere.
- Friday’s game between the Nets and Nuggets was the first time that former Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez returned to Denver to face his old team as a head coach. As Durando details for The Denver Post, Fernandez said that every year he spent with the Nuggets helped prepare him for his current position with Brooklyn, and his former players are happy to see him succeeding in his new role. “I think he’s doing a good job. I think guys are listening. Guys are playing hard for him,” Jokic said. “I think that’s really important for a coach. … They are trying to do the right thing. They are trying to do what he is probably telling them. So they have some kind of system, and it’s really cool to see. They’re in the beginning of the process, of course. Hopefully, they can grow.”
Community Shootaround: First Half’s Pleasant Surprises, Disappointments
The fact that Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has been able to play in 19 games so far this season is an achievement in itself, given that he missed the previous two-and-a-half years while dealing with ongoing knee problems. As Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps write for ESPN.com (Insider link), what’s even more impressive is how impactful Ball has been during his time on the court.
Although his numbers, including 5.8 points per game on .359/.318/.750, don’t look especially strong, Ball is once again making the sorts of winning plays that don’t show up in the box score. Chicago has a +6.9 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -5.0 mark when he’s not.
“Someone is going to get him next year and look smart,” one executive said to ESPN of Ball, who is on an expiring contract.
Ball is among several players identified by Windhorst and Bontemps as the pleasant surprises of the first half of the 2024/25 NBA season. Here are a few more of the names on that list:
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: “He’s been everything the Knicks were hoping for and more, and his absence has left a larger hole than the Wolves would’ve ever thought,” a scout told ESPN.
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons: “When the Pistons gave him the max, there were quite a few people who thought it was a risk, and he’s been very strong,” a general manager said.
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: “What he’s doing is just ridiculous,” an executive said. “Say whatever you want about him meeting expectations; if he gets that roster to the playoffs, he should get MVP votes. And he might.”
- Norman Powell, Clippers: “He’s gotten more minutes and shots, but no one would’ve believed he’d take this leap at this stage of his career,” an exec said to ESPN.
James Harden (Clippers), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), and Cameron Johnson (Nets) are among the others mentioned by ESPN’s duo.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Heat teammates Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez, and Sixers center Joel Embiid are among the season’s biggest disappointments, as identified by Windhorst, Bontemps, and the sources they spoke to. Here are a few more of the players in that group:
- Paul George, Sixers: “Philly probably knew there was a chance they’d have a rough PG year on this contract but they probably thought it would be year four — not year one,” an executive said.
- Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: “I know he’s dealt with an injury,” one scout told ESPN, “but I think this has been the most disappointing season of his career.”
- Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers: “I thought it was a guarantee he’d play much better this year than last and show some things,” an exec said. “I’ve been wrong. His numbers are down, and the eye (test) confirms it.”
We want to know what you think.
Which NBA players have you been most pleasantly surprised or disappointed by so far this season? Are there any names on ESPN’s lists – or scouts’ and executives’ comments – that you strongly agree or disagree with?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
New York Notes: Knicks, Injuries, Claxton, Clowney
The Knicks trailed by as many as 30 against the Thunder on Friday and were booed heading into the locker room at halftime, Andrew Crane of the New York Post writes. After winning nine games in a row, the Knicks have now lost four of their last five, including three by double figures.
As Ian Begley of SNY points out, the Knicks are 0-5 this season against the top two teams in each conference, 4-7 against the eight best teams in the league, and 9-11 against teams over .500. Still, at 25-14 and third in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are confident they have plenty of time to sort things out.
“Yeah, I think we do,” Josh Hart said. “I think at the end of the day we have to go out there and execute at a high level; we have to go out there with energy, we have to go out there with no egos. We have to go out there with no individual agendas. We have to go out there and sacrifice. I think that’s the biggest thing.
“We’re a new group. We’re still learning, figuring it out, but we can’t expect to just have talent and go out there and win games. We’ve got to lock in and compete.”
We have more from New York:
- Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart both suffered minor injuries against the Raptors and were both able to play through them, but it served as a reminder as to how pivotal health is for the contender hopefuls, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. New York. The Knicks lost several members of their rotation to injuries near the end of a 50-win season in 2023/24 and were defeated in the second round of the playoffs.
- After dealing with an injury early in the season, Nets center Nic Claxton appears to be mostly healthy, but he’s still aiming to improve on what’s proven to be a difficult season, Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily writes. Claxton’s averages of 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game are below his career rates and he’s averaging fewer than half the blocks he did two years ago. “Yeah. Just trying to keep our morale up, keep my morale up, and try to be as vocal as I can be,” Claxton said of how he’s trying to impact the team.
- Second-year Nets forward Noah Clowney has showcased a three-point shot in recent weeks, making 10 across a pair of outings on Dec. 23 and 26 and knocking down five more on Wednesday. As Bridget Reilly of the New York Post notes, Clowney has taken over the starting forward position in the wake of Dorian Finney-Smith being traded away and is seizing the opportunity. “What I like to call it is I like to keep teams honest,” Clowney said. “I don’t like where teams have the ability to sag off of me because I’m a weak shooter. I feel like that hurts my team in general. So if I’m able to shoot the ball and I can keep somebody honest and keep the floor spaced for my guys to get in the lane, then that’s always been the goal. So after ‘Bama, I think I shot 29 percent at Alabama, something like that, but I knew I could shoot. I think other people knew I could shoot. Somebody took a chance, and here we are.” Clowney is shooting 37.8% from deep this year on 5.3 attempts per game.