Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Likely To Miss Season
TUESDAY, 3:03pm: Kidd-Gilchrist will have surgery, the team announced. The Hornets didn’t confirm the timetable, but this news signals that he’ll indeed miss the season.
5:08pm: It’s more likely than not that Kidd-Gilchrist will undergo season-ending surgery, but a non-surgical alternative exists that would allow him to miss only six to eight weeks, a source tells Bonnell. However, going without surgery would leave Kidd-Gilchrist more vulnerable to tearing the labrum again, Bonnell adds. Kidd-Gilchrist will meet Tuesday with a team doctor to discuss his options, as the Hornets said in their press release.
4:26pm: An MRI reveals Kidd-Gilchrist has a torn labrum in that right shoulder, the Hornets announced via press release. The team didn’t provide a timetable. That’s a different injury to the shoulder than previous reports indicated.
2:09pm: The injury is a season-ender, Wojnarowski writes in a full story, which represents only a slight adjustment of the six-month timetable, as I pointed out below. Wojnarowski also refers to the injury as a shoulder separation, not a dislocation.
MONDAY, 1:44pm: Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will have surgery on his dislocated right shoulder and miss six months, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The news is a devastating blow for Charlotte’s playoff hopes just weeks after the team signed the former No. 2 overall pick to a four-year, $52MM extension. Kidd-Gilchrist appeared to suffer the injury when he took a hard fall to the floor in Saturday’s preseason game.
Most shoulder dislocations force players out for only between three and 12 weeks, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer pointed out, so the timetable that Wojnarowski reports is surprising. It’s unclear if Kidd-Gilchrist suffered additional injury.
The Hornets reportedly plan to sign nine-year veteran swingman Damien Wilkins, a move that appears directly tied to the Kidd-Gilchrist injury, though Wilkins, who’s 35 and has been out of the NBA for two years, is unlikely to give Charlotte the production it will miss from Kidd-Gilchrist, a top-flight defender.
A return in six months would bring Kidd-Gilchrist back in time only for the last week or two of the regular season. If the league determines that Kidd-Gilchrist is likely to miss the entire season, the Hornets could apply for a disabled player exception. However, it would only be worth 50% of his $6,331,404 salary this season, which would come to $3,165,702, and not the $5.464MM it would be worth if Kidd-Gilchrist was already playing under the terms of his extension, which doesn’t kick in until next season. The Hornets already have their full non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception worth $5.464MM that they’ve yet to touch, so it remains to be seen if the team will bother applying for the disabled player exception. The mid-level gives Charlotte more cap flexibility than every team in the league except the Trail Blazers, Sixers and Jazz.
The only other cap-related compensation that might become available for the Hornets this season is a hardship provision for an extra regular season roster spot, but that would only come into play if three other players are expected to miss an extended period of time, and that’s not the case for now.
Charlotte traded for Nicolas Batum in the offseason, though he was already likely to start along side Kidd-Gilchrist. The Hornets offloaded Gerald Henderson in that trade and Lance Stephenson in another, so Jeremy Lamb, who came to Charlotte via yet another trade, seems like a strong candidate to inherit a starting spot.
What additional move, if any, should the Hornets try to make to offset the loss of Kidd-Gilchrist? Leave a comment to tell us.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Heat, Hornets
The Hawks acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. because they love his shooting ability, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will be the heir apparent to Kyle Korver at shooting guard, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes in a rundown of five training camp questions facing Atlanta. Vivlamore also discusses who will start at the small forward position, adding that Coach Mike Budenholzer has said Thabo Sefolosha will be the player he first looks to in the role. Sefolosha, as Vivlamore points out, is coming off a serious injury of a broken right leg and ligament damage.
Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Aside from being more of a vocal leader, Paul Millsap does not see his role changing much with the Hawks after re-signing for three years and approximately $58MM and becoming the highest-paid member of the team, Vivlamore writes in a separate story.
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford doesn’t believe veteran Marvin Williams will be marginalized by the additions at power forward over the summer, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Frank Kaminsky, Tyler Hansbrough and Spencer Hawes are all newcomers to the Hornets, but Williams’ versatility, defense and 3-point shooting will likely keep him in the rotation, Bonnell adds.
- Despite not having a consensus top-20 player, three starters in their 30s and a center who has yet to play a full season, the Heat will be pretty good this season because Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic enter the year as starters, opines Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald.
Southeast Notes: Splitter, Neal, Batum, Ennis
Tiago Splitter admits that he was disappointed when he was traded to the Hawks in a move designed to clear salary cap room, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. The Spurs needed the cap space the trade provided to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, whom Splitter believes makes San Antonio the team to beat in the West, Greene adds. “It’s a great squad,” Splitter said of his former team. “On paper they are the favorites to win the title. They have David West. They have LaMarcus Aldridge. Of course, Tim Duncan. Just a great frontcourt over there. They are a very talented team. Of course you have to see how things work out for them on the practical side of the game, but on the interior they have a great team.”
The big man said that his attitude regarding being dealt changed when he realized he’d be playing for coach Mike Budenholzer, a former assistant with the Spurs, Greene adds. “It’s nice to be in an environment where you already know the coach,” Splitter said. “I didn’t know the players before I got here but as soon as I got traded Bud told me that I was going to be in a great situation with great teammates. He gave me a lot of confidence that this team is going to be great once again. I don’t think a [learning curve] is going to be a problem. When I’ve talked to Bud so far I’ve seen that he has his own tricks and personality in the system, but it’s the same system we ran in San Antonio.”
Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:
- With the Wizards expected to utilize smaller lineups this season, Gary Neal‘s three-point shooting skills should play a big part in the team’s new offense, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic writes. “The way the NBA is changing and evolving right now, how everybody is going to the four out, one in, the ball movement, not holding the ball, getting away from the isolation play, coach [Randy] Wittman is trying to teach that,” Neal said. “That offense is kind of new to him also. He went to a little bit of that against the Hawks in the playoffs and by playing Paul Pierce at the four he kind of liked that. So he was thinking about that throughout the whole summer. He’s teaching it to us. It’s new to us. Everybody’s learning. We should be alright.“
- Nicolas Batum will take on a much greater role with the Hornets than he had during his time in Portland, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “Nic has always been third or fourth option,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “Now he’s going to be second or first option.”
- Heat forward James Ennis said that the tendinitis that he was experiencing in his knees led to his poor showing in summer league play this year, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. “I was down on myself because I expected more from me,” Ennis told Jackson. “I’m really hard on myself. But I looked at it and said, ‘You’re injured.’ I was playing at 65%. I did a lot of treatment. My knee is a lot better. You’ll see it in the preseason.” Ennis, who has a non-guaranteed salary, is fighting for a regular season roster spot.
And-Ones: Bender, Wall, Durant, Brown, Lawson
European phenom Dragan Bender will make his U.S. debut in Chicago tonight for Israel Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv for the first of a pair of exhibitions against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, as Zach Links of Hoops Rumors first reported he was likely to do. The 17-year-old has stirred no shortage of excitement, as international journalist David Pick writes for Bleacher Report. Almost all 30 NBA teams are set to scout the contests, with the Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Bucks among them, sources tell Pick. Hornets GM Rich Cho will be there, too, tweets Jake Fischer of SI Now. The Nuggets, Sixers and Magic have had talks with Maccabi officials about the 7’1″ power forward, Pick also hears. Bender is well ahead of where 2015 No. 4 overall pick Kristaps Porzingis was at the same age, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress told Pick. Givony has Bender as the fifth-best prospect in next year’s draft, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him seventh.
“The only thing ’17 years old’ about him is his mustache,” Maccabi coach Guy Goodes said to Pick.
See more on Bender and other NBA news here:
- Bender turns 18 next month, so he’ll turn 19 in 2016 and thus be eligible for early entry for the upcoming draft, but it’s not a given that he’ll declare, as Maccabi GM Nikola Vujcic, who also serves as Bender’s guardian, explained to Pick for the same piece. Vujcic suggested to Pick that Bender won’t enter the draft unless he receives a commitment from a team picking in the top three to five selections and suggested that he might decide to stay overseas for a while even if he is drafted.
- John Wall says he and Kevin Durant are “really close” and reiterated that he’ll make a recruiting pitch to the former MVP who hits free agency next summer, though he adds that he’ll be cautious not to take an overbearing approach, as the Wizards point guard explains to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
- The Nets declined to waive Markel Brown by Tuesday’s guarantee date, so his $200K partial guarantee jumped to a full guarantee on his $845,059 minimum salary, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). That gives the Nets 13 fully guaranteed contracts among the 20 players they have in camp.
- The Rockets are trying to minimize their risks with Ty Lawson, having told him that they’ll provide a ride for him to any destination at any time, according to TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Lawson, for whom Houston traded this summer despite two DUI arrests in six months, has been on his best behavior so far, Aldridge notes.
Southeast Notes: Scott, Fournier, Williams
Hawks forward Mike Scott spoke publicly Monday for the first time since his arrest this summer on felony drug charges. The veteran would not discuss details of the case, but did note that the gym has been a sanctuary during the past few months, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. “I just come in every day and compete,” Scott said at Hawks media day. “Joke around and laugh with my teammates. This is kind of been my sanctuary for the summer. I come into the gym and work hard and put everything behind me. Then when in I get back to the locker room I’ll look at my phone and I’ll be ‘Oh, right. I forgot.’ Coming into the gym every day, working out with my teammates, is something that has been great for me.”
Scott did acknowledge that his situation has embarrassed the Hawks’ organization, Vivlamore adds. “I don’t like to make other people look bad,” Scott said. “I don’t like to embarrass people. I don’t want to feel embarrassed. I thought it made us look bad a little bit. I take full responsibility for that. Moving on.”
Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:
- Evan Fournier is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Magic prior to this year’s deadline, and he’d welcome a new deal if the parameters made sense, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “It would be awesome,” Fournier said when asked about a possible extension. “But, to be honest, I don’t even think about it because that’s not in my power. That’s not in my hands. Right now I’m focused on getting healthy and just being back on the court. But, yeah, it would be awesome, man.“
- John Wall would be happy to assist the Wizards in recruiting Kevin Durant, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays. “There’s gonna be an opportunity to throw a pitch at him to try to get him to come back home,” Wall told CSNMidAtlantic.com. “But I know one thing of just knowing him, he’s going to be very focused on taking care of Oklahoma City this season, and I’m going to be focused on taking care of the Washington Wizards. But when the time is right and he can get away from all that, yeah, we’ll probably have some conversation and throw a pitch.“
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford doesn’t expect the role of Marvin Williams will be diminished despite the offseason additions of Frank Kaminsky, Tyler Hansbrough, and Spencer Hawes, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “He’ll play the majority of his minutes at [power forward], but he could play [small forward] some nights depending on matchups,” Clifford said of Williams. “He’ll space the floor and be a very good defender. He adds versatility because he can switch [defensively] with some of the perimeter guys. Really the way the NBA is going he’s becoming the prototypical [power forward] now — 6’8″ or 6’9″, can make 3s and guard different guys.”
- Mario Chalmers, who was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, leaned on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for support to get through the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “LeBron and D-Wade are my two closest people when I’ve got things going on in my mind,” Chalmers said. “I talked to those two in the summer and it really helped ease my mind. Bron, big brother, he told me, ‘Don’t worry — it’s a business.’”
Clippers Notes: Rivers, Stephenson, Smith
The specter of the Donald Sterling saga hurt the Clippers in free agency last summer, Doc Rivers says, but after this past offseason, one in which Rivers had owner Steve Ballmer behind him, the onus is on Rivers the coach to deliver on what Rivers the executive set up, writes Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times.
“The first summer was tough. We didn’t have an owner in place. Recruiting was near-impossible,” Rivers said. “You go in and talk to free agents and their agent would say, ‘Well, we don’t even know who’s going to own your team. Why would we commit to you guys?’ That was a hard summer for us.”
Ballmer’s riches didn’t play too much of a role this year, since Paul Pierce taxpayer’s mid-level exception deal was the only outside signing for more than the minimum that salary cap rules allowed the Clippers to make, but Rivers also made noise via trade, as we examine more closely amid the latest on the Clips:
- Rivers still held out hope that his Spencer Hawes signing from 2014 would pan out and didn’t want to mess with his team’s strong play at the time when he passed on a deal that would have brought in Lance Stephenson midway through last season, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. Rivers ultimately traded Hawes in this summer’s deal for Stephenson.
- Clippers offseason signee Josh Smith is enthusiastic about what Stephenson can do for the team, calling him a “walking triple-double” who was simply misplaced in Charlotte, as Woike notes in the same piece. “I think it was the wrong fit,” Smith said of Stephenson on the Hornets. “It’s all about a player being comfortable and happy in a situation. Me in Detroit, it was kind of a similar situation. I think he looks at this as a breath of fresh air.”
- The Clippers were the first team to contact Smith in free agency this summer, and that helped impress upon him that the Clippers wanted him more than the Rockets, who also made an offer, Smith said, according to Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. Persistence from GM Dave Wohl also paid dividends, according to Rivers. “I give Dave credit,” Rivers said. “He didn’t stop. He called every single day, like 21 days in a row. He kept calling, and Josh called Dave and said, ‘I’m coming.’ Then Dave called me. That’s how we got the news. I just think the opportunity, he looked at our team and what we had, and I think that’s what sold him.”
Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Heat, Wizards
Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is entering the final season of his current deal, but there is mutual interest between the team and the 26-year-old in reaching an agreement on a new contract next offseason, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Speaking about his feelings for Atlanta, Bazemore said, “I’ve come to love Atlanta. Of the whole summer, I was probably only gone two weeks. I’ve spent a lot of time here. I just moved into a new house. I’m renting it. Maybe I can buy it next year.” Bazemore and the Hawks will have to wait until next summer to work out a new deal since his current deal was signed for less than four years, meaning Bazemore is ineligible to sign an extension during the season, Vivlamore adds.
Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Heat assistant Dan Craig was officially named as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced. The news of Craig’s hiring was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
- Jaron Johnson‘s one-year deal with the Wizards is non-guaranteed and for the league minimum, while Jaleel Roberts‘ agreement is also for the minimum, but his includes a partial guarantee of $10K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links).
- The Heat‘s deals with John Lucas III and Tre Kelley are one-year pacts for the league minimum and do not include any guaranteed salary, Pincus tweets.
- Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said that it may make more sense for the team to carry the regular season maximum of 15 players rather than keeping a slot open, Vivlamore tweets. Atlanta currently has 13 players inked to fully guaranteed deals.
- The Hornets are hoping that Jeremy Lamb will get off to a fresh start in Charlotte after not seeing much playing time during his three seasons with the Thunder, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Lamb was acquired back in June in exchange for for Luke Ridnour and a 2016 second-round pick.
- Greg Stiemsma‘s and Nnanna Egwu‘s one-year, minimum salary deals with the Magic are non-guaranteed, while Keith Appling and Jordan Sibert‘s minimum salary arrangements include partial guarantees of $100K, Pincus relays in a series of tweets.
- The presence of Goran Dragic, who re-signed with the Heat this offseason, was a big draw for Amar’e Stoudemire to join Miami as a free agent, Surya Fernandez of SB Nation tweets. Of Dragic, Stoudemire said, “If he would have stayed in Phoenix, I would have thought about going back to Phoenix.“
And-Ones: Kings, Pelicans, Hornets
Kings president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac told Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee in a wide-ranging Q&A that he pulled the trigger on the trade that sent that sent Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Nik Stauskas to the Sixers because it allowed the team flexibility to acquire Kosta Koufos, Marco Belinelli and Rajon Rondo in free agency. Divac added that he also made the deal because he believes the Kings should be able to contend for a playoff spot and play above .500.
Speaking of Rondo, Divac added that he views the veteran as a leader and coach on the court and that is a big reason for the signing. Divac sees Darren Collison being able to share the floor with Rondo because of Collison’s versatility.
Here’s more on Jones’ interview with Divac and other notes from around the basketball world:
- When asked about how he learned about free agency, the salary cap and trades, Divac told Jones that he leaned on assistant GM Mike Bratz. Bratz drew mention as someone who is now on the same page with coach George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins. On the Karl-Cousins saga, Divac said the problems between the two were the result of frustration from the previous season and that trust was built in a meeting over the summer.
- Jeff Adrien‘s $1.1MM deal with the Pelicans is non-guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford believes this year’s group is the most talented and most versatile batch of players he has had in his three years with the team, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
Central Notes: Thomas, Thompson, Williams
The Pistons will give Adonis Thomas a “real chance” to beat out Reggie Bullock for a roster spot, according to David Mayo of MLive. Thomas signed a training camp deal with Detroit in July, receiving a $60K guarantee. He won’t become fully guaranteed until January, so Mayo speculates the Pistons may keep him on the roster until midseason to see if he can outplay Bullock. If it doesn’t work out, the team could drop Thomas and seek help through 10-day contracts. Mayo says Brandon Jennings‘ lingering Achilles injury — which will require the Pistons to keep four point guards at the start of the season — probably killed any chance of Thomas and Bullock both earning long-term roster spots.
There’s more news from the Central Division:
- Tristan Thompson‘s salary dispute with the Cavaliers appears ready to carry into training camp, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The two sides have been in an impasse since negotiations began in July, with Thompson seeking a max deal and the team offering somewhat less. The rebounding specialist appears headed toward signing the Cavs’ qualifying offer and entering unrestricted free agency next summer. The deadline to accept the offer is October 1st. Washburn notes that Thompson did not attend a recent players workout organized by LeBron James, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported.
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford admits that he ran Mo Williams “into the ground” last season, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. The intense playing time could account for Williams’ drop in production as the season wore on. Williams signed with the Cavaliers over the summer as a backup to Kyrie Irving.
- The signing of Greg Monroe will give the Bucks credibility when pursuing future free agents, according to Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The former Piston accepted a three-year max deal from Milwaukee, passing on similar offers from the Lakers, Knicks and Blazers. In his season preview, Powell also credits the Bucks for keeping their own high-profile free agent in Khris Middleton, who received $70MM over five years.
Southeast Notes: Jefferson, Batum, Marble, Wizards
Al Jefferson believes several offseason moves will help the Hornets forget about last year’s disappointment and make a return to the Eastern Conference playoffs, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. “I’ve been a big fan of Nic Batum since I was in Utah,” Jefferson said. “He’s a very skilled player who can pass, shoot, do it all. Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb are guys who can shoot the ball and move the ball. Spencer Hawes is one of my favorite guys in the world. Only time I don’t like him is when I have to play against him because I don’t want to guard anybody out to the 3-point line.” Batum, Hawes and Lamb were acquired in offseason trades, while Lin signed as a free agent. Jefferson, who missed 17 games last season with calf and knee problems, has lost more than 20 pounds over the summer in an effort to become more durable.
There’s more this morning from the Southeast Division:
- Batum is rated as Charlotte’s best offseason acquisition by Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. In the site’s season preview of the Hornets, Greene praises Batum’s versatility, saying he will help the team with his scoring, rebounding, passing and defense. He identifies Lamb as the Hornets’ top unheralded player, claiming the young guard should improve with increased playing time.
- After appearing in just 16 games during his rookie season, the Magic’s Devyn Marble can probably expect more time in the D-League, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. The second-round pick, who was acquired in a 2014 deal with the Nuggets, had his season end in March because of a detached retina in his left eye. He started seven consecutive games in midseason when Tobias Harris was injured and impressed the Orlando coaching staff with his defense. However, the Magic are loaded with wing players, and it could be difficult once again for Marble to earn playing time.
- Training camp invitees Toure’ Murry and Josh Harrellson are among the players participating in the Wizards‘ pre-camp workouts, according to Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com. Also in the group are newcomers Gary Neal and Alan Anderson.