Josh Giddey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Australia, McLemore, York, Jerebko, Calipari, Klutch

April 11th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Australian national team has revealed its preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, announcing a list of 22 players that are in the mix to play in Paris. That group will have to be cut down to 12 players ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Australia’s preliminary roster includes several NBAers, including Thunder guard Josh Giddey, Mavericks guard Dante Exum, Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle and big man Duop Reath, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, Magic forward Joe Ingles, Heat guard Patty Mills, Rockets center Jock Landale, and Grizzlies forward Jack White.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN notes, the newest addition to the Boomers’ roster is 19-year-old Johnny Furphy, who played for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023/24 and is projected by ESPN to be a potential first-round pick in this year’s draft.

The most notable absence is Ben Simmons, as the Nets guard underwent back surgery last month that will sideline him for the Olympics. Simmons doesn’t have much history with the Australian national team, so it’s unclear if he would’ve been part of the Boomers’ roster in Paris even if he’d been healthy.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested and jailed this week in Oregon and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.
Former NBA guard Gabe York, who appeared in five games for the Pacers across two seasons from 2021-23, has signed with Basquet Girona, the Spanish team announced this week in a press release. York played for the G League Ignite earlier this season.
Following a two-year hiatus from basketball, Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko is making a comeback, having signed with Puerto Rican team Santeros de Aguada, according to Eurohoops. Jerebko, who turned 37 last month, appeared in 635 NBA regular season games for four teams from 2009-19. He last played professionally for CSKA Moscow in 2022.
Shams Charania and Kyle Tucker of The Athletic take an in-depth look at John Calipari‘s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 years with the Wildcats, detailing how Calipari’s deal with the Razorbacks came about.
One Legacy Sports Management, led by veteran agent Mike George, is becoming part of Klutch Sports, CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jamal Murray, Dillon Brooks, and Shaedon Sharpe are among George’s clients, per RealGM.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Jokic, Murray, George, Giddey

March 30th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The battle for control among Timberwolves‘ ownership isn’t affecting the team’s performance, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. While majority owner Glen Taylor and minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez fight things out in the media and probably in the court system, Minnesota picked up one of its biggest wins of the season Friday night at Denver. The Wolves are now tied with Oklahoma City for the top spot in the West with just nine games remaining.

“I don’t think it affects the players as much,” Mike Conley said of the ownership situation. “Maybe it affects the image of the team, the aura of the team around a little bit. But as far as the players are concerned, I think we just are like, ‘Damn, that’s crazy.’ Then we go back to watching film and worrying about (Nikola) Jokic, Jamal Murray and (Michael) Porter and those guys. It’s a unique situation and it’s something we don’t have any control over. We’re trying to do our job.”

Rudy Gobert didn’t mention Taylor, Lore or Rodriguez by name, but he said ownership in general has improved since he was traded to Minnesota nearly two years ago, creating a better atmosphere for the players.

“Whether it’s nutrition, recovery, facility, family room, how our family is being treated — it’s a lot of things,” Gobert said. “This organization is becoming really a top-notch organization and I think it’s come a long way.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets may need to prioritize health over chasing the No. 1 seed, contends Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Jokic played with his right wrist taped Friday night, and Durando observes that it was clearly bothering him even though he finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds. “His wrist has been giving him a lot of trouble,” coach Michael Malone said. “But as we know, Nikola plays through things that most guys won’t.” Murray missed his fourth straight game with an ankle injury, but Malone said he’s expected to return before the start of the playoffs.
The Jazz dropped their eighth straight game Friday night as they deal with the realities of starting three rookies, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh are struggling with efficiency as they get accustomed to playing big minutes at the NBA level, but the organization is committed to all three players, with coach Will Hardy complimenting George on his mental approach to the game. “Keyonte is really, really smart. He’s really, really smart in general, and that applies to basketball,” Hardy said. “He watches a lot on his own, which is very rare these days. He’s at home watching League Pass, watching games. So with that he has pretty quick recognition of things. He has an ability to learn things fast. He has really good recall. He can remember plays that we ran three weeks ago that we haven’t scripted in a while.”
Thunder swingman Josh Giddey said he used to hate it when teams dared him to shoot from the outside, but he’s learned to use it as a weapon, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “Now I’ve changed my mindset going into games,” Giddey said, “where it’s like, ‘If he’s gonna leave me open, I’m gonna punish them. I’m gonna make them pay and change their defensive scheme.’”

Northwest Notes: Conley, Ayton, Giddey, Nuggets

March 17th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mike Conley had 25 points in the Timberwolves 119-100 win over the Jazz on Saturday. The former Utah point guard admits he took extra satisfaction in the outcome, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The Jazz played a video tribute to the current Timberwolves floor leader prior to the contest. “There was a little bit [of extra motivation]. Not gonna lie,” Conley said. “But at the same time, man, I was trying to have fun. … Just trying to soak up the moment. You get a video played and that doesn’t happen very often and it just shows so much gratitude.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Deandre Ayton said he had some personal struggles adjusting to playing in Portland after getting traded by Phoenix, he told Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Ayton feels much more comfortable now and it’s showing in his production. The Trail Blazers center has averaged 27.2 points and 15.0 rebounds over his last five games. “I felt like I adjusted quickly. But at the same time, it’s good to acknowledge that we are human and things like that do have to take into place where you have to adjust to certain cities and teammates and things like that,” Ayton said.
Opponents are sagging off Josh Giddey and the Thunder guard is learning how to adjust to that strategy, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Giddey is a 30.4% three-point shooter during his three-year career. He’s averaging 14.4 points on 11.6 shot attempts this month. “Sometimes it can be a confidence killer. Seeing a big guard gap you and daring you to shoot the ball,” he said. “But you have to stay confident. You have to trust it because the second you don’t, they win and it falls into their hands.”
The Nuggets lost for just the second time in 13 games since the All-Star break on Sunday. Dallas’ Kyrie Irving hit an improbable hook shot at the buzzer. “You look at the wins, bro,” Jamal Murray told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “We’ve been winning, and two losses, trying to find a common denominator, like, bro hit a left-handed floater from the top of the key going away from the basket. It’s an amazing shot. And we played terrible up until the last couple minutes, so we’re fighting and we were just happy to be in that position, the way we played throughout the game.”

Northwest Notes: Markkanen, Giddey, Nuggets, Scoot

January 21st, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, the NBA’s reigning Most Improved Player and a first-time All-Star last season, received high praise last week from Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“He’s a great, great young player,” Carlisle said of Markkanen. “He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to (Dirk) Nowitzki.”

Carlisle, of course, coached the Mavericks in 2011, when Nowitzki led Dallas to its first and only title.

“(He’s) a seven-footer that can really stretch the game out and play inside,” Carlisle continued. “He’s underrated as an athlete. And his length is really special and the efficiency with which he catches the ball and gets rid of it, shoots it — he just like catches it up here and just goes like this from like anywhere.

“People have tried to put bigger guys on him, smaller guys on him, he shoots over the smaller guys, he’s out-crafts the big guys. So, he’s tough. He’s a much tougher player than what you may think looking at him. He’s tall, slender, angular, but he’s rugged. So he’s a major, major problem.”

While Markkanen has had another excellent season, with averages that are extremely similar to last season, he also missed 10 games due to injury and the competition for All-Star spots in the West will be fierce, Larsen notes. For his part, Markkanen says he hopes he makes it in.

“I think it can get it, I’ve just got to keep grinding. It would mean a lot obviously,” Markkanen said, per Larsen. “Winning games is what helps us, so I’m just doing trying to do my part to get us there, and hopefully I get in. It would definitely be a big thing for me.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Both Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey and head coach Mark Daigneault replied with “no comment” when they were asked about the investigation into Giddey being closed by the Newport Beach Police Department, as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman relays (Twitter links). Giddey was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor, but he won’t face criminal charges due to a lack of evidence.
Denver handed Boston its first home loss of the season in what could be a potential preview of the 2024 NBA Finals, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who argues the Nuggets should still be considered the favorite to defend their title. Tim Bontemps of ESPN has additional quotes after the high-intensity matchup between two of the top teams in the league.
No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson sustained a nasal contusion in Friday’s victory over Indiana, causing him to leave the game and not return (Twittter link via the Trail Blazers), but head coach Chauncey Billups was relieved the 19-year-old rookie didn’t have a concussion, as Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets. Henderson was active for Sunday’s game vs. the Lakers.

Josh Giddey Won’t Face Criminal Charges Following Allegations

January 17th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Rory Maher

8:30pm: In a press release (Twitter link), the Newport Beach Police Department confirmed that Giddey won’t face criminal charges.

7:40pm: The Newport Beach Police Department has concluded its investigation into Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey and he will not be charged with a crime after no corroborating evidence was found, as first reported by TMZ Sports. Shams Charania of The Athletic later confirmed the news.

In November, a series of posts on social media accused Giddey of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl who is a student at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach. That prompted both the NBA and the Newport Beach Police Department to open investigations into the claims.

However, TMZ reported at the time that the alleged minor and her family were unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement officials. Now, the case is considered closed, according to TMZ.

The NBA’s investigation is technically still active, but it seems unlikely to turn out differently considering Giddey won’t face criminal charges.

The sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey is averaging 11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 4.6 APG in 39 games this season for Oklahoma City (24.8 MPG).

Western Rumors: Markkanen, Giddey, Mann, Kings, Lofton

December 15th, 2023 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein reported that teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports says that several clubs have already contacted Utah to inquire on Markkanen.

Fischer stresses that the Jazz are “by no means expected” to trade Markkanen, who is a favorite of team officials. However, opposing executives have gotten the sense that the All-Star forward is no longer quite as untouchable as he was in the past.

“Do I expect Utah to trade Lauri? No,” one general manager told Fischer. “But they are saying they’re willing to listen. They are willing to listen to calls on everyone, but it’s a matter of meeting their price like Minnesota did for Rudy [Gobert].”

As Fischer notes, even if a deal is unlikely, the fact that the Jazz are open to listening on Markkanen means that there will continue to be plenty of buzz around him as the trade deadline nears. League personnel believe that the Kings, Hawks, and Thunder are among the teams that would have the most interest in the Finnish star, Fischer adds.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Rival teams had begun to zero in on Thunder guard Josh Giddey as a possible trade target before the NBA and California police began looking into allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor, per Fischer. Depending on the outcome of those investigations, Giddey may still draw interest ahead of the trade deadline. Oklahoma City also explored moving Tre Mann prior to the start of the season, Fischer adds.
If the Kings pursue either Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, the Raptors are expected to ask for Keegan Murray in return, which may be a non-starter for Sacramento, Fischer writes, since the Kings view Murray as an important piece in both the present and the future. However, another former lottery pick, Davion Mitchell, is considered a “strong” trade candidate, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
The Grizzlies have made calls to potential trade partners to gauge those teams’ interest in some of Memphis’ reserves, but if a deal doesn’t materialize in the coming days, the expectation is that the team will probably waive Kenneth Lofton Jr. to open up a roster spot to activate Ja Morant next week, says Fischer. We took a closer look at Memphis’ looming roster decisions earlier in the week.

Police In California Looking Into Allegations Against Josh Giddey

November 29th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

1:30pm: The Newport Beach Police Department has issued an update, announcing that its investigation into the allegations against Giddey remains “active” and putting out a call for more information.

“The Newport Beach Police Department is actively seeking additional information related to these allegations and pursuing all leads and evidence to obtain the facts of the case,” the statements reads (Twitter link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN).

10:58am: The Newport Beach Police Department has opened an inquiry into the allegations against Thunder guard Josh Giddey in an attempt to assess the validity of the claims and determine whether any laws were broken, according to reports from TMZ Sports and Salvador Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times.

As Nolan Clay and Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman detail, a series of posts on social media last week accused Giddey of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl who is a student at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach.

The NBA has confirmed that it’s investigating those claims, and now local police are looking into them as well.

According to The Oklahoman’s reporting, online court records put the Thunder guard in the Newport Beach area in July 2022, when he was ticketed for a pair of traffic violations. However, it’s not clear whether the allegations stem from that time – when Giddey would have been 19 – or if they’re based on a more recent incident.

The age of consent in California is 18. Giddey turned 21 last month.

Clay and Lorenzi explain that a violation of consent laws in California is considered a misdemeanor if the perpetrator and the minor are within three years of age. Otherwise, it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony.

The latest reporting from TMZ Sports indicates that the alleged minor and her family have thus far been unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement officials in Newport Beach.

Giddey has remained active while the NBA and California police investigate the accusations. Asked on Tuesday ahead of the Thunder’s game vs. Minnesota about the police inquiry, head coach Mark Daigneault cut the reporter short and said he wouldn’t discuss “anything as it relates to Josh off the court” before confirming that Giddey would play vs. the Timberwolves.

Giddey finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes on Tuesday. He was booed by the crowd in Minnesota every time he touched the ball.

Northwest Notes: Giddey, Jazz, Hornacek, Wolves

November 25th, 2023 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder plan on having guard Josh Giddey available on Saturday – and going forward – while the NBA looks into allegations that he had an improper relationship with a minor, head coach Mark Daigneault told reporters this afternoon (Twitter video link via Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic)

“Just with the information we have at this point, that’s the decision that we’ve made,” Daigneault said when asked why the team feels comfortable keeping Giddey active. “It’s really not even a decision, to be honest with you.”

A Thunder spokesperson later clarified that Daigneault meant the decision on Giddey’s availability isn’t within his jurisdiction and is in the league’s hands, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Of course, Oklahoma City could decide on its own to hold Giddey out, but it sounds like the team will continue playing him while the investigation is ongoing unless the NBA advises otherwise.

“It’s obviously a league matter at this point,” Daigneault said. “So the ball’s in their court on that.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

There’s good news and bad news for the Jazz on the injury report for Saturday’s game vs. New Orleans, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah will be without its top two scorers, as forward Lauri Markkanen has been ruled out due to left hamstring soreness while Jordan Clarkson will be unavailable due to an illness. However, the Jazz appear likely to have their starting center back in the lineup, as Walker Kessler, who has missed the last seven games due to a sprained left elbow, has been upgraded to probable.
Former Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek remains involved with the organization behind the scenes as a coaching consultant. In a story for The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required), Larsen explores what that role entails and the impact that Hornacek has had on head coach Will Hardy. “He’s been a really, really good friend and confidant and in some ways like a mentor for me in this role, because he also knows what it’s like to be a head coach and a first-time head coach,” Hardy said. “There are tough moments during the season where sometimes he just offers a ‘Hang in there, you’re doing what you should be doing.’ It’s just a tough stretch over 82 games and so he’s been a really calming influence for me.”
The Timberwolves had high hopes that their 2022 trade for Rudy Gobert would help create an elite defense. The results were mixed last season – Minnesota narrowly cracked the top 10 in defensive rating – but it has all come together for the team so far in 2023/24, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, who takes a closer look at the parts Gobert, head coach Chris Finch, and top defensive assistant coach Elston Turner have played in building one of the league’s best Ds.

NBA Investigating Allegations Against Josh Giddey

November 24th, 2023 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is looking into allegations made against Thunder guard Josh Giddey, league spokesperson Mike Bass said today (Twitter links via Chris Mannix of SI.com and Shams Charania of The Athletic).

A series of videos and photos went viral on social media this week accusing Giddey, who turned 21 last month, of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Giddey was asked during a media session on Friday about the allegations and declined to address them, telling reporters, “I understand the question, obviously, but there’s no further comment right now” (Twitter video link via Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder).

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also rebuffed questions about the situation on Friday when he was asked about is being a possible distraction, referring to it as a “personal matter” and declining to comment (Twitter video link via Stiles).

There’s no indication to this point that Giddey won’t continue to be available for the Thunder while the NBA’s investigation is ongoing. He has started each of Oklahoma City’s 15 games so far, averaging 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 27.2 minutes per night for the 11-4 club.

Southwest Notes: Jones, Doncic, Green, Giddey, VanVleet

November 15th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Herbert Jones made an immediate impact after returning from a three-game absence due to a right fibula contusion. Jones sparked the Pelicans on a defensive end as they avenged a loss to the Mavericks two days earlier. Two days after Luka Doncic dropped 30 points on New Orleans, Jones held the Mavs star to 16 points in the Pelicans’ 131-110 win.

Doncic gave high praise to the Pelicans swingman after the game, Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes. “He’s just a great defender,” Doncic said. “You could see his impact today when he wasn’t there for the first game (Sunday). I really admire that guy.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Speaking of Doncic, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the in-season tournament court at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center, he told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “I mean, outside all of the colors the court today was really bad,” the Mavericks star said. “It was really slippery. And then some places the ball didn’t really bounce. So you know, if we’re going to have these courts we’ve got to make sure that it’s a stable court, so you can play on it. Like in Dallas, you know? It wasn’t stable, so we had to change it.”
Veteran forward Jeff Green‘s minutes have fluctuated in his first nine games with the Rockets, but he has been more than just a veteran voice in the locker room, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Head coach Ime Udoka lauded Green for his versatility, noting that he has been a good fit as a small-ball five in certain lineups.
The Spurs’ No. 1 goal this offseason should be to bring in a lead ball-hander, Kelly Iko of The Athletic opines. A scout that Iko interviewed indicated that the Thunder’s Josh Giddey could be a future target, though there’s no indication Giddey will be available in the short term. Within the same mailbag, Iko gives the Rockets high praise for their Fred VanVleet addition in free agency. VanVleet has improved the club at both ends of the floor, empowered their young players and displayed his leadership skills, Iko notes.