And-Ones: Trade Possibilities, Contract Decisions, Bell, Johnson, Rookies
Several should-be playoff contenders have struggled through the earlier parts of the season, either due to injuries or pieces not fitting together. While in-season moves don’t usually pick up until after the New Year, closer to February’s trade deadline, several teams appear to be scouring the market for help.
The Bucks are chief among those teams, stumbling out to a 4-8 record in the early part of the season. In an Insider-only piece, a group of ESPN writers agree that the Bucks’ most likely course of action is to see if their three-point shooting evens out. Milwaukee doesn’t have much flexibility, but players like Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. are shooting below their typical averages. Waiting it out might be the best and only course of action for now, although Jamal Collier notes that they’ve expressed interest in a defensive wing.
The Heat have several questions about their future after not agreeing to an extension with Jimmy Butler. Butler’s ankle injury has complicated matters further, but Tim Bontemps writes that the Heat aren’t in any rush to make moves. They entered the season wanting to see how their team looked in the first half of the season, and according to Bontemps, that thought process hasn’t changed.
While New Orleans has the flexibility to make a trade, its season is hampered by numerous injuries. Michael C. Wright indicates that the Pelicans seem more likely to stand pat this season and not make major moves since they’ve never paid the luxury tax and don’t seem to be in any rush to do so with a team that sits at 3-9. Brandon Ingram could make some sense as a trade piece, since he was unable to agree to an extension with the Pels before the season, but his trade market would be limited given his unrestricted free agent status at the end of the year.
The Knicks and the Sixers haven’t jumped out to the starts they’ve wanted, but they appear likely to approach that situation in different ways. New York needs frontcourt help, but should get Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson back from injuries at some point this season. After trading for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, a major move doesn’t seem to be in the cards. However, the Sixers – who also need frontcourt size – could dangle KJ Martin‘s $8MM pseudo-expiring deal in any move. They’ve always been aggressive under president Daryl Morey, and that’s not likely to change.
While several teams need help, it seems as though most should-be contenders don’t have many options available to them on the trade market — for now.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- In the new CBA landscape, managing finances has been more crucial for NBA teams than ever before. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report breaks down every team’s most pressing upcoming contract decision, including calls the Hawks, Mavericks and Magic must make on stars Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Paolo Banchero, respectively. According to Pincus’s sources, the Suns and Kevin Durant will add two seasons at $123.8MM to his contract next summer. Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas, Miami’s Butler, Cleveland’s Caris LeVert and Minnesota’s Julius Randle will be at the center of some of the more interesting decisions explored by Pincus.
- The Indiana Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate – added Jordan Bell to their roster and waived Tyler Polley, according to a team release (Twitter link). Bell has spent part of the last two seasons with the Mad Ants, averaging 12.1 points in 60 games played. Bell was the 38th overall pick in the 2017 draft, playing the first two seasons of his career with the Warriors and winning a championship with them in 2018. Polley signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers this offseason.
- Former NBAer Stanley Johnson may be on his way out of Turkish club Anadolu Efes, according to BasketNews’ Donatas Urbonas. Anadolu Efes was Johnson’s first European team, but he’s been exploring other options amid a potential departure and interest from other European clubs. Johnson, the eighth overall pick in 2015, has 449 games of NBA experience, making 104 starts. He holds career averages of 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in the NBA and has made just six EuroLeague appearances so far, ranking just 11th on his team in minutes played.
- A pair of Grizzlies first-year players sit atop The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie’s first edition of this season’s rookie player rankings. Zach Edey, who is averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and Jaylen Wells, who’s averaging 11.2 PPG on 37.0% three-point shooting, rank first and second in Vecenie’s rankings. The Wizards also have reason for excitement, with three rookies ranking in the top 11. Jared McCain ranks third while No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is No. 6 in the rankings. Undrafted rookie Ajay Mitchell is eighth.
Southwest Notes: Thompson, Eason, K. Johnson, Pels’ Injuries, Boston, Grizzlies
The Rockets‘ duo of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason completely took over in Houston’s Wednesday victory over the Clippers, Jonathan Feigen of Houston Chronicle observes. The two players combined for 36 points, 21 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the win.
Clippers star James Harden made his first four shots before Thompson and Eason helped limit him to just 18.2% from the field for the rest of the game.
“It’s becoming the regular thing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of the two reserves. “Both [were] very disruptive on both ends — 18 and 18 [points], 11 and 10 rebounds, and guarding all over the place, doing what they do. Yeah, we needed a spark. It was kind of a back-and-forth game, and they brought it.”
Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, is averaging 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks in his second season. Eason, selected 17th overall in 2022, has put up 12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.8 SPG and 1.2 BPG while making 36.4% of his threes. Despite their impressive seasons thus far, Udoka expressed he’s happy to have them where they are in the rotation.
“Don’t know if it would be any different if they started or came off the bench,” Udoka said. “That’s who they are. Very disruptive. You know, they’re going against starters half the time. It’s not like they’re playing against bench guys. They just impact the game. It’s just a tandem. It makes it stick out even more because they’re so disruptive all over the court. … It’s more magnified when two guys are … flying all over the court and making that impact.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Keldon Johnson knew his approach to the game would have to change as the Spurs made win-now moves in adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes this offseason, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. “Ultimately, I just wanted to be more efficient,” Johnson said. He changed his diet and got his weight down before the season and has reshaped his offensive profile to be that of a slasher, according to Iko. 70% of Johnson’s 12.5 points per game this season come from drives. Johnson is under contract for $19MM this season and is on the books for $17.5MM in each of the following two seasons.
- The Pelicans lost to the Thunder in blowout fashion on Wednesday, and it’s another culmination of their devastating list of injuries, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Zion Williamson and Jose Alvarado are all out with multi-week injuries. The Pelicans have lost six in a row to fall to 3-9 entering Thursday.
- As Clark observes in the same piece, primary play-making duties have fallen to Brandon Ingram and Brandon Boston Jr. Though Boston has limited NBA experience, let alone professional play-making experience, he has been impressive from a statistical standpoint in the wake of New Orleans’ injuries. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game after being claimed on waivers by the Pelicans from the Spurs just before the season. Boston is on a two-way contract.
- The Grizzlies have a rotation predicament on their hands, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. With Luke Kennard returning to action last week, Marcus Smart coming back this week and Vince Williams Jr. on the verge of making his season debut, Memphis is getting healthier, forcing the team to consider how the rotation will look. While it’s a good problem to have, Memphis’ deep reserves have more than proven their spot in the league by helping leading the team to a 7-5 record amid injury absences. “I can’t give you that answer right now, but it’s been on my mind a lot,” coach Taylor Jenkins said of the rotation. “As I told these guys, it doesn’t matter whether you start or come off the bench. It’s about impacting winning. We’re looking to find our advantages.“
GM Provides Health Update On Popovich; Wembanyama Has 50-Point Night
There’s extra motivation for Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. any time he faces the Lakers, writes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Pippen signed a two-way contract with L.A. in 2022 after going undrafted out of Vanderbilt. He only appeared in six NBA games that season, but starred with the team’s South Bay affiliate in the G League. He returned to South Bay the following season before Memphis signed him in January of this year.
The Grizzlies are 2-0 since Ja Morant was sidelined with a hip injury and Pippen took his place in the starting lineup. He’s making the most of the opportunity, posting a triple-double in his first start with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists last Friday and following that with 17 points and four rebounds on Sunday.
- The Grizzlies welcomed Marcus Smart back tonight after he missed two weeks with a sprained right ankle, per Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). Vince Williams, who hasn’t played yet this season due to a stress reaction in the upper portion of his left tibia, has “looked fantastic” in workouts this week and may be ready to return Friday, Wallace adds (Twitter link).
Ja Morant Week-To-Week With Hip Injury
Ja Morant has suffered a posterior hip subluxation (without dislocation) along with multiple associated Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). His status is considered week-to-week.
The announcement states that Morant was injured in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Lakers. He was “destabilized” in midair, causing him to fall into “extreme right hip flexion.”
Morant had to leave that game in the third quarter after a hard landing on an attempted alley-oop, per Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. He sat out Friday’s win over Washington and was seen using crutches, Cole adds.
Cole notes that this is Morant’s third injury issue since the start of training camp. He had a mild ankle sprain during the preseason and missed an earlier regular season game with soreness in his right thigh.
Morant is off to a strong start after a 25-game suspension and a shoulder injury wiped out virtually his entire 2023/24 season. He’s averaging 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists in eight games, and Memphis is 5-3 with him in the lineup.
Scotty Pippen Jr. made his first start of the season Friday night and figures to remain in that role while Morant is sidelined. He posted a triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Injury Notes: Raptors, Zion, Morant, Melton, Vassell
Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter, who missed the preseason and the first five games of the regular season with a sprained right AC joint, has re-sprained that joint and will be reevaluated in a week, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
It’s not all bad news on the injury front for Toronto though. Rookie forward Jonathan Mogbo is listed as probable to play on Saturday after exiting Wednesday’s game with a hip pointer, while starting point guard Immanuel Quickley has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last eight games with a pelvic contusion (Twitter link via Murphy).
There’s optimism Quickley will be back in action this weekend, either on Saturday vs. the Clippers or Sunday vs. the Lakers, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Pelicans star Zion Williamson was ruled out for Friday’s game against Orlando about 90 minutes before tip-off (Twitter link via the team). As Christian Clark of NOLA.com notes (via Twitter), Williamson has now missed three of the team’s past four games with three different injury designations. He was sidelined by right hamstring tightness on Sunday, right thigh soreness on Monday, and left hamstring tightness today. With Zion out, the injury-plagued Pelicans are running out a starting lineup of Jose Alvarado, Brandon Boston, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Yves Missi alongside Brandon Ingram, tweets Clark.
- After leaving Wednesday’s win due to hip and hamstring discomfort, Grizzlies star Ja Morant will miss Friday’s contest vs. Washington due to right hip soreness. The point guard will undergo more imaging on Saturday to assess the severity of his injury and determine a return timeline, head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters today (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).
- Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton, who has missed five consecutive games due to a low back strain, has been cleared to return for Friday’s showdown vs. the 9-0 Cavaliers, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Draymond Green (right knee contusion) and Brandin Podziemski (illness) will also be available for Golden State, giving the team a fully healthy roster (Twitter link via Slater).
- As expected, Devin Vassell remains on track to make his season debut for the Spurs on Saturday after nine games while recovering from foot surgery. The team has listed him as probable to play vs. Utah, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).
And-Ones: NBA Academies, Free Agents, M. James, More
The NBA intends to close its Global Academy in Australia and its Latin America Academy in Mexico at the end of their respective seasons, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. As Givony explains, the league’s intent is to reallocate more resources to “larger, non-traditional basketball countries” that don’t have strong existing infrastructure.
The league will focus on markets that are “deemed most essential for globalizing the NBA,” according to Givony, who points to China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Korea, and Japan as examples. The plan is to open a new Global Academy hub in a more central country relative to those markets, with Asia or the Middle East viewed as the most probable locations, Givony continues.
“Our goal is to grow the game globally, increase the level of play around the world, and help those who need it most,” the NBA’s head of international basketball operations Troy Justice told ESPN. “We want players from 80 countries to be represented on NBA rosters, not 43, like we have now. There’s so much talent out there. We just need to help support their growth.”
As Givony points out, recent lottery picks like Josh Giddey (Australia), Dyson Daniels (Australia), Bennedict Mathurin (Latin America) developed their skills at the two NBA Academies that are shuttering.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report lists five veteran free agents that he believes could help virtually any NBA team right now. Pincus’ list includes Markelle Fultz, Justin Holiday, Robert Covington, and Bismack Biyombo, along with Lonnie Walker, who technically isn’t a free agent but has an NBA opt-out clause in his deal with Zalgiris Kaunas.
- A longtime star in Europe, veteran guard Mike James has only made 49 career NBA appearances with the Suns, Pelicans, and Nets. The AS Monaco standout and reigning EuroLeague MVP said during a recent appearance on SKWEEK’s Best In Class podcast (hat tip to BasketNews.com) that he thinks NBA teams view him as “a risk” due to his success overseas. “Every time I talk with them – not me personally but my representatives – they kind of feel like, ‘Yeah, but if it doesn’t go well for you, you just get mad and leave and go back to Europe,'” James said. “Everybody just kind of thinks that if I’m not playing as much as I want, I’m going. Everybody kind of considers me like I’ve outgrown the role that they want to put me in, but they need to put me in that role for me to get a bigger role. So, it’s like a give-and-take at some point.”
- In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jeremy Woo takes a look at some of the early-season standouts among first- and second-year NBA players, highlighting the breakout potential being shown by Raptors guard Gradey Dick and Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly and identifying Grizzlies second-rounder Jaylen Wells as one of the most impressive 2024 draftees so far.
Southwest Notes: Whitmore, Green, Sengun, Morant, Zion, Paul
The Rockets are assigning last year’s No. 20 overall pick Cam Whitmore to their G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen reports (Twitter link).
Whitmore played a significant role for the Rockets in the second half of last season. In total, he appeared in 47 games (two starts) as a rookie and averaged an impressive 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per contest while shooting 35.9% from three on 4.7 attempts per game.
Whitmore began this season in the rotation, averaging 7.3 PPG in 13.6 MPG across the team’s first four games. However, with the second-year forward shooting just 38.7% from the field and not making a three-pointer until his fifth game, he fell out of the rotation and received a DNP-CD on Monday, then only received late-game minutes in a 27-point blowout on Wednesday.
Rookie Reed Sheppard‘s playing time has increased a bit as Whitmore’s has decreased, so he appears to be continuing to build a role in the rotation. It’s unclear what Houston’s exact plan with Whitmore is, but the Rockets’ hope is that he’ll find his shot in the G League, like he did last year when he made 38.9% of 10.1 three-point attempts per game with the development team.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets awarded Jalen Green with a three-year, $106MM extension before the season, which came on the heels of a strong second half last season. Now, it looks as though the 2021 No. 2 overall pick is building on last season’s breakout, having averaged 22.6 points per game with a .382 3PT% through eight games this fall. With both he and 2021 classmate Alperen Sengun (No. 16 overall) having agreed to big extensions last month, Green has lofty expectations for the pair, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. “I love playing with [Sengun],” Green said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, I’ve played terrible, he’s been good the whole season — it was really me who was trying to find myself from a whole new system standpoint. The games that we won and both of us scored well, those are the games that will come when it’s playoff season. You see how [Nikola] Jokic and Jamal Murray are — I’m not saying we’re like them but they compare [Sengun] to Jokic all the time. So why can’t I be something similar to Jamal? Not saying I want to be, but someone that can get off too. It’s a two-man threat every night.“
- Grizzlies star Ja Morant missed almost all of last season due to suspension and injury, but he’s back now and helping push Memphis toward being more competitive than it was last year. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes that even though the Western Conference landscape has changed since Morant was last fully healthy, he still has the utmost belief in his team. “Still confident,” the point guard said. “Two years ago passed. I don’t even know who won the championship two years ago … Two years ago don’t matter. Last year don’t matter either. So all we can focus on is now, and that’s getting our wins and handling our business. Confidence never left.“
- Zion Williamson returned to action for the Pelicans on Wednesday after missing two games, then suffered another brief injury scare in the second quarter, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Williamson exited early in the second quarter before returning after halftime. He finished with 29 points and should be fine moving forward.
- Trey Murphy is close to returning for the Pelicans after suffering a multi-week hamstring injury in October. According to Clark (Twitter link), Murphy was upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game against the Magic. While it sounds like he’ll likely miss that game, it appears as though his return isn’t far off.
- The Spurs brought in Chris Paul this offseason to serve as a veteran leader and mentor for their young players, including Victor Wembanyama. Paul spoke about his role with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). “You have to show guys that you can hoop,” Paul said. “I don’t go in there and try to be nobody’s coach and nobody’s daddy. First and foremost, I hoop.“
Injury Notes: Vassell, Brogdon, V. Williams, Jazz, Bulls
The Spurs are optimistic that swingman Devin Vassell could make his season debut on Saturday vs. Utah, Shams Charania of ESPN said on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).
A former lottery pick who is in the first season of a lucrative long-term extension, Vassell’s 2024/25 debut has been delayed by offseason foot surgery. But it sounds like he’s fully healthy now, with his return “imminent,” according to Charania.
Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link) first reported that Vassell would be back as soon as Saturday.
Here are several more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon appears to be inching closer to a return. The former Sixth Man of the Year underwent thumb surgery last month, and while he’s still wearing a wrap, he has progressed to shooting with his right hand, which is an encouraging sign, per Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
- The Grizzlies have dealt with numerous injuries once again to open ’24/25. One injured player — third-year wing Vince Williams — is getting back into shape. Memphis assigned him to the team’s G League affiliate on Thursday to practice. Williams will be immediately recalled following the practice session, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). Williams, who is recovering from a stress reaction in the upper portion of his left tibia, is on track to make it back to game action in about one-to-three weeks.
- The Jazz should get some reinforcements back on Thursday in Milwaukee. Lauri Markkanen (back), Jordan Clarkson (heel) and Isaiah Collier (hamstring) have all been upgraded to probable, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Markkanen has missed Utah’s past three games, while Clarkson has missed the past two. Collier, a first-round pick earlier this year, has yet to make his regular season debut.
- Bulls head coach Billy Donovan recently provided a minor injury update on Lonzo Ball, who is dealing with a sprained right wrist. As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network relays (via Twitter), Donovan said Ball is still wearing a splint and there’s no timetable for his return.
- Bulls wing Zach LaVine has been downgraded to doubtful for Thursday’s game vs. Minnesota due to an adductor strain, Johnson tweets, indicating the two-time All-Star is likely to miss his third consecutive game. However, it’s possible LaVine might return on Saturday vs. Atlanta, Johnson adds.
Largest Trade Exceptions Available This Season
Ahead of the NBA’s 2025 trade deadline, it’s worth keeping in mind which teams hold traded player exceptions that could come in handy to grease the wheels on an in-season deal.
As we explain in our glossary, a traded player exception allows a team to take on salary in a trade without sending out any salary in return. The amount of the exception (plus $250K for non-apron teams) is the amount of salary the team is permitted to take back without salary-matching – either in a single deal or in multiple trades – for one year.
For instance, a team with a $10MM trade exception could acquire a player earning $4MM and a second player earning $6MM without having to worry about sending out any outgoing salary.
In recent years, sizable traded player exceptions have served as wild cards that helped accommodate both pre-deadline and offseason deals. For example, after creating a $9.5MM trade exception when they sent Royce O’Neale to the Suns ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, the Nets used that TPE to acquire Ziaire Williams and a future draft pick in an offseason trade that allowed Memphis to shed some salary.
Many trade exceptions expire without being used, but as our tracker shows, there are several sizable ones available this season that could be useful when trade season begins in earnest.
Here are the 15 biggest trade exceptions around the NBA for now, along with their expiry dates in parentheses:
- Atlanta Hawks: $25,266,266 (7/7/25)
- Brooklyn Nets: $23,300,000 (7/7/25)
- Chicago Bulls: $17,506,232 (7/8/25)
- Dallas Mavericks: $16,193,183 (7/7/25)
- Memphis Grizzlies: $12,600,000 (2/3/25)
- Washington Wizards: $12,402,000 (2/10/25)
- New Orleans Pelicans: $9,900,000 (7/7/25)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $8,780,488 (7/7/25)
- Portland Trail Blazers: $6,875,000 (7/7/25)
- Miami Heat: $6,477,319 (1/23/25)
- Sacramento Kings: $6,341,464 (6/30/25)
- Memphis Grizzlies: $6,133,005 (7/21/25)
- Sacramento Kings: $5,893,768 (7/8/25)
- New Orleans Pelicans: $5,722,116 (1/17/25)
- Denver Nuggets: $5,250,000 (7/7/25)
A number of these trade exceptions are more likely to be used next offseason, when teams could have more cap flexibility, than during the current season, when so many clubs are within spitting distance of the luxury tax line or a hard cap.
For example, using even a small portion of that $25MM+ exception during the season would push the Hawks‘ team salary into tax territory, but with several contracts coming off their books next summer, they’d be in a better position to take on a big salary at that time.
The exceptions that expire before next offseason are the ones to watch more closely during the season. That $12MM+ Wizards TPE is especially intriguing, since Washington is one of the few teams with plenty of breathing room below the tax threshold. They could use nearly all of that exception at the deadline and still avoid becoming a taxpayer.
The two TPEs listed in italics can’t be used at all, since the Heat are currently operating over the first tax apron, while the Timberwolves are over the second apron. Apron teams are prohibited from using trade exceptions that were generated during the prior season (like Miami’s) or that were created by sending out a player via sign-and-trade (like Minnesota’s).
It’s worth noting that some of these exceptions may be used in a deal that could otherwise be completed using salary matching. For example, a team with a $12MM trade exception that swaps one $10MM player for another could use the exception to take on the incoming player and create a new $10MM exception using the outgoing player.
Given tax and apron considerations, we may see some deals along those lines during the season, since using a TPE in that manner would allow a team to essentially roll it over for another year.
Southwest Notes: Popovich, Johnson, Mavs, Kennard, Jenkins
With Gregg Popovich away from the Spurs for health reasons, reporting on Monday indicated that the head coach is “OK” and “just needs rest,” and acting head coach Mitch Johnson later told the media that Popovich is “in good spirits.” Still, Shams Charania of ESPN and Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News suggested on Tuesday that Popovich’s health issue shouldn’t be downplayed.
Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Charania described the issue as “serious,” explaining that Popovich required medical attention in San Antonio on Saturday and adding that there’s “a great level of concern around the situation,” with no timeline for the coach’s return to the sidelines.
Finger, meanwhile, pointed out (via Twitter) that the Spurs are handling the situation differently this time than they have in the past when Popovich has had health issues that have necessitated short absences, noting that it’s “probably wise not to take a quick return for granted.” The Spurs haven’t yet ruled out Popovich beyond Wednesday’s game in Houston, but will likely provide an update soon, given that the team will be back in action on Thursday vs. Portland.
With Popovich unavailable, the Spurs have turned to Johnson, a rising young assistant who was a finalist in the spring for the Wizards‘ head coaching job that ultimately went to Brian Keefe, according to Charania. Johnson, who has earned praise from his players in San Antonio, was also part of the Team USA staff in Paris over the summer, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News details.
“He is an impressive young coach,” Heat head coach and Team USA assistant Erik Spoelstra said. “You can see why Pop has given him a lot more responsibility as the years have gone on. He is a very effective communicator.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Mavericks‘ injury list continues to grow, with P.J. Washington ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Chicago due to a right knee sprain, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Big man Maxi Kleber will miss a sixth straight game due to his right hamstring strain, while center Dereck Lively is listed as doubtful as a result of a sprained right shoulder.
- Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. the Lakers and has a chance to make his season debut after missing Memphis’ first eight games due to a foot injury (Twitter link). Speaking to reporters after the Grizzlies’ shootaround this morning, Kennard said he’ll be a game-time decision and described his “frustrating” recovery process (video link via The Memphis Commercial Appeal).
- While Kennard has a chance to make his return on Wednesday, the Grizzlies will be without head coach Taylor Jenkins, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Jenkins will be away from the team due to a death in his family, with Tuomas Iisalo serving as the acting head coach in his absence.