Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Isaac Okoro Out At Least Two Weeks With Shoulder Injury

December 19th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro has been diagnosed with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder and will miss at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reexamined, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old was injured in the third quarter of Monday’s victory over Brooklyn, when Cleveland blew out the Nets by 29 points. Okoro finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting in 20 minutes.

A former No. 5 overall pick who re-signed with the Cavs on a three-year deal as a restricted free agent over the offseason, Okoro has started 16 of the 23 games in which he’s appeared in 2024/25 (21.0 minutes per game).

While his offensive role has been modest, the athletic guard/forward is often given the most difficult perimeter assignments on defense, and he’s shooting a career-best 49.2% from long distance (30-of-61).

Aside from Max Strus, who has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from an ankle injury (he was reportedly close to returning last week before experiencing more soreness than expected), the Cavaliers have been relatively healthy to open ’24/25. That’s always a helpful factor for any team, but Cleveland has certainly taken advantage of its opportunities, as the team has the best record in the NBA (23-4).

Based on the timeline the Cavs gave, Okoro will miss at least six games and his earliest possible return date would be Jan. 3 at Dallas. While he’s sidelined, LeVert, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and — if he returns soon — Strus are among the wings who could receive more playing time.

Hawks Waive Two-Way Player Seth Lundy

December 18th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 18: The Hawks have officially waived Lundy, the team announced today in a press release.

DECEMBER 17: The Hawks are waiving two-way guard Seth Lundy, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto tweets.

Lundy has been sidelined with a left ankle injury and hasn’t appeared in any Hawks games this season.

The 2023 second-round pick out of Penn State saw action in nine games for Atlanta last season but spent the bulk of his time with the College Park Skyhawks in the G League. In those 25 NBAGL games (23 starts), the 6’4″ Lundy averaged 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 32.6 minutes per contest. He shot 46.2% from the field and 40% on 3-point attempts.

Lundy signed a two-way deal prior to last season and was re-signed to another two-way contract in July. The 24-year-old underwent ankle surgery in mid-May.

The left ankle procedure removed a medial ankle bone spur. He re-aggravated his ankle while working out before a Hawks preseason game. He will be reevaluated in January, according to Scotto.

Kings’ De’Aaron Fox Discusses Decision To Hold Off On Extension

December 18th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox had the opportunity to sign a three-year, $165MM extension this past offseason, but chose to put off contract talks until the 2025 offseason.

Fox will be eligible for a bigger payday in 2025. His maximum standard extension at that time would be worth a projected $229MM over four years. He could also qualify for a super-max extension worth up to $345MM over five years if he earns an All-NBA spot this season.

While Fox’s decision to bypass an extension this year was considered at least somewhat financially motivated, he also made it clear in an October interview that while he loves playing in Sacramento, he wants to make sure the Kings are committed to “competing at a high level” and “not just fighting for a playoff spot.”

The star guard reiterated that stance in the latest episode of Draymond Green‘s podcast (YouTube link) when the Warriors forward asked him why he decided not to extend his contract this year.

“It has all to do with just the team, the organization,” Fox said (hat tip to RealGM). “Where are we going? I want to make sure that we’re in a position to try to win in the future because that’s ultimately what I want to do. I know I’ll make enough money regardless of where I play or what I do, I’m going to be fine. God forbid, knock on wood, you have a career-ending injury. But aside from that, I feel like I’m continuing to get better as a player every year.

“But for me, it’s: Are we looking like we’re continuing to get better year after year and are we going to be able to compete at a high level? … If we can show that this year, you sign an extension now. If not, obviously I still have another year, but that’s where my mindset is. At some point, will we be able to compete for a championship or really compete at a high level for a long time? That’s where I’m at.

“I love the city. I love being here and I’ve raised my family here. We’ve got the kids’ grandparents here. I would love to be here and retire here. How many people can say they played for one organization for their whole career? I want to be a part of that select few people, but at the end of the day I also want to win.”

After finishing in the lottery in each of Fox’s first five NBA seasons, the Kings won 48 games and snapped a 16-year postseason drought in 2022/23. However, the club was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and then failed to make it out of the play-in tournament in ’23/24 after winning 46 regular season games.

Sacramento’s front office showed in the offseason that it wasn’t willing to stand pat and hope for internal improvement — the team went out and acquired six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade, awarding him a three-year, $73.7MM contract.

However, the Kings have struggled to string together wins this fall and currently have a 13-14 record, making them the No. 12 seed. They’re 1.5 games back of the No. 10 Lakers for the final play-in spot, though they’re just two games behind the No. 6 Suns for the final guaranteed playoff spot in a congested Western Conference.

There’s an expectation that the Kings will return to the trade market ahead of the February 6 deadline, armed with Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and future draft picks as potential trade chips as they look to further upgrade their roster. While Fox didn’t explicitly call for the front office to continue making moves, his comments to Green suggest he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“They know I’m going to give all I got, but at the end of the day the organization has also got to give all they got,” Fox said. “That’s where we are right now.”

Fox’s current contract pays him about $34.8MM this season and $37.1MM next season before expiring in 2026. He can’t sign an extension during the current season, but will become extension-eligible again next summer.

Kobe Bufkin To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

December 18th, 2024 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Kobe Bufkin will miss the rest of the 2024/25 season, according to the Hawks, who announced today in a press release (Twitter link) that the second-year guard will undergo surgery to address right shoulder instability.

The surgery, which was determined to be the best option for Bufkin after “continued evaluation and additional medical opinions,” will take place on January 7. He’s expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2025/26 season.

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin was limited to 17 NBA appearances in his rookie year, having missed a significant chunk of the 2023/24 campaign due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe.

He also suited up for 14 games in the G League last season, averaging 23.6 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per contest for the College Park Skyhawks, with a shooting line of .444/.356/.829.

Bufkin sustained a right shoulder subluxation (ie. a partial dislocation) during a Summer League practice this past July, then suffered the same injury in a practice just before the regular season began. He made his season debut on November 18 and appeared in 10 games this fall, but that shoulder was apparently never 100%, so he and the team have decided to take the surgical route to address it.

The result will be another lost season for Bufkin, who has averaged 5.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.6 APG on .374/.220/.654 shooting in 27 total NBA outings (11.9 MPG). Hopefully, the surgery will clear up any lingering issues with the shoulder and allow him to begin his third NBA season fully healthy.

Bufkin is under contract for $4.3MM this season and $4.5MM in 2025/26. The Hawks will have to make a decision by October 31, 2025 on his $6.9MM fourth-year option for the ’26/27 season.

Atlanta will have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception as a result of Bufkin’s season-ending injury. It would be worth half his salary (approximately $2.15MM) and would allow the club to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract or to acquire a player on an expiring deal via trade or waiver claim.

Warriors Remain Atop 2024 NBA Franchise Valuations

December 18th, 2024 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2024 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $9.14 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $8 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $8.3 billion, while the Lakers come in at $8.07 billion, per Sportico. Only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys – at $10.3 billion – have a higher valuation than Golden State among North American sports teams, says Badenhausen.

While Sportico’s figures suggest the Warriors, Knicks, and Lakers are worth significantly more than the fourth-place team (the Nets at $5.7 billion), the average value of an NBA franchise is up to $4.6 billion, with no team worth less than $3 billion.

That average has increased by 15% since Sportico released its 2023 valuations last December and has nearly doubled since the site published its first NBA franchise valuations four years ago, when the average was $2.37 billion.

The NBA’s new $77 billion media rights deal and a 15% increase in team sponsorship are among the factors contributing to the rising valuations of the league’s franchises, according to Badenhausen, who notes that a post-COVID boom in concerts and other major events has been good news for team owners who also control their arenas.

NBA team owners operated 10 of the world’s 20 highest-grossing concert venues in 2024, with the Nets’ Barclays Center coming in at No. 1, says Badenhausen. The Nets’ valuation is up 43% this year, per Sportico, easily the largest year-over-year increase among the 30 NBA franchises.

When Forbes put out its NBA franchise valuations in October, it pegged the average value of a team at $4.4 billion. In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we begun highlighting Sportico’s projections as of 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But these projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2024:

Golden State Warriors: $9.14 billion
New York Knicks: $8.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $8.07 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $5.7 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $5.68 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.66 billion
Chicago Bulls: $5.56 billion
Miami Heat: $5 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.77 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.66 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.57 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.46 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4.32 billion
Sacramento Kings: $4.11 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $4.07 billion
Denver Nuggets: $4.06 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.98 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.95 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.91 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.79 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.74 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.67 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.6 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.55 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.46 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.45 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3.39 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $3.29 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $3.09 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $3.06 billion

As Badenhausen notes, Sportico’s projections are based on a control sale price, rather than limited stake purchases. No NBA franchise saw its majority control change hands in 2024, but that could change in 2025, with control of the Celtics up for sale.

According to Badenhausen, team executives and investors have predicted a sale price ranging from $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion for the Celtics. The final valuation will be determined by a number of factors, including how many bidders are on the mix, what percentage of the team they can buy, and whether current governor Wyc Grousbeck insists on remaining in that role until 2028, which he has indicated is his goal.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Named 2024 NBA Cup MVP

December 18th, 2024 at 6:56am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2024 NBA Cup on Tuesday night after leading Milwaukee to a 97-81 victory over the Thunder in the championship game in Las Vegas (Twitter links).

Antetokounmpo was selected as the MVP by all 20 media members who voted on the award and also received three of the five fan votes (Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got the remaining two).

The two-time regular season MVP guided the Bucks to victory on Tuesday with a 26-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. He also added three blocked shots and a pair of steals.

“I mean it’s… I could try but you know, I’ll just keep it simple: He’s the best player in the world,” Bucks center Brook Lopez told Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the game in trying to describe Giannis’ play. “He just keeps finding ways to get better in the offseason, in-season, every day, every game, it’s just so impressive.”

The MVP award is based on Antetokounmpo’s performance over the entire NBA Cup, including group play and the previous knockout round games. He averaged 30.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, and 2.8 BPG across six NBA Cup contests as the Bucks went undefeated (7-0) in the in-season tournament.

As Owczarski notes, Antetokunmpo and last year’s in-season tournament Most Valuable Player LeBron James are now the two players in league history who have won MVP awards for the regular season, NBA Finals, All-Star Game, and NBA Cup.

While the NBA Cup championship game doesn’t count toward the Bucks’ regular season record or toward Antetokounmpo’s regular season stats, Tuesday’s win served as an exclamation point on the team’s early season turnaround — Milwaukee has won 13 of 16 games (including the NBA Cup final) since opening the season with a 2-8 record.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is making a strong case for his third regular season MVP award. His 32.7 points per game lead the NBA and he’s also in the top five in rebounds per game (11.5) and field goal percentage (61.4%).

Nuggets Show Significant Interest In Zach LaVine

December 17th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have interest in making a deal for Bulls wing Zach LaVine, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones report.

Denver is active in the market for an offensive upgrade at the wing position to ease some of the burden off Nikola Jokic. Despite a history of injury issues, LaVine would certainly fit that bill. He’s averaging 21.7 points and 4.2 assists per game this season and holds career shooting percentages of 46.6% from the field and 38.4% on three-pointers.

LaVine is also on a sizable contract — $43MM this season, $45.9MM next season and a $48.9MM player option for 2026/27.

LaVine isn’t the only player the Nuggets are looking at. They have also expressed interest or have had preliminary trade discussions regarding Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, De’Andre Hunter, Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, per The Athletic. Brandon Ingram, currently sidelined by an ankle injury, is on the Nuggets’ radar too, SNY TV’s Ian Begley tweets.

However, league sources tell Amick and Jones that Denver’s focus on LaVine in recent talks has been “significant.”

Any big trade Denver might make would likely involve Michael Porter Jr., according to The Athletic duo. Porter is making $35.8MM this season, $38.3MM next season and $40.8MM in 2026/27.

Porter is off to a strong start statistically, averaging 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. He’s shooting 51.2% overall and 38.5% on three-point attempts.

So why is Denver willing to part with him? The Nuggets are seeking help in the form of someone who is able to create offense. Jokić and Jamal Murray are the only players on the roster who are consistently capable of creating their own shots, The Athletic notes.

Little-used forward Zeke Nnaji, a 2020 first-round pick, is also available. He’s signed through the 2027/28 season on a four-year, $32MM deal that includes a player option.

Jared McCain Undergoes Knee Surgery

December 17th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers rookie guard Jared McCain underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair the lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, according to a team press release. He remains out indefinitely, the statement adds.

McCain experienced left knee soreness after a game against Indiana last week and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed the extent of the injury.

The 16th overall pick of June’s draft after one college season at Duke, McCain has been one of the most productive rookies in the NBA this fall, averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes per game, with a .460/.383/.875 shooting line in 23 appearances. He was named the East’s Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November.

It’s a blow to the Sixers, though they are getting healthier at the guard spots. Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry are all back in action after dealing with assorted ailments.

As we noted earlier today, McCain’s recovery timeline will depend on whether he underwent a full repair of his meniscus or a meniscectomy, which involves removing the meniscus. While the Sixers’ announcement doesn’t provide confirmation one way or the other, the wording suggests it was the former, which typically results in an absence of several months.

NBA, NBPA Confirm New All-Star Game Format

December 17th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the NBA will experiment with a new format for this season’s All-Star Game. The league and the National Basketball Players Association have announced that instead of a single, full-length game, All-Star Sunday will feature a mini-tournament that includes four teams and three games.

Reporting last month indicated that this was the direction the NBA was headed. Now it’s official.

The voting process to determine the 24 All-Stars will remain the same, with 12 players selected from each conference. However, instead of being split up into two teams, those 24 All-Stars will be drafted onto three eight-player teams by TNT analysts and honorary “general managers” Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal.

The new format will emulate the one already being used in the Rising Stars event on Friday night, and the team that wins the Rising Stars tournament will be the fourth team that competes on All-Star Sunday. TNT analyst Candace Parker will be that team’s honorary GM.

The four teams will meet in a pair of semifinal matchups, with the winner of each game advancing to the final. For each of the three contests, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points.

Although there will now be four teams competing on All-Star Sunday, the coaches for those teams will still only come from the top club in each conference, not the top two. The No. 1 seed in the East and in the West will each send its head coach and an assistant to All-Star weekend. The head coaches will coach a team made up of All-Stars, while one assistant will coach the remaining All-Star team and the other will coach the Rising Stars team.

The NBA and NBPA have also renegotiated the prize money for the winners and losers of All-Star Sunday. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement called for players on the winning team to receive a $100K bonus and players on the losing team to earn $25K. Under the new system, players on the winning team will receive $125K, while players on the second-place team get $50K and players on the two teams that lose in the semifinals will earn $25K apiece.

This season’s All-Star weekend in San Francisco will begin on February 14, with the new tournament taking place on Feb. 16. The draft of the 24 All-Stars will occur on Feb. 6 on TNT.

Pistons Re-Sign Paul Reed, Waive McCoy

December 16th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have re-signed center Paul Reed and waived wing Javante McCoy, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).

Detroit signed McCoy to a standard, non-guaranteed contract on Sunday. That turned out to be just a stopgap in order for the Pistons to reach the minimum salary floor while Reed was on waivers.

Detroit needed to fill a roster spot after cutting Reed on Saturday because that move dropped the Pistons to $1,417,937 below the minimum salary floor, which they were required to reach by the end of Sunday. Detroit is now back at the minimum salary floor as a result of bringing back Reed and is still the only NBA team with cap room, holding about $14MM in space, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Reed had a $7.7MM salary this season that would have become fully guaranteed next month. Instead, he will return as Detroit’s third-string center on a more team-friendly deal. He’ll get the veteran’s minimum, Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

Reed, 25, was the 58th overall pick of the 2020 draft out of DePaul. He spent his first four seasons with the 76ers, who waived him in July to create enough cap room to sign all of their external free agents. The Pistons claimed him a couple days later.

Reed was a rotation regular with Philadelphia last season, averaging 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.0 blocks in 82 games (19.4 MPG). He has appeared in 12 contests this season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 0.8 SPG in 10.4 MPG.

Despite being on the roster for just 24 hours, McCoy will be paid for four days — the two he spent on the roster and the two he’ll spend on waivers. That will result in a prorated salary of $32,596, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets.

It’s likely that McCoy will just rejoin Detroit’s G League team. The 6’5” McCoy has appeared in 12 games this season for the Motor City Cruise, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. McCoy is also shooting 51.4% from 3-point range.