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Dunleavy: Warriors Will Continue To Look For Upgrades

December 16th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Discussing the trade acquisition of veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the Warriors will continue to be aggressive in their search for roster upgrades, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

After starting the season 12-3, the Warriors have gone just 2-8 over their past 10 games. They are currently 14-11, the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

“We’re always aggressive,” Dunleavy said. “You got to be mindful of what you’re giving up, what you’re getting back, all those things. But anything to do to make the team better, we’re going to do.

“We’re in a time zone here of maximizing our window with Steph [Curry], Draymond [Green] and Steve [Kerr] as our coach. So as proven here on the first day we could basically make trades with certain players, we did that. … For the most part I feel good about this team, particularly on the defensive end, and now we have a player that we think could create and generate more offense for us. I want to evaluate and see, but we’ll always be looking at stuff.”

Schröder is playing on an expiring $13MM contract, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer. One report indicated the Warriors could look to flip him in a future deal for a star-level player, since he’s eligible to be aggregated with other salaries starting February 5, just before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

However, Kerr suggested Schröder could start in the backcourt alongside Curry. And Dunleavy claims Golden State views the 31-year-old German as more than just a “short-term rental,” as Youngmisuk puts it.

“We still think he’s got a lot of good years left in him,” Dunleavy said of Schröder. “And we’ll have his [Early] Bird rights, the ability to re-sign him after the season. We think he’s a good fit for us on both sides of the court and hopefully there’s a relationship here longer than just a few months.”

Joel Embiid Out At Least One Week With Sinus Fracture

December 16th, 2024 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA MVP Joel Embiid will miss at least one week due to the right sinus fracture he sustained in Friday’s loss to Indiana, the Sixers announced in a press release (Twitter link via Chris Haynes).

Embiid, who had already been ruled out for Monday’s game in Charlotte, will be reevaluated in a week.

Embiid exited Friday’s game just before halftime after being struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin and didn’t return in the second half. Mathurin and Embiid were battling for a rebound under the Sixers’ basket when Mathurin’s left forearm and elbow made hard contact with the the right side of Embiid’s face and the bridge of his nose (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

Friday’s contest was just the sixth of 23 Sixers games that Embiid has played this season. He has missed time due to left knee swelling and was also suspended three games for a locker room run-in with a reporter.

If there’s a silver lining to Embiid’s latest injury absence, it’s that Philadelphia only has three games this week. After Monday’s contest, the 76ers will host the Hornets on Friday, then travel to Cleveland on Saturday for a back-to-back. Their next game after that is Monday vs. San Antonio.

Unfortunately, the 30-year-old center wasn’t the only Sixer injured on Friday, as rookie guard Jared McCain suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and requires surgery. Philadelphia’s 2024 first-round pick is out indefinitely.

Pistons Sign Guard Javante McCoy

December 15th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have signed guard Javante McCoy, according to a team press release.

The 6’5” McCoy has appeared in 12 games this season for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate, 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.

He has appeared in 96 career NBA G League games for the South Bay Lakers, Austin Spurs and Motor City Cruise while averaging 11.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 2.8 APG in 22.8 minutes per contest.

Detroit needed to fill a roster spot after waiving veteran big man Paul Reed on Saturday. 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.

McCoy signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. His salary is likely just enough above the rookie minimum to allow Detroit to reach the floor — his cap hit will likely be exactly $1,417,937. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Pistons now have about $14MM in cap room.

McCoy was on the Pistons’ training camp roster on an Exhibit 10 contract but was waived in October. McCoy, 26, had his G League rights acquired by the Cruise in August.

McCoy played at Boston University for five seasons (2017-22) but went undrafted after his final college season.

Warriors Acquire Dennis Schröder From Nets

December 15th, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 15: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Warriors and Nets. As detailed below, Brooklyn received Melton, Beekman, and three second-round picks from Golden State in exchange for Schröder and a second-round pick.

As first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the Nets received Atlanta’s second-round picks in 2026 and 2028, along with Golden State’s second-rounder in 2029, while the Warriors acquired Miami’s 2025 second-rounder (top-37 protected).

In order to open up a two-way slot for Beekman, Brooklyn waived rookie Yongxi Cui, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear earlier this week.

DECEMBER 14: The Warriors are finalizing an agreement with the Nets to acquire veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Sources tell Charania that Brooklyn will send Schröder and one second-round pick to Golden State in exchange for injured guard De’Anthony Melton and three second-rounders.

Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (Twitter links), who first reported that Brooklyn’s return would include Melton’s expiring contract and second-round compensation, suggest the deal is on track to be completed on Sunday, when Melton officially becomes trade-eligible.

Fischer hears that the two teams also discussed Nets forward Cameron Johnson, but he won’t be included in this trade (Twitter link). However, Warriors two-way player Reece Beekman is expected to be added to Golden State’s outgoing package, Fischer notes (via Twitter).

Both Melton and Schröder are on expiring contracts and will hit free agency in 2025. Melton has a cap hit of $12,822,000 this season, while Schröder is earning $13,025,250. The Warriors, who are currently operating just $533K-ish below their hard cap, will move closer to that threshold as they take on an extra $203K in salary in the swap with the Nets.

Melton, 26, signed a one-year deal deal worth the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception with the Warriors over the offseason to try to rebuild his value following an extended absence last season due to a back ailment. Unfortunately, the defensive stalwart suffered a partially torn ACL just six games into his tenure with Golden State, requiring him to undergo season-ending surgery.

Schröder is off to an excellent start to the ’24/25 campaign and is a major reason why the Nets have been surprisingly competitive to this point. In 23 games, all starts (33.6 MPG), he’s averaging 18.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .452/.387/.889 shooting.

Charania reported earlier this week that the Nets had been discussing trades involving Schröder, Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, with the Warriors expressing interest in all three players. Now a deal for Schröder is being finalized.

Multiple reports indicated Brooklyn was hoping to land a first-round pick for Schröder, but that was considered an overly optimistic ask for a role player on an expiring contract. The team will ultimately accept a net gain (pun not intended) of two second-rounders. Moving on from the point guard sooner rather than later will also limit the Nets’ upside on the court, potentially increasing the value of their own 2025 first-round pick.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the Nets continue to be active in trade discussions, particularly involving Johnson and Finney-Smith.

While Melton won’t return this season, his contract could come in handy in a subsequent trade for Brooklyn — he’ll become eligible to aggregated again on February 5 as long as the Nets and Warriors complete their deal on or before Monday. The Nets could hang onto him until then, then perhaps waive him after the Feb. 6 deadline if they don’t find a use for his expiring contract on the trade market.

Heat Trade Thomas Bryant To Pacers

December 15th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 15: The trade is official, the Pacers announced in a press release. Bryant is expected to be available for today’s game against New Orleans.

DECEMBER 13: The Heat have agreed to trade veteran center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

In exchange for Bryant, Miami will acquire the right to swap 2031 second-round picks with the Pacers, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The deal will have to wait until Sunday, as that’s when Bryant becomes trade-eligible.

As Chiang notes (Twitter links), by dumping Bryant’s salary, the Heat will soon have just 13 players on standard contracts and more financial flexibility to potentially convert a player on a two-way deal to a standard contract — this morning we identified Dru Smith as a possible candidate to be promoted.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears the Pacers discussed sending James Wiseman to the Heat in the deal, but he won’t be included in the final version (Twitter link). Wiseman is out for the season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon on opening night.

The Pacers won’t have to send out matching salary to acquire Bryant, since his contract can be taken on using the minimum-salary exception. Since Indiana has an open standard roster spot, the team also won’t need to waive anyone to add Bryant.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Heat will save $4.7MM toward their projected luxury tax payment by moving off Bryant’s $2,087,519 salary. They’ll also create a traded player exception worth the exact amount of Bryant’s outgoing contract. Miami will be approximately $3.7MM below the second tax apron once the deal is finalized, Marks adds.

Charania reported a few days ago that Indiana was “actively pursuing” a backup center in the wake of season-ending injuries to Wiseman and fellow big man Isaiah Jackson, who also suffered a torn Achilles tendon this fall. Jake Fischer confirmed that report today, with league sources indicating a deal would likely be completed shortly after Dec. 15, when many players around the NBA become eligible to be traded.

Assuming the trade is completed on Sunday, the Heat will have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th player to their standard roster. The club will also now have the ability to add a 15th man while staying below the second apron, if it so chooses.

Bryant, 27, is an eight-year veteran, having previously played for the Lakers, Wizards and Nuggets prior to joining Miami. He won a title with Denver in 2023, though his role was very limited. The big man played his college ball in Indiana with the Hoosiers from 2015-17.

After being in and out of Miami’s rotation in 2023/24, Bryant’s role fluctuated once again fluctuated this season. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game across 10 outings with the Heat this fall after re-signing on a one-year, minimum-salary deal over the offseason.

Bryant’s one-year deal with Miami would typically have given him the right to veto a trade, but he agreed to waive that right as part of his contract agreement.

85 NBA Players Newly Eligible To Be Traded

December 15th, 2024 at 5:41am CST by Luke Adams

Today is December 15, which means that – by our count – 85 NBA players who signed as free agents this offseason have officially become eligible to be traded.

The list of newly trade-eligible players, which can be found right here, features a number of guys who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere this season, such as Pacers forward Pascal Siakam and Sixers forward Paul George.

However, it also includes some players whose names have already popped up in trade speculation in the months since they were signed, such as Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas.

Additionally, two of the players on the list are part of trades that have already been agreed to, with Thomas Bryant heading from Miami to Indiana and De’Anthony Melton on the move from Golden State to Brooklyn. Now that it’s December 15, those agreed-upon deals can be officially completed anytime.

LeBron James, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Russell Westbrook are among the other biggest names who are newly trade-eligible as of Sunday.

Twelve of the players on the list, including LeBron and Harden, can’t be dealt without their consent, since they have the ability to veto trades this season. The Nuggets and Suns are each carrying multiple players who fit that bill.

Ten more newly trade-eligible players are still on non-guaranteed contracts, including a pair of Pacers. If one of those players is included in a trade prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 10, only the non-guaranteed portion of his salary would count for matching purposes for the team trading him away (the team acquiring him would still have to account for the player’s full cap hit).

Finally, it’s worth noting that there are still a number of recently signed players around the NBA who remain ineligible to be dealt. Many will become trade-eligible on January 15, while others have specific dates to watch.

Typically, teams wait until closer to the trade deadline (February 6) to make their moves rather than striking deals as soon as trade season unofficially opens on December 15, but this season is an exception to the rule, with two agreements already ready to be finalized. Assuming at least one of them is officially completed today, it will be the first time since 2010 that a trade has been made on December 15.

While it’s possible more trade agreement will be reached in the coming days as talks begin to heat up, we should count on most of the in-season trade activity occurring in January and February.

Pistons Waive Paul Reed

December 14th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Rory Maher

5:54pm: Reed has officially been waived, the Pistons announced in a press release.

2:05pm: The Pistons intend to waive forward/center Paul Reed, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Detroit is releasing Reed with an eye on maximizing its roster and financial flexibility ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Reed has an unusual contract structure, as his $7.7MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed, as is his $8.1MM cap hit for ’25/26. Every other player in the NBA whose contract is non-guaranteed this season is either on a minimum-salary deal or very close to it.

The timing of the move almost feels like a precursor to something else. The Pistons didn’t have to make a decision on Reed until Jan. 7, but chose to waive him three-plus weeks early.

Assuming Reed clears waivers, Detroit will carry a $2.48MM dead-money cap hit for having him on the roster the first two months of the season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The Pistons will soon have approximately $15.5MM in cap space and be about $1.42MM below the minimum salary floor, which they’re required to reach by the end of Sunday, Marks adds (via Twitter).

According to Marks (Twitter link), as of Sunday, the prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum is $1.44MM, so Detroit can safely reach the floor by signing a different player tomorrow. Of course, a trade remains a possibility as well.

The Pistons have been carrying an open roster spot to begin the 2024/25 season in order to maintain roster and financial flexibility. Cutting Reed means they’ll have two standard openings, but at least one will be filled in short order.

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.

While Reed was a rotation regular with Philadelphia last season, averaging 7.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 0.8 SPG and 1.0 BPG in 82 games (19.4 MPG), he has only appeared in 12 of Detroit’s 26 contests to open ’24/25, averaging 4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 0.8 SPG in 10.4 MPG. He’s been the third-string center behind Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, who shifted back to the middle after spending much of last season at power forward.

The Sixers have an open roster spot and are reportedly looking for frontcourt help, so a reunion with Reed could be possible. However, he’d have to clear waivers first and be willing to sign a minimum-salary deal, which is all Philadelphia can offer.

Sixers’ Jared McCain Out Indefinitely With Torn Meniscus

December 14th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers guard Jared McCain experienced left knee soreness after last night’s loss to Indiana and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed a torn meniscus, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

According to Fischer, McCain requires surgery and will be out indefinitely. Philadelphia confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).

The news is devastating for the 76ers, who have struggled mightily to open 2024/25 amid injuries to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, among others. The team hoped to be in title contention, but is currently just 7-16, the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid suffered a sinus fracture on Friday as well, though it’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined as a result of his latest injury.

The 16th overall pick of June’s draft after one college season at Duke, McCain has been arguably the most productive rookie 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.

McCain also had a very hard fall on Friday vs. the Pacers, but a concussion was ultimately ruled out after multiple tests, including one today, per Kyle Neubeck and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Obviously, that’s of little consolation now that the 20-year-old sharpshooter is out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury.

It’s unclear how Philadelphia will look to fill the void of McCain’s pace, energy and scoring, but second-year wing Ricky Council saw an uptick in minutes vs. Indiana and could receive more run going forward.

Sixers’ Joel Embiid Sustains Sinus Fracture

December 13th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Luke Adams

10:03pm: Embiid had been diagnosed with a sinus fracture, according to the Sixers, who say he’ll be evaluated further this weekend and his status will be updated as appropriate (Twitter link via Neubeck).

9:50pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid exited Friday’s loss to Indiana just before halftime after being struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin and didn’t return in the second half, per The Associated Press.

Mathurin and Embiid were battling for a rebound under the Sixers’ basket when Mathurin’s left forearm and elbow made hard contact with the the right side of Embiid’s face and the bridge of his nose (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). He fell to the floor and held his face in pain for a few moments before walking to the locker room.

The Sixers announced at the start of the third quarter that Embiid had been ruled out for the rest of the night and would undergo further testing to assess the severity of the injury, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). As Bodner observes, The former MVP has a history of facial injuries, having sustained orbital bone fractures on both the left side of his face (in 2018) and the right side (in 2022). He also dealt with Bell’s palsy during last season’s playoffs.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game that Embiid was still being tested to determine whether there are any fractures in the area where he was hit (Twitter link via Bodner). Even if X-rays come back clean, Embiid could end up in the NBA’s concussion protocol, meaning he’d have to pass a series of tests before being cleared to return to action, Bodner tweets.

Friday’s contest was just the sixth of 23 Sixers games that Embiid has played this season. He has missed time due to left knee swelling and was also suspended three games for a locker room run-in with a reporter.

Philadelphia will be back in action on Monday in Charlotte, then won’t play again until hosting the Hornets next Friday, so if Embiid’s injury turns out to be minor, he’ll have plenty of recovery time in the next week. The 76ers figure to provide an update on his status at some point this weekend.

Sixers guard Jared McCain also suffered an apparent head injury when he hit his head on the floor during the second half on Friday, but he cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and was able to return to the game (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).

Nets’ Yongxi Cui Out For Season With Torn ACL

December 13th, 2024 at 1:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Rookie wing Yongxi Cui, who is on a two-way contract with the Nets, sustained a torn ACL in his left knee on Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).

Cui, 21, suffered the injury while playing for the Nets’ G league affiliate in Long Island. He’s expected to make a full recovery, per the team.

Also known as “Jacky,” Cui is a 6’6″ guard/forward who graduated from the NBA Global Academy and played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association last season. He posted solid numbers in the CBA in 2023/24, averaging 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 56 appearances for Guangzhou, with a .520/.365/.783 shooting line.

Cui, who went undrafted in June, made five NBA appearances for the Nets in ’24/25, playing just 10 total minutes. He also played in five games for Long Island, averaging 6.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 1.2 APG in 16.9 MPG.

If the Nets need depth in the future, it wouldn’t be surprising if they release Cui for a healthy player. But it’s also not uncommon for NBA teams to keep injured players on two-way deals for an entire season, with Collin Gillespie and E.J. Liddell among the recent examples of that occurring.

For what it’s worth, Cui’s two-way contract covers two years, though as with all two-way deals, each season is non-guaranteed.