Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Zion Williamson Parting Ways With CAA

November 23rd, 2024 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and his representatives at Creative Arts Agency, including agent Austin Brown, are parting ways, sources tell Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

It’s unclear why the two sides are ending their relationship, according to The Athletic’s duo, but the National Basketball Players Association has confirmed that CAA is no longer listed as Williamson’s representative.

The player’s union doesn’t yet have a new agent on record for the former No. 1 overall pick, Vardon and Amick add. A player who parts with an agent must wait 15 days before hiring new representation.

Williamson is in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary contract, so in all likelihood, he won’t be negotiating a new deal anytime soon.

However, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic previously reported, the 24-year-old’s contract is a unique one. Currently, the final three years of Williamson’s deal, beginning in 2025/26, are non-guaranteed. He can re-guarantee part or all of his salary for ’25/26 by meeting the following benchmarks:

Appearing in at least 41 games this season: 40% guarantee
Appearing in at least 51 games this season: An additional 20%
Appearing in at least 61 games this season: An additional 20%
Passing all six of his weigh-in checkpoints this season (his combined weight and body fat percentage must be below 295): An additional 20%

Those criteria are the same for each season. For instance, if Williamson plays in at least 61 games and passes all his weigh-in checkpoints during the 2025/26 season, he would automatically guarantee his full salary for ’26/27.

The Pelicans forward is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and reportedly isn’t close to returning, so those games-played thresholds will become increasingly difficult to meet the longer he remains sidelined, meaning some or all of his ’25/26 salary will likely remain non-guaranteed.

Still, as Vardon and Amick write, the Pelicans won’t realize any cap savings as a result of Williamson’s non-guaranteed salaries unless they waive him, which seems highly unlikely to happen anytime in the near future. If he remains under contract through July 15, 2025, his ’25/26 salary will become fully guaranteed.

When he’s healthy and available, the former Duke standout is one of the NBA’s most dynamic players — he holds career averages of 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 31.8 minutes per game across 190 outings (all starts). The problem is that he has missed 217 regular season games and counting during his five-plus seasons in the league.

Warriors Become First Team To Clinch NBA Cup Quarterfinal Berth

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are now 3-0 in NBA Cup games, making them the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout round of the in-season tournament. As the NBA announced late on Friday night after Golden State beat New Orleans and Dallas beat Denver (Twitter link), the Warriors have won West Group C, officially securing a quarterfinal berth for December.

The 3-0 Warriors are one game ahead of the 2-1 Mavericks in the NBA Cup standings, while no other team in their group has more than one victory so far. That means the Mavs are the only West Group C club with a chance to match Golden State’s win total, and the Dubs would hold the tiebreaker in that scenario as a result of beating Dallas last Tuesday in their NBA Cup opener.

The winners of the six groups advance to the eight-team knockout round, along with one “wild card” from each conference. The Mavs have a good chance to be that wild card team in the West if they defeat Memphis on December 3, since their +41 point differential in NBA Cup contests is the second-best mark in the league. Point differential is the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results.

The Rockets (Group A) and Lakers (Group B) are the only two other Western Conference teams who are undefeated in NBA Cup play, putting them in the driver’s seat to join the Warriors in the quarterfinals if they can keep winning.

Over in the East, the Hawks (2-1) could clinch Group C with a win over Cleveland next Friday, assuming the Bulls lose at least one of their two remaining NBA Cup games. If Atlanta loses, a Celtics victory over Chicago on Friday would secure the group for Boston. There are still two undefeated teams apiece in East Group A (Magic, Knicks) and East Group B (Bucks, Pistons).

Joel Embiid Has Swelling In Knee, Out Through At Least Sunday

November 22nd, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The hits keep coming for the Sixers, who held the NBA’s worst record entering action on Friday and are once again missing star center Joel Embiid.

Embiid, who was ruled out for Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn due to left knee injury management, is dealing with swelling in that left knee, the team announced this evening (Twitter link). Upon consultation with their medical staff, the Sixers have decided Embiid will also sit out Sunday’s matchup with the Clippers.

There will be another update early next week on the former MVP, who is receiving treatment, according to the club. The 76ers’ next game after Sunday is on Wednesday against Houston.

While there’s no indication at this point that Embiid’s latest setback will result in a lengthy absence, it’s another blow to a team that has fallen well short of expectations so far this season and would like to start digging out of its 2-12 hole sooner rather than later.

Paul George is also out through at least Sunday due to a bone bruise in his left knee. Both Embiid and George were affected earlier in the season by the same health issues currently plaguing them. George missed the first five games of the fall, while Embiid was unavailable for the first nine contests, in part due to his knee injury and in part due to a three-game suspension.

Guerschon Yabusele earned his second start of the season on Friday with Embiid inactive.

Zion Williamson Not Near Return For Pelicans

November 22nd, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williamson is nowhere near being ready to return to the hardwood for New Orleans, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. The 6’6″ superstar, who sustained a left hamstring strain two weeks ago, has undergone “multiple treatments” on the affected hamstring, Charania adds.

Sources tell ESPN that the Pelicans were initially bracing for Williamson to miss at least four to six weeks as a result of the injury. However, it’s possible his absence will extend beyond that window, according to Charania, who notes that the former No. 1 overall pick has suffered multiple hamstring strains since entering the league. In other words, the team will be cautious with his recovery timeline.

In his six healthy contests for New Orleans, Williamson averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He posted a shooting line of .452/.333/.667 during those bouts.

Injuries and fitness have been a major impediment to Williamson’s pro career. Since being selected with the No. 1 pick out of Duke in 2019, Williamson has already missed 48 or more games in three separate seasons due to various maladies. Charania notes that the forward has only been available for 190 of over 400 potential regular season contests.

The Pelicans have fallen on hard times with a rash of long-term injuries beyond just Williams. Aside from Williamson, forward/center Herbert Jones, and guards Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins have all missed extended time this year. The team is currently 4-12 in the competitive Western Conference.

New Orleans did get some good news Friday, at least. Will Guillory of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Hawkins and Brandon Ingram, who missed Wednesday’s game with a bilateral ankle sprain, will suit up for the Pelicans for their NBA Cup tilt against the Warriors.

Jazz Sign David Jones To Two-Way Contract

November 22nd, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22: Jones’ two-way deal with the Jazz is now official, the team announced today in a press release. As previously reported, the team waived Preston to open up a two-way slot for Jones.

NOVEMBER 20: The Jazz and free agent wing David Jones have agreed to a two-way contract, agents Deirunas Visockas and Guillermo Bermejo tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jones had a highly productive junior campaign for Memphis in 2023/24, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game on .459/.380/.797 shooting in 32 contests (32.3 MPG). A native of the Dominican Republic, Jones had previous collegiate stops at DePaul and St. John’s before transferring to the Tigers.

Shortly after going undrafted in June, Jones agreed to an two-way deal with the Sixers and played for Philadelphia’s Summer League teams in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, averaging 9.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.6 SPG in seven games (18.2 MPG). However, he was waived by the 76ers in September, just ahead of training camp, when the team needed to open up a two-way slot for Lester Quinones.

Jones began his first professional season playing for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League this fall. He averaged 21.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.5 APG on .475/.316/.789 shooting in his first four NBAGL outings.

Utah doesn’t currently have a two-way slot available, so the club will have to waive one of its current two-way players (Jason Preston, Micah Potter, or Oscar Tshiebwe) in order to make room for Jones.

Grizzlies’ Vince Williams To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Ankle Sprain

November 21st, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Grizzlies wing Vince Williams Jr. suffered a Grade 3 right ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in four weeks, the team announced on Thursday. Williams suffered the injury in the second quarter of Memphis’ game against the Nuggets on Tuesday.

It’s a tough blow for Williams, who missed the first 12 games of the season due to a stress reaction in his left leg. The former VCU player made his return to an NBA court on Friday. He averaged 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his two-and-a-half healthy games.

Upon his return from that injury, Williams was reinserted into the rotation with Memphis dealing with absences throughout the lineup, including Ja Morant, Zach Edey and GG Jackson.

While the Grizzlies are healthier than they were last season and their depth is improved, it’s still a tough blow for a team looking to contend for a playoff spot. Memphis is 9-7 and ranks eighth in the Western Conference entering Thursday’s action.

Williams, in his third year in the league, spent the first season-and-a-half of his time in the NBA on a two-way contract. Moving up the depth chart last season as a result of Memphis’ injuries, Williams thrived and earned a contract promotion, averaging 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 37.8% from three.

With Williams out and John Konchar missing Wednesday’s game with an illness, two-way player Cam Spencer played just under 10 minutes in his NBA debut upon returning from an ankle injury. He may continue to see spot minutes with Williams out while the Grizzlies get healthier.

Paul George Suffers Bone Bruise, Will Miss At Least Two Games

November 21st, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 21: George was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left knee and an MRI showed no structural damage, the team announced Thursday according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). The nine-time All-Star will miss at least Friday’s game against the Nets and Sunday’s game versus the Clippers. He’ll be reevaluated on Monday.

NOVEMBER 20: Sixers All-Star forward Paul George departed Philadelphia’s matchup against the Grizzlies on Wednesday after hyperextending his left knee, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

It’s the same knee that caused George to miss time to start the season. He hyperextended it in a preseason game on October 14 and didn’t make his regular season debut until November 4.

There are no updates yet on whether the latest setback will force George to the sidelines again or how much time he might miss. The 6’8″ vet will presumably undergo further testing and imaging to determine the severity of the injury.

If George is forced to miss time again, it will further delay the efforts of Philadelphia’s new big three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and George to establish chemistry with their teammates and with each other. The three All-Stars hadn’t all been active for the same game until Wednesday; the trio has still yet to make it through a full contest together.

Across his seven healthy games prior to Wednesday, George had been averaging 16.7 points per game on .396/.288/.815 shooting splits, his lowest scoring output since an injury-shortened six-game stint in 2014/15. The 34-year-old had also been logging 5.6 boards, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per night.

Embiid has only appeared in four of Philadelphia’s 14 contests this year, while Maxey has been available for eight.

The Sixers ultimately fell to Memphis on Wednesday, 117-111. The loss puts Philadelphia in the NBA’s cellar with a league-worst 2-12 record.

Rodney Hood Announces Retirement

November 21st, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA swingman Rodney Hood has decided to call it a career, telling ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that he’s retiring as a player (Twitter link).

“It was tough to retire,” Hood said within a longer statement detailing the various stages of his career. “But I’m at peace with it. I tried really hard to hold on. I had an Achilles tear and I was kind of a shell of myself. When I got a chance to get healthy again, I tried to play in the G League this past spring and got hurt again. It was just my body telling me that I needed to move on.”

After playing his college ball for Mississippi State and Duke, Hood was selected with the 23rd pick in the 2014 draft and began his NBA career with the Jazz. In addition to playing for Utah, he spent time with the Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Raptors, Bucks, and Clippers over the course of eight years in the league.

Hood, 32, appeared in a total of 448 regular season games from 2014-22, averaging 10.4 points per game on .420/.366/.841 shooting. The Mississippi native also chipped in 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.5 minutes per night during the regular season and saw action in the playoffs with the Jazz, Cavs, and Blazers from 2017-19.

His best season came in 2017/18, when he averaged a career-high 14.7 PPG with a .381 3PT% in 60 games for Utah and Cleveland, earning a spot on one Sixth Man of the Year ballot at season’s end.

Hood indicated in his announcement that he envisions himself as a coaching role in the next phase of his career.

“I always felt like after my playing career is when I will make my big mark with helping younger guys get to the next level,” he said. “So I’m looking forward to that. I want to coach.

“It reminds me of the famous Roosevelt speech, ‘The man in the arena.’ I was in the arena. I wasn’t the best player, but I got a chance to be around and play against some of the best players that ever played. I think that gives me an insight. And I’ve also been through the mud. I dealt with injuries. I went through trades. Sometimes I was the No. 2 option, sometimes I was the last guy off the bench. I’ve been through it all. I plan to use my experiences to pour into others and help a lot of guys coming up in the game in his next phase of my life.”

Nuggets’ Cancar Out For ‘Foreseeable Future’ With Knee Injury

November 21st, 2024 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar, who exited Tuesday’s game in the second quarter due to what the team referred to as a left knee sprain, will be out “for the foreseeable future,” head coach Michael Malone said on Thursday, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

Cancar and the Nuggets are weighing potential treatment options for the knee injury, according to Malone, who said the ailment is “not necessarily” season-ending, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

“It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit,” Malone said. “So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future.”

Asked if the decision will come down to a surgical vs. non-surgical approach, Malone replied, “I’m not gonna go into all the details, but some different options will be on the table for Vlatko, and we’ll try to educate him.” He added that the next steps for the 27-year-old will likely be determined within the next week.

While a sprained knee ligament typically results in at least a multi-week absence on its own, Cancar’s injury caused additional concern on Tuesday because it affected the same knee in which he tore an ACL last summer. That ACL tear caused him to miss the entire 2023/24 season.

Cancar re-signed with the Nuggets on a one-year, minimum-salary deal this past offseason. The Slovenian forward had appeared in just four games so far this season, having sat out six due to a sprained ankle and three as a DNP-CD. However, he logged double-digit minutes on Sunday for the first time this season and did so again on Tuesday before injuring his knee. Malone referred to Cancar’s play in those games with the second unit as “really, really effective.”

The Nuggets are already missing one frontcourt piece as a result of a significant injury. First-round pick DaRon Holmes sustained a season-ending Achilles tear during his Summer League debut in July.

Doncic Has Wrist Injury, Out At Least One Week

November 21st, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Dana Gauruder

10:06am: Doncic underwent an MRI which revealed a right wrist sprain, the team’s PR department tweets.

9:37am: Add Luka Doncic to the list of superstar players missing multiple games this season due to an injury.

Doncic is dealing with a right wrist injury and will be reevaluated in a week, Marc Stein reports (Twitter link).

The Mavericks guard was wearing a wrap around his wrist when he met the media after Tuesday’s game against New Orleans, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal notes (Twitter link). Doncic scored 26 points in 30 minutes during that victory over New Orleans.

“I started feeling it in the first quarter, but then it just got worse, but nothing serious,” Doncic said when asked about his wrist injury.

Doncic didn’t practice on Wednesday. He is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game this season.

Dallas had just started to hit its stride, winning three straight contests heading into a three-game road trip. The Mavericks’ next game is at Denver on Friday. They also have games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, so Doncic will miss at least four contests.

Jaden Hardy, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie could all see increased playing time in his absence.