Newsstand

Draymond Green Out At Least One Week With Calf Strain

January 20th, 2025 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward/center Draymond Green has been diagnosed with a mild left calf strain and is expected to be reevaluated in one week, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team has officially confirmed Slater’s reporting (Twitter link).

As Slater notes, that means Green will miss at least Golden State’s next four games, including Monday’s matchup with the defending champion Celtics. He’ll also be unavailable for games vs. Sacramento (on Wednesday), Chicago (Thursday), and the Lakers (Saturday) before being reexamined.

Green, who previously missed three consecutive games due to a back injury and an illness, made his return on Saturday vs. Washington, but was on the court for just three minutes before sustaining a first-quarter calf injury that sidelined him for the rest of the night.

Green has averaged 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game through 34 contests this season for the Warriors. As usual, his impact goes beyond the box score — Golden State has a +3.9 net rating during his time on the court and a -3.0 mark when he’s not on the floor.

Buddy Hield and Gui Santos earned starts during Green’s absence, but it will be Gary Payton II elevated to the starting five on Monday vs. Boston, tweets Slater. Moses Moody has also played an increased role as of late and should continue to see regular minutes with Green on the shelf.

In more positive Warriors injury news, Stephen Curry will be active on Monday after spraining his left ankle in Saturday’s game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Green Named Players Of The Week

January 20th, 2025 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference, while Rockets guard Jalen Green has won the weekly award for the Western Conference, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

It’s the 25th time that Antetokounmpo has earned Player of the Week honors over the course of his decorated 12-year NBA career, including the second time this season.

In four games during the week of Jan. 13-19, the two-time MVP averaged 32.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 34.5 minutes per game, making 66.7% of his shots from the floor as the Bucks went 4-0. Milwaukee beat Sacramento, Orlando, Toronto, and Philadelphia by an average margin of 19 points per game in a dominant week.

Antetokounmpo beat out fellow nominees LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Darius Garland, Damian Lillard, and Onyeka Okongwu for the Eastern Conference award, per the NBA (Twitter link).

Green, meanwhile, was named Player of the Week for the first time this season and the second time in his four-year career. The former No. 2 overall pick has scored at least 26 points in eight consecutive games, including all four of Houston’s contests this past week.

Green led the Rockets to a 3-1 week by scoring 32.5 points per game on a scorching-hot shooting line of .606/.633/.962. He also chipped in 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per night.

A trio of Clippers – James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac – headlined the Western Conference’s other Player of the Week nominees and were joined by Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Scoot Henderson, Trey Murphy, and Jamal Murray.

Wolves’ DiVincenzo Ruled Out Indefinitely With Grade 3 Toe Sprain

January 20th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo, who has missed the past two games with a toe injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 left great toe sprain, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the Timberwolves, DiVincenzo has been ruled out indefinitely, with he and the club currently seeking a second opinion to determine the best treatment option going forward.

While the Wolves don’t explicitly refer to DiVincenzo’s injury as turf toe, it sounds like that may be what he’s dealing with, and a Grade 3 designation represents the most severe form of that injury.

The Thunder recently ruled out Ajay Mitchell for at least 10-to-12 weeks after he underwent a procedure to address a turf toe sprain. If DiVincenzo and the Wolves ultimately determine that he needs to address his ailment via surgery, he could face a similar recovery timeline. Figuring out whether or not surgery is necessary is likely the impetus for the two parties seeking a second opinion.

DiVincenzo, who was traded from New York to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster just ahead of training camp, got off to a slow start with his new team, averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game across his first 29 outings, with an underwhelming shooting line of .370/.335/.783.

However, the 27-year-old had been heating up in recent weeks, boosting his averages to 16.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 4.9 RPG on .446/.436/.852 in his last 11 contests before the injury.

With DiVincenzo sidelined, rookie guard Rob Dillingham – whose return from an ankle injury coincided with DiVincenzo going down – figures to take on an increased role going forward. He has averaged 10.5 points in 15.7 minutes per night in his first two games back in action.

Warriors May Wait Until Summer To Pursue Major Trade

January 20th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors may be active on the trade market before the deadline, but they’re not expected to pursue a major deal until the offseason, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Two Western Conference executives who talked to Youngmisuk believe Golden State will save its most valuable trade pieces for the summer in hopes of a making significant move.

For now, a more likely target is Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who would provide a second reliable scorer to team with Stephen Curry. Vucevic is making $20MM, and the Warriors hope they might be able to land him in exchange for expiring deals. Both rival executives expect the team to continue exploring its options until closer to February 6, rather than making a deal right away.

Youngmusik points out that Golden State’s top trade pieces are Andrew Wiggins‘ $26MM contract, along with young players Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski. More likely to be moved now are the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II ($9.13MM) and Kevon Looney ($8MM), along with draft assets (the Warriors have three tradable first-round picks and two second-rounders.

Youngmisuk reveals that CEO Joe Lacob met with general manager Mike Dunleavy to discuss the team’s options after a January 7 loss to Miami. One rival executive described the team as “frustrated” as it has fallen down the standings after a 12-3 start.

The executives also told Youngmisuk that if the Warriors aren’t in a better position by the trade deadline, they might consider some cost-cutting deals to reduce the size of their tax bill. Youngmisuk adds that Golden State typically isn’t active around the deadline, with only two significant trades during the Curry era.

Curry, who has been playing through thumb and knee pain this season, said he can accept a quiet deadline as long as he knows the front office is making an effort to improve the roster.

“[We’re] trying to be a realistic threat in a playoffs series,” he said. “If Mike calls and says, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to do X, Y, Z,’ I give my opinion. My hope is that [if there’s no action at the deadline], it’s not because of a lack of effort. If we don’t have a chance to get better, my whole thing is I want to win, and whatever that means, all efforts are pointed towards that, then I can kind of live with whatever happens.”

The Warriors tried to get involved in major deals last summer, making offers for Lauri Markkanen before he re-signed with Utah and Paul George before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers. In both cases, it would have meant parting with Kuminga and maybe Podziemski, which Golden State wasn’t ready to do.

They were one of the first teams to make a significant in-season deal, picking up Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn in mid-December, but the veteran guard has struggled badly with his shot and hasn’t been able to stop the team’s long decline. It’s possible that Schröder could be moved again before the deadline.

Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr have all made recent public statements cautioning against the dangers of a panic move. They seem content to wait until summer for a roster overhaul if necessary, and in the meantime they’re confident about their postseason chances no matter who they have to face.

“Hundred percent feel like we can beat anybody in a playoff series because we’ve done it,” Curry said. “We have the know-how, and we just want to be able to answer that question with how we’re playing and not imagine. … We’ve been there. We know how to do it. Just feel like we can do it again.”

Kyle Kuzma Says Wizards Haven’t Approached Him About A Trade

January 20th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

A year ago, the Wizards gave Kyle Kuzma the option to approve a trade, and he elected not to join a Mavericks team that wound up in the NBA Finals. Kuzma hasn’t decided what he’ll do if he’s in the same situation this year, but he told Varun Shankar of The Washington Post that the front office hasn’t brought up the subject yet.

“We’ll see how it goes. I don’t know,” Kuzma said. “I think last year was the right time [to stay] after signing the deal. That was kind of more of a last year thing. We haven’t had conversations, haven’t even talked about the deadline, haven’t talked about getting traded. This is really the first time I’m really talking about it.”

Sunday’s loss at Sacramento was the 10th in the row for Washington, which sits at 6-35 and has the league’s worst record by a comfortable margin. Kuzma still has two years left on his contract, and he could bring a valuable return for a franchise that’s clearly prioritizing future assets over any current success.

Shankar notes that Kuzma has been experiencing an up-and-down season and has been limited to 24 games due to groin and rib injuries. He’s averaging just 14.4 points per game, which is down from 22.2 PPG last season and is by far his lowest mark since coming to Washington four years ago. Kuzma’s shooting has been abysmal, as he’s connecting at career lows from the field (42.5%) and three-point range (25.7%).

Even so, Shankar points out that Kuzma has trade value as a 6’10” defender who can play either forward position. He’s only 29, has played on a championship team and has a contract that declines in value, going from $23.5MM this season to $21.5MM next year and $19.4MM in 2026/27.

Kuzma has been a major part of the offense since joining the Wizards, but Shankar suggests that he might be best suited for a complementary role like he had with the Lakers early in his career. He averaged the fourth-most minutes and third-most shot attempts per game during L.A.’s title run in 2020.

In a session with the media before Sunday’s game, coach Brian Keefe was supportive of Kuzma and said the injuries have played a significant role in his decreased production.

“He had gotten some good momentum early and then he got hurt in the [Nov. 30] Atlanta game. And then he was building some momentum and he got hurt again. And then he missed almost a whole month,” Keefe said. “… It’s just been choppy. But when he’s played, he’s been efficient, doing the things that we ask. I just think he’s just had some inconvenient things that happened to him injury-wise that has … ruined his rhythm.”

That choppiness was on display this weekend, Shankar adds. Kuzma had one of his best games of the season Saturday at Golden State, scoring 22 points while shooting 7-of-12 from the field. However, he couldn’t carry that over to Sunday, as the Kings limited him to 13 points while shooting 3-of-15 overall and 1-of-7 from three-point range.

“It’s the first time in my career I’ve been hurt like this,” Kuzma said. “I think it was frustrating at a certain point in time early on … but I’ve gotten over that. Kinda just here, playing game by game, trying to stay in the moment.”

LeBron James: “We Don’t Have Room For Error”

January 20th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

With the trade deadline 17 days away, LeBron James may be sending a message to the front office that something needs to be done. The Lakers star talked about the limits of the team’s current roster after a 116-102 loss to the cross-town Clippers on Sunday night, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

James said the team has a razor-thin margin for error because of the way the roster has been put together. Asked if there is a way to improve that internally, James responded, “Nah. That’s how our team is constructed. We don’t have room for error — for much error.”

Presented with a follow-up question about whether the Lakers have to be nearly perfect to have a chance to win, James said, “We don’t have a choice. I mean… that’s the way our team is constructed. And we have to, we have to play close-to-perfect basketball.”

Woike points out that even though the Lakers are sixth in the West at 22-18, their underlying numbers haven’t been good. Despite the winning record, their net rating is minus-2.9, which ranks 12th in the conference.

They’re also failing to capitalize on a favorable part of the schedule, as Sunday was their 10th time playing in Los Angeles over a 12-game stretch. The Lakers are just 5-5 so far and are in danger of slipping out of a guaranteed playoff spot and maybe even the play-in tournament.

Adding to James’ point about roster construction, he probably didn’t expect to be playing such a major role at age 40. He’s logging 34.9 minutes per night, which is roughly in line with his playing time since he came to L.A. seven years ago, and is averaging 23.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists. He has only missed four games this season, and the Lakers usually need a huge effort from him to be competitive.

It’s also worth noting that part of the roster construction issue stems from taking James’ son, Bronny James, with a second-round pick and giving him a standard contract rather than a two-way deal. The 20-year-old guard has spent much of his rookie season in the G League and has averaged just 2.4 minutes in nine NBA games.

The Lakers have already made one significant deal, acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from Brooklyn last month in a four-player trade. That hasn’t been enough to spark the team in a tight Western Conference playoff race.

Making pointed remarks close to the trade deadline has been a pattern throughout James’ career, but he’s not the only one who believes the Lakers are in a difficult position. A longtime scout tells Woike that the Lakers appear “stuck,” and coach J.J. Redick expressed similar concerns Sunday night.

“We don’t have a huge margin for error. Nor can we create that margin organically,” Redick said. “It has to be emphasized daily to touch the paint, to play paint-to-great mentality, make the extra pass. We don’t have a guy on our team that’s going to necessarily always draw two to the ball. We don’t have a guy on our team that’s going to be able to get past his guy one-on-one and get to the paint and spread it out to the perimeter. Like, that’s just not our team. So we have to do it through connectivity, through execution. And when we do that, we’re really good.”

Celtics Reportedly Expect 4-5 Initial Ownership Bids

January 19th, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics are expecting to receive a minimum of four ownership bids from prospective investment groups when the first round of the sale process closes on January 23, a source with direct knowledge of the process tells Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe (subscription required). A fifth bid is also a possibility, Silverman reports.

Current co-owner Steve Pagliuca is spearheading a consortium that will be making a bid, according to Silverman, but the identities of the control heads for the other groups remain a mystery, at least for now. Another current minority stakeholder, Robert Hale, expressed interest in becoming majority owner or joining a group in October, and he told Silverman he’s “still hanging around the hoop.”

Fenway Sports Group and Mark Bezos are reportedly among the other potential bidders. The founding partner of HighPost Capital private equity group, Bezos is the half-brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The Grousbeck family announced on July 1 that it was putting the team up for sale, just a few weeks after the Celtics won their 18th championship. According to Silverman, the Grousbecks expect the final sale price to exceed $6 billion.

As Silverman writes, the Grousbecks and the investment banks advising them on the sale process are expected to review the first round of bids until sometime in February. At that point, two groups will be selected for a final round of bidding, unless one initial bid “meets the family’s expectations.”

If there’s a final round involving two bidders, it could take weeks or even months before a new owner is announced, Silverman adds.

The plan remains for the sale process to be conducted in two phases, with the new group controlling 51% of the franchise at some point in the first half of 2025. The remaining 49% would be sold in 2028.

Governor Wyc Grousbeck hopes to remain in that role until 2028, though it’s unclear if bidders will be open to that idea after he has given up his controlling interest in the first phase of the sale.

Bulls Looking To Trade Patrick Williams

January 18th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has decided to explore trade opportunities involving Patrick Williams, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

The 23-year-old power forward has experienced a decline in production during his fifth NBA season, averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per night through 32 games while shooting career lows from the field (37.7%) and three-point range (36.2%).

Williams has been viewed as a project since Chicago selected him with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. The source tells Cowley that Williams “hasn’t been easy to work with,” explaining that his attitude has been fine, but he hasn’t been comfortable enough with his role to buy into what the coaches are telling him.

Cowley explains that assistant coaches are typically assigned to certain players, and there have been “frustrations” on both sides with some of Williams’ matchups. Director of player development Peter Patton has taken over those duties this season, Cowley adds, and it seemed as though Williams was responding when he averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in November.

However, through nine games in January, Williams’ numbers are down to 6.6 PPG and 2.6 RPG. Head coach Billy Donovan has been reducing his playing time and he was on the court for just 17 minutes in Friday’s home loss to Charlotte, finishing the game with five points, no rebounds and a -17 plus/minus rating.

“I don’t want to use the word concerned, but I think Patrick’s heart is in a really good place as it relates to our team, and I think he really wants to do well,” Donovan told reporters after the game. “I think the one thing he will continue to get better at, and I think I mentioned to you guys that in closeouts, and I think the next iteration, the next part of it, at least offensively, is going to end up being, ‘What are the ones I need to go in and finish, what are the ones I need to spray out? And when I do spray it out, taking care of the ball?’

“The other part of it too, for our team, we need more rebounding from him. I think he’s made the effort to try and go there, but we probably need to get a little more out of him. But I’m not concerned about him. I know this stretch for him has not been good, but he has had moments where he has been pretty good. I think he does work, I think he’s a good player. He’s up in a tough stretch right now. He’s still going through a maturation process offensively.”

The decision to trade Williams comes roughly six months after the Bulls re-signed him to a five-year, $90MM contract. As Cowley notes, Williams was a restricted free agent last summer, so Karnisovas could have let him seek an offer from a rival team and then decide whether it was in his best interest to match it. Instead, he rewarded Williams with a long-term deal that will pay him $18MM each season, including a player option for 2028/29. Given Williams’ recent production, there may not be many teams willing to take on that contract without an incentive attached.

Williams becomes the latest rumored trade candidate ahead of what could be an active deadline in Chicago. The Bulls are reportedly also looking to move Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and possibly Lonzo Ball.

Pelicans’ Javonte Green Generating ‘Healthy’ Trade Interest

January 18th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are receiving “healthy” trade interest in veteran wing Javonte Green, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Green, 31, remained available on the free agent market for most of the summer before signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans in late August to help fill out their standard roster.

While he wasn’t necessarily projected to play a significant role, Green has seen the floor early and often this season for the Pelicans, who have dealt with a serious of injuries to starters and top reserves and have yet to have a fully healthy roster.

In 38 games (14 starts) for New Orleans, Green has averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 21.7 minutes per night, registering a solid shooting line of .469/.385/.776. The 6’4″ swingman is considered a solid, versatile defender who can match up with bigger wings and forwards.

Green also has trade appeal due to his contract, which can be acquired using the minimum salary exception without requiring a matching salary in return. All 29 other teams – outside of a small group who are operating less than $2.09MM away from their hard cap for the season – would have the ability to trade for Green, including first- and second-apron clubs.

Trading Green and replacing him after the trade deadline with a player on a prorated minimum-salary contract would help the Pelicans slightly reduce their payroll. That’s an important factor to consider, given that New Orleans has never paid the luxury tax and certainly won’t want to do so for the first time this season for a roster that’s currently 11-32. The Pelicans are currently operating about $1.4MM above the tax line.

Latest On Cameron Johnson

January 18th, 2025 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming recent reporting from ESPN, Jake Fischer writes at The Stein Line (Substack link) that Brooklyn’s asking price for forward Cameron Johnson is indeed high and that the team doesn’t feel compelled to move him by February 6.

According to Fischer, in their conversations with certain teams about Johnson, the Nets have sought as many as two first-round picks to go along with a young player. It remains to be seen whether any team will meet that price. If not, the question will be whether Brooklyn ultimately decides to make an in-season deal for a slightly more modest return or opts to hang onto Johnson into the offseason.

Here are a few more updates from Fischer on one of the NBA’s top trade candidates:

Following up on a report from The Athletic identifying the Cavaliers as a team with interest in trading for Johnson, Fischer says that interest appears “preliminary at best.” While Fischer confirms that Cleveland inquired on Johnson, he’s not sure the Cavs have the assets to appeal to Brooklyn, since they can only trade one first-round pick and it wouldn’t convey until 2031. People around the league believe the Cavs are more likely to make a minor move that reduces their luxury tax bill, Fischer notes.
Fischer is prepared to cross the Thunder off of the list of suitors for Johnson after having reported himself last month that Oklahoma City was keeping an eye on the Nets sharpshooter. While there’s still some chatter around the league about the potential fit between Johnson and OKC, there has been no “credible evidence” that the Thunder have talked to Brooklyn about a deal, Fischer explains. Like the Cavaliers, the Thunder seem reluctant to make a significant move that shakes up their roster and risks disrupting their chemistry, given their success so far this season, Fischer adds.
The Pacers and Kings are among the teams to continue to watch as possible suitors for Johnson. One Western Conference executive who spoke to Fischer believes a Sacramento package of Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and a first-round pick is viewed by some people around the league as the early benchmark to beat. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Nets would accept that offer if it’s the best one they have at the deadline, but it sounds like it might be the best one they have so far.

Load More Posts