Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Brandon Miller Has Torn Wrist Ligament, Out Indefinitely

January 17th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Brandon Miller, who missed Friday’s game vs. Chicago due to what was originally referred to as a right wrist sprain, has been diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament after undergoing an MRI, the team announced in a press release.

The Hornets didn’t provide a recovery timeline for Miller, simply ruling him out indefinitely.

While each case is different, this injury typically requires surgery and results in a layoff that’s measured in months rather than days or weeks. Kenrich Williams, Khris Middleton, T.J. McConnell, Bradley Beal, and Jaylen Brown are among the players who have gone under the knife to have a torn scapholunate ligament repaired in recent years.

It’s a disappointing turn of events for the No. 2 overall pick from the 2023 draft, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting last season and was having a solid sophomore campaign in 2024/25. Through 27 games (all starts), Miller has averaged 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 34.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .403/.355/.861.

The timing is especially unfortunate for the Hornets, who had just recently gotten their top four scorers – Miller, LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams – healthy together for the first time all season. Entering Friday, the quartet had starting four consecutive games together alongside Josh Green. The Hornets went 2-2 in those contests, with its starting five posting a +14.5 net rating.

Nick Smith Jr. started in Miller’s place on Friday and had a good night, with 15 points in 26 minutes in a win over Chicago, so he’ll likely get another opportunity in that role.

Seth Curry, who has earned a few starts this season when Miller was unavailable, returned to the rotation for the first time in two weeks on Friday and also figures to play an increased role going forward, with newcomer Josh Okogie potentially also getting into the mix on the wing.

Chet Holmgren Progressing, Will Be Reevaluated In 3-5 Weeks

January 17th, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren is continuing to make progress in his recovery from a right iliac wing fracture, according to the club, which announced on Friday that he’ll be reevaluated in approximately three-to-five weeks.

Holmgren suffered the injury, a form of pelvic fracture, on November 10, with Oklahoma City announcing the following day that he would be reevaluated in eight-to-10 weeks. That was approximately nine-and-a-half weeks ago, so an update from the team had been expected around this time.

The Thunder have handled Holmgren’s absence admirably, posting a 26-4 record without him. For most of that time, they’ve started Isaiah Hartenstein at center in place of Holmgren, though Hartenstein has missed some time with health issues of his own — he’s currently on the shelf with a left soleus strain.

Oklahoma City still hasn’t gotten a chance to see Hartenstein, the club’s top offseason free agent addition, on the court at the same time as Rookie of the Year runner-up Holmgren, since the two big men have yet to be healthy at the same time. There’s still hope that will happen at some point before the end of the regular season, but Holmgren’s recovery process will take at least a few more weeks.

Before getting injured in his 10th game of the season, Holmgren had averaged 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game across nine outings, with a .519/.400/.776 shooting line.

In other Thunder injury news, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to be a game-time decision on Friday vs. Dallas due to a sore right wrist, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

Jimmy Butler To Start On Friday In Heat Return

January 17th, 2025 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

5:25pm: Head coach Erik Spoelstra has confirmed that Butler will start vs. Denver, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

5:10pm: Having finished serving his team-imposed seven-game suspension, Jimmy Butler will make his return on Friday when the Heat host the Nuggets in Miami, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that the star forward is expected to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.

Given how messy the standoff between the two sides had gotten, with Butler requesting a trade and Miami suspending him for conduct detrimental to the team, there had been some skepticism that the 35-year-old would play another game for the Heat. However, reports throughout the week had suggested that both the Heat and Butler were preparing for this scenario

The Heat don’t have many good paths forward outside of reintegrating Butler. They reportedly haven’t come close to receiving a viable trade offer and would face significant push-back from the NBPA if they tried to suspend him again. Sending Butler home while he continues to collect pay checks reportedly isn’t an option that appeals to management — it would also likely violate the NBA’s player participation policy.

Agent Bernie Lee issued a tongue-in-cheek press release on Twitter on behalf of Butler moments ago, stating, “I’m back,” a reference to Michael Jordan‘s statement via agent David Falk when Jordan made his NBA comeback in 1995.

The last time Butler returned from a multi-game absence amid trade rumors was on January 1, when he played vs. New Orleans after missing five games due to a minor ankle injury and an illness. He didn’t look fully engaged in that outing or during a Jan. 2 game vs. Indiana, frequently standing in the corner on offense without the ball in his hands, though he and his camp later strongly pushed back against the implication that he wasn’t playing his hardest.

Butler’s trade request was reported shortly after the Jan. 2 game, with the Heat announcing his suspension the following day.

Within an in-depth report on the Butler situation earlier today, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said that the Heat were “fully prepared” for the six-time All-Star to play on Friday, but added that there was a “palpable dread at what he might do and the environment the ongoing chaos might create.”

Obviously, it’s worth keeping a close eye on how Butler’s return plays out to see whether he and the Heat can get through the night without any further drama.

Mavs Reportedly Seek Impact Perimeter Defender, Make Gafford Available

January 17th, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks, who remain on the look for an impact perimeter defender, have dangled center Daniel Gafford in those talks, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic.

Clark first reported at the start of the month that Dallas was exploring the idea of pursuing a player who could upgrade the club’s perimeter defense. He mentioned Pelicans forward Herbert Jones at that time, but acknowledged that New Orleans was unlikely to move him.

Jones is now out indefinitely with a shoulder ailment, but prior to that injury, the Pelicans’ asking price for him was “extraordinarily high,” according to Clark, who doesn’t identify any other specific players the Mavs may be eyeing, noting that the options available on the trade market for a needle-moving impact defender may be limited.

Still, Clark’s suggestion that Dallas is open to making Gafford available is noteworthy. The Mavs gave up a late 2024 first-round pick for the veteran big man at last season’s deadline and he helped the team make a run to the NBA Finals, starting all 21 playoff games in the spring.

As effective as Gafford has been since arriving in Dallas, he’s essentially a backup center, averaging a modest 20.0 minutes per game this season as he has taken a back seat to rising second-year big man Dereck Lively. Gafford is contributing 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per night, with a .706 FG%. The Mavs have a -2.0 net rating in his minutes, compared to a +8.1 mark when Lively is on the floor.

It’s also worth mentioning that if Dallas needs to aggregate contracts to acquire a player earning $20MM or more, Gafford’s $13.4MM cap hit could be useful. Outside of Maxi Kleber ($11MM), every other Maverick earning above $4MM is a regular part of the rotation when healthy.

Gafford is under contract for one season beyond 2024/25, with a $14.4MM guaranteed salary for ’25/26. He’s currently back in the Mavs’ starting lineup while Lively recovers a right ankle sprain, which will sideline him again on Friday vs. Oklahoma City.

Embiid Has Swollen Knee, Out At Least 7-10 Days

January 17th, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid‘s injury issues continue to pile up.

The Sixers star center experienced increased swelling in his left knee during an on-court workout on Thursday, according to a team press release. The 2023 league’s Most Valuable Player will miss the team’s upcoming road trip and be reevaluated in approximately 7-10 days.

Embiid has missed the last six games due to a left foot sprain. The foot sprain has healed, according to the release. After consulting with team medical staff and external doctors, Embiid will receive treatment in the coming days to address the knee swelling.

After seeing action in only 39 regular season games last season due to a variety of ailments, Embiid has appeared in just 13 games this season. He’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest, a sharp drop from last season when he posted averages of 34.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.6 APG.

Following what was considered a highly successful offseason that reshaped the roster, the Sixers are enduring what increasingly appears like a lost season. They’re 15-24 after losing their last four games and now face a tough stretch with road matchups against Indiana, Milwaukee and Denver before returning home to face the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.

Embiid signed a three-year, fully guaranteed maximum-salary extension in September that runs through the 2028/29 season.

Cavaliers Interested In Nets’ Cameron Johnson

January 17th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in acquiring forward Cameron Johnson from the Nets, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.

Cleveland’s front office has at least discussed Johnson as a potential target and inquired about his availability. Some rival team officials believe Cleveland will make a serious run at acquiring Johnson, Vardon adds.

The Nets have already dealt away Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in their zeal to open up cap space and pile up draft assets. Johnson, who has been battling an ankle injury in recent weeks, might be their most valuable remaining asset. He’s averaging a career-best 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33 starts. Johnson is also shooting a career-high 49.9 percent from the field, including 42.8 percent beyond the arc.

Johnson is in the second year of a four-year contract that includes $90MM in guaranteed salary and $18MM in incentives. The Cavaliers’ desire to acquire Johnson is tempered by the fact that the Eastern Conference leaders lack draft capital and do not want to move any of their top eight players. While they do have plenty of second-round picks to dangle, the Cavs can’t deal any of their first-rounders earlier than the 2031 draft.

Caris LeVert‘s expiring $16.6MM contract would be a logical piece to include in a proposed deal with a rebuilding team, though he’s averaging 11.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in a reserve role.

Cleveland has been searching for a starting small forward for several seasons. Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro have received the bulk of the starts at that position. Wade might be more suited to a backup power forward role, Vardon notes, and Okoro has been unable to establish himself as a consistent starter since he was drafted in the 2020 lottery.

The Cavs have the top-rated offense in the league but they have one of the NBA’s smallest backcourts. Their 134-114 loss to the Thunder on Thursday was an example of how opponents with length on the perimeter can hold them down. The playoffs tend to be slower, more halfcourt-oriented slugfests and Johnson could help them in that area.

Members Of Heat Organization Fear Jimmy Butler Situation Could Get Uglier

January 17th, 2025 at 8:17am CST by Dana Gauruder

Members of the Heat organization, including players, coaches and staffers, have grown weary of Jimmy Butler‘s feud with the front office and it’s feared that the situation could get even worse, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports.

With his team-imposed seven-game suspension over, Butler could return to action against the Nuggets on Friday. However, there’s a sense of dread in the organization that Butler could become even more of a distraction.

One unnamed source within the organization told Shelburne, “I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” while another informed her, “We don’t want him back.”

Butler reiterated his demand to be traded to president of basketball operations Pat Riley during the suspension while the team was away on a six-game road trip. Butler was furious at the length of the suspension and the potential $2.35MM in lost salary, according to Shelburne, who says the possibility of a reduction waned because Butler failed to show enough contrition.

Here’s more from Shelburne’s story:

Butler was stunned when Riley publicly criticized him after last season for missing playoff games. Butler also felt the organization had prioritized Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro over him, especially when Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra essentially anointed Adebayo as the team leader when Udonis Haslem retired.
Butler’s preferential treatment during his years with the Heat is detailed, including staying in his mansion in Boulder, Colorado during the 2023 Finals. He’s also been allowed to fly privately or stay at a different location than the team on road trips.
During the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, Butler went to the locker room because of a sprained ankle, then left the arena because he told the team’s medical staff that he was feeling sick. He didn’t play the next three games and some team officials began to regard Butler as somewhat AWOL. During the last of those absences, Butler posted a video of himself playing soccer.

Dennis Smith Jr. Signs With Real Madrid

January 16th, 2025 at 7:18am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 16: Real Madrid has officially announced its rest-of-season deal with Smith.

JANUARY 15: Free agent point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has traveled to Spain and is expected to sign with Real Madrid, pending a physical, according to reports from Nacho Duque of Marca and Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.

Ricardo Gonzalez of AS.com initially reported on Tuesday that the possibility of Smith joining Real Madrid was gaining steam. The EuroLeague club had previously been linked to another veteran NBA guard, Devonte’ Graham, but Smith reportedly became the team’s priority in recent days.

Smith reposted several stories on his Instagram about his impending deal with Real Madrid, including a photo from Madrid’s airport.

The ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, Smith has appeared in a total of 326 regular season games for the Mavericks, Knicks, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Hornets, and Nets over the course of seven NBA seasons. He made 56 appearances last season for Brooklyn, averaging 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 18.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .435/.294/.741.

Smith isn’t much of a scorer or shooter, with career marks of 40.7% from the floor and 29.8% on three-pointers. However, he’s a solid ball-handler and distributor and a strong point-of-attack defender.

Smith signed a G League contract last month, expecting to be claimed by the Austin Spurs. However, the Bucks’ affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, claimed him instead. It’s unclear if the 27-year-old ever reported to the Herd — either way, he didn’t play in a game for the team.

Assuming he officially completes his deal in the coming days, Smith will be joining a Real Madrid team that features a handful of former NBA players, including Facundo Campazzo, Mario Hezonja, Dzanan Musa, Serge Ibaka, and Usman Garuba.

NBA Suspends Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin For One Game

January 15th, 2025 at 8:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers swingman Bennedict Mathurin has been suspended for one game without pay for his behavior towards a referee during a 127-117 loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, the NBA announced in a press release (Twitter link).

With about four minutes remaining in regulation during Tuesday’s game, Mathurin fouled Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley on a look near the rim. Upon being whistled for an infraction, Mathurin took umbrage with the decision and approached the official who made the call (Twitter video link). After he made physical contact with the official, he was immediately whistled for a technical foul and ejected from the bout.

Mathurin had been a critical contributor for the Pacers throughout the night. He finished with 19 points while shooting 8-of-12 from the floor. The Arizona alum also notched four boards, two dimes, one swipe and one rejection.

Mathurin has been starting in the stead of Indiana forward Aaron Nesmith, who has missed all but six contests this year with an ankle injury.

Mathurin will serve the suspension on Thursday when the 22-19 Pacers face the rising Pistons.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), Mathurin will lose $41,642 by sitting out Thursday’s game, which represents 1/174th of his $7,245,720 salary for the season. The Pacers, meanwhile, will earn a $20,821 tax variance credit through Mathurin’s suspension, 50% of his lost salary.

Hornets Trade Nick Richards To Suns

January 15th, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Luke Adams

6:43 pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Suns and Hornets.

3:47 pm: The Suns and Hornets have agreed to a trade that will send center Nick Richards and a second-round draft pick to Phoenix in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Suns only have three tradable second-rounders on hand: Denver’s 2026 and 2031 selections, and Phoenix’s own 2031 pick. Those are the three picks headed to Charlotte in the deal.

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the pick being sent from the Hornets to the Suns is a 2025 selection. It will be the least favorable of Denver’s and Philadelphia’s picks, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Charania (Twitter link). Barring an unexpected development in the second half of this season, that figures to be the Nuggets’ second-rounder.

Richards, 27, has seen regular rotation minutes in Charlotte since the start of the 2022/23 campaign and served as the team’s primary starting center in ’23/24 with Mark Williams sidelined. So far this season, he has appeared in 21 games, averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 21.0 minutes per night.

Richards is on a team-friendly contract that pays him $5MM this season, with a $5MM non-guaranteed salary for next season. Okogie’s deal is also guaranteed in 2024/25 and non-guaranteed in ’25/26, but he’s earning $8.25MM this season, so the swap will reduce Phoenix’s projected end-of-season luxury tax bill by approximately $20MM, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), while giving the team an athletic option in the frontcourt.

Richards is expected to take over as the Suns’ starting center once he gets acclimated, tweets Gambadoro.

Reporting over the weekend indicated that the Suns and Hornets were in talks about a potential Richards trade that would send second-round draft capital to Charlotte.

Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic was believed to be part of those discussions, but the Hornets were likely unwilling to take on Nurkic’s contract, which has a significantly higher cap hit ($18.13MM) than Okogie’s and is also fully guaranteed for next season ($19.38MM). An Okogie/Richards swap is simpler from a cap perspective and doesn’t require Charlotte to include a second player.

Because they’re operating over the second tax apron, the Suns have limited options on the trade market this season. They’re not able to aggregate contracts or take back more salary than they send out. This deal meets those requirements while taking advantage of an Okogie contract that had been viewed as a probable trade chip since it was first signed in July. Not coincidentally, Okogie became trade-eligible on Wednesday.

Besides its newly acquired 2025 second-round pick, Phoenix’s only remaining tradable draft asset is its 2031 first-rounder. The front office figures to make that first-round selection available as the club continues to weigh its options on the market ahead of the February 6 deadline.

As Marks tweets, Phoenix will generate a $3.25MM trade exception as a result of this transaction. The Suns would be able to use that exception during the season, but not in the 2025 offseason as long as they continue to operate over the second apron.

As for the Hornets, after taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line to take on contracts and acquire three second-round picks from the Knicks in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster in the fall, they’re taking a similar path here, absorbing some extra salary in a deal for their backup center and netting multiple future second-rounders in the process.

Charlotte will still be operating $7MM+ below the tax line once this move is official, leaving the team with some flexibility to potentially facilitate another deal or two with a cap-strapped trade partner by Feb. 6.

While the Hornets are making this trade for the draft assets rather than for Okogie, the veteran swingman has been solid in limited minutes this season, averaging 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game across 25 outings, with career-high shooting percentages of 49.1% from the floor and 38.1% on three-pointers. He’s considered a versatile and above-average wing defender.

If Okogie isn’t part of Charlotte’s plans going forward, the club could look to flip him in the coming weeks, though he’ll be ineligible to have his salary aggregated with another player’s.