Dru Smith Diagnosed With Torn Achilles Tendon
Heat guard Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the injury will end Smith’s season.
Smith exited Monday’s game due to a lower left leg injury that was immediately feared to be significant. His wife joined him as he headed off the court to the locker room, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Smith, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, spent his first professional season in the G League, then made his NBA debut with the Heat on a two-way contract in 2022/23. He appeared in 24 total games with Miami and Brooklyn over the next two seasons, but saw his ’23/24 campaign come to an early end last November when he sustained a torn right ACL.
After being waived by the Heat in March, Smith earned another shot with the club this season, signing a two-way deal in July and claiming a rotation spot in recent weeks upon fully recovering from his ACL tear, impressing the team with his defense.
In his eight most recent games prior to Monday’s contest, the 6’2″ guard had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.
Tearing an Achilles one year after tearing an ACL would be a brutal turn of events for any professional athlete, but the timing is especially awful for Smith, who appeared to be on the verge of being promoted from his two-way deal to Miami’s standard roster. The Heat, who traded Thomas Bryant to the Pacers on December 15, have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th man to their roster, since NBA rules only permit teams to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
With Smith on the shelf, Miami could opt to promote one of its other two-way players (Keshad Johnson or Josh Christopher), call up a player from its G League affiliate (such as Isaiah Stevens), or sign a veteran free agent.
The league-wide salary guarantee date isn’t until January 7, so the Heat could give their new 14th man a non-guaranteed contract and cut him at that time, essentially giving that player a de facto 10-day contract while they continue to consider their options. Teams can carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to 28 total days in a season, so Miami would be able to dip down to 13 for another two weeks at any time after re-adding a 14th man on Dec. 29.
Since Smith was on a two-way contract, the Heat won’t be eligible to apply for a disabled player exception.
Heat’s Dru Smith Exits With Lower Left Leg Injury
Heat guard Dru Smith experienced a lower left leg injury in Monday’s contest vs. Brooklyn and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter).
While the severity of the injury has yet to be determined, it didn’t look good in real time, according to a couple of local reporters (Twitter links via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald).
Smith went straight back to the locker room after the injury, with his wife joining him, per Winderman and Chiang. For what it’s worth, several fans replying in the comments seem to think Smith may have suffered an Achilles injury.
As Chiang observes (via Twitter), the third-year guard is on a two-way contract and he appeared to be the frontrunner to be promoted to a standard deal, with the Heat having to fill their 14th standard spot by Dec. 29 after trading Thomas Bryant. A major injury would be a devastating outcome for both parties, but especially for Smith, who missed most of last season with a torn right ACL.
Smith, who turns 27 years old next week, has been a rotation fixture for Miami of late, partly due to his impressive defense. Over the past eight games, he had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.
Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham Named Players Of The Week
A pair of former No. 1 overall picks have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week. Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has claimed the award for the Western Conference, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham won it in the Eastern Conference, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Due to the NBA Cup scheduling, Wembanyama and the Spurs only played two games during the week of December 16-22, but the reigning Rookie of the Year was absolutely dominant in those two outings, averaging 36.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and an eye-popping 7.0 blocks in 33.5 minutes per contest.
Wembanyama posted a shooting line of .525/.478/.826 in wins over Atlanta and Portland and matched a career high with 10 blocked shots in a historic performance against the Blazers on Saturday.
Cunningham’s Pistons enjoyed a 2-1 week, with victories over Miami and Phoenix. The fourth-year point guard averaged 27.0 points, 12.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 39.0 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .492/.409/.778. He had a 20-point, 18-assist, 11-rebound triple-double against the Heat last Monday.
Wembanyama beat out fellow nominees Dillon Brooks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Clippers teammates James Harden and Norman Powell to earn the first Western Conference Player of the Week award of his career, per the NBA (Twitter link).
It’s also the first time in Cunningham’s career that he has been named the East’s Player of the Week. The other nominees for the honor were Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Evan Mobley, Pascal Siakam and Jayson Tatum.
T.J. Warren, Jahlil Okafor Headline NBAGL All-Showcase Team
The NBA G League has announced (via Twitter) a five-man All-Showcase Team following its 2024 Winter Showcase in Orlando, which wrapped up in Sunday. The standout players recognized by the NBAGL are as follows:
- Josh Christopher (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves)
- Jahlil Okafor (Indiana Mad Ants)
- T.J. Warren (Westchester Knicks)
- Jahmir Young (Grand Rapids Gold)
The event, which was the culmination of the G League’s fall Tip-Off Tournament, included an eight-team, single-elimination bracket made up of the top finishers in the Tip-Off Tournament. Those eight clubs were vying for the Showcase Cup, with the league’s other 22 teams each playing a pair of non-tournaments from Thursday to Sunday.
Warren’s Knicks defeated Christopher’s Skyforce in the Showcase Cup final, with Warren averaging 22.7 points per game on 54.8% shooting in Westchester’s three victories. The veteran forward had 24 points and four assists in Sunday’s championship game.
Four of the five players named to the All-Showcase Team were in the Showcase Cup bracket. The only exception was Okafor, who averaged 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 66.7% shooting in a pair of non-tournament victories for the Pacers‘ affiliate.
While Miller is on a standard NBA contract with the Timberwolves and Christopher is on a two-way deal with the Heat, Warren, Okafor, and Young aren’t currently controlled by NBA teams and could be freely signed by one at any time. Their performances over the weekend in front of scouts and executives should help strengthen their cases for NBA promotions, especially once the 10-day contract window opens in January.
Warren and Okafor are NBA veterans who each have several years of experience in the league, whereas Young is an undrafted rookie who was in camp with the Nuggets in the fall. The former Maryland standout had 22 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in Grand Rapids’ win over the OKC Blue on Thursday, then put up 28 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals in a losing effort to Westchester on Saturday.
Knicks Add Landry Shamet, Waive Matt Ryan
DECEMBER 23: The Knicks have announced the signing of Shamet (Twitter link). Both roster moves are now official.
DECEMBER 22: The Knicks have agreed to a standard contract with guard Landry Shamet, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. It’s a one-year deal, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.
To make room for Shamet and remain under the second-apron hard cap, the Knicks have waived forward Matt Ryan, the team’s PR department tweets.
It’s not surprising New York brought back Shamet. who dislocated his shoulder during the preseason while participating in Knicks training camp. He remained with the Westchester Knicks in the G League while rehabbing his injury and the NBA club was simply waiting for him to get back to full strength. Coach Tom Thibodeau commented on Shamet’s status a week ago.
“It’s good to see him out there healthy again,” Thibodeau said then. “(But) there’s a number of things that have to happen before he can play with us.”
Shamet was likely to make the opening night roster prior to the injury. He had signed a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract during the offseason.
He was waived before opening night. Shamet appeared in 46 games with Washington last season and averaged 7.1 points in 15.8 minutes per contest. He has also played for Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn and Phoenix in 348 total regular season outings.
Ryan was inked to a non-guaranteed contract in early November and appeared in nine Knicks games, but logged very few minutes in those outings.
Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Ryan will count for $621,439 in dead money on New York’s books. The cap hit for Shamet’s contract will depend on when he officially signs — if it’s officially finalized on Monday, the deal will carry a cap charge of $1,343,690 for the Knicks.
Jaylin Williams Ready To Make Season Debut
Thunder big man Jaylin Williams is available to make his season debut on Monday. Williams is no longer on the injury report, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets.
Oklahoma City plays the Wizards on Monday. Williams had been on the road with the team the past nine days while it played in the NBA Cup semifinals and finals in Las Vegas, then embarked on a two-game road trip to Florida. He went through individual workouts during that time.
Williams originally suffered a right hamstring strain early in training camp. The team stated in early October that he would miss the remainder of camp and the entire preseason while rehabbing the hamstring. The 22-year-old suffered a setback during a workout in late October. At the time, he was expected to miss four-to-six more weeks.
Williams was a valuable backup for Oklahoma City last season, averaging 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest in 69 games while shooting 36.8% from three-point range.
With Chet Holmgren still sidelined by a pelvic fracture, Williams could jump right into the rotation. The Thunder haven’t had their frontcourt healthy all season, with Williams sidelined until now, Isaiah Hartenstein‘s debut delayed until November 20, and Holmgren out since Nov. 10. However, they’re 22-5 and lead the Western Conference.
Williams was selected with the 34th pick in the 2022 draft. He signed a four-year contract that runs through the end of next season.
Alex Caruso Signs Four-Year Extension With Thunder
Veteran guard Alex Caruso and the Thunder have agreed to a four-year, $81MM contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. The team has officially announced the deal in a press release.
Caruso became eligible for the $81,096,960 extension on Saturday. Because it has been six months since he was traded to the Thunder, he was allowed to sign for up to 140% of this season’s estimated average salary ($12.93MM) and for up to four new years. Prior to Saturday, his maximum extension would have been worth $48,875,400 over three new years.
The extension will begin at $18,102,000 in 2025/26 and will rise annually by 8%, increasing to $22,446,480 by the final season. It’s unclear whether or not it will be fully guaranteed.
Caruso was due to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He’s in the last year of a four-year, $36.98MM contract.
Caruso was traded straight up by the Bulls for Josh Giddey in June. He’s one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, earning All-Defensive team nods each of the past two seasons.
He started 57 of 71 games with the Bulls last season but has come off the bench in all 19 games in which he’s played for his new team this season. He’s averaging 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a career-high 1.9 steals in 20.2 minutes per contest.
Caruso shot a career-best 46.8% from the field last season but has struggled with his shooting this season (38.5%). However, he has helped Oklahoma City become the league’s premier defensive club. The Thunder have allowed the fewest points per game in the NBA. They also lead the league in opponents’ field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
Caruso’s extension means the Thunder no longer project to have any 2025 unrestricted free agents on their standard roster.
John Wall Still Hoping For Another NBA Opportunity
Five-time All-Star point guard John Wall hasn’t given up on his NBA dream, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
The 6’3″ Kentucky product hasn’t played in the NBA since a brief, 34-game stint with the Clippers in 2022/23, but he continues to put in reps at the University of Miami, near his Miami offseason home, staying in game shape.
“It’d mean the world,” Wall said of a potential return to the league. “You want to go out on your own terms. I want to finish it the way I want. If I play my last game, I want to walk off the court my way.”
The 34-year-old was recently on hand at the G League’s Orlando Winter Showcase this weekend. Last year, he auditioned for attendant NBA franchises during the Winter Showcase. This season, he made his broadcasting debut, calling a pair of G League games.
“I was here last year working out for a couple teams,” Wall said. “I was on the other court, working out before games. That was fun. This was fun.”
Wall was selected with the No. 1 overall pick out of a loaded Kentucky class in 2010 by the Wizards. A nightmare in the open court, he developed as a passer and jump shooter en route to making five straight All-Star teams from 2014-18. During those five prime seasons, Wall averaged 19.9 points, 9.9 dimes, and 4.4 boards per night, with a shooting line of .436/.340/.787.
An Achilles tendon tear in 2019 forever changed his career trajectory. After sitting out the entire 2019/20 season, Wall was eventually traded to the Rockets ahead of the 2021/22 season. He agreed to a contract buyout with Houston in the summer of 2022 and subsequently signed with the Clippers.
Magic’s Moritz Wagner Tears ACL, Will Miss Rest Of Season
Reserve Magic center Moritz Wagner has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of his club’s 2024/25 season, sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN.
The Michigan alum departed the club’s eventual comeback victory against the Heat on Saturday after injuring the knee. There was immediate concern among Magic players and head coach Jamahl Mosley that the injury was significant.
Across what will wind up being his only 30 games of the season, Wagner averaged a career-best 12.9 points on .562/.360/.718 shooting splits, along with 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals per night.
Losing the 27-year-old frontcourt standout is another early-season blow for the rising Magic. Orlando is 18-12 on the year despite currently being without both of its top two players, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero and forward Franz Wagner, Moritz’s younger brother. Unlike Moritz, however, Franz and Banchero are expected to return this season from their right oblique tears.
This injury now casts some uncertainty on Moritz Wagner’s long-term future with the club. The veteran big man inked a two-year, $22MM contract with the club as a free agent this past summer, but his $11MM salary for 2025/26 is a team option.
Given that it often takes players a full calendar year – or more – to recover from ACL tears, Wagner’s availability for the start of next season is up in the air, so the Magic may be reluctant to bring him back at that $11MM price point — declining the option and re-signing him to a more team-friendly deal could be one option Orlando considers.
The Magic have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception as a result of Wagner’s injury. It would be worth $5.5MM and would allow the team to acquire a player on an expiring contract via trade or waiver claim or to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season deal.
Spurs Positioning Themselves To Target De’Aaron Fox
Star guard De’Aaron Fox‘s agent — Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul — met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Thursday. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater, the meeting focused on what the long-term plan around Fox would be.
Fox declined a three-year, $165MM extension from the Kings in the offseason and isn’t interested in fighting for a lower-seed playoff spot for the rest of his career. He recently discussed the decision to turn down that extension, explaining that he wants the club to show it’s capable of seriously contending for a championship.
While Fox hasn’t asked for a trade, Amick and Slater write that the Kings star and his agent are reading the room to see what the Kings’ vision is. Fox has another year left on his deal and would qualify for a five-year, $345MM super-max contract if he makes an All-NBA selection this year.
The Kings aren’t a bad team, but they’ve been inconsistent in the first half and there’s little room for inconsistency in a competitive Western Conference, where they rank 12th at 13-15. Fox has stated multiple times that he likes the idea of spending his entire career with one franchise and he has been a major force in the local community. But with Sacramento stuck on the outside looking in for now, opposing teams have started to circle.
League sources tell Amick and Slater that the Spurs are “positioning themselves” to pursue a trade for Fox should he become available, eyeing him to be a long-term partner with Victor Wembanyama. Other teams would likely join San Antonio as suitors if Sacramento considers a trade.
While the Kings have shortened the rotation and their record isn’t inspiring thus far, they are still just three games out of a top-five seed in the West. They’re armed with proven NBA players like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, among others, and they’ve suffered several tight losses, with a 3-9 record in games decided by five points or less.
The Kings know they need an upgrade and are specifically targeting backup centers and wings. Among the names on their short list are Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Jazz forward John Collins, Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, and Nets forward Cameron Johnson, according to Amick and Slater. They’ve also expressed some lesser interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, while a bigger trade for Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine seems unlikely at this juncture.
Fox is having one of his most productive seasons yet, averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. But while his production is up, head coach Mike Brown has challenged him to do even more. As Amick and Slater report, there’s some pressure on the Kings to further fortify their roster to convince him to re-up long term.