Sixers Held Team Meeting Following Monday’s Loss
After falling to 2-11 with a 106-89 loss in Miami on Monday, the Sixers held a post-game team meeting, head coach Nick Nurse admitted to reporters, including Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Nurse and the Sixers weren’t available to speak to the media until more than an hour after the game ended.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry initiated the meeting, which sources described to ESPN as a “much-needed heart-to-heart and a call to action and urgency.” Nurse referred to the meeting as player- and coach-driven and Charania’s report states that both players and coaches “held each other accountable” and took responsibility for the 76ers’ poor start this fall.
Fifth-year guard Tyrese Maxey – whose leadership is highly valued within the organization, per Charania – called out star center Joel Embiid during the meeting, sources tell ESPN. Maxey reportedly challenged Embiid to make an effort to show up on time for team activities, suggesting that the big man’s tendency to be late “for everything” has a negative ripple effect on the rest of the locker room.
“Tyrese loves Big Fella’, but this is the elephant in the room,” a source told Charania, who says Maxey and Embiid are close friends and are comfortable holding one another accountable.
Here’s more on the Sixers and Monday’s post-game meeting:
- While Embiid was accepting of the messages conveyed to him in the meeting, sources tell Charania that the former MVP is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court.
- Sixers players told Nurse that they want to be coached harder, while the coaches indicated to the players that they want them to practice with more “purpose and attention to detail,” Charania writes.
- Sources tell ESPN that Maxey, who has been out since November 6 due to a hamstring strain, is expected to return to action at some point this week — that will likely happen on Wednesday (in Memphis) or Friday (vs. Brooklyn). Assuming Embiid and Paul George are available, Maxey’s return will mark the first time that Philadelphia’s new “big three” have played together this season.
- Embiid, who played through an illness on Monday after initially being listed as doubtful, had expressed coming into this season that his goal was to “empower” his teammates rather than looking to dominate games himself. However, he admitted after Monday’s loss that he may need to be more assertive, given the early-season hole the team has dug itself. “The next couple games, I’m probably going to try to be more aggressive, as far as doing more,” Embiid said, per Mizell. “… It’s all about finding the right balance of it: when to be aggressive, when to set up guys, and when to let everybody do their thing.”
Former Bulls All-Star Bob Love Dies At Age 81
Former NBA forward Bob Love, who played in the league from 1966-77, has passed away at age 81, according to a press release from the Bulls and a report from Harvey Araton of The New York Times. Love died on Monday after a “long battle” with cancer, per the team.
After starring at Southern University in Louisiana, Love was drafted 33rd overall in 1965 and began his NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals in 1966. He spent his first two seasons with Cincinnati, was selected by the Bucks in the 1968 expansion draft, then was traded to Chicago, where he flourished.
The 6’8″ forward was a Bull from 1968-76, earning three All-Star nods from 1971-73 and two All-NBA Second Team berths. Love also earned All-Defensive Second Team honors three times (1972-74) and eventually had his No. 10 jersey retired by the franchise.
A back injury in 1977, when Love was a member of the Seattle SuperSonics, ultimately ended his playing career.
As Araton details, Love – whose nickname was “Butterbean” – was afflicted by a stutter that impacted his ability to speak in huddles during timeouts and to reporters before and after games.
Love found himself short on money after his playing career was over due in part to the end of his marriage and in part to his stuttering, which limited his employment opportunities. He washed dishes and cleared tables at Nordstrom, where executive John Nordstrom promised him a promotion and a raise if he underwent speech therapy on the company’s dime.
Love earned that promotion, becoming Nordstrom’s manager for health and sanitation, according to Araton, and was eventually brought back by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf as the team’s director of community relations. Having overcome his inhibiting stutter, Love delivered motivational speeches at schools, churches, and community centers on behalf of the Bulls.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Bob Love, who leaves a legacy of excellence, resilience, and community impact,” Bulls CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Some of my first basketball memories were of Bob playing for the Bulls, and it was an honor to get to know him as a colleague and friend. Bob worked for years for the Bulls as a community ambassador, spending countless hours sharing motivational messages with fans. Bob will always be remembered for the kindness and determination he demonstrated throughout his career on and off the court, and his unwavering commitment to helping others.”
Our condolences go out to Love’s family and friends.
Knicks Rip NBA For Rumored Probe Into Rick Brunson’s Promotion
After a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggested that the NBA has been “poking around” on the Knicks‘ offseason promotion of Rick Brunson to lead assistant, the team quickly responded by referring to the rumored investigation as “harassment.”
Brunson joined the Knicks as an assistant in 2022, the same year his son Jalen Brunson signed with the team as a free agent. As Begley details, Rick received a promotion this offseason around the time Jalen signed a below-market long-term contract extension with New York, prompting the NBA to look into whether the move circumvented salary cap rules.
“In response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunson’s promotion, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant’s place and assumed the same salary as Bryant,” MSG Sports, the Knicks’ parent company, said in a statement. “It’s offensive that anyone would claim Rick didn’t deserve the promotion. Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment of the Knicks due to our opposition to certain NBA matters.”
Jalen’s four-year extension this offseason was worth just shy of $157MM, which was the maximum he could receive at the time. If he had waited until the summer of 2025, he could’ve signed a five-year deal worth up to a projected $269MM.
If the Knicks had, in concert with Jalen’s extension, “rewarded” the Brunson family by promoting Rick and giving him a significant raise beyond what his performance or title would typically warrant, it could be considered salary cap circumvention. However, Begley hears from coaching sources that Rick’s new contract is “within industry standards” for top assistants.
It’s also not as if the elder Brunson is unqualified for his new role. He has been coaching since 2007 and spent time as an NBA assistant in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minnesota before arriving in New York. He also had a stint as an assistant at the University of Hartford and was the head coach at Camden High School in New Jersey.
While the league would likely perform the same sort of due diligence if any other team were in a similar situation, the Knicks contend in their statement that the rumored probe is retribution for the team’s objections to “certain NBA matters.”
The Knicks, led by team owner James Dolan, criticized the league’s new media rights deal and revenue sharing policies in a letter sent to the other 29 teams and the league office earlier this year. The team also accused Adam Silver of bias while arguing that the NBA commissioner shouldn’t preside over a dispute between the Knicks and Raptors.
Additionally, Dolan stepped down from his positions on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees last year, with reporting at the time indicating that the Knicks owner had been “increasingly critical” of Silver and the NBA on a number of issues. Dolan has been the lone dissenting vote in various Board of Governors decisions that would have otherwise been unanimous.
De’Aaron Fox, Franz Wagner Named Players Of The Week
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Magic forward Franz Wagner has won the award for the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).
Although Sacramento only went 2-2 during the week of November 11-17, Fox had a phenomenal four games individually, averaging 40.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.0 steals on .574/.571/.810 shooting in 37.1 minutes per contest. He scored a career-high 60 points in Friday’s overtime loss to Minnesota and followed that up with 49 points in Saturday’s win over Utah, becoming just the third player in NBA history to score at least 109 points in back-to-back games.
Fox is averaging a career-best 28.9 PPG, which ranks sixth in the league, through 14 games. After leading the NBA with 2.0 steals per game in ’23/24, he’s currently seventh this season at 1.8 per contest. The Kings hold an 8-6 record.
Wagner, a 23-year-old forward from Germany, also had a terrific week. He averaged 30.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals while only turning the ball over three times in three home victories (36.5 MPG). He posted a shooting line of .458/.357/.889. The Magic have won five straight and, like the Kings, are currently 8-6.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun and Shaedon Sharpe. Wagner, who was also nominated for the award last week, beat out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Dyson Daniels, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns in the East.
Warner Bros. Discovery Reportedly Settles Lawsuit With NBA
Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to a settlement in its breach of contract lawsuit against the NBA, according to Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal.
The suit was filed in July after the company was excluded from the league’s new broadcast rights deal. Under the settlement, which is expected to be announced within the next few days, Warner Bros. Discovery will be able to develop shows with NBA content for at least the next decade, sources tell Flint. The company can air those shows in the United States and in parts of Northern Europe and Latin America, excluding Mexico and Brazil.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s desire to still be associated with the league after losing the rights to telecast regular season and playoff games is an indication of how valuable the NBA is considered to be for cable and streaming markets, Flint adds.
The new media deal, which is worth nearly $80 billion over the next 11 years, grants broadcast rights to ESPN, NBCUniversal and Amazon.com. In its lawsuit, Warner Bros. Discovery claims the NBA violated a matching-rights clause with TNT in favor of the new arrangement with Amazon Prime Video.
Flint states that legal discovery has started in the case, but it appears there will be no need for it to continue.
The settlement will cover 11 years, the same length as the new rights deal, according to Flint. It will allow Warner Bros. Discovery’s digital platforms, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights, to retain their access to NBA content. The company will also be permitted to continue running the league’s digital operations, including NBA TV.
Flint also reports that Warner Bros. Discovery has reached an agreement with Disney to license “Inside the NBA” to ESPN and ABC beginning next season. The show featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson has become an immensely popular part of TNT’s coverage. All four panelists are expected to remain with the show, sources tell Andrew Marchand and Jenna West of The Athletic.
In addition, Flint hears that ESPN will sub-license Big 12 conference college football and basketball games to Warner Bros. Discovery that will be shown on TNT and the Max streaming service. Flint adds that Warner Bros. Discovery will rely on college football and NASCAR to help make up for the loss of live NBA games.
Warriors, Rockets Viewed As Two Teams Most Likely To Make Big In-Season Trade
The Warriors and Rockets have been tabbed by scouts and executives as the two teams most likely to make a significant in-season trade, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Insider link). After big deals across the league dried up assets for most teams, not many have the combination of young players, draft picks and movable veterans that Golden State and Houston do.
Golden State has been at the center of several high-level trade rumors in the past few months, including for now-Sixers wing Paul George and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. Brandin Podziemski, 2023’s No. 19 overall pick, was deemed untouchable specifically in talks for Markkanen, which led to the Warriors and Jazz being unable to reach an agreement on any trade. Podziemski spoke openly about the process to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“It was hard for me to process it mentally,” Podziemski said in an interview for the Hoop Collective podcast. “Everybody is hyping you up but at the same time tearing you down, like ‘Why didn’t we trade him? We should’ve traded him for X, Y, Z.’”
According to Windhorst, league executives are well aware that chairman Joe Lacob is a big fan of Podziemski’s and know that the price to acquire the Santa Clara product would be steep.
“You feel the respect and love from [GM] Mike Dunleavy and Joe Lacob and our front office and how much they value me after seeing just one year of what I could do,” Podziemski said. “And it’s not like I was being mentioned for another role player, these were All-Stars being talked about. … To see the Clippers and the Jazz to want me in return, it showed Golden State’s value for me to teams around the league.”
It’s unclear what kind of star players, if any, will be on the trade block this winter. As we wrote earlier Saturday, players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson aren’t available right now, and likely wouldn’t be as part of any mid-season move in any case. It’s early in the season, so teams are all still trying to sort out what their postseason chances are and how their talent is meshing. The Warriors at 10-2 might not feel inclined to make a move anyways.
Still, De’Anthony Melton ($12.8MM), Gary Payton II ($9.1MM) and Kevon Looney ($8.0MM) present three large expiring deals that could theoretically be used in trades. The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga weren’t able to agree to an extension before the season, so he could be an outgoing piece in any hypothetical trade. Golden State owns nearly all of its future first-round draft capital, giving the team plenty of ammo for a move.
As for the Rockets, the impressive young duo of Tari Eason and Amen Thompson has been made off limits in any trade talks, according to Windhorst. The Rockets at 9-4 are also not in any sort of rush to make a deal, per Windhorst, and Eason and Thompson have helped the team rank third in defensive efficiency in the early part of the season.
In theory, as noted by ESPN, the Rockets have strong assets that wouldn’t require moving a young piece. Steven Adams is on an expiring $12.6MM deal and Houston retained Jeff Green ($8.0MM), Jock Landale ($8.0MM), Jae’Sean Tate ($7.6MM) and Aaron Holiday ($4.7MM) this offseason despite their lack of playing time. Houston has several draft picks at their disposal from Phoenix that could be enticing. Reports this offseason suggested they may be interested in trading those picks back to the Suns for Kevin Durant. While Durant is almost certainly off the table, perhaps some of those assets could be used elsewhere.
Again, most of the biggest names across the league seem unlikely to change teams in the coming months. Some, like Markkanen, agreed to long-term contracts or were recently on the move, taking them off the shortlist. Others, like Durant, are playing at a high level for contenders. That leaves a small group of players who would be worth sacrificing significant assets for.
It’s worth noting that reporting in October indicated the Rockets were signaling they were unlikely to make a major in-season move. Still, one name that should be monitored for both Golden State and Houston is Heat forward Jimmy Butler. He didn’t sign an extension with the Heat this summer and is planning on declining his player option this coming offseason to test the waters.
Both the Warriors and Rockets have been mentioned as potential suitors for the star swingman. Regardless, it would be pretty surprising to see the Heat move Butler. Even facing the risk of him departing in free agency, Miami selling a star player for young assets runs counter to the organization’s modus operandi.
Thunder Sign Branden Carlson
The Thunder signed Branden Carlson, according to a release from the team (Twitter link via NBA insider Marc Stein). The deal is a one-year standard contract, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).
Carlson was suiting up for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League, to begin the season. The former Utah big man spent most of the offseason on a two-way contract with Toronto after going undrafted in 2024. However, he was waived in training camp to open up a two-way slot for Jamison Battle and wound up as a G League affiliate player. He averaged 14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field in his first three outings with the Raptors 905.
This signing comes off the heels of Malevy Leons being waived on Friday. The Thunder are using their 15th roster spot to cycle through big men while dealing with injuries in their frontcourt to Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Alex Reese opened the season on a standard deal before being waived in a favor of Leons. Now, the Thunder have swapped out Leons for Carlson.
It’s important to note that players and teams can’t agree to 10-day deals until January. So these signings are not official 10-day contracts, even if they’re being deployed in a similar fashion to them. Carlson’s deal is almost certainly structured like Reese’s and Leons’ were, making it a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary agreement. The Thunder had Reese on the roster from Oct. 22-29 and incurred a $79,804 cap hit for having him on the roster. Leons’ dead-money cap hit will come in a little above that.
Of course, the Thunder could opt to keep Carlson on the roster until or even after the league-wide salary guarantee date in January after he posted more than solid numbers in the G League. The 7’0″ center provides size and plenty of college experience as a five-year player at Utah, where he averaged 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on a .501/.379/.714 shooting line in his final collegiate season.
Jazz Granted Disabled Player Exception
The Jazz have been granted a disabled player exception worth $2.9MM for Taylor Hendricks‘ season-ending injury, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).
Hendricks was lost for the season after suffering a non-contact fractured fibula and dislocated ankle on October 28. He underwent surgery for the injury in early November.
As we explain in our glossary, a disabled player exception affords an over-the-cap team some additional spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15 of that season. The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Hendricks is set earn $5,848,680 this season, so the exception is worth half that amount, $2,924,340.
The exception can be used to sign a free agent, claim a player off waivers, or acquire a player in a trade. It can only be used on one player and can only be utilized for a one-year deal. Any player being acquired via trade or waiver claim must have just one year remaining on his contract.
Being granted a disabled player exception does not open up a roster slot for the Jazz, who have a full 15-man roster. They would need to open up a roster spot to utilize the exception, which expires if it’s not used by March 10.
Hendricks, 20, was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He played in 40 games last season, making 23 starts, averaging 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 37.9% from three. The 6’9″ forward was in prime position to earn more playing time this season as he started each of the team’s first three games and averaged 25.0 minutes before his injury.
Thunder Waive Malevy Leons
The Thunder have waived forward/center Malevy Leons, the team announced.
Leons, who went undrafted in June out of Bradley, initially signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City in September. He was waived on Oct. 19, but was re-signed on Oct. 31, when the Thunder cut Alex Reese.
Leons’ contract was a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the prorated rookie minimum. OKC will carry a relatively small dead-money cap hit for waiving the 25-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands.
Leons appeared in five games for the Thunder, playing a total of 17 garbage-time minutes. He recorded two points, two rebounds and one assist in those contests.
It’s unclear why exactly the Thunder decided to sign and waive both Reese and Leons so early in the season, but from a big-picture perspective, it doesn’t change much about their cap outlook. They’re still $10MM+ below this season’s luxury tax line, which is set at $170,814,000.
The Thunder now have 14 players on standard contracts, with all three two-way spots filled.
NBA Considering Turning All-Star Game Into Tournament
The NBA is seriously considering turning the All-Star Game into a four-team tournament, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
The proposed changes would take effect starting with this season’s All-Star weekend, which will take place in San Francisco at the Chase Center, Golden State’s home arena, from Feb. 14-16.
Instead of the typical two teams with 12 players each, the 24 All-Stars would be separated into three teams of eight players apiece, Charania explains. The fourth team would be the winner of the Rising Stars competition. The tournament would feature two rounds, with the victors of round one (Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4) advancing to the final.
While the plans have not yet been finalized, all signs point to the league eventually implementing the changes, two sources tell Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
According to Charania, NBA officials discussed the proposed format on Friday with the Competition Committee, which consists of team governors, executives, coaches, players and union personnel. The league has been discussing format changes with team officials and players for several months, and the four-team tournament quickly became the most popular plan.
Commissioner Adam Silver stated a couple weeks ago that the league was looking for a new All-Star format after last season’s contest in Indianapolis was universally panned for its lack of defense and abundance of long three-point shots. The East defeated the West 211-186 in a listless affair despite a plea from league executive Joe Dumars to take the game seriously and put forth a better effort.
“We’re looking at other formats,” Silver said. “I think there’s no doubt that the players were disappointed as well in last year’s All-Star Game. We all want to do a better job providing competition and entertainment for our fans.”
As Reynolds writes in a full story, the new format is similar to what has been used for the Rising Stars event in recent years. That four-team tournament features a target score for both the semifinal and final.
What’s less clear is how the All-Star voting process would work, according to Reynolds, who notes that at least one more coach would likely be needed as well.
Charania hears the most popular All-Star event from last season, the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA three-point shootout between Warriors guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, will likely return in February, though it may be tweaked to include more players. Sources tell Charania that Mavericks wing Klay Thompson and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark are among the candidates to join Curry and Ionescu.