Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets’ Sengun Has Severe Ankle Sprain, Bone Bruise On Knee

March 12th, 2024 at 3:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 12: It’s a Grade 3 right ankle sprain for Sengun, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), who confirms that the big man will be out for several weeks and is unlikely to return this season. The bone bruise isn’t considered as serious as shouldn’t take as long as the ankle to heal, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

MARCH 11: Rockets center Alperen Sengun has a severely sprained ankle and a bone bruise on his right knee, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

All things considered, the news isn’t as bad as it could have been. Sengun escaped a major injury to his knee, though he’s likely done for the season. While that hasn’t been officially determined yet, “significant healing” would have to occur for him to be cleared to play before the end of the season, sources tell Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The Rockets’ regular season finale is April 14 and they’re 4.5 games behind the Warriors for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Sengun underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.

The breakout star big man was taken off the court in a wheelchair with 39.1 seconds remaining the Rockets’ 112-104 victory over Kings Sunday night. Sengun landed awkwardly after contesting a shot in transition by Domantas Sabonis. He immediately grabbed his right knee in agony and put his hands over his face as he was wheeled off the court.

Sengun is averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his third season with the Rockets and is a prime candidate for the Most Improved Player award, even though he fell short of the 65-game minimum required for award eligibility. A player who appears in at least 62 games and then suffers a season-ending injury can retain his eligibility if he appeared in at least 85% of his team’s games and is deemed more likely than not to be sidelined through May 31.

Sengun will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.

With the Rockets’ starting center out, Jock Landale, Jeff Green and Boban Marjanovic could all see a jump in playing time.

Magic, Jamahl Mosley Agree To Four-Year Extension

March 12th, 2024 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

8:35am: The Magic have officially announced Mosley’s contract extension, confirming in a press release that it runs through 2027/28.

“Jamahl and his staff have done a tremendous job not only this season, but since we hired him back in 2021,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “His preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players, and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off. We are very happy to have Jamahl lead the Magic for years to come.”

8:14am: The Magic have agreed to a new long-term contract with Jamahl Mosley, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that Orlando’s head coach is set to sign a four-year extension that will take him through the 2027/28 season.

Mosley, who was hired by the Magic to replace Steve Clifford in 2021, got off to a slow start with a rebuilding Orlando club, leading the team to a 22-60 record in ’21/22. However, he has improved upon that mark in each of the two subsequent seasons.

The Magic went 34-48 last season and are 37-28 so far in ’23/24. Overall, Mosley has a modest 93-136 (.406) record, but he has Orlando on pace to post its highest winning percentage since 2010/11 and well positioned to earn its first playoff berth since 2020.

As Wojnarowski notes, the Magic’s defensive turnaround under Mosley has been impressive. After ranking 26th in defensive rating during Clifford’s final season, the team improved each year under Mosley and is currently fifth in the NBA with a 111.3 defensive rating this season.

Prior to being hired by the Magic, Mosley spent seven years as a Mavericks assistant under Rick Carlisle. He transitioned from playing to coaching in 2005 and began his coaching career with stints in Denver (2005-10) and Cleveland (2010-14).

Mosley’s initial contract with the Magic was reported at the time to be a four-year deal, but it’s possible that fourth year (2024/25) was a team option. Based on Wojnarowski’s reporting, it sounds like the new four-year extension will begin in ’24/25, perhaps replacing that option year.

Otto Porter Jr. Announces Retirement

March 11th, 2024 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Otto Porter Jr. has announced his retirement, according to a Jazz press release. Porter was waived earlier in the day.

“For the past 11 years, I had the chance to live my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” he said in a statement. “That dream was capped by winning an NBA Championship! Unfortunately, my body is not allowing me to play at the level that I expect of myself, and I have therefore decided to retire.”

Porter played 11 NBA seasons with the Wizards (2013-19), Bulls (2019-21), Magic (2021), Warriors (2021-22), and Raptors (2022-24).

Drafted third overall in 2013 by Washington, the 6’8″ forward appeared in 527 career regular season games (319 starts) and averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 25.4 minutes per contest.

After emerging as a reliable three-and-D wing for the Wizards and earning a maximum-salary offer sheet from the Nets (which was matched by Washington) during the summer of 2017, Porter’s career was derailed by injury issues. He has appeared in more than 28 games just once in the past five seasons.

That one healthy season was 2021/22, when Porter was a member of Golden State’s championship team. During the ensuing offseason, he signed a two-year, $12.3MM contract with Toronto.

Porter, 30, was traded from Toronto to Utah at the deadline in the deal that saw Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji moved to the Raptors. He never played for the Jazz.

Wenyen Gabriel Signs With Team In Puerto Rico

March 11th, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Big man Wenyen Gabriel has signed with Puerto Rico’s Vaqueros de Bayamon, the team announced (Twitter link; hat tip to Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype).

The timing of the announcement is curious, since Gabriel just inked a 10-day hardship contract with the Grizzlies on Friday. The press release from Bayamon didn’t indicate when Gabriel would join the team, but it would make the most sense to occur once his deal with Memphis expires on March 17.

Gabriel, 26, had been an NBA free agent for most of the 2023/24 campaign until signing his 10-day deal with the Grizzlies. He has averaged 4.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 17.0 MPG in two appearances with Memphis. The veteran forward/center signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract with Boston last fall, but he was released before ’23/24 began, having spent most of the season with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

In total, Gabriel has appeared 147 career regular season games with the Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Nets, Clippers, Lakers and Grizzlies over the past five seasons. His most consistent role came last season with the Lakers, when he averaged 5.5 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 68 games (15.1 MPG).

Last summer at the World Cup, Gabriel helped South Sudan secure its first-ever appearance in men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Jazz Waive Otto Porter, Sign Kenneth Lofton

March 11th, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Rory Maher

3:20pm: Porter has officially been waived and Lofton has been signed, the Jazz announced in a press release.

12:41pm: The Jazz intend to waive veteran forward Otto Porter Jr., sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Porter will not eligible to participate in the playoffs with the new team, since he was waived after March 1, which is the deadline for players to be released while maintaining postseason eligibility.

A report earlier today said Utah plans to sign young big men Darius Bazley and Kenneth Lofton Jr. to three-year contracts that are mostly non-guaranteed. Since the Jazz have 14 players on standard contracts and a 15th — Taevion Kinsey — on a 10-day deal, they needed to cut someone to create roster space. Porter will be that roster casualty, while Kinsey’s 10-day contract is also likely to be cut short.

Porter, 30, was traded from Toronto to Utah at the deadline in the deal that saw Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji moved to the Raptors. He never actually played in a game for the Jazz, who have been prioritizing young players for the second consecutive season after being in the hunt for the play-in tournament prior to the deadline.

A former No. 3 overall pick, Porter developed into a quality three-and-D player with the Wizards early in his career, which has unfortunately been derailed by injuries over the past six seasons. After helping the Warriors win a title as a key reserve in 2021/22, he signed a two-year, $12.3MM contract with Toronto, but only appeared in 23 combined games for the Raptors the past two seasons.

Assuming Porter clears waivers, which is a virtual certainty, the Jazz will carry a $6.3MM dead-money cap hit.

Saddiq Bey Out For Season With Torn ACL

March 11th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:17pm: The Hawks confirmed in a press release (via Twitter) that Bey sustained a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the 2023/24 season. He’ll be undergoing surgery to repair the injury, per the team.

11:49am: A torn left ACL will sideline Hawks forward Saddiq Bey for the rest of the season, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). An MRI conducted this morning revealed the damage.

Bey suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against New Orleans, according to Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. He collided with Trey Murphy on a fast break, turning his foot as he planted it on the court. Bey pounded his fist before grabbing his leg in pain.

He tried to stay in the game, Williams adds, but limped to the locker room after shooting his free throws.

Bey averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in his first full season with Atlanta after being acquired from Detroit at last year’s deadline. He started 51 of the 63 games he appeared in, shooting 41.6% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range.

Bey, 24, is making $4.5MM this season and was on a path toward being a restricted free agent this summer. He met the “starter criteria” by making his 41st start last month, increasing the value of his qualifying offer from $6,498,258 to $8,486,620. The injury will obviously factor into the Hawks’ QO decision.

NBA Considers Launching New League In Europe

March 11th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA is considering an ambitious project in Europe that may exclude the EuroLeague, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico.

Sources tell Badenhausen that the NBA has been holding discussions for several years with FIBA and the EuroLeague on how to grow the popularity of the game in the continent, considering the number of NBA stars that hail from Europe. A new plan could create a standalone NBA Europe league that would operate in cooperation with FIBA.

In February, the NBA hired the Raine Group investment bank to explore its opportunities in Europe, Badenhausen states. Both the NBA and Raine refused to comment for Badenhausen’s story, but he says the league is determined to increase its European operations.

A league operated by the NBA and FIBA would be set up similar to the Basketball Africa League, which was launched in 2021. Badenhausen expects the NBA to target strategic investors for the project who already have ties to Europe.

An international competition is also being considered along the lines of FIBA’s Intercontinental Cup, according to Badenhausen, bringing together the top teams in Europe and other parts of the globe. He adds that those talks are still in the preliminary stages.

According to Raine’s projections, the NBA stands to earn up to $3 billion a year by expanding its business in Europe and the Middle East.

Pistons GM Troy Weaver Has Verbal Spat With Fan

March 10th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Embattled Pistons general manager Troy Weaver had a verbal altercation with a heckler during their 142-124 home loss to Dallas on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

A video posted online and relayed by The Detroit Free Press’ Jared Ramsey showed a fuming Weaver stating to the fan, “I don’t give a (expletive), you’re lucky I don’t beat your (expletive).” The heckler retorted to Weaver, “You suck at your job.”

Another fan seated near Weaver said the heckler approached Weaver twice before arena security removed him.

“The guy that was in the incident, with the Red Wings stuff on, came over and was pointing at the scoreboard earlier in the game,” season ticket holder Jeffrey Calloway told Larry Lage of The Associated Press. “Troy Weaver just shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘OK,’ and the guy went back to his seat. When (center Jalen) Duren got ejected (during the fourth quarter), the guy came back and told him that he was terrible at his job. Then, Troy Weaver was telling the fan he had to leave and that’s when ushers or security walked over.”

Weaver declined to comment about the incident, Lage added.

As the Free Press story noted, it’s a another low moment for the franchise in a season filled with them. The Pistons were hoping to show significant improvement this season with the return of Cade Cunningham from a shin injury that sidelined most of last season.

Instead, the team set an NBA single-season record with 28 consecutive losses. Detroit has won only 10 games and is on pace to have the franchise’s worst single-season record.

Weaver has been in charge since 2020, completely overhauling the roster during the time. However, save for perhaps Cunningham, he’s been unable to find All-Star level talents despite repeated trips to the lottery.

Weaver made numerous trades prior to this February’s deadline, mainly designed to open up more cap space for this summer and expand court time for younger players. The Pistons could have as much as $60MM in cap room.

Weaver, who received a four-year contract when he was originally hired away from the Thunder front office, signed a contract extension in December 2022.

Owner Tom Gores expressed support for Weaver last month despite the team’s miserable performance.

“I think we just came together and the first thing we did is take accountability for the mistakes we made,” Gores responded when asked about Weaver. “As an organization, you really can’t go forward until you acknowledge what didn’t work. That was the first thing. And being honest about that provides you the future. If you don’t look in your past for a little bit and what was right and what was wrong, it’s very hard to go to the future. We did that along the process. I have confidence in Troy. I have confidence. We leaned on each other through this process, but we also didn’t avoid the idea of what were we accountable for? It gave us a pathway to go forward.”

Rudy Gobert Fined $100K By NBA For Ref Interaction

March 10th, 2024 at 1:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Defensive Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was fined to the tune of $100K, the maximum amount possible, by the NBA, the league has announced (Twitter link).

After being whistled for his sixth (and thus final) personal foul on Friday during the fourth quarter of an eventual 113-104 overtime road loss to the Cavaliers, Gobert made a mocking “money” gesture indicating that attendant referee Scott Foster was being influenced by gambling.

The 7’1″ big man was hit with a technical foul, and the ensuing foul shot enabled Cleveland to send the contest into a bonus period.

“Mistakes happen. Referees make mistakes, too,” Gobert said after the game. “But sometimes I think it’s more than mistakes. I think everyone that’s in this league knows. I think it’s got to get better. … I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.”

Gobert stated that he expected to be fined for his comments but wanted to speak his mind because, “I think it’s hurting our game.”

“The fine takes into account Gobert’s past instances of conduct detrimental to the NBA with regard to publicly criticizing the officiation,” the NBA said in its statement announcing the $100K fine.

Gobert, 31, has looked like his Jazz-era self on the court for the West’s No. 2 seed. Across 62 contests, he’s averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 64.9% shooting from the floor. He’s also putting up 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 assists per night.

Zach LaVine Talks About Recovery From Foot Surgery

March 9th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zach LaVine hoped to avoid having surgery on his injured right foot, but an outside opinion made him realize it was necessary, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. While attending this afternoon’s game in Los Angeles, the Bulls guard made his first public comments since the February 8 operation that ended his season. LaVine said he was trying to play for months with what amounted to a floating bone in his foot.

“I was pretty much trying to figure out every way not to,” he said of having the foot operated on. “You never want to have surgery. But I got to a conclusion, especially with what the doctor was telling me, that the pain level and this thing isn’t going to heal on its own. It’s a bone that was floating around. It’s known as a non-union Jones fracture, which I was dealing with for a while. And once the doctor—I’m glad I was able to find him—told me you need to get this done sooner than later, it was good to know.”

Johnson reports that LaVine is still wearing a walking boot, but he confirmed coach Billy Donovan‘s statement that the recovery process is ahead of schedule. LaVine said the soft tissue around the tendon needs time to heal, and he hopes to be able to get rid of the boot in about three weeks. The team’s original timeline puts him out of action for four-to-six months.

“I’m just feeling a lot better. I was able to take the cast off. I’ve been walking around in the boot. That’s the main thing I have to stay in. I don’t have a lot of pain,” LaVine said. “They said everything looks good. So hopefully the next update is as good as the last one.”

LaVine managed to play 25 games this season — averaging 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 34.9 minutes per night — but he went through two extended injury absences before opting for surgery. LaVine was also the subject of trade rumors for most of the season, as the Bulls got off to a slow start and were determined to shake up their roster, starting with their highest-paid player.

LaVine’s pricey contract and concerns about his durability limited interest around the league. The Lakers were mentioned most prominently as a potential destination, but their offer wasn’t close to what the Bulls were seeking. Chicago had talks with Detroit about LaVine up to the trade deadline, and a source tells Johnson that the Bulls’ front office plans to try again this summer.

“There’s a lot of things that don’t bug me,” LaVine said of the trade speculation. “My name has been circulating around more than once from the beginning of my career to now. If I let people’s opinions bug me or influence me, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. So I go out there and keep doing me. Haven’t really talked to anybody, but we’ll continue to push forward. My main objective is to help the guys play and be myself out there. When I’m on the court, I know I make an impact most of the time offensively, but defensively as well.”

Chicago still may find it challenging to get offers for a player coming off foot surgery with three years and about $138MM left on his contract. LaVine said it won’t be difficult to return to the Bulls if a trade doesn’t happen.

“It’s not hard to fit back in, especially with the way I play the game and want to go out there and help,” he said. “You never want to be hurt, but it’s not hard to see yourself back out there.”