Noa Essengue Out For Season With Shoulder Injury
Dec. 6: The Bulls have officially announced that Essengue will undergo season-ending surgery, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic tweets.
Dec. 3: Bulls rookie Noa Essengue will require surgery to address a left shoulder injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
The update comes from head coach Billy Donovan, who had previously noted that Essengue suffered the injury, which was initially diagnosed as a shoulder contusion, in a G League contest.
“Usually those things are six to seven months,” Donovan said of Essengue’s recovery timeline, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Bulls’ coach added that the team preferred to address the injury now rather than let it linger into the offseason.
After being selected 12th in the 2025 draft, Essengue played just six minutes for the Bulls in his rookie season, recording one steal and one foul in that time.
He appeared in four games for the Windy City Bulls G League team, where he averaged 23.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 30.8 minutes per game.
According to Johnson (via Twitter), Donovan said he had spoken with Essengue after shootaround, and that he was handling the news well.
Stein: Mavs Plan To Eventually Promote Ryan Nembhard
Within an interesting story about how Ryan Nembhard ended up on a two-way contract with the Mavericks after going undrafted in June, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) reports that Dallas has “already committed” to promoting the rookie to a standard deal as soon as the team is able to do so.
As we outlined on Thursday, Nembhard has been making a strong case to have his two-way deal converted to a standard contract since he took over as the Mavericks’ starting point guard five games ago. However, with only about $1.29MM in breathing room below their second-apron hard cap, the Mavs are ineligible to add a prorated minimum-salary contract to their roster until January 6.
Promoting Nembhard as soon as they can next month would put the Mavericks in a difficult financial position, as they would be just $12K away from their hard cap. Dallas was in a similar situation last season and was unable to add reinforcements when the roster was decimated by injuries during the second half.
As Stein writes, it’s possible that a minimum-salary deal wouldn’t be enough to entice Nembhard either, especially if he keeps up his recent play. So the Mavericks might have to offer more than the minimum during the season if they want to prevent him from reaching restricted free agency in 2026.
Nembhard can still be active for 33 more games as part of his two-way contract, and there isn’t necessarily a rush for the Mavs to convert him, even if they intend to do so down the line.
According to Stein, while the former Gonzaga standout worked out for 29 of the NBA’s 30 teams prior to the draft, the Mavericks were the only club to consistently express a desire to acquire him.
Sources tell Stein that Matt Riccardi, who was then an assistant general manager and has since been elevated to co-interim GM, repeatedly told Nembhard’s agents the team hoped to trade for a second-round pick to draft the 22-year-old, but if it was unable to do so and no other team selected him, the Mavericks would “definitely” offer him a two-way contact.
On the day of the second round, the Mavs’ front office was unable to land a second-rounder. Teams selecting in the 50s expressed some interest drafting Nembhard, Stein continues, but his agents rejected those overtures because going undrafted would make him an unrestricted free agent and thus able to sign the two-way deal with Dallas.
“I don’t think about it much anymore,” Nembhard told Stein about not being selected. “My focus is on today because that’s all that matters. But deep down I think I have a natural fire to compete. And it’s hotter than maybe it would have been otherwise because no one believed in me.”
Nembhard isn’t the only rookie on a two-way deal with Dallas who has made a good impression this season. Prior to Friday’s game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News asked head coach Jason Kidd about big man Moussa Cisse, who has played an unexpected role off the bench amid several frontcourt injuries (Twitter link).
“Our two-ways have done great…Moussa and the energy that he’s brought, he’s helped win some games for us early,” Kidd said. “Our two-ways have had a big impact and at some point here in January, they could run out of games. That’s just the unfortunate thing, but we’ve needed them because of injuries and they’ve responded with the opportunities they’ve been given.”
Paolo Banchero Cleared To Return For Magic
Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been upgraded to available for Friday’s game vs. Miami, the team announced today (via Twitter). It will be the first time Banchero has played since November 12.
Banchero, who has missed Orlando’s past 10 games due to a left groin strain, was initially listed on Thursday as questionable for Friday’s matchup between division rivals.
In 11 healthy games this season before he was injured in his 12th outing, Banchero averaged 23.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 34.7 minutes per contest. His shooting line was a modest .466/.250/.761, and the Magic have been a little better with him off the court (+5.1 net rating) than on it (+2.6) so far this fall. However, the team – which has gone 12-5 after a 1-4 start – isn’t worried about reincorporating the 2024 All-Star.
“He’s a very smart basketball player,” teammate Jalen Suggs said of Banchero last week. “… He’ll come back into the fold and jell well with us because that’s our brother. Regardless of how we’ve been playing while he’s been off, we want him on the court. And we’re better when he’s on the court.”
While the Magic will be getting back one of their top offensive weapons for Friday’s game, the Heat will likely be without one of their leading scorers. Guard Tyler Herro is listed as doubtful due to right big toe irritation and will undergo an MRI on the injury on Saturday, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
The good news for Miami is that Norman Powell (left ankle sprain) has been upgraded to available after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to Dallas. Powell has led the Heat with 25.0 points per game through his first 17 appearances.
Mavs’ Dereck Lively Seeking Multiple Opinions For Foot Injury
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is seeking multiple opinions on the next steps to take to treat his injured right foot, according to the team (Twitter link).
Lively was spotted in a walking boot during Wednesday’s shootaround, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.
The 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Lively last played on November 21 against New Orleans. He has been sidelined with swelling and discomfort in his right foot — the same foot which was surgically repaired over the summer.
Marc Stein reported last week that Dallas was concerned Lively could miss an extended period of time, with the team subsequently stating he would be out at least seven-to-10 days — this is the first update on his status since then.
Lively appeared in the first three games of the season before missing the next nine due to a right knee sprain. The third-year center suited up for four of Dallas’ next six contests, sitting twice during back-to-back sets, before the foot became an issue again.
Even when Lively has been available this season, he has been on a minutes limit. In seven outings (four starts), the 21-year-old has averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.
The right foot is the same one that Lively injured at the beginning of the year. He was diagnosed in January with a small fracture in his foot/ankle area, which sidelined him until April and limited him to 36 total games in 2024/25. He averaged 8.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 23.1 MPG in those 36 appearances.
Cavaliers Fined $250K For Player Participation Violation
The Cavaliers have been fined $250K for violating the NBA’s player participation policy, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
As we outline in a Hoops Rumors glossary entry, the NBA’s player participation policy – instituted in 2023 – is designed to reduce instances of teams resting healthy players during the regular season.
The player participation policy is focused almost exclusively on players considered “stars” and includes rules prohibiting those stars from sitting out NBA Cup games or nationally televised games without an approved reason (including a legitimate injury).
According to the NBA, the violation occurred when All-Star point guard Darius Garland could have suited up in a nationally televised game on Nov. 24 vs. Toronto, but the Cavaliers instead played him against the Clippers the day prior in a game that was not on national TV.
This is Cleveland’s second player participation violation of the season — the first occurred last month. A team found to have violated the player participation policy is subject to a fine. The amounts of those fines are as follows:
- First violation: $100K
- Second violation: $250K
- Subsequent violations: $1MM more than the previous penalty (ie. $1.25MM for the third violation, $2.25MM for the fourth violation, and so on)
The Cavaliers finished ’24/25 with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64-18, but have gotten off to a somewhat sluggish start this season in part due to injuries. The team is currently 13-10, the No. 7 seed in the East.
Cory Joseph Signs With AS Monaco
December 4: Joseph has officially signed with AS Monaco, the team announced today (via Twitter).
December 1: Free agent point guard Cory Joseph has agreed to sign with AS Monaco, according to Christos Tsaltas of the Greek outlet Athletiko.
The Spurs selected Joseph with the 29th overall pick in the 2011 draft after he played one season of college ball with Texas. He has spent the past 14 years in the NBA, including winning a title as a role player with San Antonio in 2014.
Listed at 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Joseph developed a reputation as a steady ball-handler and play-maker who took good care of the ball off the bench, but made most of his impact on the defensive end. He has played for San Antonio, Toronto (his hometown team), Indiana, Sacramento, Detroit, Golden State, and most recently Orlando.
In 50 games last season with the Magic, the 34-year-old averaged 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 36.4% from three-point range (12.2 minutes per contest). Amid backcourt injuries, Joseph unexpectedly started all five games for Orlando during the team’s first-round playoff loss to Boston.
Joseph spoke fondly of his lone season with the Magic and expressed interest in a reunion, but the club wound up declining its option on Joseph for 2025/26, making him an unrestricted free agent. This is the first rumor we’ve seen linked to Joseph since, and if the contract is finalized, it will be the first overseas stint of his lengthy career.
The reason we use that somewhat cautious wording is because AS Monaco was recently given a transfer ban and fined €300,000 by the EuroLeague for financial and regulatory compliance violations, as Nikola Miloradovic outlines in a pair of stories for Eurohoops.net. Monaco, which finished runner-up in last season’s EuroLeague playoffs and competes in France’s top basketball division (the LNB Élite), will have to resolve that issue before completing the transaction.
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the wake of a Shams Charania report stating that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has reopened conversations with the Bucks about his future, head coach Doc Rivers – who dismissed Antetokounmpo-related trade speculation in October – reacted with exasperation when asked about the latest rumors.
“So, here we go again. There’s been no conversations,” Rivers told reporters, including Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links). “I want to make it clear for the – I want to say one more time – for the 50th time, and clearly it’s not getting to one network, for sure, Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear. … I talk to the source every single day, every single day. And he loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks.”
Rivers’ veiled shot at ESPN was likely a reference not only to Charania’s reporting but also to a comment made by another one of the network’s NBA reporters, Brian Windhorst, during an ESPN Cleveland radio appearance (Twitter video link).
Windhorst went viral on Wednesday after saying that Antetokounmpo “asked to be traded already” prior to the season, a reference to the Bucks’ trade talks with the Knicks reportedly instigated by Giannis. During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Thursday morning, Windhorst walked back that remark to some extent.
“Doc can say with a straight face that there was no trade demand, and I think that’s true. He didn’t demand it,” Windhorst said of Antetokounmpo (YouTube link). “However, those (offseason) discussions (with the Knicks) were not the Bucks’ idea, I assure you.”
Team sources who spoke to Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic downplayed the “severity” of the situation with Giannis and confirmed that he hasn’t formally requested a trade at this point.
However, with Milwaukee off to a slow start this season and Antetokounmpo raising eyebrows by scrubbing his social media accounts of virtually all their content, leaving little reference to the Bucks, speculation will continue to run rampant as potential suitors keep a close eye on the situation.
“I talked to teams yesterday that immediately scheduled meetings to talk about whether they would make an offer (if Antetokounmpo requests a trade),” Windhorst said on Get Up. “The Knicks would potentially be on Giannis’ list, but the feel would be that Giannis might expand (that list). … Because he’s only got one guaranteed year left (after this season), he would probably have a role in directing where the Bucks might send him.”
Windhorst added that all involved parties – including Giannis and the Bucks – would probably like to have clarity on which way the situation is headed within the next couple weeks or so, and pointed to December 15 as a date to watch, since many offseason signees become trade-eligible at that point.
Here’s more on Giannis and the Bucks:
- Brian Lewis of The New York Post has long reported that the Nets have interest in Antetokounmpo, but he suggests the timing might not be right for Brooklyn if the two-time MVP requests a trade in the coming weeks or months. As Lewis explains, the Nets are now in full-on tank mode and don’t yet have an obvious young franchise player to pair with Giannis.
- The Heat would and should be interested in Antetokounmpo if he were to ask for a change of scenery, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, Winderman suggests that including Bam Adebayo in an offer would be a “non-starter” for Miami and it’s unclear if the rest of the team’s assets would be enough to entice Milwaukee — especially if the Heat aren’t offered any compensation from the NBA for the first-round pick they traded for Terry Rozier without knowing he was being looked at for unusual betting activity.
- ESPN’s NBA experts take a look at five hypothetical trades that might work for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, exploring scenarios that send the star forward to the Hawks, Rockets, Knicks, Spurs, and Warriors.
- Despite the uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future and the fact that he left Wednesday’s game after just three minutes due to a calf injury, the Bucks picked up their best win of the season, beating Detroit by a score of 113-109. Big man Bobby Portis said the Bucks had a team meeting before the game that helped everyone “get settled in,” as Jack Maloney of CBS Sports relays (via Twitter).
- In case you missed it, Antetokounmpo’s calf strain is expected to keep him on the shelf for about two-to-four weeks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Expected To Miss 2-4 Weeks With Calf Strain
December 4: Antetokounmpo is expected to be sidelined for two-to-four weeks as a result of his calf strain, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
December 3: Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo left the Bucks‘ game against the Pistons on Wednesday after slipping and suffering a non-contact injury. The team ruled Antetokounmpo for the rest of the contest and referred to the injury as a right calf strain (Twitter link).
Antetokounmpo remained seated on the court after coach Doc Rivers called a timeout, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, and eventually walked off the floor under his own power. After briefly returning to the bench, he then limped to the locker room.
The injury comes on the same day that an ESPN report indicated the Bucks’ star was initiating a dialogue with the team to determine whether he would continue his career in Milwaukee or if the two parties would work together to find a trade destination for the two-time MVP.
Antetokounmpo will likely undergo further evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and to assess the severity of the injury.
Harden, Leonard ‘Shocked’ By Clippers’ Split With CP3
Clippers stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard learned of the team’s split with Chris Paul via social media and told reporters on Wednesday that the news came as a surprise, according to reports from Joe Vardon of The Athletic and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“I’m just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world,” Harden said after the Clippers’ win over Atlanta. “Definitely surprised me. But not just Chris, it’s a lot that we were dealing with. But that is out of my hands. I got to focus on what I got to focus on and what I can control. I guess the front office felt that was the best decision for the organization.”
“It was shocking to me,” Leonard said, adding that he had to re-read the news. “I guess they had a conversation, and front office made a decision.”
Reporting on Wednesday indicated that tension between Paul and head coach Tyronn Lue was one of the factors that contributed to the team’s decision to part ways with the veteran point guard. Lue addressed the situation prior to the Clippers’ game vs. Atlanta, telling reporters that this isn’t the outcome he was hoping for when L.A. signed Paul over the summer.
“Do I want to see CP go out like this? No, I have a lot of respect for him,” Lue said. “He’s been a friend of mine over the years, and you don’t want to see a great go out like this. I’m pretty sure he will find something because he’s a great player. [But] I didn’t want to see it end like this.
“… I don’t like it. It just didn’t work out like we thought it would. I don’t like it for CP. It just wasn’t a good fit, and we understood that. It was an organization (decision), they made the choice and so moving forward, we got to see what we do.”
Vardon, Sam Amick, and Law Murray of The Athletic shared more details on how the relationship between the Clippers and Paul deteriorated to the point that a divorce was necessary. Here are a few highlights from their report:
- Paul’s “constant criticism” of the team was felt in “every corner” of the organization during the first several weeks of the season as the Clippers got off to a disappointing start. League sources tell The Athletic that members of the organization – including some teammates, as well as Lue and his coaching staff – took exception to the “acerbic” and “disparaging” nature of Paul’s perspective.
- While Paul has been known to be an effective mentor to young players in the past, there weren’t many young players on the Clippers’ roster for him to take that role with, and his criticisms frequently came off as a “grating” and unhelpful among a group heavy on veteran players and coaches, league sources tell The Athletic.
- Paul had multiple meetings with Clippers officials in recent weeks, with one source telling The Athletic that the club wanted him to stop “locker room lawyering.” League sources also told The Athletic that CP3 was “openly critical” of the team during a film session on Tuesday, though by that point the front officed had already made the decision to part ways with him.
- When the Clippers signed Paul over the summer, they went to great lengths to manage his expectations for his role – which would be a modest one – in the hopes of avoiding a situation like this. Because he signed as a free agent, he’s not trade-eligible until December 15, so it remains to be seen whether the team will wait until then to try to work out a deal or if he’ll be waived earlier than that. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said during a media session on Wednesday that the club will work with Paul’s representatives to determine next steps.
NBA Execs Express Reservations About Young, Morant, LaMelo
There’s a sense among rival teams that Hawks guard Trae Young, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball could all be available ahead of this February’s trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks. However, several scouts and executives who spoke to ESPN expressed reservations about the trio of star point guards.
“I wouldn’t want any of them,” one Western Conference general manager said.
“They all might have negative value,” an Eastern Conference executive added.
Another general manager in the West suggested that he wouldn’t be surprised if two or more of those point guards end up being moved in the same deal, observing that flawed stars viewed as candidates to benefit from a change of scenery sometimes get traded for each other.
Here are several more highlights from ESPN’s conversations with sources around the league about Young, Morant, and Ball:
Trae Young:
- Defense is the main concern with Young, with MacMahon and Marks pointing out that the Hawks’ defensive rating with Young on the floor would be the worst in the NBA, whereas Atlanta has defended at a top-five level when the four-time All-Star isn’t playing.
- One Eastern Conference scout stated that Young is “small and doesn’t play any defense,” but said he’d still take him over Morant and Ball because he’s so talented offensively and doesn’t have off-court concerns. However, other sources who spoke to ESPN expressed concern about a “long-running perception” that Young isn’t popular among his teammates.
- Young can become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he turns down his $49MM player option for ’26/27, but there’s uncertainty about what kind of contract Atlanta or another team would be willing to give him. “He might just be the ultimate floor raiser, which has its value,” another Eastern Conference scout told ESPN. “But he’s definitely imperfect.”
- If the Hawks do trade Young, they’d have to acquire a new lead ball-handler, multiple rival executives pointed out, whether that happens in the same deal or perhaps in next year’s draft, where Atlanta will have the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s first-round picks.
Ja Morant:
- One Eastern Conference executive told ESPN that he wouldn’t want Morant on his roster even if he were on a much more team-friendly contract: “The combination of pain in the ass, injury-prone, not that good anymore and big contract is a bad one.”
- Some sources who spoke to MacMahon and Marks worried that Morant is following the same career trajectory as players like John Wall and Derrick Rose, point guards who relied on their athleticism and whose primes were shortened by injuries. “Ja has been going down, down, down,” a Western Conference GM said. “I don’t know how much of that is due to motivation. You’ve got to be able to look under the hood. I’m just not sure about his health.”
- Other executives were more optimistic about Morant’s future, noting that the two-time All-Star has had some playoff success and suggesting that he’d benefit from a trade. “It’s a gamble, but I truly believe that Ja will be fine at his next stop,” one exec told ESPN. “But (the Grizzlies are) going to have to move Ja. They don’t have a choice.”
LaMelo Ball:
- There’s a perception among many rival evaluators that winning isn’t all that important to Ball, given his questionable shot selection and his subpar defense. “He takes the same shots now that he took in high school,” an assistant coach said. “Nothing has changed. I actually thought early in the year he was giving more of an honest effort defensively, but the offensive side looks like nothing has changed.”
- As is the case with Morant, durability is a major concern with Ball, who hasn’t played more than 47 games in a season since 2021/22. There are also questions about how his game would translate to the postseason, given that he has never been in the playoffs. However, many sources who spoke to ESPN view the 24-year-old’s general approach to the game as the most glaring red flag. “Nobody has ever questioned the talent, but he’s just so unserious,” a Western Conference executive said.
- One scout said he considers Ball to be more talented than Young or Morant but would rank him last among the three due to his bad habits, per MacMahon and Marks. “He’s definitely one of the top three most talented guards in the league,” another source said. “But every (scouting) report I write on him has the word ‘Globetrotter’ in it.”