NBA Confirms Dillon Brooks’ One-Game Suspension
Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended without pay for one game and will miss Sunday’s contest in Los Angeles against the Clippers, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Brooks’ suspension was automatically triggered when he picked up his 16th technical foul of the season on Friday vs. Denver.
A player receives a one-game suspension when he compiles 16 technical fouls in a season, and then is suspended for one additional game for every two technicals he gets beyond that. For instance, Brooks would be handed another one-game ban if he gets to 18 techs before the end of the regular season. That total resets at the start of the postseason (playoff suspensions begin once a player gets to seven postseason techs).
If the NBA had decided to rescind Brooks’ 16th technical, he could have avoided a suspension, but that didn’t happen.
It’s Brooks’ second suspension of the season. He was also forced to sit out one game following an altercation with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
The Grizzlies suddenly find themselves missing several key rotation players for Sunday’s contest in L.A. In addition to Brooks, Memphis will be without Ja Morant, who is away from the team amid off-court controversy, and Brandon Clarke, whose season ended when he suffered an Achilles tear on Friday.
Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke Suffers Torn Achilles, Out For Season
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke will miss the rest of the 2022/23 season after sustaining a torn left Achilles tendon, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies have put out a statement (via Twitter) confirming the diagnosis and announcing that Clarke will be out indefinitely. He’s expected to make a full recovery, per the team.
It’s a brutal blow for Clarke, who exited Friday’s game vs. Denver in the first quarter due to a non-contact lower leg injury that was feared to be serious. It generally takes upwards of a year for an NBA player to return from an Achilles tear, so Clarke is unlikely to be ready to go by the time the ’23/24 season gets underway in the fall.
Clarke, who signed a four-year, $50MM contract extension with the Grizzlies last fall, was having another strong season, averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 56 appearances (19.5 MPG) while shooting a career-high 65.6% from the field.
The 26-year-old has been an important part of Memphis’ frontcourt rotation along with Steven Adams, Jaren Jackson, and Santi Aldama. With Clarke sidelined, the Grizzlies may have to lean more heavily on reserves like David Roddy and Xavier Tillman. The team could look to free agency to fortify its front line, but doesn’t currently have an open spot on its 15-man roster.
It has been a day of bad news in Memphis, as the Clarke update comes shortly on the heels of an announcement that Ja Morant will miss at least the next two games while the NBA investigates a video that appeared to show him brandishing a gun at a strip club.
NBA Investigating Ja Morant Social Media Post
After an Instagram Live stream late on Friday night appeared to show Grizzlies guard Ja Morant flashing a gun while at a strip club (Twitter video link), the NBA has announced that it’s looking into the incident, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,” league spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement.
While he continues to perform at an All-Star level for the 38-24 Grizzlies on the court this season, Morant has been at the center of a number of off-court allegations.
Morant got into an altercation with a 17-year-old during a pickup game at his house last July and punched the teen several times, claiming later that it was in self-defense. Morant was also accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall and was reportedly involved in a confrontation with members of the Pacers’ traveling party after a January game, resulting in some of his associates being banned from the Grizzlies’ home arena.
Morant hasn’t faced any criminal charges as a result of those allegations, but the growing list of stories about his actions off the court is worrisome, given that the 23-year-old is one of the NBA’s most promising and exciting young stars.
The timing of Friday’s social media stream also reflects a lack of judgment from Morant, given that The Washington Post published a new report about those off-court incidents just a few days ago, prompting the 23-year-old’s lawyer and agent to strongly defend him in statements on Twitter.
Jazz Sign Kris Dunn To Second 10-Day Contract
11:07am: Dunn’s second 10-day deal with the Jazz is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. It will cover Utah’s next five games.
7:09am: Kris Dunn‘s 10-day contract with the Jazz expired after Friday’s game, but the veteran guard isn’t going anywhere. Utah intends to sign Dunn to a second 10-day deal, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Sarah Todd of The Deseret News (Twitter link).
Dunn, who joined the Jazz following a stint in the G League, immediately claimed a spot in the rotation during his first 10 days with his new team, helping to fill in for injured guards Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson.
The former fifth overall pick averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 22.3 minutes per night across four appearances. A career 42.0% shooter from the floor entering this season, Dunn has scored more efficiently in his first few games in Utah, making 52.5% of his field goal attempts.
A player is permitted to sign up to two 10-day contracts with the same team in a given season, so at the end of his second 10-day deal, Utah will have to decide whether to sign Dunn for the rest of the season or let him walk.
Frank Jackson‘s 10-day contract with the Jazz also expired following Friday’s game, but the team’s plans for him aren’t yet clear. Unlike Dunn, Jackson didn’t play a regular role on his first 10-day deal, logging just five minutes in a single appearance.
Even after re-signing Dunn, Utah will have two openings on its 15-man roster, giving the club plenty of flexibility to audition other players 10 days at a time.
Meyers Leonard Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Bucks
MARCH 4: Leonard has officially signed a new 10-day deal with the Bucks, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. It will run through March 13, making Leonard eligible for six more games.
MARCH 2: Veteran big man Meyers Leonard is signing a second consecutive 10-day contract with the Bucks, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The seven-foot center’s first 10-day deal will expire on Friday night.
Newly-anointed Eastern Conference coach of the month Mike Budenholzer had high praise for his new bench big, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
“Just to bring his size and physicality, I think it’s an area that maybe the roster, is one of the things it doesn’t have and he fills that need and still has the ability to make threes and spread the court,” Budenholzer said, per Nehm. “He just has a lot of basketball characteristics that fit us. The human’s been great. He’s fit in quickly with the locker room.”
Leonard, a career 39.1% three-point shooter, signed his first 10-day deal with the Bucks late last month. Through four games, the 30-year-old is averaging 2.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG for Milwaukee. Those four contests represent the big man’s first NBA action since March 2021.
A combination of personal controversy and ankle and shoulder surgery recoveries have kept him sidelined in the intervening seasons. Leonard was flipped from the Heat to the Thunder after using an antisemitic slur during a video game live stream. Oklahoma City subsequently released him, and he had not been rostered since.
Bulls Convert Carlik Jones To Standard Contract
8:56pm: The Bulls have officially signed Jones to his standard contract, the team announced in a press release.
7:12pm: The Bulls plan to convert Carlik Jones‘ two-way deal into a standard contract that covers the rest of 2022/23, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter), Jones will fill the opening that was created when the team waived veteran guard Goran Dragic. The Bulls will have an open two-way slot once Jones is officially promoted to the standard roster.
Jones, 25, was a rookie last season after going undrafted out of Louisville. He appeared in five NBA games in 2021/22 on 10-day hardship deals with the Mavericks and Nuggets, but spent most of his rookie year playing with the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate.
Jones played for the Bulls’ Summer League team in 2022 and was later signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, but was waived before the season started. He signed a two-way deal with Chicago in December, appearing in two games for a total of 23 minutes.
The second-year guard has spent the majority of ’22/23 with Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, averaging an impressive 26.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 7.4 APG and 1.4 SPG on .489/.356/.800 shooting through 16 regular season games (39.3 MPG). He was on our list of five G League players making bids for NBA call-ups due to their strong performances, and now that has come to fruition.
Jones competed in the G League’s Next Up Game last month, which was essentially its version of the All-Star Game.
Spurs Waive Isaiah Roby, Claim Sandro Mamukelashvili Off Waivers
4:35pm: San Antonio has officially waived Roby and claimed Mamukelashvili, the team announced. The Spurs immediately converted Mamukelashvili to a standard contract, and their 17-man roster is full.
4:15pm: The Spurs plan to waive forward/center Isaiah Roby and will claim big man Sandro Mamukelashvili off the waiver wire, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
There is a corresponding move that is missing from Charania’s report, however, as Roby is on San Antonio’s 15-man roster, while Mamukelashvili was on a two-way contract with Milwaukee.
The Spurs’ two-way are currently occupied by forwards Dominick Barlow and Julian Champagnie, so they will either need to promote or waive one of those players, or perhaps immediately promote Mamukelashvili — we’re not sure yet if that’s permitted.
Ironically, the Spurs claimed Roby off waivers last summer, and now will reportedly release him to add another player off waivers. His name did pop up in one trade rumor prior to the deadline, which signaled that San Antonio may not have viewed him as a long-term keeper. He is currently sidelined with an ankle injury that has kept him out of action since February 13.
Roby, 25, spent his first three seasons with the Thunder, averaging a combined 9.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .495/.365/.708 shooting in 109 games (62 starts, 21.9 MPG) with Oklahoma City. As previously mentioned, San Antonio claimed him off the waiver wire last offseason, but his role has been pretty limited in 2022/23, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.5 RPG on .432/.300/.488 shooting in 42 games (11.3 MPG).
Assuming he clears waivers, the Spurs will be on the hook for Roby’s full $1,930,681 salary and he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
Mamukelashvili, 23, was waived a couple days ago by the Bucks. A report at the time suggested that another team might be interested in his services, and now he will reportedly land with San Antonio.
After spending four college seasons at Seton Hall, Mamukelashvili was selected 54th overall in the 2021 draft. He has spent the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Bucks, but his playing time was very limited at the NBA level — he averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .439/.345/.750 shooting in 65 games (9.6 MPG) from 2021-23.
The big man played much more for the Wisconsin Herd in ’22/23, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate. He averaged 19.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.3 SPG on .533/.200/.667 shooting in 11 Showcase Cup games (30.9 MPG), and 23.3 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .486/.471/.667 shooting in four regular season games (36.5 MPG).
Jonathan Isaac Undergoes Season-Ending Adductor Surgery
Jonathan Isaac‘s 2022/23 season is over after just 11 games, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Magic forward underwent season-ending surgery on Friday to repair a torn left adductor muscle.
The Magic have put out a press release confirming the news (Twitter link). According to the team, Isaac felt discomfort on Tuesday and an MRI on Wednesday revealed the full extent of the injury.
It’s the latest injury in what has been a brutal run of health luck for Isaac, who missed two-and-a-half seasons while recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in the Disney World bubble in 2020.
The 25-year-old made his season debut on January 23, playing for the first time since August 2, 2020. However, a little over a month later, he has once again gone under the knife and faces a lengthy recovery process.
“Our thoughts are with Jonathan, whose fortitude in dealing with adversity is unique,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “Jonathan has worked extremely hard to return to the court this season and has demonstrated his impact on our team. We will be by his side as he focuses on the work ahead.”
Prior to his ACL injury, Isaac was emerging as one of the NBA’s most talented, versatile defenders, averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in 34 contests (28.8 MPG) during the 2019/20 season. He flashed that defensive upside a little this season, but played a very modest role in his 11 appearances, logging just 11.3 minutes per night. He averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in his limited action.
Isaac is under contract for two more seasons beyond this one, but his $17.6MM cap hit for 2023/24 is only partially guaranteed (for $7.6MM) and his $17.6MM salary for ’24/25 isn’t guaranteed at all.
While it’s possible the 6’11” forward will make a full recovery from this latest injury and reestablish himself as a reliable rotation player next season, he certainly can no longer be viewed as a lock to finish out his current contract due to his growing injury history.
Jared Butler Signs Two-Way Contract With Thunder
MARCH 3: Butler has officially signed a two-way contract with the Thunder, according to a press release from the team.
MARCH 2: The Thunder intend to sign guard Jared Butler to a two-way contract, his agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Butler was a key member of the national champion Baylor Bears in 2021, averaging 16.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.8 APG and 2.0 SPG while shooting 41.6% from 3-point range as a junior. However, questions about his health hurt his draft stock and he slipped to No. 40 overall in the 2021 draft after having been considered a likely first-rounder.
The 22-year-old spent his rookie season with the Jazz, appearing sparingly in 42 games (8.6 MPG) while averaging 3.8 PPG and 1.5 APG on .404/.318/.688 shooting. Utah had a roster crunch during preseason this past fall and ultimately released Butler despite the fact that his $1.56MM salary for this season was guaranteed.
Butler has spent the 2022/23 season with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, averaging 19.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.2 SPG on .483/.458/.771 shooting in 18 games (30.1 MPG) during the fall Showcase Cup. He has averaged 17.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 5.8 APG on .438/.354/.840 shooting in 23 regular season games (30.2 MPG) with the Gold.
The Thunder had an open two-way slot, so they won’t need to cut anyone to sign Butler. Their 17-man roster will be full once the move is official.
Cavaliers Sign Sam Merrill To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 3: Merrill’s 10-day contract is now official, the Cavs have confirmed. The deal will cover Cleveland’s next five games, running through the club’s March 12 contest in Charlotte.
MARCH 1: The Cavaliers intend to sign guard Sam Merrill to a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Merrill, 26, was the 60th and final pick of the 2020 draft after four years at Utah State. He spent his rookie season with Milwaukee, winning a championship with the Bucks in a very minor role.
He was traded to the Grizzlies in the 2021 offseason, but unfortunately suffered a major ankle sprain in November 2021 which later required surgery. Memphis waived him last January, and he didn’t join another NBA team until signing a partially guaranteed deal with the Kings this past summer.
He spent training camp with Sacramento, but ultimately didn’t make the roster. Merrill’s $150K partial guarantee made him ineligible to join the Kings’ G League affiliate, and the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ affiliate, selected him first overall in October’s G League draft.
The sharpshooter hasn’t played much at the NBA level, logging just 8.1 minutes per game in 36 career games with Milwaukee and Memphis. However, he has put up strong numbers for the Charge in ’22/23, averaging 17.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.3 SPG on an excellent .469/.437/.852 shooting line in 18 regular season games (33.8 MPG).
The Cavs have an opening on their standard roster, so a corresponding move will not be required in order to sign Merrill.