Brook Lopez On Future With Bucks: “Can’t Imagine Being Anywhere Else”
Few NBA players are enjoying more successful contract years than Bucks center Brook Lopez, who has bounced back after missing most of last season due to a back injury and has established himself as a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
On track for unrestricted free agency in the offseason, Lopez spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about his future and expressed a desire to remain in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.
“I love it here,” Lopez said on Monday. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity the Bucks gave me five years ago to come here and be a part of something special. We’ve had a great time. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Lopez spent the first nine years of his NBA career with the Nets, then was a Laker for a single season in 2017/18. He signed as a free agent with the Bucks in the summer of 2018 and has been with the franchise since then, earning an All-Defensive nod in 2020 and winning a championship in 2021 as Milwaukee’s starting center.
Lopez is no longer the 20-point-per-game scorer he was during his New Jersey and Brooklyn days, but he’s having one of the best seasons of his career in 2022/23, averaging 14.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG on .505/.381/.788 shooting through 39 games (30.3 MPG).
As Scotto details, Lopez leads the NBA in contested shots and total blocks as the anchor of a Bucks defense that ranks third in the league in defensive rating (109.4). Teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday advocated on Monday for Lopez’s Defensive Player of the Year candidacy and the big man admitted that he has thought about winning the award.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine,” Lopez told Scotto. “Obviously, I’m a team-first player who wants the team to be successful. We want to win a championship. That’s our main goal. It definitely would be a personal point of pride for me, and it’s a goal for myself.”
Lopez, who is earning approximately $13.9MM in the final season of the four-year contract he signed with Milwaukee in 2019, will remain extension-eligible until June 30. The Bucks would probably be reluctant to sign the 34-year-old to a long-term deal, but tacking a year or two onto his current contract seems viable.
If he were to sign an in-season extension, Lopez would be eligible for a 20% raise on this year’s salary, with 8% raises for any additional years beyond that. That would work out to $16.7MM for a one-year extension or $34.7MM over two years.
If he were to wait until free agency, Lopez would be eligible to earn any amount up to the max (projected to be $46.9MM in 2023/24), though it’s unrealistic to think he’d get an offer worth anywhere close to that amount at age 35, even after a strong season.
Derrick Favors Signs 10-Day Deal With Hawks
JANUARY 11: Favors has officially signed with the Hawks, the team announced today in a press release. His 10-day contract will run through January 20, making him eligible for Atlanta’s next six games.
As our tracker shows, Favors’ deal is the fifth 10-day contract signed so far this season.
JANUARY 10: Veteran power forward Derrick Favors is signing a 10-day contract with the Hawks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Favors, 31, has been out of the league since the Rockets waived him during training camp. Houston made that move even though Favors’ $10,183,800 salary was guaranteed, due to a roster crunch. He was acquired by the Rockets in an eight-player trade with the Thunder in September.
The third overall pick of the 2010 draft, Favors has appeared in 790 regular season games (503 starts, 24.3 MPG) with averages of 10.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.2 BPG while shooting 53.4% from the floor and 66.3% from the foul line. His mobility and production have declined in recent seasons — he averaged career-lows of 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 38 games (18 starts, 16.7 MPG) with the Thunder in 2021/22.
Atlanta has an open roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary. Favors will provide more depth up front, which could come in handy since Clint Capela is dealing with a calf injury. Capela won’t play against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Favors could also be a longer-term option as a backup in case the Hawks deal power forward John Collins, whose name has frequently come up in trade rumors.
It’s a homecoming for Favors, who played for Georgia Tech after attending South Atlanta High School.
Stephen Curry Set To Return On Tuesday
The Warriors‘ lineup will get a major upgrade on Tuesday night, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Stephen Curry will return and start as Golden State hosts the Suns.
Curry’s minutes limit is still being determined, Andrews adds.
Curry suffered a left shoulder subluxation in the Warriors’ loss to Indiana on December 14 and has missed the last 11 games as a result of the injury. President of basketball operations Bob Myers said last week that the club was hoping Curry would be able to return this Friday — the former MVP will be back on the court even earlier than that.
Golden State has had an up-and-down run since Curry went down. The team lost three of its first four games without him, including a pair of blowouts, then reeled off a five-game winning streak before losing its last two contests at home to Detroit and Orlando. The Warriors will take a 20-20 record into Tuesday’s home game vs. Phoenix before departing for a five-game road trip.
Curry is the third Warrior to return from an injury absence in the past week. Andrew Wiggins was back on Saturday after missing 15 games due to an adductor strain and illness, while Andre Iguodala made his season debut in the same game after being sidelined for most of the first half with a hip issue.
Jonathan Isaac To Play For Lakeland Magic On Wednesday
Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, who last played in an NBA game 891 days ago, is set to play in the G League for the Lakeland Magic on Wednesday, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
Isaac tore his ACL in 2020 and suffered a setback during his rehab process last March, undergoing a minor procedure on his right hamstring. He last played in an NBA game on August 2, 2020 in the Walt Disney World bubble and has been on the shelf for two-and-a-half seasons since then. However, he has been ramping up to a return in recent weeks, having been cleared for full contact 5-on-5 scrimmages in early December.
According to Wojnarowski, Isaac will likely play two games with Lakeland before being called up to make his season debut for Orlando. After hosting the Westchester Knicks on Wednesday, Lakeland will play at home against the Greensboro Swarm on Friday and Saturday.
Isaac will be rejoining an Orlando squad that looks much different from the one he played for in 2020. At that time, Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier were among the team’s top players, while Magic youngsters like Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs had yet to reach the NBA.
Prior to his injury, Isaac was emerging as one of the league’s most talented defenders. The 6’11” forward was having his best year in his third NBA season in 2019/20, averaging 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals in 28.8 minutes per night in his first 34 games.
How Isaac performs in the second half could go a long way to determining whether he has a place in the Magic’s long-term future. He’s under contract for two more seasons beyond this one, but only $7.6MM of the remaining $34.8MM on his deal after 2022/23 is guaranteed.
Otto Porter Jr. Undergoes Season-Ending Foot Surgery
Otto Porter Jr. won’t play again in 2022/23, according to the Raptors, who announced today in a press release that the veteran forward has undergone surgery on his left foot and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
“This was a tough decision for Otto,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “He had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health. We look forward to his healthy recovery.”
After winning a championship ring as a key rotation player for the Warriors last season, Porter signed a two-year, $12.3MM contract with the Raptors as a free agent. However, his first year in Toronto has essentially been a write-off.
Porter’s made his Raptors debut on November 2 after recovering from a hamstring strain. Just 12 days later, on November 14, the 29-year-old exited a game early due to a left foot ailment, referred to as a dislocated toe. He hasn’t played since and appeared in just eight games in total, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 18.3 MPG.
Porter’s lost 2022/23 season makes it a virtual lock that he’ll exercise his $6.3MM player option for next year.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have until January 15 to apply for a disabled player exception, which would be another tool at their disposal as they consider possible roster moves. A DPE for Porter would be worth $3MM (half of his $6MM salary) and would give Toronto the ability to sign a player to a rest-of-season contract worth up to that amount or to acquire a player (via trade or waiver claim) on an expiring contract. It would not open up an extra roster spot, however.
Suns Among Teams Interested In Jalen McDaniels
Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels has drawn “increasing interest” around the NBA as a potential trade candidate, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link). The Suns are among the clubs monitoring McDaniels as the February 9 trade deadline nears, according to Charania.
McDaniels, who will turn 25 later this month, is enjoying a breakout season in Charlotte, averaging career highs in points (10.9), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1), and steals (1.1) per game, among other categories.
A fourth-year forward, McDaniels saw his playing time dip to a career-low 16.3 minutes per game under James Borrego last season, but has become a key rotation contributor for new head coach Steve Clifford in 2022/23, logging a career-high 26.5 MPG. He’s also one of just two Hornets to have appeared in all 41 games so far this season, along with Mason Plumlee.
McDaniels’ length, defensive versatility, and ability to make threes (.352 career 3PT%) will make him a popular trade target if the Hornets are willing to move him. Charania notes that the former second-round pick would make sense for Phoenix in a potential Jae Crowder deal, though a third team would almost certainly need to be involved, since Charlotte wouldn’t be a logical fit for Crowder.
Because McDaniels wasn’t a first-round pick, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent – rather than restricted – at the end of his fourth season this summer, and Charania suggests he’ll be “sought after” on the open market. That could make the Suns and other teams hesitant to give up too much for him — McDaniels’ club would have his Bird rights, but wouldn’t be able to control his free agency by unilaterally matching any offer he receives.
Kevin Durant Expected To Miss One Month With MCL Sprain
3:47pm: Durant is expected to miss around a month with the injury, Wojnarowski reports for ESPN.com.
10:50am: Nets star Kevin Durant suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team announced in a press release.
Nets officials are relieved by the diagnosis, which was the result of an MRI this morning, and there’s optimism that Durant will miss less time than he did last season when he was sidelined for six weeks with a similar injury, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Durant left Sunday’s game against the Heat in the third quarter after a collision with Jimmy Butler, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After having his shot blocked, Butler fell backward into Durant’s knee (video link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). Durant tried to stay in the game, but he wasn’t able to move well and appeared to be massaging the knee to lessen the pain, Lewis adds.
“Those plays are scary, because when someone’s not looking with what’s going on anything can happen in those moments,” said Kyrie Irving, who came off the bench to help Durant to his feet. “So I’m grateful that all that time that he’s put in the weight room putting his body in a great position, his body was able to save from something worse. … With [Durant] we know what we’re up against with him not being in lineup. We can say it every single day, but we don’t have time for any excuses. We’ve just got to keep moving forward and stay mature about it.”
The Nets collapsed last year after Durant sprained his MCL in mid-January, Lewis notes. The team was fighting for the best record in the East before the injury, but lost 11 straight games and went 5-16 overall in his absence to wind up in the play-in tournament.
Durant has been playing at an MVP level this season, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists as the Nets have moved into second place in the East. Brooklyn will play six games over the next two weeks, including Thursday’s showdown with the Celtics, so this will be a crucial stretch of the schedule until Durant can return.
Anthony Davis Could Return In A Couple Weeks
The Lakers are optimistic that Anthony Davis could return to the lineup in a couple weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Davis will begin ramping up his rehab when the team returns to Los Angeles later this week, McMenamin reports. The Lakers play in Denver tonight, but then have a five-game home stand starting Thursday against Dallas.
The 29-year-old is dealing with a bone spur fractured off the navicular bone in his right foot, as well as a stress reaction in that same bone. However, it’s the stress reaction that has been Davis’ primary focus, with the bone spur considered an old injury that he’s been unknowingly playing through for several years.
Davis sustained the stress reaction on December 16 against Denver. He was dominating on both ends of the court leading up to the injury, averaging an eye-popping 35.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 64.1% shooting in his last 12 full games.
Both Davis and head coach Darvin Ham told reporters at the end of last month that the pain from the stress reaction had subsided, with Davis hopeful that he might be able to return in around four weeks, though he wasn’t committed to that number. Still, McMenamin’s report lines up with what Davis said, so it appears things have been going well since the last update.
Center Thomas Bryant, who is on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, has excelled in Davis’ absence, McMenamin notes. In the 12 games since Davis got injured, Bryant is averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 66.9% from the floor and 74.2% from the line.
The Lakers have gone 7-5 during that span. During the team’s five-game winning streak, Bryant is averaging 21.2 points and 13.6 rebounds while shooting 71.9% from the floor and 86.7% from the line.
Superstar forward LeBron James believes the three players can be successful together, though Bryant and Davis have yet to share the court this season, according to McMenamin.
“I’ve already kind of had visions of what that could possibly look like with the frontcourt of myself, AD and Thomas on the floor together,” James said of Bryant’s contributions. “I think it could be extremely beneficial for our ballclub.”
Speaking of James, he has been downgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest due to left ankle soreness, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
The Lakers are currently 19-21, the No. 11 seed in the West, but only trail the No. 5 seed Kings by two games.
PJ Dozier Signs 10-Day Deal With Kings
JANUARY 9: Dozier’s 10-day contract with the Kings is now official, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 News (Twitter link).
JANUARY 8: Veteran shooting guard PJ Dozier is signing a 10-day deal with the Kings, Dozier’s agent Kevin Bradbury informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Dozier signed a training camp deal with the Timberwolves this summer, but did not make the team’s opening night standard roster. Most recently, the 6’6″ swingman had been playing with Minnesota’s NBAGL affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.
During Iowa’s Showcase Cup run this fall, Dozier averaged 14.4 PPG on .444/.353/.722 shooting splits. He also contributed 6.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.8 BPG across 13 contests, including seven starts.
Across five NBA seasons with the Thunder, Celtics, and Nuggets, the 26-year-old out of South Carolina holds career averages of 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.6 SPG. He tore his ACL in December 2021 while with Denver, and indicated in June of 2022 that he had been cleared to resume all basketball activities.
James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento tweets that Dozier has an ally on the Kings bench. Current Sacramento associate head coach Jordi Fernandez was previously an assistant coach with the Nuggets, with whom Dozier also spent the past three NBA seasons.
Ham adds that the Kings view Dozier as an intriguing two-way option. Sacramento could especially use Dozier’s help on the defensive side of the ball, where the team has been struggling.
LeBron James Again Hints At Desire For Roster Upgrades
Lakers star LeBron James hasn’t come right out and said he believes the front office should be shopping its 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in an effort to upgrade the roster via trade. However, he hinted shortly after Christmas that he’d welcome that approach and reiterated that point in stronger terms to Sam Amick of The Athletic following Saturday’s win over Sacramento, despite still not saying it outright.
When he spoke to Amick following his postgame press conference, James repeatedly stated that his job is to play the games and let the front office handle roster moves, suggesting that he’ll leave any trade suggestions up to the media.
“If you guys know, then you guys know,” James replied when Amick asked whether it makes sense for the Lakers to stand pat until the offseason when the four-time MVP is playing at such a high level at age 38. “You guys know. I don’t need to talk about it. You guys know.”
Pressed on whether he needs to say anything publicly or privately to the Lakers’ top executives to encourage them to act, James added, “Listen, you guys know. It’s not rocket science. It’s not rocket science.”
Before parting ways with Amick, James added, “Y’all know what the f–k should be happening. I don’t need to talk.”
As we’ve discussed ad nauseam in recent months, there seemed to be an understanding after James signed a contract extension in August that the Lakers would be more aggressive in their efforts to improve this year’s roster. But multiple reports have indicated that head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the organization’s top decision-makers have been unwilling to part with those 2027 and 2029 first-rounders unless there’s a move that significantly improves the team’s title chances.
When Anthony Davis went down with a foot injury last month, the odds of the Lakers making a major move seemingly dropped. However, the team has gone 7-5 since Davis’ injury and is actually closer to a play-in spot than it was when the big man went down.
Given the level James and Davis have played at this season and the contributions the Lakers are getting from some of their role players, including Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schröder, Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker, and sixth man Russell Westbrook, the club may be able to talk itself into the possibility of contending — especially if Davis returns sometime this month. After all, none of the Western Conference’s top teams have pulled away and established themselves as clear frontrunners to make the NBA Finals.
Still, finding a suitable trade won’t be easy. Westbrook ($47MM), Patrick Beverley ($13MM), and Kendrick Nunn ($5.25MM) are the only logical trade chips earning more than the minimum on the Lakers’ roster and none are considered positive assets. That means it might be a challenge for L.A. to get an impact player in return for any of those vets even if the team becomes more willing to give up a future first-rounder or two.