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Jokic: If Nuggets Offer Super-Max Extension, I’ll Accept

By | at April 28, 2022 8:01 am

With Denver’s season officially over as of Wednesday night, Nikola Jokic has just one year left on his contract with the team. However, the star center told reporters after the Game 5 loss to Golden State that if the Nuggets offer him a five-year, super-max extension this offseason, he intends to accept it.

“I would like it, of course,” Jokic said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “… I think if (the) offer is on the table, of course I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who work here. I’m in (a) really good relationship with everybody from (the) owner to equipment manager.”

A “super-max” is the term we use for a maximum-salary contract worth more than a player would typically be eligible for. Jokic only has seven years of NBA experience under his belt, which would normally qualify him for a maximum salary starting at 30% of the salary cap. By winning last year’s MVP award, he made himself eligible for a maximum salary starting at 35% of the cap, though he wasn’t able to officially sign an extension last offseason when he still had just six years of NBA service.

This offseason, Jokic and the Nuggets are free to move ahead with that deal, if they so choose. It sounds like he’s on board and there’s no reason to believe Denver won’t be as well. Jokic is still very much in his prime at age 27, he appears to be in line for a second consecutive MVP award this spring, and he has proven himself to be extremely durable, appearing in at least 72 games in all seven years since he entered the league.

Jokic’s agent Misko Raznatovic said earlier in the year that he anticipates his client will sign a super-max extension this offseason.

The deal, if completed, would tack on five years to Jokic’s current contract, locking him up through the 2027/28 season. The exact value is not yet known, since it will depend on where the 2023/24 cap ends up. But based on a fairly conservative $125MM cap projection for ’23/24, the five-year super-max extension would be worth $253.75MM.

If Jokic were to play out his current contract without an extension, he could theoretically sign elsewhere in 2023, but his max deal with another team (about $161MM over four years, based on a $125MM cap) would fall well short of the super-max he could get from Denver. Besides, the All-NBA big man doesn’t sound like someone interested in a change of scenery.

“I think we have something that we are building,” he said on Wednesday, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “… We have pieces. We have tools. The only thing is are we going to work together. That’s the only thing.”

6 comments Denver Nuggets Newsstand

Khris Middleton Expected To Miss Second-Round Series

By | at April 28, 2022 7:36 am

APRIL 28: Middleton is expected to miss the Bucks’ entire second-round series vs. Boston, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter). According to Charania, Middleton’s recovery timeline would also jeopardize his availability for at least the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, if Milwaukee makes it that far.

APRIL 27: The Bucks may have to get through a second-round series without Khris Middleton, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said in an appearance on “NBA Today” (video link).

Middleton, who suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee during Game 2 of Milwaukee’s playoff series with the Bulls, is scheduled to be reevaluated next week, roughly 14 days after the injury. However, sources tell Wojnarowski that the exam is likely to just be a “benchmark,” and there’s no expectation that Middleton will return to action right away.

“There’s not a sense that he’s going to get reevaluated at two weeks and then all of a sudden be back at practice and be ready to play,” Wojnarowski said. “That’s a benchmark in this process. But the Bucks certainly, they’re on the cusp of getting by the Bulls here. They may have to get through another series, a conference semifinal, before they may have the opportunity to get Khris Middleton back in this season.”

Middleton played a huge role in helping the Bucks capture the NBA title last season, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists during the playoffs. He followed that up by being selected to the All-Star game this year for the third time in his career.

Middleton recently told Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he’s optimistic about returning soon, but he has confidence in his teammates if the recovery process takes longer.

“We did it last year as a group,” Middleton said. “When Giannis (Antetokounmpo) went down (in the Eastern Conference Finals) everybody stepped up and played a major part, so I expect nothing less. I feel like guys are ready to step up and play. They know right now it’s win or go home time.”

8 comments Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks Newsstand

Devin Booker May Be Back For Game 6

By | at April 27, 2022 6:07 pm

The Suns could have Devin Booker available as they try to close out their first-round series Thursday at New Orleans, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Booker, who has missed the past three games with a strained right hamstring, is making significant progress and could return in Game 6 or possibly Game 7 if the Pelicans extend the series, Woj adds. Booker is expected to be listed as out for Thursday in the team’s first injury report, but his status could change if he continues to improve.

Booker suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain that knocked him out of Game 2 midway through the third quarter. There were fears that he might be sidelined for two to three weeks, but his recovery appears to be far ahead of schedule.

Booker led Phoenix to a victory in Game 1 with a 25-point performance, then had 31 points in the first half of Game 2 before being injured. His return could help make the difference in helping the top-seeded Suns eliminate a tougher-than-expected New Orleans team.

3 comments Newsstand Phoenix Suns

Jazz Assistant Keyon Dooling Placed On Leave After Fraud Charge

By | at April 27, 2022 5:28 pm

Jazz assistant coach Keyon Dooling has been placed on administrative leave after being charged in a fraud case involving the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan, according to Larry Neumeister and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Dooling, a former vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, had his name added to a criminal case that involves 18 former players who are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. The first charges were brought in October, as federal officials said the players schemed to collect about $2.5MM through false medical and dental claims.

Dooling, who served eight years as an NBPA officer, “allegedly engaged in the scheme and recruited other co-conspirators to join the scheme,” according to federal officials. Also added to the indictment today were a doctor and a dentist who reportedly had a role in facilitating the operation.

Dooling is accused of keeping about $350K in illegal proceeds from the operation, which took place at least from 2017 through 2020.

“It is a case concerning his time at the National Basketball Players Association, prior to him joining our organization,” the Jazz said in a formal statement. “He has been put on paid administrative leave. Due to the ongoing legal process, we will refrain from further comment.”

3 comments Newsstand Utah Jazz

Andre Iguodala Out At Least One Week

By | at April 27, 2022 1:29 pm

Warriors forward Andre Iguodala has been ruled out for Game 5 on Wednesday due to left cervical disc (neck) injury, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

According to Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link), Iguodala will be reevaluated in one week, which means he’ll also be unavailable for Games 6 and 7 of the first round, if they’re necessary. He would also miss at least Game 1 in the second round, assuming the Warriors advance.

Once a crucial part of Golden State’s lineup and an NBA Finals MVP, Iguodala battled injuries this season and was limited to 31 regular season appearances. However, the 38-year-old has been a part of the playoff rotation when he’s healthy, logging at least 12 minutes in three of the team’s first four playoff games. He missed Game 2 due to a bilateral neck spasm.

“It’s a huge loss,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Iguodala’s latest injury, per Andrews.

With Iguodala unavailable, reserves like Gary Payton II or Nemanja Bjelica will likely play slightly larger roles for the Warriors. The team could also consider inserting rookie Jonathan Kuminga into its rotation.

4 comments Golden State Warriors Newsstand

Zach LaVine Expected To Undergo Knee Surgery After Season

By | at April 27, 2022 12:46 pm

Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who has been bothered for much of the year by left knee problems, is expected to undergo surgery after the team’s season ends in order to address the injury, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. It will likely be an arthroscopic procedure, Cowley adds.

LaVine’s ongoing knee issue hasn’t caused him to miss a ton of time this season, but he has been affected by the injury for months. When he discussed his knee in early March and suggested he could require offseason surgery, LaVine said that he felt like he was still one of the best players in the NBA even at 70% or 80% of his usual self.

However, a source close to the situation tells Cowley that LaVine was “more like 50%, and that’s on a good day.” According to Cowley’s source, the maintenance on the knee for the past few months has often been an “all-day ordeal.” It has been bad timing for 27-year-old, who earned the opportunity to play in the postseason for the first time this spring and who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Still, there’s no sense that LaVine’s knee problem is degenerative or that it will affect him long-term, Cowley says, so the hope is that he’ll be able to get back to his old self following his recovery from surgery. According to Cowley, the expectation remains that the Bulls and LaVine will discuss a maximum-salary contract this offseason.

LaVine has been ruled out for Game 5 of the Bulls’ first-round series vs. Milwaukee after being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. With the Bucks holding a 3-1 lead, it’s possible Chicago’s season will be over in a matter of hours, in which case LaVine and the team could start making plans for his surgery very soon.

9 comments Chicago Bulls Newsstand

NBA Announces Initial Early Entrant List For 2022 Draft

By | at April 27, 2022 10:05 am

The NBA has officially released the initial list of early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft, announcing in a press release that 283 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 247 are from colleges, while 36 are international early entrants.

Those are big numbers, but they fall well short of the 353 early entrants who initially declared for the draft a year ago. Beginning in 2021, the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in seniors having to decide between staying at college for one more season or declaring for the draft as an “early” entrant.

That tweak to the NCAA’s eligibility rules has increased the number of total early entrants due to the influx of seniors into the pool. However, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN observes (via Twitter), the number of college non-seniors (123) on the initial early entry list this year is actually the lowest since 2016, while the number of international prospects (36) is the lowest since 2014.

This year’s total of 283 early entrants figures to shrink significantly by June 1 and again by June 13, the two deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool. But it still looks like the pool will remain extremely crowded, with the eventual number of early entrants certain to exceed 58, the number of picks in the draft.

Our tracker of early entrants for the 2022 draft is fully up to date and can be found right here.

Here are the changes we made to our tracker today:

Newly-added players:

College players:

These players either didn’t publicly announce that they were entering the draft or we simply missed it when they did.

International players:

These players weren’t previously mentioned on our list of international early entrants. The country listed here indicates where they last played, not necessarily where they were born.

Other notable draft-eligible early entrants:

The NBA sent its teams a list of 33 “also-eligible” names. That list isn’t public, but Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link) shared some of the most notable players on it, and we’ve added them to our early entrant tracker. They are as follows:

  1. Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite
  2. MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite
  3. Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite
  4. Henri Drell, G/F, Windy City Bulls
  5. Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite
  6. Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite
  7. Makur Maker, C, Sydney Kings (formerly Howard Bison)
  8. Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite
  9. Samson Ruzhentsev, G/F, Mega Basket (formerly Florida Gators)
  10. Kai Sotto, C, Adelaide 36ers (formerly G League Ignite)
  11. Zaire Wade, G, Salt Lake City Stars
  12. Kok Yat, F, Overtime Elite
  13. Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite

Players removed:

Despite reports or announcements that the players below would declare for the draft, they didn’t show up on the NBA’s official list.

That could mean a number of things — they may have decided against entering the draft; they may have entered the draft, then withdrawn; they may have had no NCAA eligibility remaining, making them automatically draft-eligible; they may have incorrectly filed their paperwork; or the NBA may have accidentally omitted some names.

In any case, we’ve removed the following names from our early entrant list, at least for the time being.

Finally, Givony reports (via Twitter) that Canadian forward Leonard Miller, from the Fort Erie International Academy has been asked to fill out additional paperwork to finalize his entrance into the draft pool. According to Givony, there’s an expectation that Miller will be added to the list, so we’ve left him listed in our early entrant tracker among the international players.

2 comments 2022 NBA Draft International Newsstand Overtime Elite

Bulls’ LaVine, Caruso Listed As Out For Game 5

By | at April 27, 2022 8:42 am

The Bulls will be missing a handful of important backcourt players on Wednesday as they look to stave off elimination in their series against the Bucks. Down 3-1 and already without Lonzo Ball, Chicago has also ruled out Zach LaVine (COVID-19 protocols) and Alex Caruso (concussion protocol) for Game 5, according to the NBA’s latest injury report.

LaVine was the Bulls’ second-leading scorer during the regular season with 24.4 PPG on .476/.389/.853 shooting, while Caruso was the club’s top perimeter defender, so Chicago will take a hit on both sides of the ball as a result of their absences.

The Bucks are dealing with some injury issues of their own, with Khris Middleton (left MCL sprain) still sidelined and George Hill (abdominal strain) listed as questionable after missing the first four games of the series. However, those absences didn’t slow them down at all in Games 3 or 4 — the Bucks won those two games in Chicago by a combined total of 54 points and now have an opportunity to close out the shorthanded Bulls in Milwaukee.

With LaVine and Caruso unavailable, the Bulls will have to lean more heavily on players like Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Javonte Green as they attempt to extend the series.

6 comments Chicago Bulls Milwaukee Bucks Newsstand

CJ McCollum Wants To Retire With Pelicans

By | at April 26, 2022 9:50 pm

Just months into his Pelicans tenure, veteran guard CJ McCollum has indicated a desire to remain in New Orleans long-term. During an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Pelicans said he hoped to retire with his new club.

“I’m not going nowhere,” McCollum said. “Leave for what? I want to retire here. I’m 30 years old and I have a son who is 13 weeks old. I’m married. When you have something good, you hold on to it. This is something fun for both sides. We’re going to grow. I’m still learning the city. I’m going to find a house.”

The Pelicans are McCollum’s second NBA team. He was traded this season following a fruitful eight-plus years logged with Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers. He is averaging 24.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 5.8 APG through the Pelicans’ first four games in their 2-2 first-round matchup against the Suns. Game 5 is in progress tonight.

McCollum’s passion for the Pelicans must be encouraging for the club’s front office. The 6’3″ veteran still has two seasons left on the three-year, $100MM extension he signed while with Portland.

Here are more highlights from the conversation:

  • McCollum raved about the Pelicans’ personnel on and off the hardwood. “You respect [team president David Griffin] as a person in the front office,” McCollum said. “Then there is BI’s [Brandon Ingram] game, JV [Jonas Valančiūnas], Zion [Williamson], Herb [Jones], Trey [Murphy], Jaxson [Hayes] … a lot of young talent they’re considered and they’re going to get even better. I felt like I was what they were missing, and they were what I was missing.”
  • McCollum expressed similar excitement about what he’s observed from first-year head coach Willie Green. “He knows what he is doing,” McCollum said. “He’s been around the game for so long. Secondly, he was around the right coaches. He and [Suns head coach] Monty [Williams] are like best friends. He’s arguably the best coach in the league with X’s and O’s, demeanor and getting the most out of his players’ development.”
  • McCollum, who could be signed to a three-year extension to his current contract as of August 9, was asked about the possibility of a deal getting done during the offseason. “We haven’t talked yet,” McCollum noted. “I haven’t talked to upper management. But I told my wife before I left [Portland] that ‘Wherever I go, I want to finish my career. New Orleans is on the list of places I would like to finish my career.’ I told my agent that. I’m not about bouncing around. I don’t go through free agency. I’ve been in the league nine years. Have you ever seen me be a free agent? When I’m committed to something, I’m committed to it. New Orleans, in my mind, I’m finishing my career here. That is how I devote myself to a city, things and people.” If he doesn’t sign an extension, McCollum would remain under contract through the 2023/24 NBA season.
  • When asked by Spears about the Pelicans’ plan for defeating the Suns and pulling off a historic upset, the best team in the NBA by record with a 64-18 regular season, McCollum was understandably tight-lipped. “I guess we will find out,” McCollum said. “Even if I had the answer, I’m not giving you it until the series is over.”
18 comments New Orleans Pelicans Newsstand

Clint Capela Exits Game 5 With Knee Injury

By | at April 26, 2022 8:23 pm

Hawks big man Clint Capela departed during the second half of Atlanta’s must-win Game 5 due to a right knee injury, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (via Twitter).

Atlanta’s starting center had missed the club’s first three playoffs contests with a hyperextension of the same knee. The Hawks trail the Heat 3-1 in their first-round series matchup.

Should the Hawks rally to win tonight (Miami is leading in the fourth quarter as of this writing), it remains to be seen whether or not Capela would be available going forward. Starting power forward John Collins was moved up a slot to center prior to Capela’s return to the lineup in Game 4.

Capela played for 19:25 in tonight’s contest before departing with the injury, scoring two points on 1-of-2 shooting from the floor. He also pulled down eight boards and had a steal and a block.

The 6’10” center is in the fourth year of a five-season, $90MM deal he signed while with the Rockets. His two-year extension with the Hawks will begin in 2023/24.

12 comments Atlanta Hawks Newsstand
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