Richaun Holmes Done For Season Due To Personal Reasons
Kings big man Richaun Holmes will miss the remainder of the season due to personal reasons, the team announced (Twitter link via James Ham of ESPN 1320).
“Richaun is a core member of our team, who is very important to our success,” general manager Monte McNair said. “We fully support Rich and look forward to seeing him back on the court for the 2022-23 NBA season.”
“I would like to thank everyone for their support during these difficult times,” Holmes said. “I love this team, I love my teammates and I look forward to returning next year.”
Holmes, 28, is in his third season with Sacramento. He has developed into a quality starting center with the Kings after spending the majority of his first four seasons coming off the bench for the Sixers and Suns, respectively.
Through 45 games this season, including 37 starts, Holmes is averaging 10.4 points and 7.0 rebounds on 66% shooting from the field and 77.8% from the charity stripe. His minutes have decreased drastically since the Kings dealt for Domantas Sabonis last month — Holmes is averaging just 15.3 minutes, 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in a reserve role since the trade.
After a breakout season in 2020/21 when he posted averages of 14.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.6 BPG, Holmes re-signed with the Kings on a four-year, $46.5MM deal as a free agent last August. The fourth year is a player option.
The timing of the announcement is interesting, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe just wrote this morning (Insider link) that Holmes “might be the good player on a long-term contract most likely to be traded this summer.” While this isn’t exactly surprising, considering Holmes is too good of a player for the limited role he’s had since the Sabonis trade, it’s still noteworthy.
Pelinka: Lakers Hope Monk Is “Part Of Our Future”
A number of the Lakers‘ 2021 offseason acquisitions haven’t worked out as well as the team had hoped, but one bright spot has been Malik Monk. The fifth-year guard has significantly outplayed his minimum-salary contract, averaging a career-high 12.9 PPG on .464/.394/.767 shooting in 63 games (27.6 MPG).
Los Angeles’ ability to offer Monk a raise when he returns to free agency this summer will be limited, but VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka would like to retain the former lottery pick if possible, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays.
“The partnership has been a win from both sides,” Pelinka said. “Both for the Lakers, in terms of the productivity he’s had for us and then I think on his side, just showing people what he can do in big moments in big games. … He’s a guy that we would see as hopefully a part of our future.”
According to McMenamin, when Monk reached unrestricted free agency last year, he only received interest from three teams: the Lakers, Knicks, and Mavericks. And by the sounds of it, none of those teams were willing to offer more than the league minimum.
“Did I think Malik could make a few more dollars than a minimum? Yes, I did,” agent Jeff Schwartz said. “Unfortunately, the offers just didn’t come. So then it was about finding the right place. … I was disappointed there was no bigger offers out there, but I also know sometimes you got to just go out and show it for a year.”
Asked to make a quick decision during free agency so that the Lakers could move onto other targets if he turned them down, Monk accepted L.A.’s offer and hasn’t regretted it, despite the team’s struggles this season. After four challenging seasons in Charlotte, Monk is playing more – and better – than ever with the Lakers and appreciates that the organization was willing to take a shot on him.
“They put a lot of trust in me,” Monk says. “And I just feel comfortable, man, to go out and perform for them.”
Because the Lakers will only hold Monk’s Non-Bird rights and won’t have any cap room this offseason, the highest starting salary they’ll be able to offer will likely be $6.34MM, the projected amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception. Without dipping into their MLE, the Lakers would only be able to give Monk a 20% raise above the minimum.
It’s possible a more lucrative offer will await Monk elsewhere, but the 24-year-old tells McMenamin he has had a “beautiful experience” with the Lakers, while Marcus Monk – Malik’s older brother and manager – suggests a return to L.A. is possible.
“We’re very loyal people,” Marcus said. “The Lakers were calling him nonstop once free agency opened. So we don’t forget about that. On the other side, it is a business. … But I would love to see him in a Laker uniform.”
John Collins Expected To Be Out At Least 10-14 Days
MARCH 18: Collins has been officially diagnosed with a right foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, as well as a right ring finger sprain, according to a press release from the Hawks.
He has received an anti-inflammatory shot in his finger and been fitted with custom splints, which he’ll wear for the rest of the season. Additionally, during the next few days, he’ll undergo a non-surgical procedure on his foot, according to the team.
Collins’ status will be updated in the next 10-to-14 days, per the Hawks. Presumably, that means he’ll be out for at least that long.
MARCH 17: Hawks forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot and will be out indefinitely, Shams Charania and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic report (Twitter link).
Collins had been trying to play with a mangled right ring finger as well as foot pain. He sought out a second opinion for both injuries. Collins has missed three straight games and 10 of the last 14 for Atlanta.
Collins signed a five-year, $125MM deal last August to remain with the Hawks. In 54 games, Collins has averaged 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.8 APG. Without him, the Hawks will continue to rely more on De’Andre Hunter and Danilo Gallinari.
Atlanta is 34-35 and holds the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Warriors To Reevaluate Stephen Curry In Two Weeks
After reports on Thursday indicated that star guard Stephen Curry had suffered a sprained ligament in his left foot and would be out indefinitely, the Warriors confirmed that injury diagnosis today.
The team stated in a brief press release that Curry will be reevaluated in two weeks, which suggests he’ll be sidelined for at least the rest of March. Golden State has seven games during that stretch and will have just five contests left in the regular season by the time Curry is reassessed.
The 47-23 Warriors are, of course, in no danger of losing their playoff spot, and still seem relatively likely to hold onto a top-three seed, since they have a 3.5-game lead over the No. 4 Jazz.
Still, it’s an unfortunate turn of events for a team that just got Draymond Green back on Monday following a 29-game absence and has had Klay Thompson miss so much time since 2019. The Warriors’ three stars have shared the court for just 11 minutes so far this season and it appears they won’t do so again until either the final week of the regular season or the postseason.
As long as Curry remains on the shelf, the Warriors will likely lean more heavily on Jordan Poole, with Gary Payton II poised to immediately reclaim a regular backcourt role upon his return from a knee injury. Two-way player Chris Chiozza could also see a little action in a reserve role.
Donnie Nelson Sues Mavericks
Ex-GM Donnie Nelson has sued his former club, the Mavericks, alleging he was fired by owner Mark Cuban in June of 2021 as retaliation for reporting sexual misconduct, according to Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN.
Nelson’s lawsuit alleges he was fired for reporting that his nephew was sexually harassed and assaulted by Cuban’s chief of staff, Jason Lutin, during a job interview on February 16, 2020, Natta writes.
Cuban offered Nelson $52MM to withdraw a wrongful termination claim and sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the alleged harassment and assault, the lawsuit alleges. The unsigned agreement is attached to the lawsuit, with the Mavs admitting no wrongdoing but barring Nelson from discussing or disclosing the allegations.
Cuban denied the allegations in an email to ESPN.
“Everything in that filing is a lie,” Cuban wrote. “We did multiple complete investigations and the only person that did not live up to the standards of the Dallas Mavericks was Mr. Nelson. He was fired as a result. He was well aware of the investigation. He refused to fully participate. I will say it again, everything he said is a lie.”
Lutin also denied the allegations in an email to Natta.
“What this man [Nelson] is doing to someone like me is absolutely unspeakable. It’s a complete lie and I defer to Mavs to comment and who have already dealt with this matter,” Lutin said. “And obviously have a lot of information to show none of that ever happened.”
Nelson didn’t find out about the incident with his nephew, who isn’t named, until five months after it occurred, by which point the nephew had reached a settlement agreement with the team for an undisclosed amount, the lawsuit states.
When he learned about the alleged incident, Nelson was reportedly in negotiations on a 10-year contract extension with Cuban, whom he then confronted regarding Lutin’s alleged actions. A couple months later, Cuban withdrew a 10-year, $66MM extension offer, according to the lawsuit.
In a statement to ESPN’s Natta, Nelson said he filed the lawsuit “on behalf of my family and all the Mavericks employees who have experienced harassment, discrimination, or retaliation in the workplace.”
“Filing a lawsuit is not something to be taken lightly — however, it was extremely important that I speak up,” Nelson said. “The facts that come out in this lawsuit will hopefully protect the incredible people I’ve had the honor and privilege of working with during my 24 years with the Mavericks.”
Nelson, who was originally hired by the Mavs in 1998, was promoted to the role of GM/president in 2005 and had been one of the NBA’s longest-tenured lead basketball operations executives.
In 2018, the Sports Illustrated released a report which painted “a picture of a corporate culture rife with misogyny and predatory sexual behavior” within the Mavericks organization, focusing particularly on former Mavs president and CEO Terdema Ussery and former Mavs.com beat writer Earl K. Sneed.
The resulting investigation substantiated the report, and the Mavs were found to have “serious workplace misconduct by former and current employees,” along with “improper or ineffective management.” Cuban, who was not implicated in the 2018 report, donated $10MM to organizations that “promote women in leadership roles and combat domestic violence.”
There are more details on Nelson’s lawsuit in Natta’s report for ESPN, which can be found here.
Pacers’ T.J. Warren Done For Season
Pacers forward T.J. Warren will be out for the remainder of the season, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Warren will miss the entire 2021/22 season after playing just four games last season while recovering from consecutive stress fractures in his left foot.
Warren, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and the plan is for him to prepare for the 2022/23 season. As James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star observes (via Twitter), it’s interesting that Woj reports that Warren has fully recovered and returned to full basketball activities, considering coach Rick Carlisle said there was “no update” on Warren last week.
However, at 23-47, Indiana currently holds the fifth-worst record in the league, so Warren returning for just 12 games to a team with virtually no chance of reaching the playoffs doesn’t make much sense, especially after already missing 70 games.
The Pacers confirmed Wojnarowski’s report in a press release.
“Our organization’s guiding principle will always center on a holistic approach to our players’ health and prioritizing their overall well-being,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard. “T.J. Warren has worked incredibly hard over the past 14 months to get to this point – a full participant in on-court activity with his teammates – all while navigating the many challenges that accompany this type of injury.
“However, after thoughtful conversation with T.J. and his representatives, it has been determined that the most beneficial course of action at this point is to allow him to focus on the 2022-23 season. We will continue to provide T.J. with all the care, support, and resources necessary to ensure he returns to the high-level of play to which he’s accustomed.”
Warren had a standout season in 2019/20, averaging 19.8 points and 4.2 rebounds on .536/.403/.819 shooting in 67 games. The points, field goal and free throw percentages were all career-highs. He was one of the stars of the Orlando bubble during the pandemic-disrupted season. He’s played just four games since, having undergone surgery in December of 2020.
It’s hard to predict what the market for Warren might be like as a free agent this summer. It’s a weak free agent class and he’s one of the more proven scorers available, but he hasn’t played an NBA game for 15 months.
Patrick Williams Targeting Return Next Week For Bulls
Forward Patrick Williams is targeting a return to the Bulls next week, as Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Chicago assigned Williams to its G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, on Thursday afternoon. Williams has been sidelined since October following wrist surgery.
It was reported last night that Williams had been cleared for full contact work. The plan is for Williams to get reps in with Windy City prior to his NBA return next week.
Coach Billy Donovan said that Monday’s home game against Toronto was an unlikely return date for Williams, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). The Bulls also have three road games next week – Tuesday at Milwaukee, Thursday at New Orleans, and Saturday at Cleveland – so any of those contests are possibilities for Williams’ return.
Donovan said last month that there was a “very good possibility” that Williams would return in the regular season, so the second-year forward appears to be on track in his recovery progress. The coach plans to ease Williams back into the rotation, meaning he’ll probably be on a minutes restriction off the bench.
Williams, 20, was the fourth pick of the 2020 draft after one season at Florida State. He started all 71 of his games as rookie last season, putting up 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists on .483/.391/.728 shooting. A strong, versatile defender, Williams was limited to just five games this season before suffering torn ligaments in his left wrist, necessitating surgery.
Stephen Curry Out Indefinitely With Foot Injury
11:22am: There’s optimism that Curry will be able to return to action by the time the playoffs start in mid-April, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. Curry is expected to consult with specialists for further evaluation of his injured left foot.
10:41am: Wednesday night’s MRI revealed a sprained ligament in Curry’s left foot, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the All-Star guard will be sidelined indefinitely.
X-rays on the foot were negative, so there’s no fracture, Charania adds.
7:13am: After exiting Wednesday’s loss to Boston in the second quarter due to left foot soreness, Warriors star Stephen Curry underwent an MRI on the foot, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
The Warriors have yet to clarify whether they expect Curry to miss time. As Andrews notes, head coach Steve Kerr simply told reporters after Wednesday night’s game that they’d know more once they get the results of the MRI.
Curry’s injury occurred when he and Celtics guard Marcus Smart battled for a loose ball, with Smart rolling into Curry’s leg when he dove to try to corral it (video link). Kerr, who was seen yelling at Smart, took exception to what he considered a “dangerous” play.
“I thought Marcus dove into Steph, and that’s what I was upset about,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “A lot of respect for Marcus. He’s a hell of a player, a gamer, a competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few summers ago. We talked after the game and we’re good. But I thought it was a dangerous play.”
Smart said after the game that the contact was unintentional and that he was just trying to “make a play” for his team. Curry’s teammate Draymond Green said Smart’s dive was “maybe unnecessary,” but dismissed the idea that it was a dirty play.
Curry, who initially tried to walk off the injury, eventually exited to the locker room and was ruled questionable to return for the second half. He was subsequently ruled out. We’ll have to wait for the Warriors to reveal the results of the MRI to see whether Curry will miss any additional action for a Golden State squad battling for playoff positioning.
Pacers Sign Justin Anderson To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 17: Anderson has officially signed with Indiana, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
MARCH 16: Justin Anderson will sign a 10-day contract with the Pacers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 28-year-old swingman had been playing for Indiana’s affiliate in Fort Wayne and recently captured G League Player of the Week honors. In 22 games with the Mad Ants, Anderson is averaging 27.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Anderson played for the Pacers earlier this season, appearing in three games after signing a hardship 10-day contract on January 1. In December, he joined the Cavaliers on a hardship 10-day deal and played three games for them as well.
A first-round pick by the Mavericks in 2015, Anderson has played 232 total games for six NBA teams. He was with Indiana in training camp, but was waived before the start of the season.
If Anderson signs his 10-day contract on Friday, he will be eligible to play in five games before it expires. Indiana has a roster opening, so no move will be necessary before adding Anderson.
Knicks Reportedly Missed Out On Chances To Trade Alec Burks
The Knicks had several opportunities to trade Alec Burks ahead of last month’s deadline, but the deals fell apart because New York kept pressing for additional draft assets, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Among the proposals was a three-way trade involving the Lakers and Raptors that would have sent Burks and Cam Reddish to L.A., Talen Horton-Tucker and Nerlens Noel to Toronto, and Goran Dragic and the Raptors’ 2022 first-round pick to New York, sources tell Fischer.
Those talks reportedly collapsed because the Knicks insisted on getting more draft picks, which doesn’t surprise one unidentified Eastern Conference executive who spoke to Fischer.
“They are always trying to squeeze out an extra second-round pick here and an extra second-round pick there,” the executive said.
Since the failed trade, Reddish has been lost for the season with a separated shoulder, while Dragic – traded instead to San Antonio – reached a buyout with the Spurs and signed with the cross-town Nets. The Knicks are still without a reliable point guard and are expected to pursue one in free agency this summer, with the Mavericks’ Jalen Brunson likely to be a prime target.
Burks has been filling in at point guard after injuries to Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose, but New York approached the deadline searching for an alternative. Burks, who will turn 31 this summer, is under contract for a little more than $10MM next season and the Knicks hold a team option on his $10.49MM salary for 2023/24.