Devin Booker Enters Health And Safety Protocols
Suns star Devin Booker has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss Wednesday’s game vs. Portland, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Rosters around the NBA were thrown into disarray in December and January as most teams experienced outbreaks of COVID-19. However, Booker is the first player to be placed in the league’s health and safety protocols since the All-Star break. Wizards center Daniel Gafford, the last player in the protocols, was cleared on February 13.
Hopefully, if Booker contracted the virus, it’s an isolated incident rather than the beginning of another league-wide increase in cases. The NBA hasn’t mandated daily coronavirus tests for the last few weeks, requiring players to get tested only if they’re unvaccinated, they’re a close contact of someone who tests positive, or they experience COVID-19 symptoms.
Assuming Booker did test positive, he’ll be out for at least five days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. A best-case scenario for Phoenix would be that Booker registered a false positive and is able to exit the protocols within the next day or two.
The Suns are already missing Chris Paul (thumb), so they’ll be without both of their backcourt stars when they face the Trail Blazers tonight. However, it appears Cameron Payne (wrist) should be available to play for the first time since January 22 — he’s listed as probable on Phoenix’s injury report.
Lakers Rumors: Westbrook, Vogel, Pelinka, LeBron
The Lakers‘ struggles in 2021/22 will have ramifications beyond this season, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says that point guard Russell Westbrook, head coach Frank Vogel, and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka all have uncertain futures in Los Angeles.
The Lakers didn’t like any of the deals available for Westbrook at this year’s trade deadline, but the two sides have mutual interest in finding the former MVP a new home in the offseason, sources tell Fischer.
Of course, Westbrook’s $47MM salary will make it challenging to find a taker, with one team strategist telling Fischer that his club wouldn’t trade for the veteran guard unless the Lakers were willing to include two first-round picks. However, other team personnel around the league are more confident that Los Angeles will have better luck shopping Westbrook once he’s on an expiring contract this summer, Fischer adds.
According to Fischer, Westbrook gave an “impassioned” speech to Lakers players prior to All-Star weekend, stressing the need to be unified in their push for the postseason. Fischer notes that Westbrook tried to motivate the Wizards in a similar manner last year and it paid off, as the team finished strong and claimed the No. 8 seed in the East. The Lakers haven’t shown signs of turning their season around so far — they’re 1-4 since the All-Star break.
Here’s more from Fischer on the Lakers:
- Few people in coaching circles that Fischer has spoken to expect Vogel to hang onto his job with the Lakers for the 2022/23 season. Assuming Vogel is replaced, the expectation is that the franchise would focus on finding an experienced replacement rather than a first-timer, Fischer notes.
- While some league insiders aren’t convinced Pelinka will keep his job atop the Lakers’ basketball operations department, Fischer says the team’s general manager still has strong support from key decision-makers within the organization. “His relationship with Kurt [Rambis] and Linda [Rambis] and Jeanie [Buss], it is very much a mom-and-pop shop,” one assistant GM told Bleacher Report.
- According to Fischer, there has been “growing speculation” about Omar Wilkes of Klutch Sports emerging as a candidate to replace Pelinka as the Lakers’ GM. However, some of Fischer’s sources dismissed that idea, with a few suggesting that those rumors are being fueled by Wilkes’ competitors at Creative Artists Agency, since Wilkes is competing with CAA to represent top college prospects such as Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
- Some rival front offices have griped about the way Pelinka operates in his trade talks with other teams, according to Fischer. Last offseason, the Kings were irritated to learn via media reports – rather than from Pelinka himself – that the Lakers were passing on Buddy Hield to acquire Westbrook, and one GM tells Bleacher Report that Pelinka wasn’t returning some teams’ calls at last month’s trade deadline. “He was an a–hole as an agent,” one assistant GM said to Bleacher Report. “He had the most powerful players and if he wanted the player moved, he would’ve eviscerated you as a staff to get whatever he wanted. You can’t do that to people, and then expect them to work with you when you join their side.”
- Addressing the possibility of LeBron James eventually leaving the Lakers to return to Cleveland, Fischer echoes Marc Stein’s belief that the Cavaliers aren’t itching to pursue that scenario. While the Cavs might be open to the idea, they probably wouldn’t want to break up their young core to accommodate LeBron and wouldn’t want to have him “co-piloting personnel decisions,” Fischer writes. James said during All-Star Weekend that “the door’s not closed” on a return to Cleveland, but later stated that he wants to remain with the Lakers for “as long as I can play.”
Pelicans Sign Alize Johnson To 10-Day Contract
MARCH 2: Johnson’s 10-day deal with the Pelicans is now official, the team announced in a press release. As noted below, it’ll run through March 11, covering New Orleans’ next six games.
FEBRUARY 28: The Pelicans are adding some frontcourt depth by signing free agent forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract, agent George Langberg tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Johnson, 25, began the 2021/22 season with the Bulls after earning a 15-man roster spot in training camp. He was waived in December when Chicago required a spot on the roster for Alfonzo McKinnie and subsequently joined the Wizards on a 10-day hardship deal.
In total, Johnson has appeared in 19 NBA games this season for Chicago and Washington, averaging 1.7 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 7.3 minutes per contest. He has career averages of 2.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 68 appearances (7.5 MPG), having also spent time in Indiana and Brooklyn since he was selected 50th overall in the 2018 draft.
The Pelicans have an opening on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to sign Johnson, who will get a standard 10-day contract. The deal will pay him $99,380, with the team taking on a cap hit of $95,930.
New Orleans doesn’t play its next game until Wednesday, so the club could wait until then to officially sign Johnson in order to maximize his 10 days. If he formally joins the Pelicans on Wednesday, Johnson would be under contract through March 11, making him eligible for six games. If he signs today or tomorrow, Johnson’s deal would expire before the team’s March 11 contest vs. Charlotte.
Isaiah Thomas Signs 10-Day Deal With Hornets
MARCH 2: The Hornets have officially signed Thomas to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
MARCH 1: The Hornets will sign free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Charlotte will be the third team of the season for Thomas, who inked a 10-day deal with the Lakers on December 17 and another 10-day agreement with the Mavericks on December 29. He played five total games under those contracts, averaging 8.6 PPG in 22.8 minutes per night.
Thomas, 33, has been tearing up the G League since rejoining Denver’s affiliate in Grand Rapids after the All-Star break. He averaged 41.3 PPG in three games over the past week and earned NBAGL Player of The Week honors, as our JD Shaw reported (via Twitter).
The Hornets have a roster opening, so they won’t need to make a move before signing Thomas. As an 11-year veteran, he will earn $151,821 over the 10-day deal. The team will take on a cap hit of $95,930.
If Charlotte makes the contract official on Wednesday, Thomas will be able to play in five games before it expires. He would then be eligible for a second 10-day offer or he could be signed for the rest of the season.
Lakers To Waive Sekou Doumbouya, Add Wenyen Gabriel
The Lakers will open a two-way slot for Wenyen Gabriel by waiving Sekou Doumbouya, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. L.A.’s interest in Gabriel was reported Monday, but the team had to choose between unloading either Doumbouya or fellow two-way player Mason Jones.
Doumbouya, a 21-year-old forward, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers prior to the season, was waived in November, then signed a second two-way deal in January. However, he got into just two NBA games with L.A., logging 16 total minutes. He appeared in 12 games for the team’s G League affiliate in South Bay, averaging 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20 minutes per night.
Doumbouya spent his first two seasons with the Pistons, but was traded twice during the offseason and was eventually waived by the Rockets in early October.
Gabriel, 24, signed 10-day contracts this season with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, playing in seven total games. He has previous NBA experience with the Kings and Trail Blazers, as well as a prior stint with New Orleans.
Lakers To Waive DeAndre Jordan, Sign D.J. Augustin
The Lakers are waiving DeAndre Jordan and are signing free agent guard D.J. Augustin. They also plan to sign forward Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team had been seeking depth at the point behind Russell Westbrook.
Jordan played nine minutes in the blowout loss to New Orleans on Sunday but has seen limited action over the last two months. Overall, Jordan averaged 4.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 12.8 MPG in 32 games with the Lakers on a veteran’s minimum contract.
Jordan may not be out of work for long. The Sixers will aggressively pursue Jordan, either via a waiver claim or after he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Augustin, meanwhile, was waived by the Rockets at the trade deadline. The 5’11” point guard, a 14-year NBA veteran, averaged 5.4 PPG, 2.2 APG and 1.2 RPG across 15.0 in 34 contests with Houston this season. Augustin, who has logged 955 regular-season games, will be playing for his 11th team.
Gabriel has spent time with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans in 2021/22. All of his NBA contracts during this season were 10-day deals under the hardship provision.
Gabriel, who was waived by the Bucks during training camp, has played in seven NBA games this season — six for the Clippers and one for the Nets. The 24-year-old didn’t play at all during his most recent 10-day deal with New Orleans, but appeared in 21 games for the Pelicans last season. Overall, he has 58 career NBA appearances.
Los Angeles has Mason Jones and Sekou Doumbouya on two-way deals, so one of those players must be waived to make room for Gabriel.
Tomas Satoransky Signs With Wizards
Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky has officially signed with the Wizards, according to a team press release.
Satoransky was bought out by the Spurs and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported over the weekend he intended to return to Washington once he cleared waivers. That occurred on Monday.
Satoransky, who was in the final season of a three-year, $30MM contract, appeared in 32 games with New Orleans and one game with San Antonio this season. He was involved in two deadline deals — he was traded from the Pelicans to the Trail Blazers in the CJ McCollum blockbuster, then was shipped to the Spurs in a three-team swap.
Satoransky played his first three seasons in the league (2016-19) with the Wizards. During that span, he appeared in 210 games (87 starts), averaging 6.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 3.7 APG.
With Bradley Beal out for the season and Spencer Dinwiddie having been traded to Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, Satoransky could jump right into the Wizards’ rotation. Washington hosts the Pistons on Tuesday.
Raptors Sign D.J. Wilson To Third 10-Day Contract
The Raptors have signed forward D.J. Wilson to a third 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Toronto had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no one needed to be waived to complete the signing.
Wilson, 26, initially joined the Raptors on a 10-day deal on December 23, then signed a second one on January 7. During his time with the club, the former first-round pick appeared in three games and played well in a limited role, averaging 8.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 16.0 minutes per contest. He also made 8-of-11 shots from the floor (72.7%).
Because Wilson’s first two 10-day contracts were both completed via the COVID-related hardship exception, he wasn’t ineligible to sign another 10-day deal with the Raptors.
A player is limited to two standard (ie. non-hardship) 10-day contracts per season with the same team, so Wilson could technically sign one more 10-day pact with Toronto after this one before a rest-of-season commitment would have to be made.
Wilson will earn $102,831 during his 10 days with the Raptors, who take on a $95,930 cap hit. The deal will run through March 9, making the forward eligible for the team’s next six games.
Although two-way player Justin Champagnie is still a candidate to eventually be promoted to fill the 15th spot on Toronto’s standard roster, Wilson could make a case for a rest-of-season deal if he plays well in the next 10 days.
Michael Porter Jr. Eyeing March Return
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has progressed in his rehab from lumbar spine surgery and could be cleared for on-court contact within the next week, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Porter is hoping to return to Denver’s lineup at some point in March. Wojnarowski says that once the fourth-year forward is cleared for contact, it’ll just be a matter of him going through a final ramp-up period.
However, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone cautioned fans to take the report with a grain of salt, as Mike Singer of the Denver Post (Twitter link) relays.
“I would say don’t listen to those reports. … They didn’t come from me, they didn’t come from [president of basketball operations] Tim Connelly,” Malone said. “They didn’t come from anybody within the Denver Nuggets. I would say, be careful what you listen to and what you read.”
The 23-year-old Porter underwent surgery three months ago and has played just nine games this season. He did appear in 61 games last season, averaging 19.0 points on 54% shooting from the floor and 45% shooting from three-point range.
Denver owns the sixth-best record in the Western Conference (35-25) despite Porter’s absence. The team also hopes to have Jamal Murray return from a torn ACL before the playoffs, Wojnarowski reports.
Porter signed a five-year, $172.5MM contract extension with the Nuggets last offseason. He was drafted No. 14 overall by the franchise in 2018.
Damian Lillard Progressing In Abdominal Surgery Rehab
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has progressed through the initial phase of his abdominal surgery rehab without a setback, the team announced today.
Lillard, a five-time All-Star, underwent surgery on January 13 and hasn’t played since. He will begin reconditioning next week and will be reevaluated again in two-to-three weeks.
Lillard has appeared in 29 games this season, averaging 24.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest on a career-low 40% shooting.
Portland has re-shaped its roster in recent weeks, trading away key pieces such as CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington. The team holds a 5-4 record in February and currently sits 10th in the Western Conference standings.
Rival teams have monitored Lillard’s status with the Blazers, who haven’t reached the NBA Finals once in his 10 years with the team. Despite a disappointing season, he recently reiterated his commitment to the team (as relayed by Adam Caparell of Complex Sports).
“I’m loyal to what I believe,” Lillard said. “I do love living in Portland. I do love playing for the Trail Blazers. But I’ve built this. I’ve been part of this for 10 years. I’ve been part of the change here and us being a successful franchise. I know what means something to me in my heart. And that’s winning a championship here.”