Mavs Sign Moses Wright To Two-Way Contract
FEBRUARY 25: The signing is official, the team tweets.
FEBRUARY 24: The Mavericks are signing rookie forward Moses Wright to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Dallas had a two-way opening and won’t have to make a corresponding move.
Wright has been playing for the G League’s Agua Caliente Clippers. He played one game for the NBA Clippers on a 10-day deal in December under the hardship exception before he was placed in protocols.
He has averaged 17.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.9 BPG in 17 G League starts.
Wright spent all four years of his college career at Georgia Tech and averaged 17.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.5 SPG with a .532/.414/.658 shooting line in 25 games (35.3 MPG) as a senior. He was named the ACC Player of the Year and made the ACC’s All-Defensive team but went undrafted.
Nuggets Sign DeMarcus Cousins For Rest Of Season
FEBRUARY 25: Cousins has been signed for the remainder of the season, according to a team press release.
FEBRUARY 22: The Nuggets intend to sign center DeMarcus Cousins to a rest-of-season contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The plan is for the deal to be officially completed on Friday, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
Cousins has spent most of the last month with the Nuggets, first on a hardship 10-day deal, then on two standard 10-day pacts. Because a player can’t sign more than two standard 10-day contracts with the same team in a season, Denver has to commit to Cousins for the rest of the season in order to keep him on the roster.
The 6’10”, 270-pound veteran, a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player while with the Kings and Pelicans, saw his career fortunes take a turn after he ruptured his left Achilles with New Orleans in 2018. Cousins then sustained a torn quad in the spring of 2019 and tore his ACL while with the Lakers ahead of the 2019/20 NBA season. Since recovering from those injuries, he has become a role player for various clubs, including both the Rockets and Clippers during the 2020/21 season.
This season, Cousins first joined the Bucks, a club looking to compensate for the size it lost when starting center Brook Lopez was forced to sit with a back injury that ultimately led to surgery. The 31-year-old Cousins played a total of 17 games with Milwaukee, and to date has appeared in eight games for the Nuggets as a reserve behind reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, reuniting with former Kings head coach Michael Malone.
In 25 games total this year between the Bucks and Nuggets, Cousins holds averages of 8.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG, while shooting 41.4% from the floor and 77.6% from the free-throw line. Granted, these are far cries from his career numbers (19.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG and 3.1 APG on .459/.330/.737 shooting), but it’s nice that Cousins appears to have adjusted to his new role on two title contenders.
Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports notes (via Twitter) that the Nuggets have been undefeated in their games played with Cousins this year.
Anfernee Simons Plans To Re-Sign With Blazers
Anfernee Simons will be a restricted free agent this summer, but the young Trail Blazers guard is content with his current situation.
Simons, who is enjoying a breakout season, says he has no desire to go anywhere else, according to Ben Pickman of Sports Illustrated.
“I 100% want to stay in Portland,” Simons said. “And I think everybody wants me to stay as well. I think it’s a perfect fit for me.”
Simons, a 2018 first-round pick, played a backup role in his first three seasons. Injuries to CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, and the subsequent trade of McCollum to New Orleans, opened up a starting spot for Simons and he’s thrived under first-year head coach and former NBA point guard Chauncey Billups.
Simons is averaging 17.0 PPG and 3.9 APG in 29.3 MPG for the season. As a starter, he’s averaging 22.0 PPG and 5.8 APG.
The current qualifying offer for Portland to make Simons a restricted free agent is $5,758,551. However, he could meet the starter criteria before the season’s end, which would increase that figure to $7,921,300.
It seems a formality that the Trail Blazers will extend the QO, which would allow them to match any offer sheet to Simons.
He views the McCollum trade as another sign that the front office is keen on re-signing him.
“I have a management that really believes in me and wants to see me succeed and wants me to help them reach a championship level,” the 22-year-old said.
Jevon Carter Signs With Bucks
FEBRUARY 24: The Bucks have officially signed Carter, according to a team press release.
FEBRUARY 22: Fourth-year guard Jevon Carter intends to sign with the Bucks after he clears waivers, agents Mark Bartelstein and Reggie Brown of Priority Sports tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Bucks were said to be seriously pursuing Goran Dragic in order to add some depth to their backcourt. Having missed out on the 35-year-old, they’ll instead sign the player who was released to make room for Dragic in Brooklyn. The Nets officially announced earlier today that they’ve waived Carter.
Carter, 26, began his NBA career in Memphis in 2018 and had a couple promising seasons in Phoenix from 2019-21, averaging 4.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .418/.397/.789 shooting and playing solid defense in 118 games (14.1 MPG) for the Suns.
He was traded to Brooklyn during the offseason in a deal that sent Landry Shamet to the Suns, but struggled with the Nets. His shooting percentage dipped to 33.3% and he wasn’t a consistent part of the rotation after the first month of the season.
While Wojnarowski’s report says Carter will clear waivers on Wednesday, it looks like it’ll actually happen on Thursday, unless the Nets cut him a day before they officially announced the move. As we observed on Monday, Milwaukee needs to make a roster addition on or before Thursday in order to get back to the league-mandated 14-player minimum — it appears Carter will be the team’s new 14th man.
The Nets will remain on the hook for Carter’s $3.9MM guaranteed salary for 2022/23 after he clears waivers and signs with the Bucks.
James Harden To Make Sixers Debut On Friday
The James Harden era in Philadelphia will officially begin on Friday. Harden will make his Sixers debut at Minnesota, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Philadelphia announced on February 14th that Harden wouldn’t play until after the All-Star break. Harden apparently feels he’s ready to go after rehabbing a minor left hamstring injury, receiving treatment and participating in on-court training.
Harden hasn’t played since February 2nd. He averaged 22.5 PPG, 10.2 APG and 8.0 RPG before the Nets moved him in the year’s biggest blockbuster.
The primary player that went to Brooklyn, Ben Simmons, has yet to make his Nets debut.
Doc Rivers recently said he doesn’t anticipate a big transition period. “Listen, putting James Harden into an offense is not that hard. It really isn’t,” the Sixers coach said. “I mean, he’s just a terrific basketball player, so you don’t need to overcomplicate it.”
Sixers Sign Willie Cauley-Stein To 10-Day Deal
February 24: Philadelphia has officially signed Cauley-Stein to a 10-day deal, the team announced.
February 22: The Sixers are expected to sign free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). The team has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to finalize the signing.
Cauley-Stein, 28, began the season with the Mavericks, averaging 1.9 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 18 games (9.8 MPG) for the club. The veteran big man played his last game for Dallas on November 27 and was unavailable for several weeks after that for personal reasons before eventually being waived on January 15.
The Sixers had to include Andre Drummond in their blockbuster deadline-day trade that netted them James Harden, so there’s been a sense that they’ll use their 15th roster spot sooner or later to add another backup center.
If Cauley-Stein plays well for Philadelphia, it’s possible he’ll earn a longer look from the club. He had a solid season in 2020/21 as the Mavs’ primary backup center, recording 5.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG on 63.2% shooting in 53 games (17.1 MPG).
Cauley-Stein will earn $120,083 over the course of his 10-day deal, with the Sixers taking on a $95,930 cap hit.
Tom Thibodeau Isn’t Worried About Job Security
Amid speculation that Tom Thibodeau’s job may be in jeopardy as the result of a disappointing Knicks season, the coach told reporters Wednesday that his relationship with the front office is fine, writes Greg Joyce of The New York Post.
A report last week stated that executive vice president William Wesley has been blaming Thibodeau’s coaching decisions for recent losses, particularly the defeat against the Nets in the final game before the All-Star break when New York squandered a 28-point lead. But Thibodeau said he’s not feeling any heat from management and he doesn’t play attention to media rumors.
“I talk to Wes all the time,” he said. “I don’t respond to rumors or any of that stuff. I know the drill here. I’ve been here before, so I don’t worry about any of that stuff.”
After grabbing the fourth seed last season, the Knicks stumbled into this year’s All-Star break at 25-34, 12th in the Eastern Conference and three and a half games out of the final spot in the play-in tournament. Since his hiring, management has talked about a close working relationship with Thibodeau, but there have been signs this year that it may be fracturing. The latest involves Cam Reddish, who Thibodeau has kept out of the rotation after the team sent a first-round draft pick to Atlanta to acquire him last month.
Thibodeau, who has three more years remaining on his five-year contract, emphasized that his relationship with the front office has remained solid despite the losing.
“I talk to (team president Leon Rose) every day, talk to Wes every day,” Thibodeau said. “So that doesn’t change.”
Joyce also noted that Thibodeau talked last week about making lineup changes to try to spark a team that is 3-13 over its last 16 games. However, he didn’t mention any potential changes on Wednesday, other acknowledging the decision to shut down Kemba Walker for the rest of the season.
Kemba Walker Won’t Play For Rest Of Season
The Knicks and Kemba Walker have agreed that the veteran guard won’t play for the remainder of the 2021/22 season, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, the plan is for Walker to work out in preparation for 2022/23. He’ll be on an expiring $9.2MM contract in the offseason, giving the Knicks and agent Jeff Schwartz a clearer path to work out a trade at that time, Woj adds.
The Knicks have issued a statement that confirms Walker won’t play for the rest of the season and suggests the plan was instigated by the point guard and his camp.
“We fully support Kemba’s decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and to use this time to prepare for next season,” team president Leon Rose said in the statement. “His long-term success on the court remains our priority.”
It’s the second time this season that the Knicks have shut down Walker. The club pulled him from its rotation at the end of November and sat him for 10 games before reinserting him into a lineup that had been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19. Since then, the 31-year-old has been affected by knee soreness and has played off and on.
Although Walker had a good stretch of games in December, even earning Player of the Week honors, his health issues and defensive shortcomings has limited his ability to be a consistent, reliable contributor this season.
The four-time All-Star is averaging a career-low 11.6 PPG and 3.5 APG on .403/.367/.845 shooting in 37 appearances (25.6 MPG). The Knicks have a 114.5 defensive rating and a -9.1 net rating with Walker on the court, compared to a 107.0 defensive rating and +1.9 net rating when he’s not playing.
It’s been a disappointing homecoming for Walker, who signed a two-year, $17.9MM contract with the Knicks after being bought out by the Thunder during the 2021 offseason. The New York native had hoped to help lead the team to a second consecutive playoff appearance, but the Knicks have taken a step backward in 2021/22 and currently rank 12th in the East with a 25-34 record.
Alec Burks, Miles McBride, and/or Immanuel Quickley are candidates to take on additional ball-handling responsibilities in Walker’s absence, though many of Kemba’s minutes will likely be claimed by Derrick Rose, who is nearing a return from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since December.
Jusuf Nurkic Out At Least Four Weeks With Foot Injury
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is battling left foot plantar fasciitis and will be out for at least the next four weeks, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Blazers, Nurkic has played through symptoms of plantar fasciitis all season. He’ll undergo treatment and will be reevaluated at the four-week mark.
Nurkic had played terrific basketball as of late for Portland, averaging 21.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game during the team’s four-game win streak leading into the All-Star break. The hot streak boosted his season-long averages to 15.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 56 appearances (28.2 MPG).
While it’s possible Nurkic’s symptoms have worsened this month and made it impossible for him to continue playing through the injury, I suspect today’s announcement is more about the organization’s priorities for the rest of the season.
The 25-34 Blazers currently hold the No. 10 seed in the West and technically still have a shot at the playoffs, but the front office likely isn’t especially motivated to make it — the team would lose its first-round pick if it lands outside of the lottery. As such, it makes sense for Portland to hold out players like Nurkic and Damian Lillard, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, rather than making an all-out push for a spot in the postseason.
With Nurkic sidelined, Drew Eubanks could play an immediate role for the Blazers after signing a 10-day hardship contract on Tuesday. We may also see more small-ball lineups from head coach Chauncey Billups.
Nurkic will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he and the Blazers reportedly have mutual interest in working out a new deal.
Dennis Schröder, Rockets Not Pursuing Buyout Agreement
Veteran point guard Dennis Schröder is on track to finish the 2021/22 season with the Rockets, reports Marc Stein (via Twitter). According to Stein, neither the player nor the team is pushing for a buyout.
Schröder, who signed a one-year deal with the Celtics last summer, was sent from Boston to Houston as the trade deadline in a four-player swap involving Daniel Theis. Given that the Rockets – who are 15-43 and rank last in the Western Conference – are out of the playoff race and immediately waived another veteran involved in that deal (Enes Freedom), there was speculation that a buyout for Schröder could be in the cards.
However, shortly after the trade deadline passed, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone spoke enthusiastically about Schröder’s potential role in Houston, and the 28-year-old showed right away that he could provide value, putting up 23 points and nine assists in Phoenix in his second game as a Rocket. Perhaps more importantly, he seems to be a good fit alongside rookies Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, both on and off the court.
Assuming he finishes the season in Houston as planned, Schröder will reach unrestricted free agency again this summer, at which point the Rockets would hold his Non-Bird rights.
Goran Dragic and Tristan Thompson have been the biggest names to hit the buyout market so far, and it’s possible more veterans will join them by March 1. But there has been no indication that any agreements are imminent, so many of this season’s top buyout candidates could – like Schröder – end up finishing the season with their current teams.