Pascal Siakam In Health And Safety Protocols
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Teammate Dalano Banton is in the protocols as well, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).
There’s no word on whether either player tested positive for COVID-19, but if they did, they will miss a minimum of 10 days unless they return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. They are the first two Toronto players to enter the protocols, according to our tracker.
Siakam has helped the Raptors climb up near the .500 mark after returning in early November from shoulder surgery. He is averaging 19.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 17 games. Banton has earned regular playing time in his first NBA season, averaging 4.1/2.3/1.8 in 12.7 minutes per night through 27 games.
Anthony Davis Has MCL Sprain, Will Miss At Least Four Weeks
Lakers star Anthony Davis suffered an MCL sprain during Friday’s game and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Davis was injured midway through the third quarter when LeBron James was called for an offensive foul for pushing Jaden McDaniels, who lost his balance and fell into Davis’ left knee, McMenamin writes in a recap of the game. Davis tried to walk to the locker room without help, but he collapsed to the ground in pain while going through the tunnel. The Lakers originally classified the injury as a contusion, but an MRI today showed the full extent of the damage.
Davis has been experiencing pain in the knee and had an ultrasound performed Monday, McMenamin adds. He also turned his right ankle in the first quarter Friday and had to be treated by team doctors.
Davis missed 36 of the team’s 72 games last season, but had been much healthier this season. He has played in 27 of the Lakers’ first 30 games and is putting up typically dominant numbers with 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per night.
Celtics Sign Justin Jackson Via Hardship Exemption
4:17pm: Jackson’s signing is official, the Celtics announced in a press release.
11:35am: The Celtics are planning to sign forward Justin Jackson to a 10-day contract using the hardship exemption, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Jackson has been playing for the Texas Legends, Dallas’ NBA G League affiliate.
The 15th pick of the 2017 draft, Jackson has appeared in 248 NBA games. Last season, he played 33 games for the Thunder and another for the Bucks. He began his career with Sacramento and also played one full season and part of another for Dallas.
The Mavericks waived Jackson during training camp prior to this season.
Boston has a handful of players in the league’s health and safety protocols — Sam Hauser, Juan Hernangomez, Al Horford, Jabari Parker and Grant Williams. The exemption is being used by multiple clubs to handle the current COVID crisis around the league. Players signed via the exemption don’t count against the 15-man roster limit.
Mario Chalmers Signs In G League
DECEMBER 18: Chalmers will join the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, and will take part in the G League Showcase from December 19-22, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
DECEMBER 14: Free agent Mario Chalmers is pursuing an NBA comeback and has signed a contract in the G League, agents Ronnie Chalmers and Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors. Chalmers will be free to sign with any team if he goes unclaimed on waivers over the next 48 hours.
Chalmers, 35, is one of several veterans to choose the G League in recent weeks, joining Isaiah Thomas (Grand Rapids Gold) and Langston Galloway (College Park Skyhawks). He bypassed interest from multiple teams overseas to return to the U.S. At least one G League team has already made a commitment to the point guard, his agents said.
“Finishing my career where I started would mean the world to me,” Chalmers said of possibly returning to the NBA. “I first got drafted into the NBA. I never had dreams of walking away from the game of basketball overseas, so this would be a great way to end my career. Just being back at home in front of the fans that helped me get to where I am today.”
Chalmers most recently played in Greece, appearing in 22 games for Aris Basketball Club in 2020/21. He averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 assists and 22.2 minutes per contest, shooting 46% from the floor and 37% from deep.
“This is the most expedient route for Mario to get in front of NBA eyes,” Dianis explained. “Playoff teams need players who know how to win. Mario is a proven winner with championship pedigree.”
Chalmers was the No. 34 pick in 2008 after spending three seasons at Kansas, where he famously hit a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in the NCAA championship game to force overtime and help his team win the national title.
Chalmers also started at point guard for the Heat between 2010-14, when the club won two NBA championships and made four Finals appearances. A nine-year veteran, he has made past NBA stops with Miami and Memphis, averaging 8.9 points and 3.7 assists in 22.5 minutes per game.
“I have a lot left in the tank,” Chalmers said. “I have fresh legs, a fresh body and I’m ready for that full NBA grind again. A lot of teams are fighting for those 16 playoff spots, so at the end of the day, if someone gets hurt or COVID becomes an issue, I’m ready.
“I’ve been in the gym. I catch on fast and won’t miss a beat. I’ve already been there before. At the end of the day, I know what it takes to help win a championship.”
Evan Mobley, Marcus Morris, Miles McBride Enter Protocols
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley (Twitter link), Clippers forward Marcus Morris and Knicks guard Miles McBride (Twitter link) have all entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to their respective teams. All three updates were released on Saturday morning.
Mobley, Morris and McBride join a growing list of players in the league’s protocols. A total of 58 players are currently waiting to return, according to our tracker. Assuming the trio tested positive for COVID-19, they’ll be out for at least 10 days unless they register consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Mobley, 20, is currently enjoying a stellar rookie season. In 25 games, he’s averaged 13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 33.6 minutes, starting in every one of his contests.
Morris, an 11-year veteran, is one of many Clippers players on the team’s injury report for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City, but he’s the only player listed out due to the protocols.
McBride shined in the Knicks’ 116-103 win over Houston on Thursday, recording 15 points, nine rebounds and four steals as a starter. New York now has six players in the protocols.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Enter Protocols
11:51am: Irving has now been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, making him the ninth Nets player on the list.
According to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (Twitter link), the typical testing process for Irving to rejoin the team wouldn’t have required him to be entered into the protocols, so he registered either a positive or inconclusive test.
Irving needs five consecutive days of negative tests to join the team for practices, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
10:38 am: Nets superstar Kevin Durant has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Durant has tested positive on multiple occasions over the past two years. He had his own bout with the virus shortly after the pandemic struck. He missed three games last January after testing positive and missed three more in February after being deemed a close contact.
Durant has been playing at an MVP level, carrying the team through its current COVID crisis. He’s averaging 33.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 6.7 APG this month for a team currently on a four-game winning streak.
Brooklyn, which has the Eastern Conference’s top record, also has seven other players on the protocols list. That group includes LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre’ Bembry, Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, James Harden, James Johnson and Paul Millsap.
The Nets have been scrambling to have enough players in uniform. They announced on Saturday that James Ennis and Shaquille Harrison have been signed to 10-day contracts using the hardship exemption. Langston Galloway was previous signed under the same conditions.
They also announced on Friday that Kyrie Irving would return to the team and play in road games.
Rockets Waive House, Promote Mathews, Sign Queen
DECEMBER 18: The Rockets announced via a press release they have converted Mathews’ two-way contract into a standard contract, signed Queen to a two-way contract, and waived House.
DECEMBER 17: The Rockets are waiving Danuel House, signing two-way player Garrison Mathews to a standard four-year contract worth more than $8MM, and signing wing Trevelin Queen to a two-way deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (All Twitter links).
The Rockets had been looking for a way to create an opening on their 15-man roster in order to convert Mathews, and they’ve done so by waiving House. Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that the Rockets will use a portion of their mid-level exception to convert Mathews to a standard contract.
The Rockets will be responsible for the full $3.9MM of House’s guaranteed contract this season, although he’s already earned approximately $1.4MM, so it’s really an additional $2.5MM, as Marks tweets.
House has been out of Houston’s rotation this season as the team prioritizes younger players. In 16 games this season (14.6 MPG), he averaged 4.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG on .338/.294/.895 shooting. If he clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
The Rockets claimed Mathews off waivers the day before the season started and converted his Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract. He’s certainly earned his promotion to a standard deal; in 11 games since entering the starting lineup, Mathews has averaged 14.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .435/.378/.795 shooting in 33 MPG. He’s attempting 8.2 three-pointers (3.1 makes) and 3.5 free throws during that stretch, a very nice shot profile for an analytically-driven Houston team. The Rockets are 7-4 over those 11 games.
The 24-year-old Queen has been playing with Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grand Valley Vipers. In 10 games with the Vipers, he’s averaging 22.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.3 APG and 2.9 SPG.
Nets Sign James Ennis, Shaq Harrison Via Hardship Exemption
DECEMBER 18: Brooklyn has signed both players, the team tweets.
DECEMBER 16: The Nets are planning to use the hardship exemption to sign forward James Ennis, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. They will also give Shaquille Harrison a 10-day deal using the same exemption, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The team was missing seven players on Thursday due to health and safety protocols — James Harden, Bruce Brown, Paul Millsap, Jevon Carter, James Johnson, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre’ Bembry. Joe Harris is recovering from ankle surgery.
Despite being shorthanded, Brooklyn won its fourth straight by downing Philadelphia 114-105. The club had only nine players available, including Langston Galloway, who received a 10-day contract on Thursday using the exemption.
The well-travelled Ennis appeared in 41 games for the Magic last season, including 37 starts. He averaged 8.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 24.0 MPG. He failed to find a free agent offer after playing out his one-year, $3.3MM contract with Orlando.
Harrison played a combined 34 regular-season games off the bench for the Jazz and Nuggets last season. He also appeared in nine playoff games for Denver. He was waived by the Sixers during training camp.
Prior to Thursday’s game, Nets coach Steve Nash expressed concern about overusing Kevin Durant.
“I don’t know we can continue to lean on him the way we have,” he said, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “It doesn’t feel right.”
Kings Place Davion Mitchell In Protocols, Sign Justin Robinson
8:45 PM: The Kings have signed Robinson to a 10-day deal using the hardship exception and he will be available to play Friday night, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
4:01 PM: The Kings have placed guard Davion Mitchell in the health and safety protocols, according to Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 Sacramento (Twitter link). Mitchell was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game vs. Memphis – perhaps in the hopes that his COVID-19 test was a false positive – but he has now been ruled out, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Even if a player registers a false positive, he needs to return consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart in order to exit the protocols, so a negative result today wouldn’t have cleared Mitchell, assuming he tested positive earlier in the day.
Sacramento also has five other players in the health and safety protocols and is missing Richaun Holmes due to a right eye injury. On top of that, Tyrese Haliburton (back) and Chimezie Metu (knee) are listed as questionable for Friday’s game. If Haliburton and Metu are ruled out, the club would be down to eight available players, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee notes (via Twitter).
According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the Kings may sign free agent guard Justin Robinson before tonight’s contest to provide further reinforcements, assuming the game takes place as scheduled. Robinson would receive a 10-day contract via a hardship exception in that scenario.
Robinson began the season on a two-way contract with Milwaukee and appeared in 17 games for the team, averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.2 APG on .316/.270/1.000 shooting in 11.6 minutes per contest. However, he was waived at the end of November when the Bucks opted to replace him on the roster with Javonte Smart.
NBA, NBPA Discussing Requiring Replacement Players For COVID-Hit Teams
Amidst the massive influx of players testing positive for the coronavirus, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are discussing a plan that would require teams affected by COVID-19 to add replacement players, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Baxter Holmes.
Wojnarowski and Holmes write that NBA owners are desperate to avoid postponements and cancellations, and have come to an agreement on a plan to essentially update the hardship exception, but it must be approved by the NBPA as well.
The proposed plan would follow the same initial requirements as the hardship exception: four players need to be sidelined (either by injury or COVID) in order to sign a replacement player, but any teams with five or more players out would be required to sign additional players, in order to ensure teams have the minimum of eight players available.
So, four players out: replacement player available, but not required. Five players out: one replacement required. Six out, two required. Seven out, three required. A maximum of three replacement players would be available. All replacement players would be on 10-day contracts, the same as the current hardship exception.
Under the proposed plan, the 10-day replacement players would not count against the salary cap or luxury tax, which is a significant change for teams, according to Wojnarowski and Holmes.