Isaiah Thomas Signs With Nuggets’ G League Affiliate
DECEMBER 13: Thomas has signed the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the league’s PR department tweets. He has a close relationship with the team’s coach, Jason Terry, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.
According to Singer, there’s a slim chance Thomas will ultimately get called up by the Nuggets. However, he remains free to sign with any NBA team if he impresses during his NBAGL stint.
DECEMBER 11: Isaiah Thomas will continue his quest for an NBA comeback in the G League, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Thomas has signed with the league and will take part in the G League Showcase from December 19-22 in Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old guard has been trying to re-establish himself in the NBA since suffering a lingering hip injury in 2017. He recently played for Team USA in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers in Mexico, leading the team with 42 total points and 13 assists in two games.
Thomas put together back-to-back All-Star seasons before being injured, but has experienced short and unsuccessful stays with five teams over the last four years. He appeared in just three games last season after signing a 10-day contract with the Pelicans in April.
Thomas said last month that he worked out for three NBA teams over the summer and was close to a deal, but nothing got finalized.
Talen Horton-Tucker Targeted By Numerous Teams
Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker has become a trade target for as many as seven teams, Jordan Schultz of Schultz Report tweets. However, the Lakers are reluctant to move one of their few young talents, so their asking price is high, Schultz adds.
The 21-year-old Horton-Tucker is averaging a career-best 11.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.9 APG and is coming off a 19-point, six-steal performance against Orlando. His season debut was delayed due to thumb surgery but he has become a major part of the rotation, averaging 29 MPG this month.
The 6’4” shooting guard in the first year of a three-year, $30.8MM deal and can’t be traded until January 15 after signing the new contract as a restricted free agent in August.
His $9.5MM salary this season makes him one of just two Lakers earning between the minimum and maximum. That could make him a necessary trade chip if the Lakers wants to make a win-now splash for a non-max player.
The Lakers are reportedly interested in the Pistons’ Jerami Grant, who’s making $20MM this season, and Horton-Tucker’s salary would likely be an essential component for Los Angeles to acquire Grant or a player with a similar contract.
NBA Postpones Bulls’ Next Two Games
The NBA has postponed the Bulls‘ game in Chicago on Tuesday vs. the Pistons, reports Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The league is also postponing the Bulls’ game in Toronto against the Raptors on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The Bulls have 10 players in the league’s health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. With Patrick Williams also sidelined due to a long-term wrist injury, Chicago has just eight active players. The club also has staff members and commentators in the protocols.
Typically, the NBA won’t postpone a game unless a team has fewer than eight players available, but the league is playing it safe in this instance to allow the Bulls to get a little healthier and to avoid risking further spread of COVID-19, tweets Wojnarowski.
Woj adds (via Twitter) that Chicago’s Department of Public Health was concerned about the Bulls continuing to play this week, which was a factor in the league’s decision.
Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu, Derrick Jones Jr., Troy Brown Jr., Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson, Alize Johnson, Coby White, and Javonte Green are the Bulls players in the protocols. White and Green are reportedly the closest to returning to action, but haven’t yet been fully cleared.
Last season, dozens of games were postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks and/or contact tracing. While a number of players have entered the league’s health and safety protocols after testing positive this season, the schedule hadn’t been affected at all until now — these are the first two postponements of the 2021/22 campaign.
“Renewed Optimism” About Possibility Of Irving Returning To Nets
There’s “renewed optimism” about the possibility of Kyrie Irving suiting up for the Nets this season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Irving hasn’t played at all in 2021/22, since he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19 and a municipal mandate in New York City prevents him from playing in home games. He’s eligible to participate in road games, but the Nets decided they didn’t want him to be a part-time player.
In order for Irving to return to action for Brooklyn, one of three things would need to happen:
- New York City would need to repeal or adjust its vaccine mandate.
- Irving would need to get vaccinated.
- The Nets would need to allow him to take part in road games.
Charania’s report doesn’t specify which of these routes is most likely. However, he notes that multiple City Hall officials – from both the outgoing and incoming NYC administrations – have told The Athletic that there are no plans to eliminate the mandate requiring individuals to be vaccinated in order to enter indoor venues.
That would leave vaccination or an adjustment to the Nets’ policy for road games as the only realistic paths for an Irving return. Charania doesn’t know which of those scenarios might come to fruition, but has heard recently from sources that Kyrie could play this season after all.
According to Charania, Irving and his good friend Kevin Durant have been talking more often as of late about his fit with the team, the Nets’ games, and life in general. There “appears to be an increased level of enthusiasm between the two superstars,” Charania adds.
This is just my speculation, but one report back in September stated there was a belief that Durant would help convince Irving to take the vaccine — perhaps that will ultimately happen a few months later.
Another recent report indicated that Irving may be interested in taking a plant-based vaccine, which is going through clinical trials, but it’s still likely months away from receiving full approval.
If Irving gets fully vaccinated, he would be eligible to play in all of Brooklyn’s home and road games. If the Nets adjust their policy and allow the star guard to play without being vaccinated, he would remain ineligible to play in home games, as well as in road games vs. the Knicks and Raptors.
Pistons Considered Open To Jerami Grant Trade
Pistons forward Jerami Grant is expected to be one of the most sought-after players on the trade market this season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Detroit is open to a possible deal.
Charania says that the Pistons get dozens of calls about Grant each week, though the list of known suitors isn’t long at this point.
Charania identifies the Trail Blazers and Lakers as a couple teams in pursuit of the 27-year-old. The Sixers have previously been said to have interest in Grant, but there have been conflicting reports about how serious that interest is. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote today that Grant would make sense as a trade target for the Jazz — that sounds more like speculation than anything concrete, though it’s worth noting that Charania also said today that Utah is in the market for a “defensive-minded wing” on the trade market.
Grant has expanded his game since arriving in Detroit, showing an ability to be an on-ball scorer and secondary play-maker after establishing himself as a solid spot-up shooter and defender in Oklahoma City and Denver. His skill set would appeal to most playoff teams, so he figures to draw widespread interest around the league if he’s legitimately available.
Grant is currently on the shelf due to torn ligaments in his right thumb and likely won’t return until closer to the trade deadline. However, both Charania and O’Connor hear that the injury is unlikely to affect his trade market or the Pistons’ willingness to listen to offers.
In 78 games (33.7 MPG) across two seasons with the Pistons, Grant has averaged 21.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.1 BPG on .425/.344/.847 shooting. He’s earning just over $20MM this season and his contract runs through 2022/23. As Charania observes, Grant will become extension-eligible during the 2022 offseason and could sign a four-year deal worth up to $112.65MM at that time.
Teams with trade interest in Grant know they’d have to go pretty close to that max – if not all the way up to it – in order to extend him before he reaches free agency in 2023, according to Charania, who likens Grant’s situation to that of Aaron Gordon a year ago. Denver acquired Gordon from Orlando at the trade deadline, then signed him in the offseason to a four-year extension with a base value of nearly $87MM.
Bulls’ Alize Johnson Enters Health And Safety Protocols
Yet another Bulls player has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that forward Alize Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Bulls are currently experiencing the league’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus this season, with 10 players in the protocols. The team only has eight healthy players available, though it’s possible Coby White and/or Javonte Green could exit the protocols and be cleared in time to play on Tuesday vs. Detroit.
The NBA typically requires teams to play their games if they have at least eight players available, so as long as the Bulls don’t enter any more players into the protocols today or tomorrow, the game vs. the Pistons may simply proceed as scheduled.
However, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (video link) says the Bulls have made an appeal to the NBA to postpone that game, which the league could consider — even if Chicago technically has eight players available, the outbreak has reached the point where a postponement may be worth it to ensure the Bulls have stopped the spread and won’t be putting another team at risk.
Besides Johnson, White, and Green, the Bulls players currently affected by the health and safety protocols are Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu, Derrick Jones Jr., Troy Brown Jr., Matt Thomas and Stanley Johnson. Patrick Williams is also unavailable due to a wrist injury that’s expected to keep him on the shelf for the rest of the regular season.
Following Tuesday’s home game vs. Detroit, the Bulls are scheduled to play in Toronto on Thursday.
Knicks, Lakers Among Teams Reportedly Interested In Ben Simmons
Following up on ESPN’s recent report stating that there may be momentum toward a Ben Simmons deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms that the Sixers have increased their efforts to explore multi-team trade scenarios involving Simmons.
According to Charania, the Knicks and Lakers are among the teams with interest in Simmons. Charania adds that the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Kings, Pacers, and Cavaliers also have interest, but those clubs have been previously cited as potential suitors for the three-time All-Star, whereas New York and Los Angeles are new additions to the list.
The Knicks would be a fascinating potential trade partner for Philadelphia. Their top offseason additions – Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker – haven’t been major successes so far and the team is off to a 12-15 start, perhaps increasing the likelihood of an in-season shakeup. New York would have the contracts necessary to match Simmons’ $33MM+ salary, and it’s probably safe to assume Tom Thibodeau would be a fan of what last season’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up could bring to the table on defense.
Still, while the Knicks might be willing to roll the dice on Simmons if all it took was Fournier, Walker, and a couple draft picks, Philadelphia will presumably seek a more significant return. The 76ers remain on the hunt for an All-Star caliber player and/or multiple first-round picks in any deal for Simmons, Charania notes.
It’s even trickier to imagine the Lakers as a realistic trading partner for the Sixers. Given the salaries on the team’s books, Los Angeles would almost certainly have to include Russell Westbrook in any trade involving Simmons and I’m skeptical that 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey would want to acquire Westbrook again after doing so in Houston didn’t pay dividends. Perhaps a three-team structure could work, but the Lakers seem like a long shot at best in the Simmons sweepstakes.
It’s unclear whether the Sixers have gained any real traction in any of their discussions involving Simmons, according to Charania.
Jaylen Brown To Return On Monday
Celtics star Jaylen Brown (hamstring strain) will return from a five-game absence on Monday against the Bucks, Brian Robb of Masslive.com writes. Boston has lost three straight games and went 1-4 during the stretch that Brown was sidelined.
“I’m feeling good,” Brown said, clearly motivated to return. “I’m feeling like myself, like how I started the season and how I was starting to feel coming back from COVID, getting my legs back up under me.
“Obviously, it’s been difficult to watch, especially wanting to be out there seeing how our team’s been fighting for the most part. It’s been hard to watch, but coming back I’m looking to just add to winning, trying to get everybody on the same page, bring energy and make winning basketball plays.”
Brown originally suffered the injury on November 4 and had missed eight contests. He then returned on a minutes limit for a handful of games, which he now believes was a mistake.
“I think I came back maybe a little too early before because I was not myself,” Brown admitted, as relayed by Robb. “And hamstring’s are a little bit tricky so we were just taking time to figure it out. The organization and the medical staff had good communication and we figured it out.”
The Celtics have struggled so far this season, owning just a 13-14 record to date. For his part, Brown has averaged 21.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 32.8 minutes per contest, appearing in 13 of the team’s 27 games. He’s expected to be available for 30 minutes when the club plays Milwaukee, according to Robb.
Ankle Soreness To Sideline Luka Doncic
All-Star Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will be sidelined for “multiple games” as a result of a sore left ankle, starting tonight against the Thunder, per Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Twitter link).
Stein adds that Dallas does not yet know when Doncic might return. He will miss his fifth game of the 2021/22 NBA season.
Doncic, who apparently entered the team’s training camp out of shape, has nevertheless enjoyed a solid season when available, averaging 25.6 PPG, 8.5 APG and 8.0 RPG across 21 games.
At 12-13, the Mavericks are currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The club is just 3-7 across its last ten contests, and without its best player in the lineup could sink further down the standings soon.
Zach LaVine, Troy Brown Jr. Join Seven Other Bulls In Protocols
Bulls star Zach LaVine has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Troy Brown Jr. has entered the protocols as well, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports (Twitter link), giving the team nine players affected by COVID-19.
Chicago was down to 11 available players Saturday night after Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson were both put in the protocols earlier in the day. The Bulls will need eight eligible players for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, and Wojnarowski suggests that postponements may be considered if the team’s outbreak continues (Twitter link). COVID-19 upended the NBA schedule early in 2020/21, but no games have been moved so far this season.
The team has already signed Johnson and Alfonzo McKinnie under the hardship exception and can continue to add players if necessary, points out Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
Chicago has a lighter schedule this week that could help alleviate the roster crunch. After Tuesday’s game, the Bulls will travel to Toronto on Thursday and will get two days off before hosting the Lakers next Sunday. Coby White and Javonte Green both have the potential to return during the week if they clear the protocols, K.C. Johnson tweets.
Under league rules, if LaVine and Brown tested positive, they will miss a minimum of 10 days unless they submit two consecutive negative tests more than 24 hours apart.