Serge Ibaka Out For Game 3 With Back Pain
The Clippers, who already have their back to the walls, won’t have one of their top big men available against the Mavericks on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Serge Ibaka will sit out due to a lingering back issue. The Clippers lost the first two games of the series with Ibaka playing limited minutes. He only saw action for six minutes in Game 2 after a 13-minute stint in Game 1.
Ibaka played two games late in the regular season after being sidelined for two months due to his back injury. Ibaka admitted to the media just after the regular season he’s been dealing with a nerve issue in his back all season and it hasn’t fully healed.
Ibaka was one of the key signings the Clippers made after last season’s playoff flameout. Ibaka inked a two-year, $19MM contract that included a $9.72MM player option this summer.
Projected Lottery Pick Isaiah Jackson To Stay In Draft
Kentucky freshman power forward Isaiah Jackson will remain in the pool for the 2021 NBA draft, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
The 6’10” Jackson could be a late-lottery pick. The 19-year-old is projected as the No. 11 selection on ESPN’s big board. Givony adds that Jackson has hired an agent, and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility for an opportunity at the next level.
“All the feedback from teams has been good,” Jackson told ESPN. “People are saying lottery, which is what I wanted. That’s one of the main reasons I’m declaring, so my agent can get involved and speak on my behalf in terms of negotiating and making sure he can get me to the right team.”
“I want to do camps and autograph signings to get some money in my pocket,” Jackson added. “In order to set that up I need to be fully declared.”
During his lone college season with Kentucky, Jackson averaged 8.6 PPG (on 55% field goal shooting), 6.6 RPG and 2.1 BPG across 21 minutes per contest. Givony notes that the athletic Jackson’s growth during the season as a rim runner and pick-and-roll finisher bodes well for his two-way potential.
On defense, Jackson was an excellent rebounder and boasted an elite 12.7% shot-blocking percentage that put him in the heady company of recent Wildcats-turned-pros Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel. Jackson made the All-Freshman and All-Defensive SEC teams for the 2020/21 season.
Donte DiVincenzo Will Miss Rest Of Playoffs
12:55pm: The Bucks have announced further details on the injury that will sideline DiVincenzo for the remainder of the 2021 playoffs (Twitter link). An MRI and examination by team doctor Dr. Carole Vetter revealed that DiVincenzo is suffering from a torn ligament in his left ankle, per the team.
11:53am: Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo will miss the remainder of the postseason after suffering a serious tendon injury in his left foot, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
DiVincenzo was hurt on a drive to the basket in the second quarter of Thursday’s game. He was fouled by Goran Dragic on the play and limped off the court.
The third-year guard started all 66 games he played this season and turned in a career-best year with 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per night. Although Milwaukee appears to have its first-round series in hand with a 3-0 lead over Miami, DiVincenzo’s absence could make a difference in later rounds.
DiVincenzo will be extension-eligible this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Lakers Ink 20-Year Staples Center Lease Extension
The Lakers have signed an extension with the Staples Center that will keep them at their home arena through 2041, per a team press release. The Lakers have played at the Staples Center since the 1999/2000 season, when the franchise won its first title in more than a decade. The news was first reported by David Wharton at the Los Angeles Times.
The club has won six titles during its tenure at the Staples Center, including the pandemic-truncated 2019/20 season. The press release notes that L.A. has a regular season record of 987-780 and a playoff mark of 139-79 during its 22 years at Staples Center.
“We are excited to extend our partnership with [Staples Center owner] AEG,” said team owner Jeanie Buss in a statement. “Staples Center ranks as one of the best arenas in the world to play and watch basketball and we are thrilled to be able to call it home for another two decades.”
The Lakers’ press release also indicated that the team and AEG intend to make serious renovations to the arena. Wharton’s sources noted that another reason behind the franchise sticking around was that it wanted to remain in downtown L.A.
This is a big get for the Staples Center, especially as the Lakers’ NBA co-tenants in the arena, the Clippers, continue to plan their likely exit to a new Inglewood arena within the next few years.
Mavs Confident In Ability To Re-Sign Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is expected to be one of the top wings available on the free agent market this offseason, but he may end up not going anywhere. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), there’s confidence within the Mavericks‘ organization about the team’s ability to sign Hardaway to a new contract.
Hardaway, 29, is in the final season of the four-year, $71MM deal he signed with the Knicks in 2017. New York faced some criticism at the time of the signing for what was perceived as an overpay, but Hardaway has lived up to his end of the bargain, averaging 16.9 points on .423/.364/.825 shooting and playing solid defense in 263 games (30.5 MPG) for the Knicks and Mavericks over the life of the contract.
Having made 39.4% of his three-point attempts during the last two years in Dallas, Hardaway has gotten even hotter to start the postseason, averaging 24.5 PPG and making 11-of-17 threes in the Mavs’ two wins over the Clippers in Los Angeles. If he keeps it up and helps push the team to the second round, that should only help his stock in free agency.
According to Basketball Insiders’ data, the Mavs currently have approximately $73MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2021/22. Theoretically, Dallas could create a sizeable chunk of cap room, but that would depend on what they do with free agents like Hardaway, J.J. Redick, and Boban Marjanovic. Josh Richardson‘s $11.6MM player option and Willie Cauley-Stein‘s $4.1MM team option are also wild cards that could impact the club’s flexibility.
Even if the Mavs were to carve out significant cap space, it’s unclear whether they’d realistically be able to land anyone who fits the current roster better than Hardaway, considering this year’s free agent class isn’t particularly star-studded. Focusing on re-signing the veteran wing makes sense, though it may take an offer that matches or exceeds his previous $18MM annual salary to lock him up.
Kevin Pritchard’s Job With Pacers Not In Danger
During his end-of-season press conference earlier this week, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard suggested that the team would have to make a decision not just on head coach Nate Bjorkgren, but on Pritchard as well. The veteran executive told reporters that he was being “evaluated” and that team owner Herb Simon would have to decide “if I’m fit for this job.”
The Pacers have made a decision, according to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star, who hears that Pritchard met with Simon this week and will remain in his current position as Indiana’s president of basketball operations. His job isn’t in any danger at this point, Michael reports.
Pritchard, who joined the Pacers’ front office in 2011, was promoted to his current position in May of 2017. He immediately faced criticism for the July 2017 trade that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City for Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo, but that move ultimately paid off, and he has continued to make savvy roster additions since then. The 2019 trade for T.J. Warren and the 2021 acquisition of Caris LeVert are among Pritchard’s most notable deals.
With a decision made on Pritchard, the Pacers figure to turn their attention to Bjorkgren, whose job is in jeopardy after a tumultuous and disappointing year in Indiana.
Injuries decimated the roster, and Bjorkgren did about as well as could be expected with the talent available. However, he also rubbed players and coaches the wrong way at times and reportedly had some communication problems, as well as a tendency to micro-manage.
Bjorkgren has one guaranteed year left on his contract with the Pacers, so if the club does make a change, ownership will have to pay two head coaches in 2021/22.
14 NBA Players On Canada’s Preliminary Olympic Qualifying Roster
Team Canada has yet to secure a place in the men’s basketball event at the Tokyo Olympics, but the club should have a loaded roster as it looks to lock up a spot in a qualifying tournament next month.
Canada Basketball issued a press release today announcing its 21-player preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifier, and the group includes 14 players who finished the season on NBA contracts. Here’s the full list:
- Kyle Alexander, F
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G (Pelicans)
- RJ Barrett, G (Knicks)
- Trae Bell-Haynes, G
- Anthony Bennett, F
- Khem Birch, C (Raptors)
- Oshae Brissett, F (Pacers)
- Dillon Brooks, F (Grizzlies)
- Brandon Clarke, F (Grizzlies)
- Aaron Doornekamp, F
- Luguentz Dort, F (Thunder)
- Melvin Ejim, F
- Cory Joseph, G (Kings)
- Trey Lyles, F (Spurs)
- Mychal Mulder, G (Warriors)
- Andrew Nicholson, F
- Andrew Nembhard, G
- Kelly Olynyk, F (Rockets)
- Dwight Powell, F (Mavericks)
- Tristan Thompson, C (Celtics)
- Andrew Wiggins, F (Warriors)
Of the seven players who didn’t play in the NBA this season, one (Bennett) is a former first overall pick, another (Nicholson) was also a first-round selection, and a third (Alexander) has NBA experience. Bell-Haynes has played in the G League, while Doornekamp, Ejim, and Nembhard all have extensive experience representing Canada in past international competitions.
Still, a few noteworthy names are missing from the list. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is recovering from a torn ACL and won’t be able to participate. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also dealing with an injury, announcing on Instagram that rehabbing the plantar fasciitis in his right foot will prevent him from representing Team Canada.
Raptors big man Chris Boucher is a third notable omission. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Boucher is focused on rehabbing a knee sprain and wants to make sure he’s 100% healthy heading into 2021/22. He also has a somewhat uncertain contract situation — his $7MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed, though I’d be shocked if he’s not retained.
Even without Murray, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Boucher, Canada Basketball is in position to run out a roster stacked with NBA talent and led by former NBA Coach of the Year Nick Nurse.
While the final roster will depend in part on which players are available, none of the 21 players on the preliminary are on teams expected to still be alive for the conference finals. However, a club like Powell’s Mavericks or Barrett’s Knicks could surprise.
Team Canada will compete against Greece, China, Uruguay, Turkey, and the Czech Republic in a qualifying tournament in Victoria, British Columbia between June 29 and July 4. If the club wins that six-team qualifier, it will be part of the 12-team field in Tokyo and would be a legit contender for a medal.
NBA Vows To “Vigorously” Enforce Enhanced Code Of Conduct For Fans
11:54am: The Knicks announced today that they’ve identified the fan who spat on Young during Wednesday’s game and banned him from Madison Square Garden indefinitely.
“This was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our venue,” the Knicks said in their statement. “We have turned the information over to the appropriate authorities.”
11:08am: In the wake of multiple incidents involving players and fans during the first week of the playoffs, the NBA issued a press release today in which the league vowed to more strongly enforce its guidelines for fan conduct in arenas.
“The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans,” the NBA said in its statement. “An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved.”
The press release also linked to the NBA’s Fan Code of Conduct, which can be found here.
As we detailed in an earlier story, Wizards guard Russell Westbrook had popcorn dumped on him by a fan in Philadelphia as he was limping to the locker room with an ankle injury. The Sixers have revoked that fan’s season ticket membership and banned him indefinitely from attending events at Wells Fargo Center.
Additionally, a Knick fan appeared to spit on Hawks guard Trae Young during Wednesday’s game (link via Bleacher Report), and Jason Quick of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that multiple Trail Blazers players took issue with some Nuggets fans as the team was leaving the court in Game 2. Westbrook and Lakers forward LeBron James were among the stars who called for the NBA on Wednesday to more effectively protect its players.
For much of the season, the league hasn’t really had to deal with policing fan behavior at its games, since attendance has been extremely limited in most arenas across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, with restrictions loosening and many teams now hosting 10,000+ fans in their buildings, it has once again become a concern.
Shareholder Files Complaint Over Pending Sale Of Timberwolves
MAY 27: Taylor has issued the following statement, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link): “I am aware of the story published by ESPN and the litigation that has been filed. As a policy, we do not comment on pending legal matters. I stand by my prior statements and commitment to keeping the Timberwolves and Lynx in Minnesota.”
MAY 26: The Timberwolves‘ second largest shareholder has filed a legal complaint related to the pending sale of the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Meyer Orbach filed the document today in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, alleging that Glen Taylor‘s agreement with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez violates the franchise’s partnership agreement. The complaint charges that Taylor didn’t honor “tag along rights” that would give minority investors the opportunity to sell their interests in the team before Taylor does.
Orbach owns more than 17% of the Wolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. He claims the “tag along” provision should be exercised immediately once the sale is finalized.
Lore and Rodriguez reached an agreement on May 13 to buy the Wolves for $1.5 billion, but the purchase won’t be official until the new owners receive approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors.
Orbach’s complaint reveals that Taylor didn’t include a provision in the sale agreement that would prohibit Lore and Rodriguez from moving the franchise away from Minnesota, Wojnarowski adds. Taylor has spoken frequently of his commitment to the area and his desire for the team to remain in place once he no longer owns it.
Instead, the agreement has a clause that would require the new owners to “present to the Advisory Board for discussion” any plan to take the franchise out of the Twin Cities market, Wojnarowski states. However, there is no language in the deal that expressly prohibits a move.
Chris Paul Listed As Probable For Game 3
Chris Paul‘s availability could determine the Suns‘ chances to knock off the Lakers in the first round, and Phoenix fans have reason to be encouraged for Game 3. The veteran guard is listed as probable for Thursday’s contest in the official injury report, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
After suffering a right shoulder contusion in Game 1, Paul was visibly limited in the Game 2 loss Tuesday night, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The shoulder was wrapped with kinesiology tape, but Paul moved much slower than usual and passed up midrange shots that he normally takes.
Suns coach Monty Williams didn’t want to risk further injury with so much of the series left to play. He took Paul out of the game four minutes into the second half and kept him on the bench for the rest of the third quarter. He let Paul play about two and a half minutes in the fourth quarter, but pulled him for good with 7:01 remaining.
“That was all me,” Williams said of the decision. “Just looking at him holding his arm the way that he was, I just couldn’t watch him run like that. He was trying to make plays. He battled. I just made a decision to take him out.”
Paul said he “heard a crack” after colliding with teammate Cameron Johnson in the second quarter on Sunday. Johnson’s shoulder hit the side of Paul’s face and caused his neck to twist. Paul grabbed his right trapezius in pain after the collision, but the problem turned out to be with his shoulder. Phoenix isn’t releasing much information on the injury, other than calling it a contusion.
The team spent two days working on Paul’s shoulder and arm mobility. He wasn’t listed on the Game 2 injury report, and the Suns were encouraged by the progress he showed at Tuesday’s shootaround. Those feelings quickly changed once the game began.
“He’s not able to make the passes he wants,” Williams told reporters afterward. “He was laboring tonight. I don’t want to get into too many details until I talk to him. But you could see that his arm wasn’t … he wasn’t even running the way he ran and dribbled the ball this morning.”