USA Basketball Expands Finalist List for Olympic Roster
Fifteen players have been added to the list of finalists for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced today in a press release. The group will eventually be pared down to 12 players who will participate in the Olympic Games, which are set for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will serve as coach for the U.S. team, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Villanova coach Jay Wright and former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as his assistants.
No tryouts will be held this year. Instead, USA Basketball will choose the final roster by early summer. Training camp is scheduled to being in early July before the conclusion of the NBA playoffs.
“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” USA Basketball men’s national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that. Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because of all of the uncertainties we face about availability. But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”
The new names under consideration are:
- Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
- Eric Gordon (Rockets)
- Jerami Grant (Pistons)
- Blake Griffin (Nets)
- Jrue Holiday (Bucks)
- DeAndre Jordan (Nets)
- Zach LaVine (Bulls)
- Julius Randle (Knicks)
- Duncan Robinson (Heat)
- Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
- Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
- John Wall (Rockets)
- Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
- Christian Wood (Rockets)
- Trae Young (Hawks)
Forty-two players remain from the original list, which was announced in February 2020:
- Bam Adebayo (Heat)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
- Harrison Barnes (Kings)
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Devin Booker (Suns)
- Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jimmy Butler (Heat)
- Mike Conley (Jazz)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Anthony Davis (Lakers)
- DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
- Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
- Kevin Durant (Nets)
- Paul George (Clippers)
- Draymond Green (Warriors)
- James Harden (Nets)
- Montrezl Harrell (Lakers)
- Joe Harris (Nets)
- Tobias Harris (76ers)
- Gordon Hayward (Hornets)
- Dwight Howard (Sixers)
- Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
- Kyrie Irving (Nets)
- LeBron James (Lakers)
- Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
- Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
- Damian Lillard (Blazers)
- Brook Lopez (Bucks)
- Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
- Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
- JaVale McGee (Cavaliers)
- Khris Middleton (Bucks)
- Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- Victor Oladipo (Rockets)
- Chris Paul (Suns)
- Mason Plumlee (Pistons)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Myles Turner (Pacers)
- Kemba Walker (Celtics)
- Russell Westbrook (Wizards)
- Derrick White (Spurs)
Two players removed from that list are Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, and Celtics guard Marcus Smart. Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that Smart turned down an invitation because of injury concerns due to having a short offseason and playing late into consecutive seasons (Twitter link).
Meyers Leonard Receives Fine, Suspension For Comment
The NBA has fined Heat center Meyers Leonard $50K for making an anti-Semitic comment, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Leonard has also been suspended for a week from all Heat facilities and team activities. The $50K fine is the largest allowable under league rules.
Leonard, who uttered the slur during a video game livestream, will also be required to take part in a cultural diversity program (Twitter link).
“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful, and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Yesterday he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful. We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league — equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect — at all times moving forward.” (Twitter link)
Leonard’s offensive comment came while he was playing “Call of Duty: Warzone” on Twitch. He issued an apology, calling it “not a proper representation of who I am.” Leonard is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury and has a $10.1MM team option for next season.
Because Leonard is currently injured, he won’t forfeit salary for the games he misses during his week-long suspension, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Kyle Lowry Addresses Trade Rumors
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry understands the uncertainties of the trade market, but no matter what happens this month, he vows to remain loyal to the franchise where he has spent most of his NBA career, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Lowry, who will turn 35 when the trade deadline arrives March 25, has been the subject of rumors in recent weeks as Toronto ponders whether to be a buyer or seller. His on-court performance and championship experience make him attractive to contenders, and his expiring $30.5MM contract may make him expendable.
“At the end of the day, myself, my agent, the organization, everyone has to do what’s best for them, right? Everyone has to do what’s best for them, and that situation,” Lowry said. “Who knows what that is, right? Who knows what that’s going to be, who knows what that time is going to tell? For me, I know I’m still playing at a good enough level where I can help a team, I can help us, and get better.”
Lowry continues to produce for Toronto, averaging 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists through 29 games. He expressed an allegiance to the team he has been with for the past nine years, telling reporters, “I will retire as a Toronto Raptor.” However, he stopped short of pledging to re-sign with the organization when he becomes a free agent this summer, noting that retiring as a Raptor could mean eventually signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the franchise.
Lowry also addressed a report that he has been telling people he will be leaving Toronto, insisting to reporters that it isn’t true.
“I don’t really get into that stuff, and it doesn’t bother me because rumors are rumors and they will always be,” he said. “But when something is said that doesn’t verbally come from me and I haven’t said anything, that’s when it gets to the point of, ‘Did you have me on record saying that? I want to know who the source is, because the source is me.’ That stuff is where you kind of defend yourself. I don’t really care about it. It’s just to defend myself for a quick second.”
Lowry could be among the best players on the trade market, Bontemps adds, if the Raptors decide to part with him and teams are willing to take on his salary. Many star players have either been traded or signed extensions in recent months, and Lowry is among the top remaining names with an expiring contract.
“For me, personally, whatever happens, we’ll see,” Lowry said. “I don’t know. We don’t know. Like, honestly, I don’t know. If I could tell you, if I could look at a crystal ball, I would tell you, but I don’t know what the crystal ball says. I don’t what is going to happen. I don’t know what they’re thinking, I’m thinking. We’ll just kind of get to that point and figure it out from there.”
Sindarius Thornwell Gets Second 10-Day Contract With Pelicans
The Pelicans have signed guard Sindarius Thornwell to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on Twitter.
This is the third contract of the season for Thornwell, even though he has been with New Orleans virtually the entire time. He signed a non-guaranteed deal in training camp, then was waived last month to avoid having his $1.62MM cap hit locked in for the entire season.
Teams can only offer players two 10-day deals, so if the Pelicans want to keep Thornwell after this one expires, they’ll have to sign him for the rest of the season. Thornwell has appeared in 11 games so far, starting one, and averages 1.4 PPG in 4.8 minutes per night.
The former South Carolina star was a second-round pick in 2017 and spent his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers. He joined the Pelicans as a substitute player for the restart last summer, but only played two games in Orlando.
The signing leaves New Orleans with one open roster spot.
Spurs To Part With LaMarcus Aldridge
The Spurs and LaMarcus Aldridge have reached an agreement to part ways, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Coach Gregg Popovich broke the news tonight on a pre-game Zoom call with reporters, saying, “We’ve mutually agreed for him to work on some opportunities elsewhere.” (Twitter link from Tim MacMahon of ESPN)
Aldridge’s departure could take the form of a trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that San Antonio is working on trade scenarios for the veteran big man and has been “engaged on several fronts” (Twitter link). The Spurs are confident that they can find a trade partner, possibly within the next week, and no move has been made toward a buyout, sources tell Woj (Twitter link).
Aldridge, 35, lost his starting job last month and was coming off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. He’s averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 36% from three-point range, but the emergence of Jakob Poeltl has made him expendable.
Popovich explained that Aldridge has accepted his new role, but the organization believes he would be better off somewhere else.
“He’s been a great teammate, there’s no problem there,” Popovich said. “We just think this is a win-win for LaMarcus and the club. When an opportunity arises, that will be up to management, his agent and we will all move forward.” (Twitter link from Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News)
Aldridge is making $24MM this season in the final year of his contract, so it won’t be easy for another team to match salaries in a deal.
Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel notes that Heat president Pat Riley tried to lure Aldridge as a free agent in 2015, but didn’t have enough cap room to make a competitive offer (Twitter link). Winderman suggests (via Twitter) that some combination of Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala would work salary-wise, but Miami would likely have to throw in another asset to get the Spurs’ interest.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors Sign Henry Ellenson To 10-Day Contract
5:18pm: The signing is official, the team announced in a press release.
10:11am: The Raptors will fill the open spot on their 15-man roster by signing free agent power forward Henry Ellenson to a 10-day contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Ellenson, who was in camp with Toronto in December, had been playing for the Raptors 905 in the G League bubble for the last month. Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate was eliminated from the postseason on Tuesday night, and it appears the Raptors are wasting no time in calling up the 24-year-old to the NBA club.
The 18th overall pick in 2016, Ellenson has appeared in a total of 81 NBA regular season contests for the Pistons, Knicks, and Nets, averaging just 4.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 9.2 minutes per game.
He has played a more regular role in the G League across 74 career NBAGL games. This season, he recorded 21.2 PPG and 8.1 RPG on .493/.427/.882 shooting in 15 games (30.6 MPG) as a key contributor for a Raptors 905 squad that earned the No. 1 seed heading into the single-elimination playoffs. The team was knocked out in the semifinals.
Ellenson, who received a $50K partial guarantee on his initial preseason deal with the Raptors, will earn approximately $119K on his new 10-day deal, with Toronto taking on a $111K cap hit, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). He’ll fill the roster spot that was vacated when Donta Hall‘s 10-day deal with the club expired over the weekend.
Raptors Remain Short-Handed Due To COVID-19
A week off for the All-Star break didn’t resolve the Raptors‘ coronavirus situation, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw all remain in the league’s health and safety protocols and won’t be available for Thursday’s game with the Hawks.
Toronto’s issues with the virus began in late February when a member of the coaching staff reportedly tested positive, forcing head coach Nick Nurse and most of his assistants into contact tracing. Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo, who was in quarantine at the time after coaching the Spanish national team, has been filling in as head coach ever since. There’s no update on the status of the coaches, but Lewenberg suggests that more information may be available after practice later today (Twitter link).
Siakam, who returned an inconclusive rapid test at the same time, has been in the protocol for 12 days, Lewenburg adds (via Twitter). The other four players have been sidelined for eight days each.
The Raptors’ February 28 game against the Bulls was postponed because Toronto didn’t have enough eligible players, and a game against the Pistons was rescheduled from March 2 to March 3. Currently in eighth place in the East, the Raptors are 1-2 since their COVID-19 problems began.
Sixers Have Reportedly Inquired On Will Barton
Nuggets guard Will Barton is among the players the Sixers have inquired on as they seek another play-making wing, a source tells Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report.
Dumas also names Delon Wright, George Hill, and P.J. Tucker as potential trade targets for Philadelphia. He has previously reported on the 76ers’ inquiries into Wright and Hill, while the club’s interest in Tucker has been mentioned repeatedly elsewhere, including on Tuesday by Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer.
Barton, 30, is a key rotation player in Denver, averaging 11.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG on .442/.388/.755 shooting in 33 games (29.9 MPG). However, as Dumas observes, the veteran wing has seen his role cut back a little due to the ongoing emergence of Michael Porter Jr. Barton’s 18.3% usage rate is the lowest mark of his career.
Still, it may be hard for two teams in win-now mode to work out a trade that would benefit both clubs in the short term.
While Danny Green‘s expiring $15.4MM contract would match up well with Barton’s $13.7MM deal, it’s not clear if the Nuggets would have any interest in the 33-year-old sharpshooter, since they have no shortage of floor-spacers — nine of their 10 most-used players are shooting 36% or higher on three-pointers with at least one make per game (Gary Harris, at 32.0%, is the lone exception). And while Green is a solid defender, he lacks Barton’s play-making ability.
Whether or not they can strike a deal for Barton, the 76ers seem more focused on adding a complementary player than on making a splashier move for a star like Kyle Lowry, according to Dumas, who says that landing the Raptors‘ guard is considered “far-fetched.”
Jazz Sign Ersan Ilyasova
MARCH 10: The Jazz have officially signed Ilyasova, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
MARCH 9: Free agent power forward Ersan Ilyasova has agreed to a sign a rest-of-season, minimum-salary contract with the Jazz, sources tell Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Schultz, Ilyasova is expected to officially sign on Wednesday after completing the COVID-19 protocol.
Ilyasova, who made his NBA debut back in 2006, has appeared in over 800 regular season contests for the Bucks and five other teams. In 2019/20, he averaged 6.6 PPG and 4.8 RPG with a .466/.365/.828 shooting line in 63 games (15.7 MPG) for Milwaukee.
Last season’s 36.5% mark from three-point range matches Ilyasova’s career rate, and his ability to stretch the floor from the power forward spot has been valuable over the years. While he’s not the most switchable or versatile defender, the 33-year-old has shown an uncanny knack over the years for taking charges on the defensive end.
Utah has had plenty of success this season with a forward rotation that includes Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neale, and Georges Niang, so it’s unclear if Ilyasova will see action outside of garbage time or if he’ll simply provide some extra frontcourt depth.
The Jazz had been carrying 13 players on standard contracts since waiving Shaquille Harrison on February 24. Since the NBA allows teams to dip below the required 14-player minimum for only two weeks at a time, they needed to add a player before the second half got underway this week, as we detailed on Monday. After signing Ilyasova, Utah will still have an open spot on its 15-man roster, but won’t have to fill it immediately — or at all.
Ilyasova will earn $17,567 per day for the rest of the regular season, with Utah’s cap hit working out to $11,100 per day. The exact rest-of-season figures will depend on when he officially signs — assuming it happens on Wednesday, he’ll earn $1,194,542 with a cap charge of $754,783.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Meyers Leonard To Be Away From Heat Indefinitely
After using an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch live stream yesterday, injured Heat reserve center Meyers Leonard will be “away from the team indefinitely,” the team announced in a statement (via Twitter).
Leonard issued an apology today for his comment, as Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
“While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong,” he said. “This is not a proper representation of who I am and I want to apologize to the Arisons, my teammates, coaches, front office, and everyone associated with the Miami Heat organization, to my family, to our loyal fans and to others in the Jewish community who I have hurt.”
After re-signing with the Heat for a guaranteed $9.4MM during the 2020 offseason, Leonard appeared in just three games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
The NBA and the Heat announced earlier today that they were reviewing the offending video clip in which Leonard uttered the slur as he played ‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ on Twitch. The Heat have since indicated they’ll let the league take the lead on the probe.
“The words used by Meyers Leonard were wrong and we will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with our franchise,” the team said. “The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation.”
The Heat’s contract with Leonard also includes a $10.1MM team option for the 2021/22 season. That option was always a long shot to be picked up — now, given the big man’s injury and this off-court incident, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which it’ll be exercised.