Heat’s Leonard Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out For Season
5:57pm: Leonard underwent surgery on Tuesday, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
4:33pm: Heat center Meyers Leonard will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Leonard has only appeared in three games this season, most recently on January 9. He strained his left shoulder in that game against the Wizards.
Injuries have dogged Leonard since he entered the league in 2012/13. He’s never played in more than 74 regular-season games. In his first season with the Heat last year, he started 49 of 51 regular-season contests and averaged 6.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 2o.3 MPG. He only saw action in three games during Miami’s postseason run to the Finals.
Leonard re-signed with the Heat on a two-year deal in November. He’s making $9.4MM this season but the team holds an option for 2021/22 worth $10.152MM. Leonard’s season-ending injury makes it even more unlikely the organization will exercise that option.
Miami has a full roster but could apply for a disabled player exception with Leonard sidelined for the season. It’d be worth $4.7MM if granted.
George Hill To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Thumb Injury
George Hill will be sidelined after having a minor surgical procedure on his right thumb today, the Thunder announced in an email. The veteran guard will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault told reporters last week that Hill suffered a sprain to his thumb, but X-rays were negative. He hasn’t played since January 24, with Theo Maledon taking his place in the starting lineup.
Hill, who was acquired in a four-team trade in November, has appeared in 14 games this season, all starts, and is averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists per night.
NBA, NBPA Progressing Toward Agreement On All-Star Game
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are making progress toward an agreement to hold an All-Star Game on Sunday, March 7 in Atlanta, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If finalized, it would be a single-night event at State Farm Arena that includes both a game and skills competitions, Wojnarowski adds.
The 2021 NBA All-Star weekend was originally scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, but the league postponed it — Indiana will now host the All-Star festivities in 2024.
Chris Paul, the president of the players’ union, has been among those pushing a revamped All-Star Game in Atlanta, which he’d like to use to benefit historically black colleges and universities and COVID-19 relief, Woj notes.
The idea of holding an All-Star Game at all amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has faced “resistance and skepticism” from a number of players and team executives, who view it as an unnecessary risk, according to Wojnarowski.
The safer approach would be to select two All-Star teams but not require players to travel from all over the country to a single site for a game, since one positive test among that group could result in mass postponements around the league at the start of the second half.
Still, the NBA sounds committed to trying to hold an All-Star Game, which is typically one of the league’s top events in terms of fan engagement, Wojnarowski observes. If an agreement can be officially reached, it would include a number of extra safeguards and protocols related to health and safety. Those details are still being negotiated.
The two sides are also believed to be discussing giving players the opportunity to opt out of participating in the game, which is usually mandatory for those selected, sources tell ESPN.
Pistons-Nuggets Game Postponed
The Pistons–Nuggets game on Monday has been postponed, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The postponement came just minutes before tipoff. It’s the 23rd this season under the league’s health and safety protocols.
According to an NBA press release, the postponement was due to ongoing contact tracing within the Pistons. The team does not have the league-required minimum of eight available players.
Detroit had not experienced any COVID-19 related issues prior to Monday. Its game against Washington on January 15 was postponed due to virus-related issues with the Wizards.
The Pistons just began a West Coast trip on Saturday with a loss at Golden State. They’re due to play the Jazz on Tuesday, the Suns on Friday and the Lakers on Saturday before returning home.
More testing will be required before any decisions are made regarding the status of their upcoming games, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
A positive or inconclusive coronavirus test on one player led to the postponement, Wojnarowski reports in another tweet. The Pistons were watching pregame film when they were notified.
Warriors’ Wiseman Out At Least One Week
Warriors rookie big man James Wiseman will be out at least a week due to a sprained left wrist, the team’s PR department tweets.
The second overall pick of the draft suffered the injury during Saturday night’s win over the Pistons. He’ll be re-evaluated in 7-10 days.
Wiseman is averaging 12.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 1.3 BPG in 21.o MPG. He’s started 16 of Golden State’s 20 games. He scored a season-high 25 points against Minnesota on Wednesday.
Kevon Looney was recently moved into the starting five ahead of Wiseman. Eric Paschall should also see an increase in playing time with Wiseman sidelined.
Tyler Herro Avoids Being Sidelined By COVID-19 Protocols
FEBRUARY 1: Herro is available to play on Monday night, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.
JANUARY 31: Starting Heat point guard Tyler Herro has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols for the novel coronavirus, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). We relayed earlier today that Herro discovered that his roommate tested positive for COVID-19 during halftime of the Heat’s 105-104 victory over the Kings last night.
Herro is missing practice with the team today and is questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Hornets.
No other Heat players have entered league COVID-19 protocols, Winderman notes, which would suggest that contact tracing has not pointed to teammates needing to quarantine at this juncture. If a contact tracing investigation determines that a player was in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, he is typically required to isolate and test negative for a week before returning to his club.
The Heat have been beset by a number of coronavirus-related absences in recent weeks. Herro’s All-Star teammate Jimmy Butler finally returned to the club last night after missing 10 games due to COVID-19 protocols. He scored 30 points in the win.
Aaron Gordon Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Ankle Injury
Magic forward Aaron Gordon has been diagnosed with a severe left ankle sprain and is expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Gordon suffered the injury during the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Toronto when he rolled the ankle while bringing the ball up the court. He was seen on crutches after the game.
While Gordon didn’t sustain a fracture, it’s still terrible news for a Magic team that has already been hit hard this season by injuries. Jonathan Isaac won’t play at all in 2020/21 due to a torn ACL and Markelle Fultz was limited to eight games before suffering an identical season-ending ACL tear.
Evan Fournier, Michael Carter-Williams, and Chuma Okeke have also missed time due to injuries, while Al-Farouq Aminu hasn’t been able to play at all as he continues to recover from a knee issue. With Gordon, Isaac, Aminu, and Okeke all currently on the shelf, Orlando will have to lean heavily on Gary Clark and Khem Birch at the power forward spot.
The Magic currently sit at No. 12 in the East with an 8-13 record. Without Gordon and so many other players available, they’ll be hard-pressed to make a run and push their way back up the standings in the coming weeks.
Grade 1 Calf Strain For Marcus Smart
1:27pm: Smart is now expected to miss two to three weeks with his left calf strain, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets.
10:31am: Smart is expected to miss one to two weeks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
8:56am: The Celtics are relieved this morning after finding out that guard Marcus Smart‘s injury is just a Grade 1 strain to his left calf, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Smart is expected to be sidelined for a while, sources tell Charania, but there were concerns that the injury was far worse.
Smart underwent an MRI this morning after hurting his leg in Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Smart landed awkwardly while pursuing a rebound in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the court.
Smart didn’t appear to land on anyone’s foot, Bontemps adds, but he grabbed the back of his leg and fell to the ground in pain. He didn’t put any weight on the leg as he was taken to Boston’s locker room. The Celtics announced that he had a strained calf and wouldn’t return to the game.
“Yeah, everybody was concerned with his health,” Jaylen Brown said following the game. “And he just, trying to do our best to redirect that energy, because when one guy goes down, we’ve got to step up. Marcus is essential to our team, man — he’s been great. Whether the numbers show it or not, Marcus has been a leader on this team; he’s been somebody that has been looking to get guys the ball in the right spots, including me. So to have him go down in the middle of the game like that, definitely had everybody concerned. Hopefully, the MRI is negative and we get him and we can get some wins on the road.”
Smart, a first-team All-Defensive selection last season, has stepped up his offensive game this year. He came into Saturday’s game averaging 13.2 points and 6.0 assists, which are career-best marks in both categories.
An extended injury for Smart would have been difficult for the Celtics, who have played extended stretches without Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum. The team is already short-handed in the backcourt with rookie Payton Pritchard sidelined with an MCL sprain and Walker remaining on a minutes limit.
Pelicans Target Atlantic Division Contenders For Redick
The Pelicans are targeting Atlantic Division contenders – the Nets, Sixers, and Celtics – as trade destinations for swingman J.J. Redick, per The Athletic writers Shams Charania, William Guillory, Jay King, Derek Bodner, Alex Schiffer and Danny Leroux.
As we relayed last week, teams have been reaching out to New Orleans about guards Redick and Lonzo Ball.
The Athletic piece suggests that Redick, on an expiring $13.1MM contract, would like to play for one of these northeast-based clubs, as his wife and children live in Brooklyn. Should Redick not be dealt by the March 25 deadline, the veteran could also become a buyout candidate for a contending team.
A catch-and-shoot wing like Redick could be a fit for all three clubs, and all three have expressed interest, per The Athletic.
Redick was the starting shooting guard for the Sixers from 2017-19, while Boston could use another reliable shooter. Brooklyn, meanwhile, depleted many of its potential trade pieces in the blockbuster deal that netted the team All-Star guard James Harden. Schiffer notes that the presence of newly-extended swingman Joe Harris – a similar player to Redick – and the Nets’ relative lack of assets may make a deal a longer shot for Brooklyn.
The 36-year-old Redick has been a healthy scratch for the last two Pelicans contests. At 7-11, New Orleans is currently out of the playoff picture in the West.
Redick is averaging 7.9 PPG in 19.9 MPG, his lowest such totals since his age-24 season in 2008/09. A career 41.4% three-point shooter and 89.2% free throw shooter, Redick is connecting on just 29.8% of his long range attempts this season, though he is making a stellar 100% on his 1.6 free throw tries.
Jordan Bell Released By Wizards
JANUARY 31: Bell will join the Erie BayHawks in the G League bubble, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. Before the 10-day contract, the Wizards designated Bell as one of their four flex-affiliate players with plans to have him play for the BayHawks. Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, isn’t participating in the Orlando bubble.
JANUARY 30: The Wizards have given center Jordan Bell an early release from his 10-day contract, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Bell was signed last Saturday under the hardship provision when Washington had seven players sidelined, Katz explains (Twitter link). The six who were in health and safety protocols for COVID-19 will all be back by tomorrow, leaving no room for Bell. The Wizards already have a full roster with 15 guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled.
Bell, 26, appeared in three games during his brief stay in Washington, averaging 3.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per night. He helped to fill a gap in the middle with Thomas Bryant lost for the year with an ACL injury and Moritz Wagner in the NBA’s protocols.