Ben Simmons To Be Re-Evaluated In Three Weeks
All-Star point guard Ben Simmons is making progress in his rehab from a lower back injury and will be re-evaluated in three weeks, according to a press release from the 76ers,
Simmons was diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back just over two weeks ago after going through a series of X-rays and MRIs.
The star point guard missed the team’s Feb. 20 contest against the Nets, then tried to play a couple of days later against the Bucks. However, he aggravated the injury further, only playing five minutes before being taken out. A report last week suggested Philadelphia is hoping to get Simmons back before the start of the postseason.
This season, Simmons is averaging 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 54 games. In his absence, the 76ers have struggled on both ends of the floor, losing recently to the Warriors, 118-114, to wrap up their four-game Western Conference road trip.
The Sixers have had second-year point guard Shake Milton, Raul Neto, and Alec Burks share the ball-handling duties in Simmons’ absence.
Bulls’ Hutchison Undergoing Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on March 17, the Bulls announced today in a press release. The procedure, which will address Hutchison’s acromioclavicular joint injury, has a projected recovery timeline of 12-16 weeks and will bring his season to an early end.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise, since a weekend report indicated that Hutchison was weighing the possibility of going under the knife. He’s the latest Bulls player to be ruled out for most or all of the rest of the 2019/20 campaign — Kris Dunn and Luke Kornet appear unlikely to return due to knee and foot injuries, respectively.
Hutchison, who was a first-round pick in 2018, has seen both of his two professional seasons cut short by health issues. In total, he has appeared in just 72 games (19.8 MPG), averaging 6.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .458/.295/.595 shooting since arriving in Chicago.
The Bulls have Hutchison under contract for a guaranteed $2.44MM salary in 2020/21 and will have to make a decision in the fall on his $4.02MM option for the 2021/22 season. Even if the 23-year-old is fully healthy for training camp, there’s no guarantee that option will be exercised.
Spurs’ DeRozan To Opt Out If Not Extended?
Spurs swingman DeMar DeRozan intends to opt out of his contract this summer if he and the team don’t reach a contract extension by the end of June, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
DeRozan, whose player option for 2020/21 is worth $27,739,975, must make a decision on that extension by June 29, per Basketball Insiders. DeRozan and the Spurs have until June 30 to agree to terms on a veteran contract extension.
DeRozan is having one of the best years of his NBA career, averaging 22.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 5.6 APG in 61 games (34.3 MPG). His .526 FG% is easily a career high. However, there are a few factors working against him as he nears potential free agency.
Among those factors: DeRozan will be entering his age-31 season in the fall; his mid-range game is out of sync with most teams’ offensive approaches; and he and LaMarcus Aldridge appear unlikely to lead the Spurs to a playoff spot this spring. On top of that, San Antonio has actually been better without DeRozan on the court (+1.0 net rating) than when he plays (-2.7).
This year’s league-wide salary cap situation is also a point in favor of DeRozan picking up his option. Only a handful of teams will have significant cap room available, and most of those clubs are in the process of rebuilding, reducing the odds that they’ll want to invest heavily in a veteran player like DeRozan.
Still, it’s possible this offseason will represent DeRozan’s best chance at one last lucrative long-term deal — he could comfortably exceed the amount of that $27.7MM option on a multiyear contract, even if he doesn’t match that salary in ’20/21. If he doesn’t reach an extension with the Spurs and opts out, that wouldn’t close the door on a possible return to San Antonio, according to Haynes, who adds that the Knicks are among the teams expected to be interested in the former ninth overall pick. A sign-and-trade to an over-the-cap club could also be an option for DeRozan.
If DeRozan doesn’t sign an extension with the Spurs, I imagine he wouldn’t opt out unless he has a solid Plan B lined up, like Al Horford did last June when he declined his $30MM+ player option with Boston. For his part, the Spurs’ leading scorer downplayed Haynes’ report when he was asked about it on Tuesday night, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio-Express News writes.
“Who reported it? Did my Mama say it?,” DeRozan said. “Don’t listen to it then.”
NBA Has Discussed Possibility Of Relocating Games
As the NBA continues to discuss potential responses to the coronavirus situation, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that one scenario the league has considered would involve relocating some games to NBA cities that have yet to suffer outbreaks.
For instance, if a team forced out of its home arena due to a local outbreak, the NBA has weighed the possibility of moving that club’s games to the opponents’ arena, or even to a neutral site, says Wojnarowski.
That’s just one of several possible measures being discussed by the NBA, which continues to mull the idea of disallowing spectators for games or even suspending games for a period of time. As Wojnarowski explains, the league’s conversations are complicated by the fact that limited public testing in the United States has resulted in an incomplete picture of how “widespread and debilitating” the virus may become.
Sources tell ESPN that the NBA has been hesitant to take a drastic step such as voluntarily eliminating fans from home games. However, the idea of moving games to new cities may be problematic too — bringing players and team personnel from an area more significantly affected by the virus to an area that hasn’t yet been affected seems ill-advised for containment purposes.
As we noted on Tuesday night, the Warriors are one team whose home games may be impacted sooner rather than later, as government officials in the Bay Area consider how extensively to limit indoor public gatherings. Conversations between San Francisco health officials and the Warriors have been ongoing, according to Wojnarowski, who hears from sources that Golden State is the NBA’s highest-grossing team on game nights, earning between $3.6-3.8MM per contest.
The NBA, which is scheduled to have a conference call with ownership representatives on Wednesday, has also scheduled a call with all 30 heads of basketball operations for Thursday, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Basketball leagues in Europe continue to be affected by the spread of coronavirus, with EuroLeague and EuroCup games in Italy being relocated.
Cavs, J.B. Bickerstaff Agree To Multi-Year Contract
4:18pm: Bickerstaff’s new deal will run through the 2023/24 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
3:01pm: After replacing John Beilein as the Cavaliers‘ head coach last month, J.B. Bickerstaff has received a longer-term commitment from the team, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Cavs and Bickerstaff have reached an agreement on a multi-year contract.
The Cavaliers signed Beilein to a four-year contract with a fifth-year team option last spring, but the veteran college coach didn’t even make it through the first season of that deal. Beilein’s brief, challenging stint in Cleveland came to an end when he stepped down as the team’s head coach at the All-Star break in February, with Bickerstaff taking over the job.
Multiple reports have indicated that Bickerstaff was viewed as Beilein’s eventual successor when the Cavs hired him as their associate head coach in 2019. While the club didn’t expect the transition to happen so soon, today’s agreement – which comes on Bickerstaff’s 41st birthday – signals that Cleveland was serious about its new head coach not just being an interim replacement.
This is the third time that Bickerstaff has taken over for a head coach partway through a season. He went 37-34 with the Rockets in 2015/16 after stepping in for Kevin McHale, then had a 48-97 record with the Grizzlies across two seasons after he replaced David Fizdale in 2017.
So far in Cleveland, Bickerstaff has done an admirable job with one of the NBA’s worst teams, leading the Cavaliers to a 5-5 record since taking the reins from Beilein. The team has won games against Miami, Philadelphia, and Denver during that post-All-Star stretch.
While details of Bickerstaff’s new agreement haven’t yet been reported, it’s officially safe to say the Cavaliers won’t be one of the teams in the market for a new head coach this spring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Suns, Wolves Reached Out To Donatas Motiejunas
3:34pm: Motiejunas is expected to return to China on March 16, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who notes (via Twitter) that the Chinese Basketball Association has told its teams it anticipates resuming play in early April. That would take Motiejunas off the table for NBA clubs, unless he wants to try to reach a settlement with his Chinese team, like Randle did.
8:56am: Former NBA forward Donatas Motiejunas, whose Chinese Basketball Association season is on hold because of the coronavirus, was recently contacted by both the Suns and Timberwolves, tweets Lithuanian basketball journalist Donatas Urbonas. Motiejunas, who plays for the Shanghai Sharks, said in a radio interview that he also received interest from Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The CBA’s status is on hold while China tries to contain a massive outbreak of the virus, leaving overseas players uncertain about their future. Chasson Randle reached a settlement with his Chinese club last week and returned to the NBA on a 10-day deal with the Warriors.
Motiejunas, 29, is in his third season in China and his first with the Sharks. He is among the CBA’s most productive players, averaging 22.8 points and 15.1 rebounds through 28 games. He played six seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Rockets, but also had stays with the Pelicans and Spurs.
John Collins Believes He’s In “Max Contract Contention”
The Hawks are facing an important decision this summer on whether to give a rookie-scale extension to John Collins. In a lengthy interview with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the third-year power forward says he believes he’s worth the investment.
“I mean, I feel like I am a priority to the Hawks in terms of my value in the young core,” Collins said. “I feel like that’s no question. Priority in terms of — I don’t know. I definitely feel like I am a priority to them. For a lot of money? I just don’t know personally. I feel like it’s been a unique situation, but I feel like my play has garnered a bigger contract. This is when you want to start comparing, but it’s just a matter of if they’re going to reciprocate the respect back.
“I definitely feel like I am in max contract contention. If I finish this season averaging 20 and 10, the other guys who are averaging 20 and 10 are max-caliber guys. I’m in that conversation and feel like I am worthy of being extended as such. That’s for the Hawks to decide and figure it out. If you want to look at numbers and flat-out play, I definitely feel like I’ve earned it. But the team situation, future cap and all that, now you have a contract negotiation.”
Kirschner estimates Collins’ value somewhere between the $77MM extension that the Pacers gave Domantas Sabonis and the maximum-salary extension Pascal Siakam received from the Raptors. Sources tell Kirschner there’s a belief around the league that the Hawks are hesitant to make that kind of commitment to Collins, which is why they received inquiries about him prior to the trade deadline.
There’s not much question about Collins’ on-court value, as he’s putting together his best season, averaging 21.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per night. He has also improved as a 3-point shooter, connecting on 41.1% from long distance. However, he was suspended for 25 games early in the season for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program, sinking any playoff hopes Atlanta might have entertained.
Collins said he won’t be insulted if the Hawks decide against making a full max offer, but his “antennas would be up, for sure.” The team has the option of holding off on an extension and trying to re-sign him as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021. The Hawks also could decide to avoid the decision by trading him, just as they did with Taurean Prince last year.
“I hope they slide me that sheet of paper,” Collins said. “That’s what I’ve been working towards. I’ve been trying to be a face of the franchise. To be that person and to be that face is what I’ve been working towards. That’s what I want. That’s what I’ve been trying to earn and trying to show them that I am worthy of it. I hope my work and what I’m going to try to continue to do is going to be reciprocated, and they can show that they’ve bought into me. And then I’m going to try to go to a whole other level and live up to that contract.”
Mychal Mulder Signs Multi-Year Deal With Warriors
The Warriors have signed Mychal Mulder to a multi-year contract, the team announced on Twitter. It’s a minimum-salary deal that’s not fully guaranteed beyond this season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The rookie guard out of Kentucky was briefly a free agent after his 10-day contract with the team expired Saturday night. Golden State could have signed him to a second 10-day deal, but opted for the long-term arrangement.
After spending three years in the G League, Mulder made a strong impression in his first real NBA opportunity. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in six games, making two starts. Coach Steve Kerr indicated after Saturday’s contest that the Warriors liked Mulder and intended to bring him back.
The signing leaves Golden State $310K under the luxury tax, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). They have two players on 10-day contracts, which each carry a $91,557 tax hit. Chasson Randle‘s deal will expire Thursday, while Dragan Bender is signed through Saturday. Marks adds that signing Bender for the rest of the season on Sunday would cost the team $293K.
Cameron Johnson Sidelined With Mononucleosis
Suns rookie Cameron Johnson has mononucleosis and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to Arizona Sports 98.7.
Johnson sat out the last two games, but was a regular part of the rotation before that. The 11th pick in the 2019 draft, he’s averaging 8.1 PPG in 49 games and shooting 39.7% from 3-point range. The illness comes at an unfortunate time as Johnson had a chance to further establish himself with Kelly Oubre possibly missing the rest of the season following meniscus surgery.
The Suns also provided an update on Frank Kaminsky, saying he remains out indefinitely while recovering from a stress fracture in his right patella.
Kaminsky is putting up 11.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG in his first season in Phoenix, but hasn’t been able to play since late December. He has a follow-up consultation with his doctors scheduled for this week.
De’Aaron Fox Is Latest To Oppose Empty Arenas
As coronavirus becomes a growing concern in the sports world, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is the latest NBA player to speak out against the idea of having games in empty arenas, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
The league sent a memo to its teams last week listing that as a possibility if the outbreak continues to worsen. A conference call has been set for Wednesday with team owners and governors to discuss all the options being considered.
“I think I’d definitely rather postpone games than play with no fans,” Fox said. “That’s why you have a home court. That’s a part of most sports, having homecourt advantage or going into a hostile environment. That’s a part of the game. Without fans, it’s not the same game.”
LeBron James expressed similar sentiments over the weekend, calling it “impossible” to imagine games without fans present.
Sacramento coach Luke Walton tells Anderson the team is taking action to protect players and make sure they’re informed about the virus. Precautionary measures are in place to prevent the spread of germs at Golden 1 Center, including more hand-sanitizing stations.
“We’ve brought in doctors to talk to the team. We’ve showed them videos,” Walton said. “… The NBA is really good at player and fan safety always being at the forefront of what they do, so there’s constantly communication going on between all of our organizations and the NBA.”
There’s more on the virus and its impact on basketball:
- Dr. John Swartzberg, an infectious-disease expert at UC Berkeley, tells Ethan Strauss of The Athletic that it’s unwise for sporting events to continue under current conditions. “I think large gatherings of people in closed environments in the case of a pandemic is not prudent,” he said. “It’s the perfect way to spread the virus.” Five new cases were reported Monday in San Francisco, bringing the city’s total to 13. Nearby Santa Clara County has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people for the rest of the month, which will affect three home games for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
- Associated Press Sports Editors has issued a statement opposing the locker room ban on media announced Monday by the NBA and three other North American sports leagues. “While we understand the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak and the need to contain it, such action is worthy of dialogue to come up with proper solutions to protect public health, allow media to inform the public and do our jobs properly,” the statement reads. “APSE joins writers’ groups in all leagues in objecting to this ban and welcomes discussions with the leagues to come to a reasonable resolution.”
- The coronavirus continues to cause havoc with overseas schedules. No fans will be permitted at today’s playoff game in Spain between San Pablo Burgos and Banco di Sardegna Sassari, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Thursday’s EuroLeague game between Olympiacos and AX Armani Exhchange Milano will take place behind closed doors after the league denied Olympiacos’ request to postpone the contest or play it at a neutral site (Twitter link). Maccabi Tel Aviv will impose a limit of 5,000 fans for its next two home games (Twitter link).