Jaylen Brown To Miss At Least A Week With Hamstring Injury
Jaylen Brown suffered a strained right hamstring Tuesday night and will be out of action for at least a week, writes Tom Westerholm of MassLive.
Coach Brad Stevens announced the injury in a session with reporters before tonight’s game. Brown, who has a history of hamstring issues, limped off the court in the fourth quarter last night. His condition will be checked again in a week.
The fourth-year swingman is having his best season, averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Pistons Claim Jordan McRae Off Waivers
4:15pm: The waiver process is complete and McRae belongs to the Pistons, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
3:07pm: The Pistons intend to claim guard Jordan McRae off waivers this afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
After reaching a buyout agreement with Denver on Sunday, McRae was officially released and appeared to be headed to Phoenix, with the Suns planning to place a waiver claim of their own. However, with Derrick Rose on the shelf due to an ankle injury, the Pistons were said to be eyeing McRae for backcourt depth.
Because the waiver priority order is determined by the NBA’s reverse standings, Detroit (20-42) will be awarded McRae over Phoenix (24-38) if both teams submit claims. Technically, one of the five teams with a worse record than the Pistons could swoop in and steal McRae, but there has been no indication that will happen.
A fourth-year shooting guard, McRae was putting up the best numbers of his career in D.C. this season, recording 12.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG on .420/.377/.371 shooting for the Wizards, though injuries limited him to just 29 games. He was sent to Denver in a deadline deal for Shabazz Napier and averaged just 8.0 MPG in four games for the Nuggets, who have an overcrowded rotation.
The two sides reached a deal on Sunday that allowed McRae to get a new opportunity, with the Nuggets opening up a roster spot and saving some money. Although the 28-year-old agreed to surrender $390,424 of his minimum salary, that agreement will be negated by the Pistons’ waiver claim. Detroit will simply take on McRae’s $1,645,357 expiring contract, which will come off Denver’s books. The Pistons will be on the hook for paying the prorated salary remaining on the deal, while the Nuggets’ financial obligation will be extinguished.
By claiming McRae off waivers, the Pistons will get his Early Bird rights, which will give them added flexibility to re-sign him this summer. No corresponding roster move will be necessary for Detroit, since the team has an open spot after letting Derrick Walton‘s 10-day contract expire earlier this week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Oubre To Be Re-Evaluated In Four Weeks Following Meniscus Surgery
Suns forward Kelly Oubre underwent surgery on his torn meniscus in his right knee earlier today, as expected. In addition to confirming that report, the club issued an updated timeline for Oubre’s recovery, announcing he’ll be re-evaluated in four weeks, as ESPN relays.
Oubre, who was acquired mid-season last year in a trade with the Wizards, was having a career year with the Suns this season. He’s averaging 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
The timing of Oubre’s re-evaluation would leave about two weeks left in the season, so it’s possible we won’t see him return to the court this spring, especially if the Suns have fallen entirely out of the race for the eighth seed by that point.
Knicks Exchange Barbs With Super-Fan Spike Lee
The best win of the Knicks‘ season is being overshadowed by a very public disagreement with one of the team’s most famous fans.
During Monday’s contest, a dramatic 125-123 upset of the Rockets, video surfaced of film director and Knicks super-fan Spike Lee arguing with Madison Square Garden security about which entrance he was permitted to use. Appearing this morning on ESPN’s First Take, Lee said he has used the same entrance for decades and hadn’t been informed of any policy change.
Lee referred to the Knicks’ claim that he has been previously told not to use the employee entrance as “spin” and said he’s being “harassed” by team owner James Dolan. The longtime Knicks fan added that he doesn’t plan to attend any more games at MSG this season.
“I’m coming back next year, but I’m done for the season,” Lee said. “I’m done.”
Not content to take the high road and avoid a potential PR disaster, the Knicks shot back early this afternoon, issuing a statement criticizing Lee.
“The idea that Spike Lee is a victim because we have repeatedly asked him to not use our employee entrance and instead use a dedicated VIP entrance – which is used by every other celebrity who enters The Garden – is laughable,” the Knicks’ statement reads. “It’s disappointing that Spike would create this false controversy to perpetuate drama. He is welcome to come to The Garden anytime via the VIP of general entrance; just not through our employee entrance, which is what he and Jim (Dolan) agreed to last night when they shook hands.”
Accompanying their tweeted statement, the Knicks attached photos of the building’s employee entrance and of Lee’s handshake with Dolan.
Even if the Knicks are telling the truth here – Lee has claimed again that they’re not – it’s a bad look for the organization, which went through a similar PR nightmare with Charles Oakley three years ago. With Leon Rose taking over as the team’s new basketball president of basketball operations on Monday and Steve Stoute looking to rebrand the franchise and resolve old feuds, the Knicks should be looking to move beyond the petty, drama-filled subplots that have dominated headlines in recent years.
It seems unlikely that most NBA players will take the Knicks’ side in their conflict with Lee. While the incident won’t necessarily be a deal-breaker if a star player is considering signing in New York, it’s another factor that could negatively impact the team’s free agent recruiting efforts going forward. New York is already facing an uphill battle on that front, despite its strong market and cap flexibility.
Warriors Sign Chasson Randle To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 3: The Warriors have officially signed Randle to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Golden State now has a full 15-man roster, though three of its players are on 10-day deals and Bender’s will expire tonight.
MARCH 1: Chasson Randle will sign with the Warriors, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Randle’s agent, Darrell Comer of YouFirst Sports, confirmed the deal.
Randle made two prior attempts to join the NBA on 10-day contracts, but they were both blocked by Tianjin, his current team in the Chinese Basketball Association. Comer said Randle has reached a settlement with the club and will receive a FIBA letter of clearance as soon as his request can be processed.
The CBA has suspended play because of the coronavirus outbreak in China, affecting the status of roughly 40 American players, including familiar names such as Jeremy Lin, Lance Stephenson and Tyler Hansbrough. Givony adds that if the league does resume, it won’t happen until April, leaving all those players uncertain about their contracts.
Randle last played in the NBA during the 2018/19 season when he averaged 5.5 PPG in 49 games with the Wizards. The 27-year-old guard also had brief stops with the Sixers and Knicks.
Golden State has a roster opening, so no move will be necessary before Randle can be added. The Warriors already have two players on 10-day contracts, Dragan Bender, whose deal runs through Tuesday, and Mychal Mulder, who is signed through Saturday. It’s unclear if Randle will receive a 10-day deal or a rest-of-season commitment now that he’s no longer controlled by Tianjin.
Kyrie Irving Undergoes Surgery On Shoulder, Officially Out For Season
Nets guard Kyrie Irving underwent arthroscopic surgery in New York today to relieve the impingement in his right shoulder, the team announced in a press release. Irving, who is expected to make a full recovery, will miss the rest of the season, the Nets confirmed.
A report nearly two weeks ago had indicated that Irving would undergo a procedure on his shoulder and be sidelined for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign, so today’s update was expected.
It has been a lost first season in Brooklyn for Irving, who was limited to just 20 games due to health issues. The star guard, who turns 28 later this month, put up some of the best numbers of his career when he was on the court, averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a .478/.394/.922 shooting line.
Even without Irving and Kevin Durant, Brooklyn is in position to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite their current four-game losing streak, the Nets remain four games ahead of the ninth-seeded Wizards. The team likely won’t last long in the postseason, but will head into the 2020/21 season with higher expectations, as both Irving and Durant are on track to return to action in the fall.
Derrick Rose Out At Least Two Weeks; Pistons Eyeing Jordan McRae
11:59am: The Pistons have issued a press release confirming that Rose has been diagnosed with a grade two right ankle sprain. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to the team.
11:07am: An MRI on Derrick Rose‘s sprained right ankle came back negative, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. However, sources tell Haynes that the Pistons will be cautious with Rose’s injury and that he’ll be reassessed in “a few weeks.”
Rose, who received interest from contenders at the trade deadline, has a second year on his contract with Detroit, so the Pistons will want to make sure he’s as healthy as possible heading into the offseason — the former MVP will either play a key role on next year’s team or be a valuable trade chip this summer. Rose is expected to make a full recovery from his ankle injury, Haynes notes.
As the Pistons consider handing the reins to their young players for the rest of the season, they’re also keeping an eye on Jordan McRae, according to Haynes. Released by the Nuggets on Sunday night, McRae is expected to be claimed off waivers by the Suns on Wednesday.
However, based on Haynes’ report, it sounds like Detroit is mulling a waiver claim of its own. Because they trail Phoenix in the NBA standings, the Pistons would have the higher priority and would be awarded McRae if both teams submit a claim.
If the Pistons were to place a claim on McRae, no corresponding roster move would be necessary, since they have room on their 15-man roster.
Anthony Tolliver Signs 10-Day Contract With Grizzlies
11:02pm: The Grizzlies officially signed Tolliver and waived Bell prior to tonight’s game, according to a team press release. Tolliver logged 19 minutes and had a +25 rating, knocking down 4-of-5 three-pointers in Memphis’ blowout win over Atlanta.
4:19pm: Veteran power forward Anthony Tolliver has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. In order to open a roster spot, the team is waiving forward Jordan Bell, Charania reports in another tweet.
Tolliver was waived on Saturday after finalizing a buyout agreement with Sacramento. Tolliver gave back $144,901, the same amount as a 10-day contract, as we relayed this afternoon. Tolliver was on a veteran’s minimum contract, so Sacramento will still have a cap hit of $1.6MM.
Tolliver, 34, began the season with the Trail Blazers and appeared in 33 games, including nine starts. He was dealt to the Kings and saw action in nine games before getting waived. Tolliver is a career 37.3% 3-point shooter, though he’s struggled from the perimeter this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Justise Winslow are all currently sidelined with injuries and Memphis obviously didn’t feel comfortable giving Bell expanded minutes.
Bell began the season with the Timberwolves, then was dealt to the Rockets. They quickly flipped him to Memphis for Bruno Caboclo just before the trade deadline. Bell, who has a $1.62MM contract, appeared in just two games with Memphis after coming off the bench in 27 games with Minnesota.
Coronavirus Could Impact Combine, Workouts
Concerns over the coronavirus could impact the NBA’s pre-draft combines, on-site workouts and international scouting events, Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN report.
League officials and team executives are monitoring the situations and those events could become more limited in scope, or even cancelled, depending upon the spread of the virus. The global Hoop Summit is scheduled to be held in Portland in April, and the draft combine is, as usual, scheduled to be held in Chicago in May.
The league has already outlined short-term recommendations to its teams. Players are being asked to fist-bump instead of high-fiving fans and avoid handling items from fans such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph, according to a league memo.
Blazers guard CJ McCollum has already stated in a Twitter post he won’t sign autographs until further notice and many other players are likely to take the same stance.
According to the ESPN report, the NBA and the Players Association have been consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and infectious-disease experts.
To date, there have been no reports of anyone associated with the league contracting the disease. A player who contracted the coronavirus would likely miss two weeks, the ESPN report adds.
Damian Lillard Targeting Wednesday Return
Damian Lillard, who injured his right groin on February 12 and has missed the Trail Blazers‘ last five games, will also be out for Monday’s contest in Orlando. However, the star point guard is targeting a return on Wednesday at home vs. Washington, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (video link).
In addition to losing the game in which Lillard went down, Portland has dropped four of the five post-All-Star contests he has missed. The Blazers squandered the opportunity to make up some ground in the playoff race during that stretch — they’re currently 26-35, 12th in the West and 3.5 games back of the eighth-seeded Grizzlies.
If Lillard is able to return this week and stays healthy, he figures to play a key role in the Blazers’ push for a spot in the postseason. After Wednesday’s game against the Wizards, Portland’s next four games are against the Suns (twice), Kings, and Grizzlies, so that will be a crucial stretch for the club.
Lillard, 29, had been enjoying the best season of his career before being sidelined by his groin injury. In 54 games (37.0 MPG), he has averaged 29.5 PPG, 7.9 APG, and 4.4 RPG with a .460/.393/.889 shooting line — several of those marks are career highs.