Mo Harkless To Finish Season With Knicks
When Maurice Harkless was traded from the Clippers to the Knicks, many assumed that the forward would agree to a buyout with New York and move on to a more competitive team. However, will not be the case.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Harkless and the Knicks are not in buyout discussions and the veteran will remain with the team through the season.
There were reports earlier this month suggesting the Knicks had no plans to buy out Harkless or any of their veterans. However, it was a point worth confirming after the 26-year-old this week admitted this week that moving from a contender to a non-competitive team has been hard.
Harkless is in the final year of his contract and will hit the free-agent market this offseason. Not many teams are expected to have available cap space and we’ve seen players stick with bad clubs as opposed to agreeing to a buyout for presumed financial reasons. For example, Tristan Thompson declined to enter into a buyout agreement with the Cavs since the team owned his Bird Rights and could sign-and-trade him this summer.
Like Thompson, by taking this approach Harkless may be able to reap a bigger payday than signing outright in free agency since there are a lack of clubs with flexibility. The Knicks acquired Harkless’ Bird Rights when they acquired him, so they could go over the cap to sign the forward.
Sixers May Attempt To Trade Al Horford This Offseason
The Sixers were expected to be among the best teams in the league, but through two-thirds of the season, they’ve been a major disappointment. Injuries are part of that, but fit among Philadelphia’s highest-paid players is a major reason why the team has failed to meet those lofty expectations.
The franchise inked Al Horford to a four-year, $109MM deal this offseason and the big man may not make it to year two in South Philly. According to Jeff Zillgett of USA Today, the Sixers may be open to dealing the veteran big this offseason if they can get shooting in return.
The Sixers did not try to move Horford at the trade deadline, Zillgett adds. Horford’s lucrative contract, which features a partial guarantee on the final season, may be a deterrent for potential trade partners if Philadelphia looks to move the 33-year-old.
Warriors: Stephen Curry On Track To Play In March
As he continues his recovery from hand surgery, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry remains on track to return “at some point in March,” the team announced in a press release Saturday (Twitter link).
Curry will practice with the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday, ruling him out of an originally-reported Sunday return against the Wizards. Shams Charania of The Athletic, who first reported that Curry would play on Sunday, tweets that the star guard had been preparing to do so, but the two sides ultimately agreed that he needed more practice time.
The two-time NBA MVP has missed all but four games this season after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left hand. In those games, he averaged 20.3 PPG and 6.5 APG for the reigning Western Conference champions. With Curry and Klay Thompson sidelined and Kevin Durant departed, the Warriors have endured a miserable season, sporting an NBA-worst 12-47 record.
Curry’s return will not mark a late-season addition for Golden State hoping to make a postseason push. Instead, it will be an opportunity for the three-time NBA champion to finish out a difficult season for the Warriors on a high note.
Possible Tuesday Return In Play For Kemba Walker
Celtics point guard Kemba Walker, who worked out today, will play a three-on-three on Sunday and if all goes well, he could return to the starting lineup for Tuesday’s tilt against the Nets, head coach Brad Stevens said Saturday (Twitter link).
Walker has missed Boston’s last four games and seven of the last 11 navigating a lingering knee injury. The team has been cautious with Walker’s recovery even though he suited up for Team Giannis during the 2020 All-Star game.
In his first season with the Celtics, Walker has been his usual productive self when healthy. In 46 contests, the 29-year-old is averaging 21.8 PPG, 5.0 APG and 4.1 RPG
Rockets Sign Jeff Green For Remainder Of Season
The Rockets have signed forward Jeff Green for the remainder of the season, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
The move was anticipated with Green’s 10-day contract about to expire.
Green, who was released by the Jazz in December, was a free agent for nearly two months before agreeing to sign with the Rockets last week. He and the team initially reached a 10-day deal so he could evaluate the situation before making a rest-of-season commitment.
In four games with Houston, Green has averaged 9.8 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 19.3 MPG. The 33-year-old power forward has looked comfortable as the reserve center in the Rockets’ small-ball lineups.
With Green’s signing, Houston has a full 15-man roster. Terms were not disclosed but if it’s a minimum-salary deal, he’ll earn $695,526 the rest of the way, with a $439,475 cap hit.
Still No Target Date For Jusuf Nurkic’s Return
With just 22 games left in the Trail Blazers‘ season, center Jusuf Nurkic remains unsure when he might be ready to return to action, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“It’s hard to give hope because there is no dates (for my return), so it’s hard to talk about anything,” Nurkic said. “I have no dates, so all the rumors, they don’t make sense. People are going to say (he’s coming back) today, tomorrow, next week, a week later … but I have no dates.”
Nurkic, who has spent the season recovering from the left leg fractures he sustained last March, returned to practice last month and appeared to be nearing a return to game action. However, he was diagnosed with a right calf strain following that first workout, and it’s unclear whether he has resumed practicing since then, Quick writes.
The big man made it clear that he still needs more practice time, something that can be hard to come by during the NBA season — teams like the Blazers conduct fewer full practices and scrimmages between games in order to avoid overworking players.
“All I know is I’m trying to figure out how I can get more practices, because we don’t have many practices,” Nurkic told Quick. “That’s the only thing I can tell you. That’s the only reason I can come back: If I find somehow to practice. … I can’t be out 11 months and just jump in a game; it doesn’t work out that way.”
The Blazers are still just three games out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and as long as they remain in the hunt, Nurkic figures to continue pushing to return in the coming weeks. However, if Portland slumps and starts to fall out of the postseason race, it’s fair to wonder whether getting Nurkic back on the court this season will continue to be a priority for the club.
Sixers Get Good News On Embiid’s Shoulder
The Sixers defeated the Knicks on Thursday without center Joel Embiid, then got promising news on his injured left shoulder.
Tests shows no significant structural damage, as he’s been diagnosed with a sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Embiid’s progress will be symptom-based and he’ll be re-evaluated in approximately one week, Charania adds.
Embiid suffered the injury against Cleveland on Wednesday. He collided with Cleveland big man Ante Zizic late in the first quarter. Embiid remained in the game to shoot two free throws, then was taken out at the next stoppage.
The Sixers scheduled an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
Philadelphia is down its two best players. Ben Simmons is out for at least the next two weeks because of a nerve impingement in his lower back.
Without Embiid, the Sixers relied more on Al Horford (15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) and Tobias Harris (34 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) against New York. Kyle O’Quinn also got more playing time and grabbed 10 rebounds in 14 minutes.
Mavs Guard Jalen Brunson May Have Labrum Tear
The Mavericks are concerned that point guard Jalen Brunson may have a torn labrum in his right shoulder, Tim MacMahon from ESPN tweets. Brunson suffered the injury on the first possession of Saturday’s loss to the Hawks.
A natural left-hander, Brunson plans to play through the pain and delay a possible surgical procedure until the offseason, MacMahon continues. He has already been ruled out for the remaining two games of the team’s current road trip.
The Mavs’ postseason spot seems safe — they’re 10 games ahead of ninth-place Portland in the conference standings — but if Brunson can’t make it through the season, it would be a blow to the team’s postseason rotation.
Brunson has played 57 games, including 16 starts, and averaged 8.2 PPG and 3.3 APG in 17.9 MPG. The 2018 second-round pick out of Villanova started 38 games last season.
Delon Wright and J.J. Barea will likely see an uptick in playing time in games that Brunson misses.
Suns’ Kelly Oubre Diagnosed With Torn Meniscus
Suns forward Kelly Oubre has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus after undergoing an exam on his injured right knee today, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Oubre is in the process of seeking a second opinion from a specialist, Haynes adds.
There are multiple ways to treat meniscus tears, so a recovery timeline for Oubre will depend on the extent of the tear and what sort of treatment he requires. Still, the recovery period for the injury is typically measured in weeks or months, rather than days — Zion Williamson missed the first half of 2019/20 after undergoing meniscus surgery, for instance. It’s possible the injury will bring Oubre’s season to an early end.
Oubre, 24, was acquired from the Wizards by the Suns during the 2018/19 season, then signed a two-year, $30MM deal with Phoenix last summer. He was in the midst of a career year in 2019/20, with 18.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, and a .452/.352/.780 shooting line in 56 games (34.5 MPG).
While the Suns haven’t confirmed the report of a torn meniscus, Oubre’s teammates were talking on Wednesday as if the knee injury wasn’t just a day-to-day issue, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes.
“It’s tough when you see one of your guys go down,” Aron Baynes said after Wednesday’s game. “Right now, he’s got to do the right thing for him because he needs to be able to come back whenever that is in the right shape to contribute and do what he’s done for us all season long. We all feel for him and whatever he needs to do to take care of himself right now, he’s got everyone’s support.”
Dario Saric started in Oubre’s place on Wednesday and figures to see his role increase going forward. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are among the team’s other top candidates for a bump in minutes.
Magic, Pistons Eyed Spencer Dinwiddie Before Deadline
Some members of the Magic and Pistons had interest in exploring a trade for Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie prior to this month’s trade deadline, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley describes that interest as “internal,” so it’s not clear if either team actually reached out to Brooklyn to inquire on Dinwiddie.
Although there was no indication that the Nets seriously considered moving Dinwiddie in a deadline deal, his name did pop up in a few rumors earlier this month. He was reportedly discussed in talks between the Nets and Hawks, with the Lakers inquiring on him as well.
One post-deadline report suggested that there’s “buzz around the league” about Dinwiddie potentially being part of a package for Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Begley picks up on that thread, noting that some executives believe a player like Gordon would help Brooklyn going forward, though it’s not clear if GM Sean Marks shares that view. Begley also hears that the Pacers had some pre-deadline interest in pursuing Gordon, a potential summer trade candidate.
The Nets, who will have a crowded backcourt of Dinwiddie, Kyrie Irving, and Caris LeVert once everyone is healthy next season, could eventually decide to deal from a position of strength, though Irving’s injury history – he’s out for the rest of the season – may give the team pause.
If Brooklyn does make Dinwiddie available in the offseason, the Magic make more sense as a suitor than the Pistons, who are heading toward a full-fledged rebuild. Orlando has lacked play-making and scoring in recent years. Dinwiddie, who is averaging 20.8 PPG and 6.6 APG in 57 games (31.4 MPG) this season, could help in both areas. He’s under contract for $11.45MM next season, with a $12.3MM player option for 2021/22.