Heat Exploring Options To Get Rid Of Dion Waiters
The Heat are looking for ways to unload Dion Waiters, who is serving his third suspension of the season, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Two sources tell Jackson that the latest ban was the last straw regarding Waiters’ future in Miami. Management had been open to putting him back on the court if there were no further incidents, but his latest violation of team rules has ended that possibility.
Another source tells Jackson that Waiters is opposed to accepting a buyout that would cost him any of the $12.1MM he is making this year or the $12.7MM he is owed next season. The only thing that might change his mind is if he believes another team is interested in signing him, helping him recoup whatever money he parts with in a buyout. He has already lost $1.4MM because of the suspensions, which total 17 games.
The Heat are willing to offer a buyout, and Jackson was told that every option is “on the table” for resolving the situation. A team source admits that management has explored options for voiding Waiters’ contract, but there are concerns about a potential legal battle with the players union.
Jackson notes that the most likely scenario is for the Heat to continue paying Waiters while keeping him away from the team, an arrangement that he would have to approve. That enables Miami to use his salary as filler if a trade opportunity arises between now and February of next season. So far, no teams have expressed any interest in dealing for Waiters.
Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports reported this morning that Waiters’ latest suspension was triggered by an Instagram post that showed him on a boat when the team was led to believe he was sick. A source tells Skolnick that the suspension was imposed because of the cumulative effect of Waiters’ actions and team president Pat Riley’s emphasis on maintaining Heat “Culture.”
A source explained to Jackson that the post was one of many factors in the decision to suspend Waiters again.
Skolnick confirms that the team hasn’t made any progress in finding a taker for Waiters, with one source telling him, “There’s been no interest. None. Zip.” The Heat have been reluctant so far to include another asset such as a young player or a draft pick to make a deal happen.
Eric Bledsoe Out Two Weeks With Fibula Avulsion Fracture
A right fibula avulsion fracture will sideline Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe for at least two weeks, according to Ben Steele of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team announced the injury after last night’s game.
Bledsoe was hurt during the third quarter Friday in a collision with teammate Wesley Matthews. Bledsoe underwent an MRI Saturday in Milwaukee and was examined by the team doctor.
He is averaging 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Bucks, who have begun the season at a sizzling 24-3 pace. He had started all 26 games before last night.
In Bledsoe’s absence, Donte DiVincenzo moved into the starting lineup, just as he did when Khris Middleton missed seven games with a left thigh bruise.
“We got to wish Bled a fast recovery,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “Come back healthy and this team is going to be exactly how it is now when he gets back. “We did it (when) Khris missed a lot of games. We were able to win games without him. We got to to it without Bled. If I ever miss games, they got to do it without me. We built a winning culture around the team and everybody knows what they got to do when we step on the floor.”
Jusuf Nurkic Discusses Injury, Recovery
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic tells Jason Quick of The Athletic he is about 60% recovered from a compound fracture of his left leg that he suffered in March.
A report earlier this week suggested Nurkic could return sometime around the All-Star game in mid-February. Whenever it happens, Nurkic, who went through an on-court workout with assistant coaches today, can’t wait to start playing again.
“I feel hungry,” he said. “… And when I’m with the team, I feel even more hungry. I lost some weight, and feel great — more explosive, more quick — and when the day comes, I’m going to be the double Beast.”
Nurkic’s injury involved breaks to both his tibia and fibula and required surgeons to implant a graphite rod into his leg. He said he has been pain-free for the past eight months.
Nurkic has some perspective on injuries after undergoing surgery in 2015 to fix a torn patella tendon. He said that experience was more painful, but this one has helped him learn to handle grief, to motivate himself and to express appreciation to the people who have provided support.
“I’ve been through a worse injury before; this one just looked bad,” Nurkic said. “But I’m thankful to God to give me a second chance to play, and personally I feel like I’m growing as a person, appreciating the last year, even though basketball was taken away.”
John Paxson: No Major Changes Planned In Chicago
It appears Bulls coach Jim Boylen doesn’t have to worry about job security despite a disappointing 9-18 start. Executive vice president John Paxson expressed full confidence in his coach today in separate interviews with several media outlets.
“We’re committed to Jim. There’s no quick fix to this,” Paxson told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “We’re not thinking of making any changes. Jim is a grinder. He’s going to keep grinding. One thing I respect immensely about him is he’s willing to listen to ideas. The thing he and I do is talk basketball. When I see things, he listens to what I have to say. Not that I’m making the decisions and I don’t tell him to play, but we talk basketball. And he’s open. He’s going to continue to grow and get better.”
Boylen has compiled a 26-59 record since taking over for Fred Hoiberg last December. His early days as head coach were met with a near mutiny by some of his players, who weren’t fond of the tough-guy tactics he brought to the role. Since then, there have been ups and downs in his relationship with the team, including public comments last month from Zach LaVine questioning whether Boylen is showing enough trust in him.
“There’s always some conflict,” Paxson said. “It can be teammate to teammate or coaches to players. That’s inevitable in this business. I don’t expect this group to fracture. I’d be disappointed if they did. All the guys in that locker room expressed to us their character and that’s not where they want to go or would ever go. I believe when they tell me that. I know that when things are bad or you’re not winning as much as you should, people want to point fingers. I’m not doing that internally. And we can’t do that internally. Once you do that, you’re in trouble.”
Paxson said at Media Day that he expected the Bulls to challenge for the playoffs. However, the team has stumbled out of the gate and is currently in 11th place, although just three games out of the eighth spot. There have been grumblings about Boylen’s new offense, which places a larger emphasis on 3-point shooting, and about his tendency to use more players than other coaches do, resulting in decreased minutes for LaVine and Lauri Markkanen.
Paxson still believes the Bulls can reach the postseason and told Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that he accepts the blame for the rocky start.
“I’ll say this again, I thought — and we all did — we would have a better record than we do right now,” Paxson said. “I do believe we have talent. It’s young and not a lot of experience, but I do believe we have talent. So we’ve underperformed in that area, but there’s no quick fix in this right now. That’s the view I have to take.’’
He added that he’s not worried about his own job, even though many Bulls fans have been pleading for a front office shakeup for several years.
“I never worry about that,’’ he said. “I communicate with Jerry and Michael [Reinsdorf], and they know where my head is at, my heart is at and what I’m trying to do. Look, that’s a ‘what if’, and I’m not working on a ‘what-if.’’’
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Amar’e Stoudemire Returns From China, Hopes For NBA Comeback
Amar’e Stoudemire‘s brief stay in China is over and he’s now working out in South Florida in hopes of getting another shot at the NBA, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
The 37-year-old had some success with the Fujian Sturgeons, including a recent 33-point, 17-rebound game, but didn’t like being so far away from his family, Stein adds (Twitter link).
Stoudemire hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2015/16 season, when he averaged 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 52 games for the Heat. He announced his retirement following that season and signed a one-day ceremonial contract with the Knicks.
However, Stoudemire never stopped playing. He agreed to a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, which he co-owns in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and helped the team capture the league title. He announced his retirement again in 2017, but joined the BIG3 the following year. Stoudemire spent last season playing in Israel before going to China.
Hornets Rookie Washington Has Fractured Finger
Hornets rookie forward PJ Washington suffered a fractured fifth finger on his right hand, the team announced in a press release. Washington was injured during the fourth quarter of Friday’s 83-73 win over the Bulls.
He is expected to be sidelined at least through Christmas, which would be a minimum of five games, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The 12th overall pick of the draft out of Kentucky has been one of the most productive rookies this season. He’s averaging 12.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.9 BPG in 29.4 MPG while starting 28 games. He has posted the most rebounds and blocks by any rookie this season.
In the short run, the Hornets’ forward options will be limited. Marvin Williams (knee) and Nicolas Batum (hand) are also dealing with injuries. Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Guillermo Hernangomez could receive additional playing time.
J.J. Redick On Pelicans’ Tough Start: “We Can Turn This Around”
Entering the season, the Pelicans added sharpshooting veteran J.J. Redick on a two-year pact to bolster a young, promising team that appeared to be a postseason contender. Through the season’s first 26 games, the 6-20 Pelicans are the second-worst team in the Western Conference.
The absence of heralded first overall pick Zion Williamson along with inconsistent play for young players has not helped New Orleans’ causes. Given the slow start, it’s possible that the Pelicans could explore trading some veterans but for Redick, though that is not the focus.
“I don’t pay attention to that stuff. I’m all-in on the Pelicans. I’m all-in on this group,” Redick said, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I think we can turn this around. That’s 100% my focus.”
Redick, 35, has provided the Pelicans with his trademark solid play, averaging 15.8 PPG while shooting 45.3% from beyond the arc. If New Orleans decided to shop the veteran, the team could likely command a solid return of picks. But if Redick has a say, the Pelicans will continue to fight to improve and hopefully creep back into playoff contention.
Hawks Request Waivers On Tyrone Wallace
The Hawks have requested waivers on guard Tyrone Wallace, the team announced in a press release Saturday.
Wallace, 25, was originally claimed off waivers from the Timberwolves by Atlanta on Oct. 23. Since then, the former Clippers guard appeared in 14 games for the Hawks, averaging 2.9 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 11.5 minutes per contest. In parts of three seasons, the California product has appeared in 106 games, averaging 5.2 PPG.
By waiving Wallace, the Hawks opened up a roster spot. As noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Hawks have $4.8M in room and could direct some of that money toward filling the now-vacant roster spot.
Dante Cunningham Signs With Chinese Team
DECEMBER 13: Cunningham has signed with China’s Fujian Sturgeons, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays.
DECEMBER 2: Free agent forward Dante Cunningham is working on a deal with a team in China, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s unclear which club in the Chinese Basketball Association is pursuing Cunningham.
Cunningham, 32, has spent the last decade in the NBA since being selected 33rd overall in the 2009 draft by Portland. The former Villanova standout has bounced around the league since then, suiting up for a total of seven teams and logging 715 regular season games, plus another 21 playoff contests.
Although he has played both forward spots, Cunningham is seemingly best utilized as a stretch four, having added a three-point shot to his game in recent years. In his last three NBA seasons, he knocked down 38.4% of his outside attempts.
While Cunningham was briefly linked to the Nets in September, there otherwise hasn’t been much chatter surrounding him since his contract with the Spurs expired in the spring. If he does end up playing in the CBA, the season will end before the NBA’s does, giving him the opportunity to potentially return stateside down the stretch if he looks good overseas.
NBA G League Expanding To Mexico City
The NBA G League will have a franchise based in Mexico City beginning in 2020/21, the league announced on Thursday night in a press release. According to the NBA’s announcement, the professional team Capitanes, which is currently part of Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP), will join the G League next season, making it the 29th NBAGL franchise.
“Bringing an NBA G League team to Mexico City is a historic milestone for the NBA which demonstrates our commitment to basketball fans in Mexico and across Latin America,” commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As the first G League franchise based outside of the U.S. and Canada, we look forward to welcoming Capitanes to the NBA family.”
An expansion G League franchise can take some time to establish. For instance, the Pelicans‘ new NBAGL team, announced in October 2018, won’t relocate to Birmingham, Alabama until 2022/23 and is playing in Erie in the interim. By bringing aboard a franchise like Capitanes that has an existing infrastructure – including a home arena and an ownership group – the NBA will be able to expedite the process, allowing the team to make the transition to the G League next fall.
Capitanes will continue to play its home games at Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera, an arena that holds about 5,000 fans, and will spend at least the next five years in the G League. Unlike the G League’s other 28 teams, Capitanes won’t be affiliated with a specific NBA franchise, per Eric Gomez of ESPN. It’s unclear if it will still be an option for players on assignment from the Trail Blazers or Nuggets, the two NBA teams without NBAGL affiliates.
“The assumption is Portland and Denver will be adding teams over time,” Silver said on Thursday.
The news of the G League expanding to Mexico City comes almost exactly a year after Silver indicated that he was optimistic about establishing an NBAGL team in Mexico. At the time, the NBA commissioner said he was confident that the league would be “planting its flag in Mexico” soon.