Dion Waiters Suspended Again By Heat
The Heat have suspended Dion Waiters again. This time, Waiters will be banned for six games for failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules, and continued insubordination, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The move marks the third suspension on the season for the shooting guard. The first was for insubordination and the second was for an incident on a team plane where Waiters ate an edible and had a medical episode.
Waiters has yet to play for Miami this season, though the team is thriving in his absence. The Heat enter the evening with a record of 18-6—only the Bucks have a better record in the Eastern Conference.
Waiters was set to make $12.1MM this season, but he won’t realize that full amount as a result of his suspensions. He’s on track to earn roughly $12.7MM next season in the final year of his deal.
Bulls’ Thaddeus Young Dissatisfied With Role?
Even after playing a season-high 33 minutes on Wednesday, Bulls forward Thaddeus Young is averaging just 21.6 minutes per contest so far this season, his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2007/08. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times and K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Young thought he’d be playing more in Chicago and has shared his desire for increased minutes with people in the organization.
Cowley suggests that it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Young’s camp asks for a trade once he’s eligible to be dealt on December 15. However, both Cowley and Johnson note that the 31-year-old is a consummate professional and is unlikely to publicly express any unhappiness. In fact, he told Cowley that he’s willing to accept whatever role head coach Jim Boylen envisions.
“I’m good with whatever Coach sees fit to do with me,” Young said. “Obviously everybody wants to be on the court more, everybody wants to be on the floor as much as possible. For me it’s just be productive with the time I am given.”
With Otto Porter on the shelf until at least the new year and Chandler Hutchison battling a shoulder issue, the Bulls have talked about getting Young some minutes at the three, according to Boylen (link via Cowley). However, it’s not a solution the club has explored extensively on the court.
Young, who has started 671 regular season games in his career, is coming off the bench this season, and while he doesn’t seem to have a problem with that, he admits he’d like to be part of more end-of-game lineups, as Cowley relays.
“Of course,” Young said. “I’ve been closing for years. But like I said, if Coach decides to go with a different unit, different guys, then I have to go with that and try and be one of the guys that’s ready to go when my number is called.”
Nets Waive Iman Shumpert
3:13pm: The Nets have officially waived Shumpert, the team announced this afternoon in a press release.
10:54am: The Nets will waive veteran swingman Iman Shumpert, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Brooklyn is currently carrying 16 players, but will have to get back down to 15 after this Saturday’s game in Toronto, when Wilson Chandler‘s 25-game suspension ends and he becomes eligible to be reinstated. The Nets, who have posted a 9-4 record since Shumpert entered the lineup, will “reluctantly” release the recently-signed 29-year-old due to their roster crunch, per Charania.
Having signed with the Nets on November 13, Shumpert quickly entered the club’s rotation, averaging 4.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 13 games (18.5 MPG). He didn’t shoot well during his time in Brooklyn (.328/.242/.571), but he provided head coach Kenny Atkinson with another reliable perimeter defender.
Once he’s officially placed on waivers, Shumpert will be eligible to be claimed by any of the NBA’s other teams, since he’s on a minimum-salary contract. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll once again become an unrestricted free agent and the Nets will be on the hook for the prorated portion of his non-guaranteed salary (about $419K if he’s cut today, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks).
Chandler, David Nwaba, Rodions Kurucs, and Theo Pinson were among the other players the Nets could have considered parting with if they’d wanted to retain Shumpert, but they’ll all hang onto their roster spots for now.
Jusuf Nurkic Aiming To Return Around All-Star Break
The Trail Blazers haven’t offered many specifics on Jusuf Nurkic‘s return from the broken leg that has sidelined him to start the 2019/20 season, but Shams Charania of The Athletic hears that the big man is targeting a return close to the All-Star break in February. According to Charnia, Nurkic is making “positive strides” in his rehab process.
While the Blazers knew coming into the season that they’d be without Nurkic for much of the year, they’ve been hit hard by injuries since then, with Zach Collins and Rodney Hood also suffering long-term ailments. Collins is expected to be out through the All-Star break with a dislocated left shoulder, while Hood won’t return this season after tearing his left Achilles.
Hassan Whiteside has been the Blazers’ starting center this season with Nurkic – and Collins – on the shelf. While Whiteside has held his own in the middle and provided solid rim protection, he’s not as reliable a two-way threat as Nurkic, who has been one of Portland’s most valuable players in recent years.
Still, even if Nurkic is able to return in February, it remains to be seen where Portland will be in the Western Conference playoff race by then. The Blazers off to a 10-15 start, which is disappointing but places them just a game-and-a-half behind the eighth-seeded Suns. It’s possible the club will upgrade its roster in the coming weeks or months to help solidify its status as a postseason contender, though president of basketball operations Neil Olshey isn’t talking as if he expects to do anything drastic.
Marcus Morris Doesn’t Want To Be Traded
With the Knicks seemingly lottery-bound again, Marcus Morris‘ name has begun to emerge in trade rumors. The veteran forward is on a one-year contract, and the club figures to gauge his value on the market. However, Morris himself doesn’t sound enthusiastic about the idea of being dealt, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News details.
“I love being in New York,” Morris said. “Win, lose or draw, I’m here to try to help turn this thing around. You know, I’m not really looking to get traded. That’s just my personal opinion. That’s my approach. But this is the NBA.”
Morris acknowledged that he’s “aware” of the possibility he could be traded. Of the Knicks’ veterans, he’s probably the most valuable, especially given how he has played so far this season, with a team-high 19.0 PPG and .489 3PT% through 23 games. He has also been a locker room leader in New York, and while his individual production hasn’t translated into team success so far, he’d like more of an opportunity to change that.
“I’d rather help turn this thing around,” Morris said. “‘Melo (Carmelo Anthony) said it best. Some guys are not built for New York. I’m built for New York. I’d rather be here and I’d rather help and I’d rather anchor it.”
Morris, who becomes eligible to be traded this Sunday, reneged on a free agent agreement with the Spurs this past summer to join the Knicks. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, sources believe Morris’ desire to be close to his North Philly roots played a part in that decision, so it makes some sense that he’d want to remain in New York, even with the team struggling.
Still, it’s not as if Morris has any sort of no-trade clause that would stop the Knicks from shopping or moving him. One executive who spoke to Bondy predicted the club could net a protected first-round pick or two second-rounders for Morris, and Ian Begley of SNY.tv heard from three teams that believe a first-rounder is a realistic ask for Morris.
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Multiple Teams Doing Homework On Rodions Kurucs
At least two teams are devoting resources to conducting a “full background check” on Nets forward Rodions Kurucs to see if he makes sense as a trade target, sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link).
Kurucs had a promising rookie season in 2018/19, averaging 8.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 63 games (46 starts) and shooting 45.0% from the field. This season, the 21-year-old hasn’t been a regular part of Brooklyn’s rotation, recording just 2.3 PPG and 2.2 RPG on 39.1% shooting in 10 contests (9.9 MPG).
Additionally, Kurucs was arrested during the offseason on a domestic violence charge. The case related to those allegations is ongoing, and the background checks referred to by Marks will presumably focus on determining how credible that accusation is.
The Nets will face a roster crunch within the next few days when Wilson Chandler‘s 25-game suspension comes to an end. The team has been carrying Iman Shumpert as a 16th man, but will have to get back to down to 15 players when Chandler is eligible to be reinstated.
If Brooklyn isn’t prepared to waive a player like Shumpert, Chandler, or David Nwaba, a move involving Kurucs could be a possibility.
Projected Lottery Pick R.J. Hampton Out With Hip Injury
Just days after we heard that LaMelo Ball would be sidelined into the new year due to a foot injury, the other top prospect playing in Australia’s National Basketball League has been ruled out until 2020 with an injury of his own. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, New Zealand Breakers point guard R.J. Hampton will miss approximately four weeks due to a hip flexor injury.
Hampton, who opted to play in the NBL rather than spend a year at college leading up to the 2020 draft, has had an up-and-down year for the Breakers. In 12 games (22.1 MPG), the 18-year-old has averaged 9.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.5 APG with a .430/.324/.654 shooting line.
Despite his modest NBL production, Hampton is still considered a likely lottery pick for the 2020 draft. Givony, who notes that the youngster is currently ranked seventh on ESPN’s big board, has lauded Hampton’s versatile offensive game and his potential to become an explosive combo guard.
As Givony details, NBA scouts and decision-makers had been making plans to scout Hampton and Bell in the coming weeks, particularly with their teams set to face each other on December 22. It sounds like those plans will have to be postponed — both players are expected to get healthy and rejoin their teams before the NBL regular season ends in mid-February.
Lakers Waive Zach Norvell Jr., Sign Devontae Cacok
7:30pm: The Lakers have officially signed Cacok to a two-way contract and waived Norvell, the team announced in a press release.
3:38pm: The Lakers are making a change to one of their two-way contract slots, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the club is waiving guard Zach Norvell Jr. and signing big man Devontae Cacok.
[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
Norvell, who went undrafted earlier this year, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers on the first day of the league year in July. He has logged just five minutes in two games with the NBA club this season, spending most of his time with the South Bay Lakers. In 23 G League games (24.7 MPG), he averaged 13.3 PPG on .353/.340/.867 shooting.
Cacok, meanwhile, was in camp with the Lakers this fall on an Exhibit 10 contract but was cut at the end of the preseason when the team set its regular season roster. He reported to South Bay as an affiliate player and has been productive as a member of the Lakers’ G League squad, recording 16.3 PPG and 11.7 RPG with a .669 FG% in 12 games (22.8 MPG).
Because he’s signing his two-way contract partway through the regular season, Cacok will be eligible to spend up to 33 days with the Lakers, a prorated portion of the usual 45-day limit.
Kostas Antetokounmpo is the Lakers’ other two-way player. His status remains unchanged.
Kevin Love Reportedly Interested In Blazers
Multiple sources have informed The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that pricey Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love would prefer to be traded to his hometown Trail Blazers. Love, a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, is in the first year of a four-year, $120.1MM contract.
The big man, 31, missed 60 games last season with various maladies. Injuries also hindered his availability during the 2017/18 season. Love missed 23 games that year, his last All-Star season.
O’Connor opines that the expiring contracts of center Hassan Whiteside (who is earning $27.1MM) or wing Kent Bazemore ($19.3MM) could be used in a deal with Cleveland. Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, currently earning $18.5MM in the final year of his deal, could also be a good fit in Portland, O’Connor notes. Injured center Jusuf Nurkic is expected to return to the floor for Portland well before the playoffs commence.
The 10-15 Blazers are seeded 11th in the competitive Western Conference at present, but they are just two games back of the 11-12 Suns, the current No. 8 seed in a crowded race for the bottom of the playoff bracket.
Even with the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference fairly open (the 11-12 Magic currently occupy that position), the 5-18 Cavaliers face an uphill battle to make the playoffs. Anonymous leaks suggest player dissatisfaction with new head coach John Beilein, and their young guards, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, have both struggled to perform thus far this season. With Love apparently wanting out, too, the Cavs may be best served cutting their losses and stockpiling whatever assets they can extract from an interested trade partner.
O’Connor notes that the Suns and Nuggets may also be candidates for Love’s services ahead of the February 6th trade deadline.
Rodney Hood Out For Season With Torn Achilles Tendon
DECEMBER 11: Hood underwent successful surgery today to repair his ruptured left Achilles tendon, the Blazers announced in a press release. While the club didn’t provide a timeline for his recovery, it’s a safe bet that he’ll miss at least the rest of the 2019/20 season, as noted below.
DECEMBER 7: Rodney Hood will miss the rest of the regular season after tearing his left Achilles tendon Friday night, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.
The Trail Blazers‘ swingman suffered the injury in the first quarter of a game against the Lakers while battling for a rebound with JaVale McGee. Hood grabbed the ball, then fell to the court in pain. He was helped to the locker room, where an MRI confirmed the damage.
“I’m very sad,” coach Terry Stotts said. “Very disappointed for Rodney, who was having a good year for us. I hate for anybody to have an injury like that takes them out for the season. So I feel for him.”
Hood had started all 21 games in his first full season in Portland and was averaging 11.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per night while shooting 49.3% from 3-point range. He was acquired from Cleveland at last year’s trade deadline to provide some shooting help for the playoffs.
Hood said he tweaked his Achilles during Wednesday’s game, but Stotts told Friedell that he may have hurt it even earlier. The Blazers’ medical staff cleared him to play Friday night.
“It’s tough, man,” Damian Lillard said. “You hate to see injuries in the league, period. You hate to see one of your teammates go down to an injury like that, especially a starter and somebody that was really a good person having a great season, fitting in really well with our team, a big part of what we do. You feel for him personally more than anything. Just sad to see that happen to him.”
Hood’s progress in rehab will factor into his decision on a modest $6MM player option for next year. His performance could have led to a much bigger payday, but taking the money may be the safest option if the injury threatens to sideline him into next season.