New York Notes: Robinson, Reddish, Brunson, Simmons, Brown
Shortly after the Knicks picked up a victory in Portland on Tuesday, center Mitchell Robinson appeared to gripe once again about his offensive role – or lack thereof – in a pair of Snapchat stories, per Peter Botte of The New York Post.
“Tired asf of just being out there for cardio fam,” Robinson reportedly wrote on Snapchat. “Like I want to play basketball to (sic) really just wasting my time and energy.”
This isn’t the first time that Robinson has taken to social media to complain about only being on the floor “for cardio” — he did the same on Instagram in December of 2021. Of course, at that point in the 2021/22 season, the Knicks were 12-16 and had just lost four straight games.
Robinson’s social media activity this time around came after he attempted just two shots in 21 minutes on Tuesday, but the Knicks won for the 11th time in 14 games and now have a 41-30 record. Given the team’s success this season, it’s a little concerning that the fifth-year center still may not have bought into his role.
With the Knicks enjoying a stretch of three days off between games, Robinson has yet to speak to reporters about his Snapchat posts.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- A few days after Cam Reddish cited “politics” and “favoritism” as reasons why he didn’t play at all during his final two months with the Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau took the high road when discussing the forward and the trade that sent him to the Trail Blazers, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. “He’s played very well. Happy for him,” Thibodeau said of Reddish. “I think it was one of those trades that was good for both teams, and that’s what you like. So, we got what we needed, and I think they got what they needed.”
- Jalen Brunson, who has missed five of the Knicks‘ last six games due to left foot pain, practiced in full on Friday and seemingly has a chance to return on Saturday, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Brunson will be listed as questionable vs. Denver.
- Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said at the end of February that there had been no discussion about shutting down Ben Simmons for the rest of the season due to his back and knee soreness. Vaughn reiterated that stance on Thursday when asked about the former No. 1 overall pick, according to Dan Martin of The New York Post. “There is zero discussion about him not playing (again this season),” Vaughn said, adding that Simmons hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery process. “We expect him to be back, we’re waiting for him to be back.”
- In case you missed it, the Nets officially signed center Moses Brown to a 10-day contract earlier today. While Brown could stick around beyond the next 10 days if he impresses Brooklyn, it’s worth clarifying that he won’t be playoff-eligible, since he was waived from a two-way contract by New York after the March 1 deadline.
Kings’ Huerter Has Hamstring Injury, MRI Clean
MARCH 17: The MRI on Huerter’s hamstring injury came back clean, confirming the team’s belief that the injury isn’t significant, reports Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Woj that Huerter will be considered day-to-day going forward.
MARCH 16: Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter sustained a right hamstring injury during Sacramento’s bout against the Nets on Thursday night, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). He has been ruled out for the rest of the game, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports (via Twitter).
The Kings will conduct further imaging on the hamstring on Friday to determine the exact nature and severity of the ailment, Woj adds.
Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL tweets that Sacramento believes Huerter may have suffered a mild hamstring strain. A source informs Cunningham that Huerter is feeling hopeful about the injury and there’s a sense of optimism within the organization that it’s not a serious issue.
During his first season with the Kings, Huerter has emerged as a crucial role player for the 41-27 club, currently the West’s No. 2 seed. Across 65 starts for Sacramento, the 6’7″ swingman is averaging a career-high 15.2 PPG on .489/.410/.712 shooting splits. He’s also contributing 3.2 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.1 SPG.
Huerter was initially drafted by the Hawks in 2018 with the No. 19 pick out of Maryland, and proved to be a key part of the team’s run to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. After Atlanta brought in Dejounte Murray this summer, Huerter was moved for a future first-round pick in a cost-cutting move. He has thrived with his new club thus far.
2023’s Most Valuable Traded Second-Round Picks
Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2023 first round.
However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.
[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2023 NBA Draft]
Here are a few of the traded 2023 draft picks that project to land near the top of the second round:
From: Houston Rockets
To: Indiana Pacers or Boston Celtics
Current projection: No. 32
The Rockets initially traded their 2023 second-round pick, with top-32 protection, to Memphis at the 2020 trade deadline as part of a Bruno Caboclo/Jordan Bell swap. The Celtics later acquired that top-32 protected second-rounder during the 2020 offseason in the deal that sent the draft rights to No. 30 pick Desmond Bane to the Grizzlies.
As part of the complex four-team James Harden blockbuster in early 2021, the Rockets agreed to send the Pacers their 2023 second-round pick if it ends up at No. 31 and No. 32. So the Pacers are on track to receive that Houston second-rounder if it’s one of the first two picks of the round, while the Celtics would get it otherwise.
We took a closer look at this draft-related subplot of the NBA’s race to the bottom last week, noting that the Pacers could instead end up with a pick in the early 50s if the Rockets’ second-rounder slips to No. 33. Missing out on Houston’s pick wouldn’t be quite as bad for the Celtics, as we outline below.
From: Portland Trail Blazers
To: Boston Celtics or Oklahoma City Thunder
Current projection: No. 36
If the Rockets’ second-round pick ends up at No. 31 or No. 32, the Celtics will almost certainly receive Portland’s pick instead. If Houston’s second-rounder lands at No. 33, Boston would get it, while the Thunder would acquire the Blazers’ pick.
Should the Blazers’ recent slide continue, their second-rounder may not actually be much less favorable than Houston’s — only four spots separate them for the time being.
The Blazers originally gave up their 2023 second-round selection when they acquired Rodney Hood from Cleveland just ahead of the 2019 deadline. It was subsequently flipped to the Pistons (in the 2019 offeason), the Clippers (in the 2020 offseason), the Hawks (at the 2021 deadline), and finally the Celtics in a three-team trade during the summer of 2021.
When they acquired Mike Muscala from the Thunder last month, the Celtics agreed to send OKC the least favorable of their two 2023 second-round picks, which is why the Thunder would receive Portland’s pick if Boston gets Houston’s.
From: Chicago Bulls
To: Washington Wizards
Current projection: No. 37
The Bulls remain in the thick of the play-in race in the Eastern Conference, so it’s possible their second-rounder could slide all the way to the mid-40s if they make the play-in tournament and then earn a playoff spot. However, the Wizards – the team the Bulls are chasing for the No. 10 spot in the East – have extra incentive to stay ahead of Chicago, thereby increasing the value of this pick.
The Wizards acquired this Bulls second-rounder with top-36 protection when they sent Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago at the 2019 deadline. The Bulls agreed to remove the protections as part of their sign-and-trade deal for Tomas Satoransky later that year.
Interestingly, the Wizards actually traded Chicago’s 2023 second-rounder to the Lakers as part of the Russell Westbrook blockbuster in the summer of 2021, but got it back from L.A. a couple months ago in the Rui Hachimura deal.
From: Indiana Pacers
To: Sacramento Kings
Current projection: No. 38
Like the Bulls, the Pacers are still in the play-in race in the East, so there’s no guarantee this pick will land in the top 10 of the second round. But Indiana has a banged-up roster and doesn’t appear overly incentivized to make the play-in tournament.
This pick changed hands in the Domantas Sabonis/Tyrese Haliburton mega-deal at the 2022 trade deadline. Technically, the Spurs would receive it if it lands between Nos. 56 and 60, but we can safely rule out that possibility at this point.
Other picks to watch:
Given how congested the play-in races are in each conference, there are a handful of other second-rounders whose value could surpass that of a couple of the picks listed above.
For instance, the Jazz‘s second-round pick is currently controlled by the Hornets, the Spurs own the Raptors‘ second-rounder, and the Thunder will acquire the Wizards‘ second-rounder if it’s more favorable than OKC’s own pick.
Raptors Notes: Starting Five, Poeltl, Koloko, Anunoby
The trade-deadline addition of Jakob Poeltl has finally given the Raptors a starting five that can dominate opposing lineups, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
For most of the last two seasons, Toronto’s go-to five-man group of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, and Gary Trent Jr. only narrowly outscored opponents. However, since replacing Trent in that group with Poeltl, the Raptors’ starting five has become a major strength.
The lineup with Trent has played a team-high 378 minutes this season and posted a plus-0.8 net rating. The five-man group featuring Poeltl has already logged 163 minutes and has an impressive plus-17.3 net rating during that time. While Poeltl’s rim-protecting ability has helped stabilize Toronto’s defense, the club’s offense has also been highly effective when he’s on the floor, scoring 123.6 points per 100 possessions.
“(Poeltl has) given us a little bit better screening game, a roll threat,” head coach Nick Nurse said, per Koreen. “When you got the roll threat going, it usually gives you a little bit of a weakside catch-and-shoot opportunity.”
In order to keep their successful new starting five together next season, the Raptors will likely need to negotiate new deals for both Poeltl and VanVleet, since both players can reach unrestricted free agency this summer. Trent will also likely be a free agent.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- After not being a part of the Raptors’ rotation for several weeks, Christian Koloko logged 12 minutes in Thursday’s victory over Oklahoma City, Koreen notes. Nurse said this week that he’d like to keep either Poeltl or Koloko on the floor most of the time to anchor the defense, so the rookie could see more regular minutes in the coming weeks.
- Anunoby is something of a defensive “unicorn,” writes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, observing that the Raptors forward has guarded everyone from Bradley Beal to DeMar DeRozan to Nikola Jokic in recent weeks. “He’s positionless. Positionless defense,” Nurse said. “He’s probably optimal at his position, a wing player. Probably. But he does so good on two-guards and bigs when he needs to, as well. He hasn’t really guarded his position in the last several games.”
- Within the same story, Murphy takes a deep dive on how possible changes to the NBA’s rules governing veteran extensions could affect the Raptors’ ability to lock up Anunoby before he becomes eligible for free agency in 2024. As Murphy details, the current rules would limit Toronto’s best extension offer to about $100MM over four years, but if the NBA allows extensions to begin at 150% of the player’s previous salary instead of 120%, the Raptors could bump their offer as high as approximately $125MM over four years.
- As Doug Smith of The Toronto Star points out, the Raptors will finish their season next month with two games in Boston and one vs. Milwaukee, so they could benefit from load management if the Celtics and Bucks are locked into playoff seeds and decide not to play their starters big minutes in those games.
Nets Sign Moses Brown To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 17: The Nets have officially signed Brown to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release. The deal will run through March 26, covering Brooklyn’s next five games, and will pay Brown $109,318.
MARCH 16: The Nets are working toward a contract agreement with free agent center Moses Brown, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brown will be receiving a 10-day contract from the Nets, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Brooklyn has an open spot on its 15-man roster following the expiration of Nerlens Noel‘s 10-day contract on Wednesday night. Brian Lewis of The New York Post reported that the Nets don’t intend to re-sign Noel to a second 10-day deal.
Brown began this season on a two-way deal with the Clippers, appearing in 34 games as a backup center behind Ivica Zubac, averaging 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in just 8.5 minutes per night. He wasn’t always a part of the team’s rotation and slid further down the depth chart following L.A.’s trade-deadline acquisition of Mason Plumlee, eventually leading to his release when he reached the two-way limit of 50 active games.
Brown subsequently signed a two-way contract with the Knicks last week, but was waived just four days later and became an unrestricted free agent again this Tuesday. Now he’s on track to move from one New York borough to another and join a Nets team that has been on the lookout for reliable frontcourt depth behind center Nic Claxton for much of the season.
The Nets will be Brown’s eighth NBA team since 2019, though he has appeared in regular season games for just five of those clubs.
Hawks Notes: Coaching Staff, Snyder, Bogdanovic, Tax
Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff in Atlanta has grown by two members, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required), who reports that the Hawks have hired Steven Klei as an assistant coach and Jeff Watkinson as an assistant with a focus on “integrative basketball development.”
As Williams outlines, both Klei and Watkinson worked with Snyder in Utah, though Watkinson is no stranger to Atlanta, having previously served as the Hawks’ strength and conditioning coach. According to Snyder, Watkinson is taking on something of a hybrid role in his second go-round with the team.
“He’s working right now with the front office in a player-development role,” Snyder said. “It’s kind of (the) line is blurred as far as him being able to do some stuff on the floor. That’s kind of something we’ve talked about, (Hawks general manager) Landry (Fields) and I, you want that type of intersection in different things, and some of it’s organic.”
Besides the two new additions, Snyder’s coaching staff is otherwise made of Nate McMillan‘s old assistants. According to Williams, most of those coaches still have at least one year left on their contracts, though it’s unclear what sort of changes Snyder might make to the staff during the offseason.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- In a conversation with David Aldridge of The Athletic, Snyder explained why the Hawks’ coaching job appealed to him and discussed the challenges of stepping into the role midway through the season. Snyder said his conversations with Hawks owner Tony Ressler, Fields, and assistant GM Kyle Korver (who played under Snyder in both Atlanta and Utah) helped convince him to take the job. “I didn’t anticipate this happening now, but it was intriguing enough,” Snyder said. “And then the more I learned about it, it just made sense to me, even though the timing wasn’t what you thought it would be, that it made sense to do.”
- Bobby Marks of ESPN provides some additional information on Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s new extension with the Hawks, tweeting that the deal will begin at $18.7MM next season, then decline a little in subsequent seasons before staying flat for the final two years. The contract includes a $16.02MM team option in the fourth year, Marks adds.
- Having locked up Bogdanovic, the Hawks now have approximately $162MM in guaranteed salaries on their books for 2023/24, according to Marks. Next season’s projected tax line? $162MM.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Expectations, JJJ, Bane
All-Star Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is serving out the rest of his eight-game NBA suspension, due to a number of concerning off–court issues, and could make his return to action as soon as this Monday.
Following a meeting with league commissioner Adam Silver, Morant sat down for an interview with ESPN’s Jalen Rose, in which he apologized and took accountability for his recent behavior.
These incidents away from the hardwood could have a major financial impact on what he’ll earn from his work on it. In a new piece, Keith Smith of Spotrac details how not qualifying for an All-NBA team this season would adversely affect the five-year, maximum-salary contract extension Morant signed last summer.
Language in the deal would enable Morant to earn more money with Memphis if he made an All-NBA team. Morant currently stands to make 25% of the NBA’s anticipated $134MM salary cap next season when the new extension begins. Were he to be named to an All-NBA team this year, his starting salary would begin at 30% of the cap.
Morant had a solid case for an All-NBA spot prior to his current suspension, but that case will be adversely affected by his extended absence.
There’s more out of Memphis:
- The Grizzlies are not quite sure how Morant’s impending return to the floor will impact the team, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix notes that Morant was performing at an All-NBA level, and wonders if his extended time away will negatively affect his play in the short term.
- While Morant has been away from the team, the pressure on the team’s other 2023 All-Star, power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., to produce offensively has increased, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “He always shows flashes, and that’s been the thing with him,” backup point guard Tyus Jones said. “Consistency. He’s very capable of doing that. We need that from him, and he wants it. That’s the most important thing. He wants to continue to improve, he wants to dominate, he wants to be great. That’s all you can ask for.”
- Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane was ejected last night from a game against the Heat, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Bane was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for colliding with the groin of Heat power forward Kevin Love during a play (ESPN video link).
NBA Will Suspend Draymond Green After 16th Technical
The NBA has confirmed that it will suspend Warriors defensive anchor Draymond Green for Golden State’s next game after he incurred his 16th technical of the season in a loss against the Clippers on Wednesday, per a league press statement (Twitter link).
Golden State’s next game is on Friday in Atlanta vs. the Hawks. Green won’t be available for that one as a result of his suspension.
As was previously noted, the league could have rescinded the suspension had it so chosen, but that won’t happen.
Players are automatically suspended for one game when they accumulate 16 technical fouls in the regular season. Green is the second player to suffer that fate this season, joining nemesis Dillon Brooks of the Grizzlies.
Green would be hit with another one-game suspension is he receives two more techs before the end of the regular season. A player’s technical foul count resets at the start of the postseason.
Bogdan Bogdanovic Signs Four-Year Extension With Hawks
7:00pm: Bogdanovic’s extension is official, the Hawks confirmed in a press release.
2:06pm: Bogdan Bogdanovic has agreed to a four-year, $68MM extension with the Hawks, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Bogdanovic had an $18MM player option for 2023/24 — the first year of his extension will replace that option and cannot be less than that amount. The Hawks are projected to be a taxpayer next season, but owner Tony Ressler has never paid the luxury tax, Marks adds.
Bogdanovic was originally selected No. 27 overall in 2014, but continued to play overseas for a few seasons until his NBA rights were acquired by the Kings. The Serbian swingman spent his first three seasons with Sacramento before signing a four-year, $72MM deal with Atlanta as a restricted free agent in 2020 — the Kings elected not to match.
The 30-year-old missed the first 22 games of 2022/23 after offseason knee surgery, but has been his normal productive self since he returned to action on December 2, averaging 14.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.9 APG on .437/.401/.806 shooting in 43 games (28.5 MPG). Those numbers are very similar to his career stats of 14.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 3.3 APG on .439/.386/.820 shooting in 359 games (28.6 MPG).
Numerous teams, including Cleveland, reportedly inquired on Bogdanovic’s availability ahead of last month’s trade deadline. However, the Hawks were reluctant to part with the veteran guard/forward, who provides a valued combination of outside shooting and complementary play-making.
One report earlier this month indicated that Bogdanovic was expected to decline his option for next season and enter free agency. Instead, he’ll sign a long-term extension with the Hawks, who have made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and are currently 34-35, the No. 8 seed in the East.
It’s interesting that Bogdanovic’s new contract comes in at an average annual value of $17MM versus his current deal’s $18MM, as the salary cap is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. Still, it’s a significant commitment given his injury history, and obviously he was interested in remaining with Atlanta despite a tumultuous season that saw the team switch head coaches.
As Marks notes (via Twitter), Bogdanovic was permitted to extend off his ’23/24 salary until the start of next season.
Michael Jordan In Discussions To Sell Majority Stake In Hornets
Longtime Hornets majority owner Michael Jordan may soon be giving up control of the franchise. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Jordan is currently “in serious talks” to offload a majority stake in the Hornets to another ownership group fronted by Hawks minority owner Rick Schnall and current Charlotte minority owners Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim.
While a deal is not imminent, there’s momentum toward an agreement that would eventually make Schnall and Plotkin co-governors of the Hornets, Wojnarowski adds.
Woj hears that Jordan intends to hold on to at least a minority piece of the club if a sale agreement is reached.
Jordan purchased his initial majority stake in the Hornets for $275MM in 2010, but has been at least a partial owner since 2009. The Hornets’ value as a franchise has only increased since Jordan bought that initial stake. Sportico’s most recent valuation of the team estimated its worth at $1.77 billion (Twitter link).
With a new television deal on the horizon, it seems like a wise investing decision to maintain at least some portion of Charlotte for the immediate future.
The rebuilding Hornets currently occupy the East’s No. 14 seed with a 22-49 record. The team is in prime position to add a major talent in what is expected to be an exciting 2023 draft. During the 2021/22 season, Charlotte did qualify for the East’s play-in tournament, but lost a 132-103 blowout to the Hawks.