Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has now missed 13 consecutive games due to undisclosed personal reasons, leading to speculation about why he’s been absent and when he might return. As Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes, Wiggins’ teammates know why he’s been gone, but instead of feeling angry or resentful, they’ve expressed “patience and understanding, a little disappointment but a lot of concern.”
“What he’s dealing with,” one player said, “is some real (expletive).”
Wiggins’ privacy deserves to be respected, according to Thompson, and the fact that an organization that has had some very public leaks over the past year-plus — including Wiggins’ vaccine hesitancy last season and Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during training camp — has kept the matter in-house “says a lot.”
With the team in the midst of its most crucial stretch of the season, and so many major decisions hanging over the franchise, Wiggins being gone is even more amplified. But that doesn’t mean outsiders are entitled to know what’s going on, says Thompson.
“If we’re fine with it,” one player said, “and the people who pay him understand, then so should everyone else.”
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- On the bright side for the Warriors, second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga was able to play on Wednesday night after missing the past three games with a sprained ankle, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Unfortunately, longtime veteran Andre Iguodala broke his left wrist and will undergo surgery next week. Head coach Steve Kerr spoke about losing Iguodala last night, per Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter link). “It’s a huge loss. …We’ll see what it means, roster wise. We’ll see how things play out, whether we use the last roster spot on one of our two-way guys or something else comes up,” Kerr said as part of a larger quote.
- Law Murray of The Athletic tackles a number of topics in a mailbag column, answering questions about Eric Gordon‘s importance to the Clippers, small-ball lineups, and possible favorable postseason matchups, among others. According to Murray, prior to Wednesday’s victory over Golden State, Gordon had the highest plus-minus on the team in fourth quarters since he was acquired at the trade deadline (plus-46 in 84 minutes).
- The Lakers have an open roster spot and a couple of frontcourt players injured in LeBron James and Mohamed Bamba, plus Anthony Davis has been rested on back-to-backs (only one more back-to-back remains on the schedule). Prior to Wednesday’s loss to Houston, in which Davis was out, Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group asked head coach Darvin Ham if the Lakers had any plans to add another big man with their roster opening. “We feel like we have a good vibe, a good rhythm with the guys that are out there. We’re standing pat for now,” Ham said as part of larger quote. “But the process of trying to improve our roster never changes. We’re constantly looking.”
Contract Details: Dunn, Merrill, Leonard, Keels
The Jazz dipped into their mid-level exception in order to sign Kris Dunn to his new contract, Hoops Rumors has learned. If Dunn had signed for the veteran’s minimum, he would’ve made $356,646 for the rest of the season, but he instead received more than double that amount ($735,819) via Utah’s MLE.
Dunn’s two-year deal also includes a minimum salary ($2,586,665) for 2023/24, but that figure is entirely non-guaranteed. The veteran Jazz guard would get his full guarantee if he isn’t waived on or before October 23.
Here are more details on contracts recently signed around the NBA:
- The Cavaliers‘ new contract agreement with Sam Merrill covers three seasons, Hoops Rumors has learned. Cleveland used a portion of its mid-level exception to give Merrill a third year and to pay him $850K for the rest of this season, well above the minimum. The Cavs will control Merrill at the veteran’s minimum rate in 2023/24 and ’24/25, with both of those years non-guaranteed.
- As expected, Meyers Leonard‘s new deal with the Bucks is worth the veteran’s minimum and covers only the rest of this season, so he’ll return to unrestricted free agency again this summer. As we noted on Wednesday, Leonard’s rest-of-season contract will pay him $409,916, while the Bucks will take on a cap hit of $284,911 (though the actual cost of the signing will exceed $1MM due to tax penalties).
- Trevor Keels‘ new two-way contract with the Knicks is just a rest-of-season deal, so he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency if he finishes the season with the club.
Draft Notes: Miller, Henderson, Black, Early Entrants
Alabama freshman Brandon Miller has become a legitimate contender to be taken with the second pick in this year’s draft, writes Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. French center Victor Wembanyama remains a clear favorite as the top choice, but in conversations with NBA executives and scouts, Vecenie finds that teams are considering Miller alongside G League guard Scoot Henderson, who had been ranked second in most mock drafts since the season began.
Vecenie still has Henderson second on his list, calling him “an elite-level competitor with elite athleticism” and comparing him to Anthony Edwards and Derrick Rose. But Miller has steadily worked his way up NBA draft boards throughout the season while leading the Crimson Tide to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
The 6’9″ wing has drawn comparisons to Paul George while averaging 19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He’s also shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three-point range and is viewed as a solid defender. Miller has improved his ability to create shots off the dribble and has shown an ability to score through contact that scouts had originally doubted. There are obvious questions surrounding the role he played in a January shooting, but Vecenie doesn’t believe that will affect his draft status as long as he’s not charged in the case.
There’s more on the NBA draft:
- Miller gave brief answers during the SEC Tournament when he was asked about his involvement in the incident, but Alabama coach Nate Oats talked it more in depth with Kyle Tucker of The Athletic. “Based on everything we know, Brandon didn’t break any laws, he didn’t violate any school policy and he’s a fully cooperating witness,” Oats said. “Based on all that, we made the decision to let him keep playing.”
- John Hollinger of The Athletic also touches on the Miller vs. Henderson debate, suggesting that Miller may be the best perimeter player in college basketball. Hollinger, who attended the SEC Tournament last week, identifies Arkansas as a team to watch in the NCAA Tournament, stating that the Razorbacks may have five players who will get drafted. Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black are considered potential lottery picks, and Hollinger sees Black as a candidate for the No. 4 pick, even though he hasn’t shot well in his freshman season.
- Belmont senior guard Ben Sheppard will give up his final year of eligibility and enter the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Sheppard was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and an All-Defensive team choice this year.
- Real Madrid’s Eli Ndiaye, an 18-year-old center out of Senegal, has also declared for the draft, according to Givony (Twitter link).
Heat Notes: Oladipo, Yurtseven, Zeller, Butler
Wednesday marked the first time this season that Heat guard Victor Oladipo was kept on the bench when he was healthy enough to play, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Oladipo has missed 33 games with a variety of injuries, but he was a DNP-CD against the Grizzlies even though Miami cruised to a 19-point win.
Chiang points out that Oladipo has been ineffective since the All-Star break, shooting just 35.6% from the field, and the Heat have been getting outscored during that time by 8.4 points per 100 possessions with him on the court. Still, coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that he didn’t intend to bench Oladipo entirely, and his absence was a result of trying to figure out rotation minutes now that the team’s injury issues have subsided.
“How it played out tonight is not necessarily what I had on my card and the first guy I talked to was Vic, obviously,” Spoelstra said. “We have not been in this situation for three or four months, where we’ve had everybody available. I had every intention to play him in that first quarter.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Omer Yurtseven played just 2:11 in the first half Wednesday before being replaced by Haywood Highsmith, Chiang adds. There was hope that Yurtseven could take over the backup center role after returning from November ankle surgery, but he has struggled in his first three games back on the court. Spoelstra was visibly upset with Yurtseven’s defense in Wednesday’s game, Chiang observes, but the coach indicated that he’ll still get more opportunities. “O is working,” Spoelstra said. “He’s doing what he needs to do behind the scenes and drilling and working and preparing and watching film. There’s a lot of expectations in those minutes. But he’ll be prepared, he’ll be ready.”
- Cody Zeller sat out Wednesday with a broken nose, but the team is expecting him back in “a couple of days,” Chiang tweets. When he returns, the veteran center will likely wear a mask, just as he did when he broke his nose last season with the Trail Blazers.
- Jimmy Butler, who had been averaging 26.1 PPG since the All-Star break, continued his outstanding play with 18 first-half points Wednesday, but got a much-needed rest in the fourth quarter with the Heat leading comfortably, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Butler’s recent outburst has kept Miami in the race to avoid the play-in tournament, trailing the Nets by just two games with 11 left to play.“We need every bit of it,” Spoelstra said of Butler’s aggressiveness. “He’s not going to take his foot off the pedal.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 3/16/2023
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 10:00 am Central time (11:00 am Eastern).
Click here to read the transcript and join us on Tuesday afternoon for our next live chat, hosted by Dana Gauruder.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Russell, Reaves, Beasley, Bamba, Irving
LeBron James likely won’t be back until the final week of the regular season if he returns at all before the playoffs, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said during a discussion about the team with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. James missed his ninth straight game with a right foot injury Wednesday night, but there have been some positive signs regarding his recovery.
Buha notes that James was able to shed his walking boot this week and was seen dribbling the ball and shooting layups during Tuesday’s shootaround. The Lakers have been cautious about releasing information on James, but Buha hears he’s ahead of schedule and will be reevaluated next week.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Buha and Scotto believe D’Angelo Russell and the team have mutual interest in a new contract this summer. The Lakers brought back their former draft pick in a trade last month, and he has been productive apart from injury, averaging 18.8 points and 5.9 assists in the eight games he has played for L.A. The Lakers could have received Mike Conley from the Jazz in the trade, according to Buha, but they opted for Russell because they see him as part of their future. Scotto believes Russell is motivated to succeed with the team that drafted him.
- The Lakers are hoping to re-sign Austin Reaves, but multiple teams are planning to make a run at him in free agency, Scotto states. L.A. can offer up to $50MM over four years, and Scotto believes his floor will be the mid-level exception. Buha points out that Reaves’ flexibility has been extremely valuable for the Lakers, noting that he has played everywhere from point guard to small forward and brings a high IQ to the game. He adds that the team has to be careful about getting into a situation similar what it did with Alex Caruso, adding that another team might be willing to offer Reaves $12-15MM per season. The Lakers would have the ability to match a higher offer via the Arenas provision.
- Another free agent, Rui Hachimura, is also likely to get offers in the non-taxpayer MLE range, which will be about $10MM per year, according to Buha. He believes the Lakers are willing to make that offer, but another team may be able to outbid them.
- General manager Rob Pelinka had been interested in Malik Beasley for some time before acquiring him, so the team is likely to pick up his $16.5MM option for next season, Scotto states. Mohamed Bamba, who has a $10.3MM team option, is more “on the bubble,” Scotto adds, because the Lakers can probably find a more affordable backup center.
- The Lakers were strongly interested in Kyrie Irving when he asked the Nets for a trade in February, but that seems to have changed in light of their moves at the deadline, Buha adds. He hears that the front office likes the current look of the team and doesn’t plan to pursue Irving in free agency.
Knicks Sign DaQuan Jeffries To Second 10-Day Deal
12:05pm: The Knicks have officially signed Jeffries to his second 10-day contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
7:58am: The Knicks will re-sign swingman DaQuan Jeffries to a second 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jeffries’ initial 10-day deal with the team expired on Tuesday night.
Jeffries, who previously suited up for the Kings, Rockets, and Grizzlies, has spent nearly the entire 2022/23 season with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.
He started 15 games for Westchester in the fall’s Showcase Cup, averaging 18.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .482/.280/.769 shooting in 32.9 minutes per night. Since the NBAGL’s regular season began, he has appeared in 21 more games (20 starts), putting up 19.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 2.0 APG with a shooting line of .490/.363/.678.
The Knicks have only been carrying 13 players on standard, full-season contracts since the trade deadline passed and have periodically been filling their 14th roster slot by promoting a two-way player — first Trevor Keels and now Jeffries. Neither one has actually played for New York upon being promoted, so those deals are more about meeting the NBA’s minimum roster requirements than anything else.
Still, Jeffries is certainly benefiting financially from being on a pair of 10-day contracts rather than continuing on his two-way deal. He’ll earn another $109,318 on his second 10-day pact, while the Knicks carry a cap hit of $105,522.
Once Jeffries’ second 10-day contract expires, he’ll be ineligible to sign a third with New York, so the team will have to either let him walk or bring him back on a rest-of-season contract (standard or two-way).
Draymond Green Receives 16th Technical, Faces Suspension
Warriors forward/center Draymond Green received a technical foul on Wednesday night against the Clippers, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
As Kendra Andrews of ESPN notes (via Twitter), it was Green’s 16th technical foul, so he will be suspended for Friday’s game versus Atlanta unless it’s rescinded by the NBA.
According to Greif (Twitter link), shortly after Green’s technical he was involved in a scuffle with Clippers forward Marcus Morris. Upon an official review of the incident, Morris received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game.
Last week, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he hadn’t spoken to Green about being on the technical threshold, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).
“I’ve never said one word to Draymond, and he’s never gone over the limit,” Kerr said. “He always comes right up to the edge and then he stops. He knows how valuable he is, I don’t have to say anything to him. He knows that he can’t get that next one; we need him.”
Wednesday’s matchup between the Warriors and Clippers — and Green’s imminent suspension — could have a huge impact on the Western Conference playoff race. The two teams have an identical 36-33 record, and both could easily go as high as the No. 4 seed or even drop out of the play-in tournament entirely depending on how the rest of the season plays out.
A four-time All-Star and seven-time All-Defensive team member, Green is averaging 8.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.8 APG and 1.0 SPG on .525/.324/.705 shooting through 61 games (31.4 MPG) this season.
Ja Morant: “I Take Full Responsibility…I Made A Bad Mistake”
In an interview with ESPN’s Jalen Rose (partial video link), Grizzlies guard Ja Morant expressed contrition for flashing a gun at a Denver-area strip club, which led to him being suspended for eight games without pay. When asked who the gun belonged to, Morant simply replied “the gun wasn’t mine.”
“It’s not who I am,” Morant said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I don’t condone it or any type of violence, but I take full responsibility from my actions. I made a bad mistake. I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about and change this narrative that everybody got.”
Regarding the other troubling off-court incidents that he’s reportedly been involved in over the past several months, Morant discussed them in vague terms.
“The majority of the things that’s happened in the past, obviously, I kind of put myself into by even being there,” Morant said. “But all the incidents you’ve seen recently, most of them is a lie. I can’t speak too much on those situations because all of ’em are sealed. I really can’t wait to be able to finally tell the truth. But what I can say is, like I said before, none of those are my character. I’m a big family guy. I always care for my family. So it was just me checking on my family’s safety. Once my family is safe, I left the scene.”
Morant acknowledged that he and his inner circle have made some “bad decisions” recently, and says his time away — which included entering a counseling program — helped him reflect on those mistakes, according to MacMahon.
“Honestly, I feel like we put ourselves in that situation with our past mistakes, and now it’s only right that we focus in and lock in on being smarter and more responsible, holding each other accountable for everything,” Morant said. “I feel like in the past we didn’t know what was at stake. And now finally me having that time to realize everything, have that time alone, I realize that now.
“I realize what I have to lose, and for us as a group, what we have to lose. It’s pretty much just that being more responsible, more smarter and staying away from all the bad decisions.”
As MacMahon writes, the fourth-year guard says he’s in a better mental space now and has learned how to “manage stress in a positive way.” Morant technically could play in Monday’s game, which is when the retroactive suspension will lift, but he will require a short ramp-up period to get back in shape before he returns to action.
“I also put my team in a tough position with me not being able to be out there on the floor for decisions I’ve made,” Morant said. “I regret all that. I can’t wait to be back out there on the floor now, knowing what my punishment is. I accept that, and I feel like I deserve that punishment for my mistakes and what I did. But when I get back out there, I’m going to be ready to go and ready to push for a ring.”
Atlantic Notes: McBride, Noel, Pritchard, R. Williams
Miles McBride has been reinserted into the Knicks‘ rotation over the past six games with Jalen Brunson sidelined due to a foot injury. The second-year guard has been making an impact on both ends of the court as of late, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.
During Sunday’s road victory over the Lakers, McBride recorded eight points (on 3-of-5 shooting) and three steals in 17 minutes, finishing plus-15 in the four-point win.
“It’s huge. … But, honestly, if I didn’t score a point and we win, I’d still be happy. Just being able to impact the game however I can always is the number one thing,” McBride said. “I think the second unit knows that when we get in, our job is just look at the score, understand what we have to do as a unit and move the needle. And I think we came in and did that.”
The 22-year-old followed that strong performance with a career-high 18 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), three assists, two blocks and one steal in 25 minutes in Tuesday’s victory at Portland, Botte adds in another story. It remains to be seen if McBride will get minutes once Brunson returns, but he’s certainly building a strong case for himself.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Veteran center Nerlens Noel averaged 14.3 minutes in his three games with the Brooklyn, but a source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the Nets will not bring him back for a second 10-day contract (Twitter link). Noel’s initial deal expires on Wednesday, Lewis notes. Head coach Jacque Vaughn previously suggested that he expected Noel to stick around.
- Payton Pritchard has switched agents and will now be represented by CAA Sports, the agency announced on Instagram. “At the end of the day, it’s a business decision,” Pritchard told Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. “I think when you’re going into making choices on your future and your business, you want somebody that you believe is going to represent you in the best way and really help you. I’m not dissing my previous agent or anything like that. At the end of the day, it’s a nerve-wrecking time so you want to go with somebody that you really believe.” The third-year Celtics guard, who is currently sidelined with a heel injury, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. Pritchard previously expressed disappointment that he wasn’t traded ahead of last month’s deadline, as he’s looking for more playing time.
- Celtics big man Robert Williams could return to action “within the next week or so,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said prior to Wednesday’s matchup with Minnesota (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Boston). Williams has been dealing with a left hamstring strain, but has responded well to treatment and said he was “feeling good” over the weekend.