Pistons Granted Disabled Player Exception
The Pistons have been granted a disabled player exception due to Cade Cunningham‘s season-ending injury, reports James L. Edwards II of The Athletic (Twitter link). The former No. 1 overall pick underwent surgery in December to address a left tibial stress fracture.
A disabled player exception grants an over-the-cap team some extra spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed more likely than not to sideline him through at least June 15.
The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. In this case, Cunningham’s salary for 2022/23 is $10,552,800, so Detroit’s DPE will be worth $5,276,400.
As we explain in our glossary entry, the disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. The exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.
Although the disabled player exception gives a team extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t open up an extra spot on the 15-man roster. The club must have a roster spot available to use the DPE to add a player.
Teams had until January 15 to apply for disabled player exceptions, so if a player suffers a season-ending injury anytime between now and the end of the season, a DPE won’t be available for his club. The Pistons – and any other team with a disabled player exception – will have until March 10 to use their DPE.
L.A. Notes: LeBron, T. Bryant, Lakers, Conley, Clippers
After missing Monday’s game in Brooklyn due to left foot/ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James has been listed as questionable to play on Tuesday in New York, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
While that status indicates that his availability for tonight remains up in the air, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link) that LeBron will play against the Knicks. He’s just 117 points away from catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles-based teams:
- While his production fell off last week with Anthony Davis back, Lakers center Thomas Bryant showed on Monday that he remains a crucial – and highly effective – insurance policy, scoring 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting with Davis unavailable, Turner writes for The Los Angeles Times. “I’m willing to do whatever the team needs me to do in order to win,” Bryant said. “Whether that’s coming off the bench, I’m with it. Or if that’s starting, I’m ready as well.”
- Now that the Lakers have traded away their 2029 second-round pick, Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom considers how the team could add protections to their 2029 first-round pick if it’s traded this season. Protections aren’t allowed to be added to picks beyond seven years, so if the Lakers trade their 2029 first-rounder with protections at February’s deadline, they won’t be able to include language that pushes it to 2030.
- ESPN’s Tim MacMahon is the latest reporter to throw cold water on the idea of the Clippers acquiring point guard Mike Conley from the Jazz. After Jake Fischer reported last week that the idea of the Clips landing Conley was probably “unrealistic,” MacMahon said on an episode of The Lowe Post podcast that it’s unlikely to happen because L.A. is reluctant to give up a first-round pick. “If they are (going to give up a first-rounder) for a point guard, I think it’s more likely (Fred) VanVleet than it is for Conley,” MacMahon said (hat tip to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report).
- It took some time for the Clippers‘ star combo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to hit their stride this season, but the pairing is finally paying dividends, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. The team had won five straight games before Leonard and George sat out the second half of a back-to-back set on Sunday. L.A. won’t have another back-to-back until March.
Sixers Notes: Trade Deadline, Fultz, Niang, Milton
The Sixers are hoping to land a reliable backup center before next week’s trade deadline, sources tell Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed have been filling that role, but Harrell hasn’t been strong defensively and the coaching staff doesn’t fully trust Reed, according to Neubeck.
Neubeck states that the front office is willing to add another big man even if it can’t get rid of Harrell or Reed in the same deal. He mentions former Sixer Andre Drummond, whom the Bulls are reportedly open to trading, as an example of the type of traditional center the team wants to acquire.
Several teams have contacted the Timberwolves about Naz Reid, but Neubeck doesn’t expect him to be an option for Philadelphia. He also says the decision could wait for the buyout market, although it could be tough to find a long-term solution who’s content to be a backup for Embiid.
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House and Jaden Springer are the best candidates to be moved in the type of deals the Sixers are considering, Neubeck adds. He hears from sources that Matisse Thybulle would likely be included in a “higher-end” trade, with the Kings among several teams that have shown interest in the fourth-year guard. Shake Milton, who’s headed for free agency after the season, could be useful as a trade sweetener, according to Neubeck.
- Magic guard Markelle Fultz had 12 points and 10 assists Monday night while playing his first game in Philadelphia since being traded to Orlando in 2019, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers had hoped Fultz would be part of their foundation after drafting him first overall in 2017, but a combination of injuries and shooting difficulties led to him playing just 33 combined games in his two seasons with the team. “I’ve always been a big fan,” Embiid said of his former teammate. “When we traded him, I was disappointed because I felt like we were giving up on him too early.”
- Georges Niang and Milton believe too much was made about an on-court argument they had during Saturday’s nationally televised game, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Niang was upset about not getting a pass from Milton on a two-on-one break, but they both joked about the incident afterward. “I just told both of them to let it go, that we had a [expletive] game to win,” Embiid said. “I think it’s also good for the team, not a bad thing. Guys get into each other, that makes us better. … After the game, we’re all laughing.”
NBA Announces Player Pool For Rising Stars Event
The NBA officially unveiled the 28-player pool for this year’s Rising Stars event on Tuesday, making the announcement via the NBA App. The following players made the cut:
Rookies:
- Paolo Banchero (Magic)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
- AJ Griffin (Hawks)
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Keegan Murray (Kings)
- Andrew Nembhard (Pacers)
- Jabari Smith (Rockets)
- Jeremy Sochan (Spurs)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Sophomores:
- Jose Alvarado (Pelicans)
- Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
- Josh Giddey (Thunder)
- Jalen Green (Rockets)
- Quentin Grimes (Knicks)
- Bones Hyland (Nuggets)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans)
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
G League players:
- Sidy Cissoko (Ignite)
- Mojave King (Ignite)
- Scoot Henderson (Ignite)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Grizzlies/Hustle)
- Mac McClung (Blue Coats)
- Leonard Miller (Ignite)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (Lakers)
As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by longtime NBA guard Jason Terry. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 17 as part of All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The NBA’s full press release with more information on the event can be found right here.
Tony Snell Joins Celtics’ G League Affiliate
The Maine Celtics have acquired veteran swingman Tony Snell from the G League’s player pool, the team announced in a press release.
Snell has been a free agent since finishing last season with the Pelicans. He had a workout in November with the Lakers and now turns to the G League in his effort to get back to the NBA.
The 31-year-old has appeared in 601 games in his nine-year NBA career, with averages of 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per night. He’s a career 39.4% shooter from three-point range and hopes to show teams that he’s still an effective marksman from long distance.
Snell spent three seasons with the Bulls after being selected with the 20th pick in the 2013 draft. He was traded to the Bucks in 2016, to the Pistons in 2019 and to the Hawks in 2020. After signing with the Trail Blazers as a free agent in 2021, he was traded again last season, being sent to New Orleans at the deadline.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 1/31/2023
With the NBA’s 2023 trade deadline just 10 days away, Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today.
Click here to view the transcript, and join us on Thursday at 11:00 am Central time for our next live chat, hosted by Dana Gauruder.
Raptors Rumors: Trent, VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Achiuwa
Most executives who have spoken to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe that Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr. will be able to at least match – and likely exceed – the value of his $18.8MM player option on a new contract, which is why he’s considered a strong bet to opt out and become a free agent this summer.
Scotto said during a podcast with Blake Murphy of Sportsnet that there are people around the league who think Trent will surpass $20MM annually on his next contract. Although Murphy mentioned the possibility of a deal in the neighborhood of $25MM per year for Trent, Scotto is skeptical that he’ll get that much — if he does, it would be based on his age and potential for further growth (he just turned 24 years old).
As for Fred VanVleet, Scotto has heard that the Raptors’ point guard could be seeking a contract in the range of $30-35MM per year when he’s eligible for free agency this summer. That would put him in the same ballpark as a fellow guard like Jrue Holiday, for instance, Scotto observes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Executives around the NBA don’t expect Pascal Siakam to be on the move by February 9 unless the Raptors are blown away with a “crazy” offer, Scotto says.
- According to Scotto, a number of rival executives have speculated about the possibility of the Grizzlies making a run at Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Memphis has exhibited plenty of patience in building its roster in recent years and hasn’t seemed eager to sacrifice future draft capital to take a big swing — still, Anunoby would be an ideal fit on the roster, and the team has an extra first-round pick (Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 selection).
- Anunoby tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that there’s no truth to the rumblings that he wants out of Toronto. Within the same story, Grange examines the recent emergence of Precious Achiuwa and considers whether the ascendant big man could help ease the loss if the Raptors trade Anunoby.
Mavericks Sign Chris Silva To 10-Day Contract
11:18am: The Mavericks have officially signed Silva, the team announced (via Twitter).
The timing is a little surprising, since the deal will only run through February 9, covering Dallas’ next four games. Silva would have to sign a second 10-day contract to remain eligible for the Mavs’ games on Feb. 10 and 11 (and beyond).
8:24am: The Mavericks are set to sign forward Chris Silva to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Silva signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Hawks in August and was waived during the preseason. He reported to the team’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, and has spent the season with the club.
Silva averaged 13.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game in 18 Showcase Cup appearances (26.0 MPG) for the Skyhawks. Since the regular season began, he has recorded 14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 0.9 BPG in 11 contests (22.4 MPG).
Dallas will be the fourth NBA team Silva has played for during the regular season. He appeared in a total of 69 games from 2019-22, primarily for Miami, but also with Sacramento and Minnesota. The 26-year-old holds career averages of 2.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 7.7 MPG.
Because the Mavericks have an open spot on their 15-man roster, no corresponding move will be required to make room for Silva. I’d expect Dallas to wait a couple days to sign him, since the team doesn’t play again until Thursday — signing him on Thursday would make him eligible for the Mavs’ next six games, whereas signing him today would only make him eligible for four.
Silva will earn $109,318 over the course of his 10-day deal, while Dallas will carry a cap hit of $105,522. With the trade deadline just 10 days away, Silva would presumably be the odd man out if the Mavs take on an extra player in any deadline deals.
Jerami Grant Confirms Blazers Offered Four-Year Extension
Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant confirmed on Monday that the team has offered him a four-year, $112MM+ contract extension, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Grant said he’ll likely wait until sometime in the spring to make a decision on the offer.
“I’m kind of focused on the season at hand right now,” Grant said (Twitter link). “Probably will wait until after the season and talk to (general manager) Joe (Cronin). Everything is good. I like it here. Really enjoying it. So, yeah … we will discuss it when it’s time.”
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports first reported last week that the Blazers had offered Grant an extension.
During the season, the Blazers can offer Grant up to approximately $112.65MM over four years. That’s a 20% raise on this season’s $20.96MM salary for year one of the extension, then 8% annual raises after that. If he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the 28-year-old would be eligible for a deal worth up to a projected $233MM+ over five years from Portland.
Grant is unlikely to receive a maximum-salary offer from the Blazers or another team, but if he believes he can exceed the $28MM-per-year proposal currently on the table, it would make sense for him to opt for free agency instead. He’ll have until June 30 to decide whether to accept Portland’s current offer, so there’s no rush to get anything done during the season.
A year ago, a handful of free-agents-to-be, including Ivica Zubac, Gary Harris, and Thaddeus Young, agreed to extensions during the final week before July 1, so it’s not unprecedented for extension candidates to take their decisions down to the wire. Of course, none of those players’ deals were nearly as lucrative as the offer on the table for Grant, and none of them were expected to have the sort of market value that Grant will.
In his first season in Portland after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Pistons, Grant is averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on .488/.422/.797 shooting through 48 contests (35.8 MPG). He has also provided the Blazers with a big, versatile defender on the wing. While he may be leaning toward staying in Portland, the ninth-year forward would certainly draw interest from rival suitors if he reaches the open market.
Stein’s Latest: Thybulle, Kings, Hyland, Raptors, Kyrie
The Kings are believed to be keeping an eye on Sixers wing Matisse Thybulle, according to Marc Stein, who reports in his latest Substack story that Sacramento is mulling the possibility of pursuing a defensive-minded player on the perimeter.
Thybulle certainly fits that bill — he has made the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his first three NBA seasons. However, his offensive game is extremely limited. He’s averaging just 2.7 points in 12.1 minutes per night (45 games) for Philadelphia this season. The 25-year-old is also on an expiring contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Here’s more from Stein:
- Bones Hyland‘s name has popped up in an increasing number of trade rumors as of late, and Stein suggests that the Nuggets guard has emerged as one of the players most likely to be dealt on or before the February 9 deadline. League sources tell Stein that concerns about Hyland’s defensive limitations and some recent “tensions” about his playing time are factors in Denver’s decision to make him available.
- Stein’s podcast partner Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said on the first episode of their #thisleague UNCUT podcast that he has heard rumblings all season about certain Raptors players being unhappy with their situations or roles. Stein has heard those same rumblings and says that’s why there has been some curiosity around the NBA about the status of head coach Nick Nurse going forward.
- Some league observers believe the fact that the Nets haven’t had any substantive extension talks with Kyrie Irving is because they’re not feeling much pressure to lock him up early, according to Stein. The thinking is that Irving may need Brooklyn’s help to go to a desired location via sign-and-trade in the offseason, since the teams with significant cap room will be non-contenders.