NBA, NBPA Likely To Extend CBA Opt-Out Deadline
There’s a good chance that the February 8 deadline for either the league or the National Basketball Players Association to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement will be pushed back once again, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said during a press conference in Paris, France on Thursday that negotiations are ongoing. NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio was also in Paris for the Bulls-Pistons game but the negotiations were taking place in the U.S.
“Our colleagues are back in New York, negotiating as we speak,” Silver said. “They’ve been meeting all week, just going issue by issue and trying to work through those issues that separate us. I would say, though, that I think we start from a very strong foundation.”
The original opt-out date was December 15 but the league’s Board of Governors and the Players Association agreed to an extension.
“There’s a strong sense of partnership between the players and the league,” Silver said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have disagreements.”
The current CBA, which went into effect in 2017, runs through the 2023/24 season. However, the league and the players’ union hold a mutual option to terminate that agreement at the end of the ’22/23 league year (June 30).
It’s expected that the new labor agreement will allow players to enter the draft straight out of high school. The current rule in which players must be 19 years old or be one year removed from high school was instituted in 2006.
The league’s owners have been pushing an “upper spending limit” that would significantly tighten the rules on how much teams can spend each year on their roster, effectively serving as a hard cap to replace the current luxury tax system.
Heat Notes: Trade Targets, Crowder, Collins, Lowry, Oladipo
The Heat are very active on the trade market, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reports. An obvious area to upgrade would be power forward, with the Hawks’ John Collins a potential target. However, there’s concern within the organization that Collins may not be a great fit alongside Bam Adebayo due to his perimeter shooting issues.
The Suns rejected an offer of Duncan Robinson for Jae Crowder, but Caleb Martin could be substituted for Robinson with center Dewayne Dedmon tossed in to make the salaries work and keep Miami under the luxury tax, Deveney adds.
We have more on the Heat:
- There are plenty of other potential trade options for a power forward but the Heat may have to include an asset or two they don’t want to give up, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. They’d certainly be willing to move Robinson’s contract and Dedmon. They may also have to add Martin or Nikola Jovic into the package, as well one or two protected first-round picks, to get an impact player at that spot.
- While a Kyle Lowry trade can’t be ruled out, the Heat aren’t actively looking to move him, Jackson adds in the same story.
- After hovering around the .500 mark most of the season, the Heat are a season-best four games over .500. Better health has been a factor and Udonis Haslem believes the team can go on a run, he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “We’ve been right there. So many games coming down to the last shot even with a decimated roster,” the veteran big man said. “So sometimes you got to look within the lesson. The lesson is, I think, once we get healthy, we’re building some good habits and we’ll be able to put something together here. You look at how Boston started their first half of the season last year and it was similar. So if we get healthy, I think we’re still capable of putting something together here.”
- Considering his past injury issues, Victor Oladipo is surprised he’s logged 30-plus minutes in eight of his last 10 games, he told Chiang. “A little bit, I can’t lie,” Oladipo said of playing extended minutes this season. “But sitting back and really reflecting, you see how much work I put in and how much I invest in my body. So it’s no surprise that I’m still feeling good, and I’m going to continue to keep feeling better as the year goes on.” Oladipo only played 25 minutes in a lopsided win over New Orleans on Wednesday.
Suns Notes: Ishbia, Lee, Paul, VanVleet
Brothers Mat and Justin Ishbia reached an agreement last month to purchase a majority stake in the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury. Ishbia attended Phoenix’s game against Brooklyn on Thursday and is already influencing the team’s approach to the trade deadline, Shams Charania said on The Rally (video link).
“I’m told since Mat Ishbia and his announcement that he’s going to take over the Suns’ ownership has come out, the Suns have actually informed teams that they’re willing to move a first-round pick and potentially take on salary long-term for good players,” Charania said.
We have more on the Suns:
- The team will have to make a decision on Saturday whether to offer Saben Lee another 10-day deal. Coach Monty Williams strongly endorses keeping Lee on the roster, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com tweets. “I’m hopeful to keep him around, because he brings something that we need,” Williams said. Entering Thursday’s game, Lee had appeared in three games with Phoenix, averaging 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in 19 minutes per game.
- The Suns decided to sit Chris Paul on Thursday even though he practiced on Wednesday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He did everything yesterday. It was just a decision that was made,” Williams said. It was Paul’s sixth consecutive missed game due to a hip issue.
- Phoenix has been mentioned as a potential free agent destination for Raptors guard Fred VanVleet but as Bourguet explains in detail, that doesn’t seem feasible. The Suns don’t have the cap space to sign VanVleet in free agency and would have to blow up the roster to do a sign-and-trade. Trading for him before next month’s deadline in an attempt to re-sign him to max money also seems unwise, given their salary issues, especially if Paul remains on the roster as the starter.
Lakers Notes: Davis, Nunn, James, Trade Deadline
Lakers star big man Anthony Davis had an encouraging practice session on Thursday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets.
“He did jump in with the group today, did some non-contact stuff, pick-and-roll drills, a little offensive scripting,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “He’s looking good. Moving well. … Got a great sweat in [during an] individual workout … He’s progressing really, really, really well.”
Davis has a general timeline of early February to suit up again. He has been out since December 16 after suffering a stress reaction in the navicular bone in his right foot.
We have more on the Lakers:
- Guard Kendrick Nunn is one of the most tradable pieces on the team, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Nunn is on an expiring contract and could be part of a package for a frontcourt player. “He could help someone,” one executive told Deveney. “But they need to show he is healthy. He’s got a very manageable contract and they’re dying for size on that team.”
- The Lakers have lost three close games over the past week and LeBron James laments how injuries have impacted the team, noting they have “zero room for error,” according to McMenamin. “We are limited with bodies,” James said. “So until some of our big guys or some of our key guys get back … we’ve got to continue to play how we’ve played the last couple games. Play mistake-free basketball.”
- James has averaged 34.9 points while playing 37.8 minutes per game so far in January. Ham would like to reduce his aging superstar’s minutes, McMenamin writes in the same story. “He’s playing at an amazing level, but we can’t run him in the ground,” Ham said.
- If the Lakers remain committed to chasing championships with Davis and James, they may be better off adding multiple role players prior to this year’s trade deadline, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. Even if they let all their projected free agents walk at season’s end, they might be priced out of the market for a top-level free agent while still having many roster spots to fill, as Gozlan explains.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Caruso, Thybulle, Knicks, Porzingis
Even though the Pistons are floundering with franchise player Cade Cunningham sidelined, general manager Troy Weaver remains confident that the franchise will soon become a perennial contender, he told James Edwards III of The Athletic.
“A lot of teams go through rebuilds, retooling, whatever you want to call it, and they can’t make it out of it because of what they have in the locker room,” the Pistons’ top exec said. “We take tremendous pride in having the right guys and having a great locker room so that we can fight through this thing. Trust me, the dam is going to break, and when it breaks, it’s going to have a great flow to it. We just have to stay patient, stay in the boat and keep working.”
Weaver plans to remain active before the trade deadline to improve the Pistons’ chances of long-term success: “We’re going to approach this deadline like we approached the previous ones. We’re going to turn over every rock, and if something comes our way that we think can improve our team, we’ll look at it, for sure.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Who’s the most untouchable player on the Bulls’ roster? The answer may be a surprise, if you trust one of Joe Cowley’s Chicago Sun-Times sources. Alex Caruso could be the one untouchable before the trade deadline because of his defense and how he impacts the game, as reflected in the plus/minus category, Cowley writes.
- Wing Matisse Thybulle is headed to free agency this summer — possibly restricted if he’s extended a qualifying offer — and Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice examines the pros and cons of the Sixers trading him. He could be a defensive factor in the postseason and the Sixers have a 10-0 record in games when he plays 20 or more minutes. However, he remains a major offensive liability.
- It once seemed unthinkable but it’s not so far-fetched now that the Knicks would consider a reunion with Wizards big Kristaps Porzingis, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Porzingis can reject his $36MM player option for 2023/24 in order to become a free agent this summer. The Knicks could also target the shot-blocking, three-point specialist if he becomes available on the trade market.
Community Shootaround: All-Star Teams
The NBA released its third round of fan voting on Thursday, and the results haven’t changed much from the first batch. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are leading the way for their respective conferences, with Kevin Durant close behind Antetokounmpo in the East.
The West’s projected starting lineup (three in the frontcourt and two backcourt players), listed in the order of fan votes received, would be James, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis. The East’s would be Antetokounmpo, Durant, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell.
Fan voting counts for 50% of the overall vote toward the starters, while current players and the media account for 25% apiece. The starters will be announced next Thursday on TNT.
Davis and Durant are currently injured, so they might not compete in the showcase event, though both players could return before February 19, when the game takes place. A couple other star players — Zion Williamson and Devin Booker — are currently injured as well, and it’s hard to say if they’ll be selected due to the amount of time they’ve missed, even if they would clearly be deserving if healthy (Williamson could be a starter; he trails Davis by around 78,000 votes).
Let’s assume the starters remain unchanged. The league’s coaches select the reserves, with seven players chosen from each conference.
Joel Embiid is a lock in the East, and I view Pascal Siakam and Jaylen Brown as locks as well. That leaves four spots from a crowded list of contenders that includes Tyrese Haliburton (also injured, but perhaps short term), Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, James Harden, Trae Young, Darius Garland, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Jrue Holiday, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Nic Claxton, and Brook Lopez, among others.
Out West, let’s assume Williamson makes it. Ja Morant and Domantas Sabonis should be locks, in my opinion. That would leave four remaining spots from a field that includes Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant, CJ McCollum, Aaron Gordon and Anthony Edwards, among others.
Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports breaks down some of the potential first-time All-Stars into four tiers: Near locks, legit cases, the best-team effect, and long shots. Gilgeous-Alexander, Markkanen and Haliburton are near locks, according to Devine — I would go a step further and say all three should absolutely make the team. That would only leave two spots in the West and three in the East.
As for Devine’s legit cases, that’s where Fox, Brunson and McCollum land. Jackson, Bane, Gordon and Claxton fall into the “best-team effect” category, while Edwards, Grant, Wagner and Banchero are long shots, per Devine.
One of Adebayo or Butler will make it for the Heat, perhaps even both — they’re great two-way players. Butler has missed several games. Adebayo would be my pick. I think DeRozan is deserving. That leaves one spot, and for me it’s down to Brunson or Randle. I’ll take Brunson.
The last two spots in the West are really hard. Booker was awesome when healthy (the Suns are 18-10 in his full games and 3-14 with him hurt). Fox has been a monster in the clutch and the Kings have exceeded expectations. Lillard is playing as well as he ever has, but the Blazers are below .500. Jackson is arguably the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year and the Grizzlies are 31-13. Gordon has been the second-best player on the West’s current No. 1 seed.
Fox has played 11 more games than Booker and eight more than Lillard. I’ll give him the nod. Jackson is my final pick — he has been a force on both ends since he returned from offseason foot surgery.
We want to know what you think. What would your All-Star picks be? Head to the comments and let us know what you think.
Kings Sign PJ Dozier To Second 10-Day Contract
3:30pm: Dozier’s second 10-day deal is now official, the Kings announced in a press release.
6:49am: The Kings will sign guard PJ Dozier to a second 10-day contract, agent Kevin Bradbury tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Dozier’s first 10-day deal expired on Wednesday night following Sacramento’s win over the Lakers.
Dozier didn’t play much during his first 10 days with Sacramento. He logged just under seven total garbage-time minutes in three blowout victories last week, then didn’t play on Sunday or Wednesday. Still, the Kings – who had lost three of four games before signing Dozier – won all five games with him on the roster, so perhaps the team just doesn’t want to change what seems to be working.
Dozier, 26, appeared in 105 games across five seasons for the Thunder, Celtics, and Nuggets from 2017-21, recording averages of 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per night during that time. He’s just returning from an ACL tear that he suffered in December 2021.
The Kings will take on another $105,522 cap hit for Dozier’s second 10-day contract, while he’ll earn $122,602. Sacramento could officially complete the signing later today or wait until Friday — in either scenario, he’d be available for the team’s next five contests.
Mavs’ Christian Wood Sustains Broken Thumb
Mavericks forward/center Christian Wood has been diagnosed with a fractured left thumb and will be reevaluated next week, the team announced (via Twitter).
Wood sustained the injury in the second quarter of Wednesday’s loss to Atlanta, per the Mavs. He was able to finish the remainder of the game, which seems to bode well for his return timeline — he finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 35 minutes. The injury is on his non-shooting hand.
Through 42 games (17 starts, 29.0 minutes) in his first season with Dallas, Wood is averaging 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on .535/.385/.737 shooting. The 27-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
The Mavs have reportedly opened talks with Wood’s camp on an extension worth up to $77MM over four years, though the team seems to prefer a shorter-term commitment. If they’re unable to extend the big man, he could be on the trading block in the coming weeks.
Mitchell Robinson Out At Least Three Weeks After Thumb Surgery
Starting center Mitchell Robinson underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair a right thumb fracture, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). He will miss at least three weeks, which is when he will be reevaluated.
Robinson exited Wednesday’s loss to Washington with the injury, which was initially ruled a sprain until the fracture was discovered upon further testing. The 24-year-old has dealt with a number of injuries in his five NBA seasons, including hand and foot surgeries in 2021 to repair fractures. He also missed eight games in November with a knee sprain.
It’s a tough blow for New York, as Robinson anchors the team’s 11th-ranked defense. He’s also one of the top offensive rebounders in the NBA, trailing only Steven Adams in total offensive rebounds (165) and offensive rebounding percentage (16.9%).
Through 38 games, Robinson is averaging 7.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 26.9 minutes per contest. Backup centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims will be in line for more minutes with Robinson out.
Injury Notes: Ball, Kleber, Wade, Okeke, Okogie
Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball suffered his third left ankle sprain this season in yesterday’s victory over Houston. Ball and teammate P.J. Washington were contesting a layup by Jabari Smith Jr. when Washington landed on Ball’s ankle (YouTube link via ESPN).
While the injury certainly looked painful, the 21-year-old sounds fairly confident he won’t miss as much time as he did with his previous sprains, which sidelined him for 13 and 11 games, respectively.
“It feels a little bit better,” Ball said, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It doesn’t feel like those other ones. … I can walk, so take it day-by-day and see what it is.”
Boone writes that the young All-Star didn’t require an X-Ray or other tests to determine the severity of the injury.
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Maxi Kleber, who underwent surgery on December 20 to repair a torn hamstring, says he’s targeting a return to the Mavericks‘ lineup next month, though he isn’t committed to that timeline (Twitter video link via Bally Sports Southwest). “I’m not out for the season,” the German big man said. “I can’t give an exact date, but I hope I’m gonna be back… preferably before All-Star break, but I don’t want to jinx anything or say anything or make promises. … But that’s the goal.”
- Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, who has been sidelined since December 2 due to a shoulder ailment, suffered a setback in his rehab process earlier this month, injuring his ankle when he stepped on a player’s foot during practice, a source tells Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “He’s not (doing) five-on-five yet,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on Tuesday. “Again, because of where he was before, it won’t need as much to get him back to going because it wasn’t as big of a setback.”
- The return of Magic forward Chuma Okeke isn’t imminent, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link). Okeke has yet to resume contact work after undergoing a procedure on his left knee in December. Price adds within the same story that forward Jonathan Isaac is expected to play in a third G League game for the Lakeland Magic on Thursday as he makes his way back from an ACL injury.
- Suns wing Josh Okogie broke his nose in Monday’s game in Memphis when he took an inadvertent elbow from teammate Deandre Ayton, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Okogie is listed as out for Thursday — it’s unclear how much additional time he might miss.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.