Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Curry, Warriors, Lakers, M. Brown, Clippers
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who has missed the last five games due to a right adductor strain, was cleared on Thursday to resume participating in practices and shootarounds, according to the team (Twitter link).
However, Wiggins will be unavailable for a sixth consecutive game when the Warriors visit Philadelphia on Friday and Draymond Green (right quad contusion) will be out as well, per the NBA’s latest official injury report. Klay Thompson is listed as questionable due to left knee soreness, so Golden State is at risk of being without four starters — Stephen Curry, of course, is expected to miss multiple weeks as a result of a shoulder injury.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter video link) relays, Curry spoke to reporters today about his shoulder and expressed relief that he won’t have to undergo surgery, which might’ve forced him to miss several months. Asked if surgery is a possibility after the season, the Warriors star didn’t rule it out, but said that’s not the plan for now (Twitter links via Slater).
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- With several regulars battling injuries, the Warriors recalled center James Wiseman and rookie guard Ryan Rollins from the G League, the team announced on Thursday in a press release. Neither player has seen much action at the NBA level so far this season, with Wiseman appearing in just one game over the last month while Rollins has played only 43 total minutes since opening night.
- The Lakers are unlikely to make a trade during the next two-to-four weeks, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports within his look at the team’s approach to the deadline. Although the club would like to get a deal done sooner rather than later, it makes sense for Los Angeles to wait out the market in case more sellers emerge.
- Kings head coach Mike Brown has been fined $25K by the NBA for “aggressively pursuing and directing profane language” toward a referee, the league announced in a press release. The incident, which resulted in Brown’s ejection, occurred during the third quarter of Sacramento’s win in Toronto on Wednesday.
- Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Reggie Jackson, and Luke Kennard were among the Clippers who missed Thursday’s game, but the team is optimistic they’ll all be back soon, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link), who says their absences on Thursday were more about managing prior injuries than dealing with new ones.
Southwest Notes: Brooks, Mavs, Wesley, Bassey
The Grizzlies blew out the Bucks by 41 points on Thursday night, holding stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton to 22 total points on a combined 6-of-25 shooting. After guarding Middleton for much of the night, Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks was asked if he ought to be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year and replied that he “100%” should be, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
“I don’t get the steals or the big-time blocks, but I’m going to give fits to whoever I got that night,” Brooks said.
Defensive Player of the Year voting typically favors big men, so if a Grizzlies player receives serious consideration for the award, it might end up being Jaren Jackson Jr., who is averaging 3.3 blocks per game. Still, Jackson has missed some time and it’s Brooks who is tied for third in the league in NBA.com’s defensive win shares stat at 3.8.
Let’s round up a few more Southwest notes…
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has grand ambitions for a new arena in Dallas if the state of Texas legalizes gambling and sports betting, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “My goal, and we’d partner with Las Vegas Sands, is when we build a new arena it’ll be in the middle of a resort and casino,” Cuban told Townsend. “That’s the mission.”
- Spurs rookie guard Blake Wesley will be available on Friday for the Austin Spurs’ game in Mexico City, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. A knee injury has sidelined Wesley since October 30 and limited him to just two NBA appearances so far this season, but it sounds like he has been cleared to return.
- Waived by Philadelphia during the preseason, Charles Bassey made his first career start on Wednesday for the Spurs and admitted after the game that he was “a little bit” nervous. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) details, Bassey got into early foul trouble and mishandled a couple passes from Doug McDermott in the pick-and-roll. “He just flat-out dropped a few of them; he told me that,” McDermott said. “I told him, ‘I am going to continue to throw it to you, because you are setting great screens. You are either going to have a shot or you are going to have a dunk. So don’t overthink it.'”
Cade Cunningham Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
DECEMBER 16: Cunningham underwent season-ending surgery on Friday, according to the Pistons, who said in a press release today that the procedure will “stabilize and promote complete healing of a left tibial stress fracture.”
The former No. 1 overall pick is expected to return to full basketball activities in the 2023 offseason, per the team.
DECEMBER 12: Pistons second-year guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, has opted for season-ending shin surgery, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Cunningham appeared in just 12 games this season and hasn’t played since Nov. 9. At that time, the team described his injury as left shin soreness.
Cunningham sat out for over a month, hoping that rest and rehabilitation would solve the problem. He consulted with multiple doctors in recent weeks and ultimately decided – with the Pistons and his representatives at Excel Sports – to undergo the season-ending procedure. He’s expected to be fully recovered by next season’s training camp.
It’s a major setback for a team in the midst of a major rebuild. General manager Troy Weaver has accumulated six first-round picks over the last three seasons, with Cunningham being the crown jewel. The team was hoping Cunningham and this year’s No. 5 pick, point guard Jaden Ivey, could develop chemistry this season with the expectation of a playoff push next season. They could still develop into one of the league’s top backcourts but Cunningham’s injury will delay that possibility.
The franchise is bound for another high lottery pick and is a major contender in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Pistons have a 7-22 record and figure to have one of the league’s worst records with their franchise player out of action.
Cunningham was averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists in 12 games this season. He got off to a slow start during his rookie season after suffering an ankle injury during training camp. He came on strong during the second half of the season and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley.
Cunningham wound up averaging 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists last season, including 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the second half.
The Pistons will now focus of the development of their other young players this season.
Ivey is off to a relatively strong start in his rookie campaign, averaging 15.3 points and 4.0 assists. Third-year guard Killian Hayes, who was part of Weaver’s first draft class, has shown some improvement while receiving steady playing time in Cunningham’s absence. He’s averaging 8.1 points, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals, though it’s uncertain whether the front office views him as part of the long-term picture.
With Cunningham out, the team’s brass may be more inclined to trade veterans such as top scorer Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 12/16/2022
The transcript of today’s live chat can be accessed by clicking the link here.
Please join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Tuesday at noon CT.
Gordon Hayward Plans To Return On Friday
DECEMBER 16: Hayward plans to make his return to the Hornets’ lineup on Friday, agent Mark Bartelstein confirms to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
DECEMBER 15: Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, who has missed nine consecutive games with a left shoulder fracture, is “hopeful” he’ll be able to return to action on Friday against the Hawks, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, Hayward will determine whether he’s ready to go after Friday’s shootaround.
Hayward also missed eight straight games early last month with what the Hornets called a left shoulder contusion. That apparent discrepancy was a point of contention for Hayward’s wife, who criticized the organization for not protecting its players after her husband was diagnosed with a fracture, not a contusion.
The 32-year-old has always been a productive player when healthy, and this season has been no different. Through 11 games (32.3 MPG) in 2022/23, he has averaged 16.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 4.4 APG on .445/.381/.767 shooting.
Hayward’s potential return will be a welcome sight for both the player and the team, as star point guard LaMelo Ball just returned on Wednesday. Ball has appeared in just four games thus far for the Hornets after dealing with a couple of left ankle sprains.
Injuries have been a significant issue for Hayward since he joined Boston as a free agent in 2017, but if he can stay healthy for the next few months perhaps he’ll boost his stock. He has one more year left on his current contract, which will pay him $31.5MM in ’23/24, so he’ll be a free agent in 2024.
Central Notes: Hayes, Stewart, Mathurin, Mitchell, Bulls
After Killian Hayes put up a season-high 25 points on Wednesday, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says it’s no longer surprising when the Pistons guard has a big night, adding that it’s time to consider him “a good, solid NBA player.”
Hayes had a couple up-and-down seasons after being selected seventh overall in the 2020 draft, but is still just 21 years old and has been playing the best basketball of his NBA career this fall. Since entering the Pistons’ starting lineup on November 12, Hayes has averaged 11.8 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 3.2 RPG on .424/.400/.733 shooting in 17 games (28.6 MPG).
“He’s not growing on anyone else’s watch. He’s going at his pace, his speed,” Pistons head coach Dwane Casey recently said. “That’s what young players do. Everyone wants him to be that 10-year vet, but, what, he’s in year three? That’s why it’s not surprising me. We just have to be patient. Unfortunately, this league isn’t full of patience. It’s about winning games. But he is growing right before our eyes.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Isaiah Stewart‘s willingness to shift from center to power forward has put him in position to be part of the Pistons‘ frontcourt of the future alongside center Jalen Duren, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “They’re going to grow together,” Casey said of the duo on Wednesday. “They’re going to be together for a long time, so they better like each other. If they don’t, they’re going to be in big trouble because they’re going to be with the organization a long time.”
- Bob Kravitz of The Athletic profiles Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin, who says he feels like he has “no choice but to be great” due to his desire to provide for his family and influence kids in his hometown of Montreal. The No. 6 overall pick is off to a good start in his quest to become a star, having averaged 17.8 points in his first 29 NBA games.
- After his Cavaliers got a win in Dallas on Wednesday, Donovan Mitchell reflected on the role the Mavericks played in his current circumstances, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). The Mavs’ first-round elimination of the Jazz in last season’s postseason taught Mitchell some important lessons and hastened his Utah exit. “At the end of the day, they’re kind of the reason why I’m in Cleveland,” Mitchell said. “They did a great job in the playoff series. So, I’m thankful. I’m here. I’m glad to be here. Last year made me a better player. You take those lessons, you learn, and you implement them.”
- With Lonzo Ball‘s availability for this season still up in the air, the Bulls should be trying to find a way to add a proven point guard to their roster, argues Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Southeast Notes: Wright, Hachimura, Collins, Oladipo
The Wizards may get some reinforcements in their backcourt within the next week. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link) relays, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said on Wednesday that he’s “hopeful” Delon Wright will be able to return at some point during the team’s current six-game road trip, which runs through December 23.
Sidelined since October 25 due to a hamstring strain, Wright is trending in the right direction, according to Unseld. The veteran guard is perhaps Washington’s strongest perimeter defender, so the hope is that he can help improve a unit that has ranked 28th in the NBA in defensive rating during the club’s current eight-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, injured Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is also making progress, though he doesn’t appear quite as close to returning to action. According to Robbins (Twitter link), Unseld said on Wednesday that Hachimura has progressed to doing one-on-one contact work as he makes his way back from a bone bruise in his ankle. The former lottery pick last played on November 18.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Although the Wizards entered the season hoping to be a playoff team, Robbins could envision them becoming sellers at the trade deadline if things continue to go south, he writes in his latest mailbag for The Athletic. As Robbins observes, the team will have to go 30-23 the rest of the way to even finish at .500, so the front office should “at least reconsider” its original plan.
- John Collins‘ name continues to pop up in trade rumors, but it sounds like the Hawks big man will remain on the shelf for the foreseeable future. Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), head coach Nate McMillan said Collins hasn’t done much running or cutting and has mostly been limited to spot shooting as he recovers from a left ankle sprain.
- The Heat‘s current road trip, which opened with stops in Indiana, Oklahoma City, and Houston, has been something of a “nostalgia tour” for guard Victor Oladipo, who previously played in all three of those cities, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Reflecting on the twists and turns his career has taken so far, Oladipo said he’s focused on forging a new path in Miami. “My journey, my purpose is not done,” he said.
Sixers’ Rivers Expects Maxey To Miss At Least Two More Weeks
When word first broke that Tyrese Maxey had broken a bone in his left foot, reports indicated that he was expected to miss about three or four weeks. However, with the four-week mark arriving on Saturday, the Sixers guard still isn’t close to returning, head coach Doc Rivers said on Thursday.
“Whatever he has to do, he’s nowhere near it,” Rivers said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “So I would say he’s out at least, I don’t know, for at least a couple more weeks.”
Rivers had previously told reporters that he hoped Maxey would be able to practice this week, but the 22-year-old hasn’t been able to do any real on-court work yet.
“Nothing is the answer,” Rivers said on Thursday when asked what Maxey was able to do. “I mean, he can shoot. He can run a straight line, but that’s it.
“… He can sprint straight; he just can’t cut or he can’t stop. So it may get better in three days or five or six days. But I don’t see that happening. This is an uneducated guess, but I just can’t imagine him playing any time soon.”
Maxey, who has been sidelined since November 18, played in Philadelphia’s first 15 games of the season before missing the last 12. The team has held its own without him, going 7-5 in his absence despite also being without Joel Embiid and/or James Harden for some of those games.
Maxey appeared to be taking another step toward stardom prior to the injury, averaging a career-best 22.9 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.5 RPG on .462/.422/.738 shooting in 36.4 minutes per contest.
2020 Second-Round Pick Tyrell Terry Retires
Tyrell Terry, the No. 31 overall pick of the 2020 draft, has announced his retirement from basketball in an Instagram post.
“While I have achieved amazing accomplishments, created unforgettable memories, and made lifelong friends…I’ve also experienced the darkest times of my life,” the 22-year-old wrote as part of his explanation. “To the point where instead of building me up, it began to destroy me.”
Terry, who is 22 years old, went on to cite severe anxiety and the fact that he had “fallen out of love” with the sport.
“To most, I will be forever known as a bust, a failure, or a waste of talent,” he continued. “While those may be true when it comes to basketball, it is the biggest failures in life that lead to the greatest success. There is more for me out in this vast world and I am extremely excited to be able to explore that. And for the first time, to be able to find my identity outside of being a basketball player.
“I am eternally grateful to those who have believed in me and apologize to those that I have let down. But I’m headed down a different path now, one that will hopefully lead to happiness and being able to love myself again.”
Terry played one season of college ball at Stanford prior to being drafted, averaging 14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.4 SPG on .441/.408/.891 shooting in 31 games (32.6 MPG). Scouts viewed him as one of the best shooters in his draft class, but had reservations about his slender frame and defense.
The 6’2″ guard was then selected with the first pick of the second round by the Mavericks. He only suited up for 11 games as a rookie in 2020/21, and was out for an extended period due to personal reasons.
Dallas waived Terry before last season started despite the fact that he had a good chunk of guaranteed money ($3.3MM) left on his contract. He later caught on with Memphis on a two-way deal, but only appeared in two games for the Grizzlies. He also played in 29 NBA G League games with the Memphis Hustle from 2020-22.
Hopefully Terry is able to find some joy again, as continuing his basketball career clearly was not in his best interest. We at Hoops Rumors wish him well going forward.
Sterling Brown Signs G League Contract
Free agent wing Sterling Brown has signed a contract to play in the NBA G League, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Brown is still free to sign with any NBA team after signing a G League deal — the move was made to prove to teams that he deserves another shot. As Stein notes, the heavily scouted G League Showcase takes place next week in Las Vegas, so the former second-round pick will be looking to make a strong impression ahead of January 5, when NBA teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts.
A five-year NBA veteran, Brown spent his first three seasons with Milwaukee. In the 2020 offseason, he signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Rockets and had a career year, averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .448/.423/.806 shooting in 51 games (24.1 MPG).
His strong performance in 2020/21 led to a two-year, $6MM contract with the Mavericks, but he struggled to produce last season, averaging 3.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG on .381/.304/.933 shooting in 49 games (12.8 MPG).
Dallas traded Brown back to Houston in the offseason as part of the Christian Wood deal, and then he was rerouted to Oklahoma City at the end of September. The Thunder wound up waiving him before the 2022/23 season started, but his contract was fully guaranteed, so they’re paying his $3MM salary.