Clippers In Market For Additional Frontcourt Depth
The Clippers‘ front office and head coach Tyronn Lue are “aligned” on the need for additional frontcourt depth behind center Ivica Zubac, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Zubac is currently the only traditional center on the Clippers’ 15-man roster, so the team has been leaning on forwards like Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris to spend time at the five in small-ball lineups. Two-way big man Moses Brown is also an option in the middle, but Los Angeles only appears comfortable deploying him sparingly.
As Fischer notes, Myles Turner and Jakob Poeltl are the two most intriguing centers who are in contract years and are considered potential trade candidates — a report last week stated that Turner has drawn interest from the Clippers. However, Fischer believes L.A. may desire a more “switchable” center who can be used in “zippier” lineups without resorting to full-fledged small ball.
Backup centers who can capably switch onto and defend guards or forwards aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, so it’s unclear which players around the NBA the Clippers might be monitoring.
Last week’s report on Turner suggested that the Clippers might look to trade from their wing depth in a deal for a center. Batum and Robert Covington are among the wings whose playing time has dipped this season as the club attempts to find minutes for several vets who are accustomed to playing regular rotation roles. Minutes will be even harder to come by for the players further down the depth chart if and when Kawhi Leonard starts playing regularly, so a consolidation trade using a forward or two would make sense.
The Clippers have dealt away their 2024 and 2026 first-round picks, but could include their 2028 or 2029 first-rounder in a trade offer. They also have a $9.7MM trade exception that could come in handy if they’re eyeing a player earning less than the mid-level.
Jazz Rumors: Conley, Markkanen, Vanderbilt, Beasley, Collins, More
The severity of Mike Conley‘s knee injury could have an impact on which direction the Jazz go in their various trade talks, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who notes that a significant drop-off in Utah’s play with Conley unavailable may make the team more inclined to sell — especially if the veteran point guard ends up sidelined for multiple weeks, as was originally rumored.
For the time being, Fischer says, the Jazz appear intent on keeping forward Lauri Markkanen, who is enjoying a breakout season, and guard Jordan Clarkson, who is believed to be a better candidate for an extension than a trade. The club has also established a “high” asking price for forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Fischer adds.
That would leave Conley, swingman Malik Beasley, and center Kelly Olynyk as the most likely veteran trade candidates in Utah, according to Fischer, though he acknowledges that Olynyk is a favorite of Jazz CEO Danny Ainge.
Here’s more on the Jazz from Fischer:
- League sources tell Yahoo Sports that Utah’s interest in Hawks big man John Collins is legitimate. However, Atlanta didn’t gain any traction after inquiring about a Markkanen/Collins swap, and it seems unlikely that Collins will end up with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
- While Conley’s $22.68MM cap hit would be the best straight-up match for Collins’ $23.5MM figure, Fischer doesn’t expect the Hawks to have much interest in Conley, given that they already have two star point guards in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Beasley would be a more logical candidate to be included in any Jazz deal for Collins, per Fischer.
- Sources tell Fischer that the Jazz have been looking to move Rudy Gay, who is averaging career worsts so far this season in points per game (4.5), minutes per game (15.8), and field goal percentage (36.2%), among many other categories. Gay is earning $6.18MM in 2022/23 and is considered highly likely to pick up his $6.48MM player option for ’23/24, so he’ll have negative trade value.
Lakers’ Beverley Likely To Face NBA Discipline After Shoving Suns’ Ayton
With just under four minutes remaining in the Suns‘ win over the Lakers on Tuesday night, Lakers guard Patrick Beverley and Suns center Deandre Ayton were involved in an on-court altercation that resulted in technical fouls for both players and an ejection for Beverley.
Following a Devin Booker foul on Austin Reaves that was ultimately ruled a Flagrant 1, Ayton grabbed the ball and stood over Reaves, who was down on the floor. Beverley shoved Ayton from behind, knocking him to the court and resulting in a brief skirmish between Lakers and Suns players (YouTube video link)
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Beverley explained to reporters after the game that he was looking out for his backcourt partner.
“Got a person on the ground, two people looking over mean-mugging and puffing their chest out and referees don’t get into it to kind of separate it, control the game, so I’m going to stand up for my teammate,” Beverley said. “… Obviously, it’s unfortunate that it happened on national TV. But you know me: Regardless of what’s going on, I’m a big fan of protecting my teammates. … I’m a foxhole guy. I put on the jersey, and I commit to a team, I commit to a city, and it’s kind of my motto.”
Beverley received postgame support from head coach Darvin Ham and several teammates, including Reaves himself, who said he told Beverley “four or five times” that he appreciated him. Ham acknowledged that Beverley will likely face NBA discipline for the incident, but said he wasn’t upset about his point guard’s reaction.
“Pat Bev, you don’t want just to be a tough man competition; you actually want to play tough basketball. But at the end of the day, I’m not mad at him,” Ham said, per McMenamin. “He’s there protecting his teammate, and I’m sure he’ll probably go through some type of consequence for that.”
At the very least, Beverley seems likely to be facing a fine of up to $50K for his actions. Chris Mannix of SI.com and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) were among the reporters to suggest that a suspension isn’t out of the question, particularly since Beverley has a history of on-court chippiness.
Suns head coach Monty Williams told reporters during his postgame media session that “the league needs to take a look at those kinds of plays,” referring to them as “silly” and “unnecessary,” while Booker alluded to Beverley’s reputation in an on-court interview with TNT’s Chris Haynes after the game.
“Pat needs to stop pushing people in the back, man,” Booker said (video link). “Push them in the chest. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
Neither the Lakers nor the Suns are back in action until Friday, so the NBA may decide to take a little time to determine what sort of penalty might be appropriate for Beverley and possibly other players involved in the altercation. Although the Lakers guard didn’t regret standing up for a teammate, he said he could have taken another approach to confronting Ayton and is bracing for some kind of league discipline.
“Very unprofessional by myself. Definitely could have reacted in a different way,” Beverley said, according to McMenamin. “So, yeah, I’m a big boy. I’ll take my lumps however they come.”
Western Notes: Leonard, George, Powell, Poeltl, Collins, Craig, Payne
The Clippers have been extremely cautious with Kawhi Leonard this season and he’ll miss another game on Wednesday, though it doesn’t involve his surgically repaired knee. Leonard is listed out due to a right ankle sprain, according to the team’s PR department. The 31-year-old has only played in five games this season.
The Clippers’ other star forward, Paul George, will miss his second consecutive game due to a right hamstring tendon strain.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is touting Norman Powell as a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. Powell is averaging 16.2 points in the past 10 games, including a 30-point outing against Utah on Monday. “Like I said, Sixth Man of the Year, that should be his goal, and he has a great opportunity to do that, having 30 points on 15 shots off the bench,” Lue said. “Very efficient. And we need him to play well especially with guys being out and he’s stepping up, playing well for us.”
- Jakob Poeltl is in his walk year and the Spurs big man knows he could be traded for assets this season, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News reports. “I’m aware of the possibility, but it doesn’t affect my mindset during this season,” Poeltl said. “It’s a possibility at all times in the NBA. Sometimes there’s more trade rumors, sometimes there’s less.” Poeltl is averaging career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (9.8) and assists (3.6).
- Another Spurs big man, Zach Collins, is likely to return after a nine-game absence. He’s listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against New Orleans, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. He suffered a non-displaced fracture of his fibula earlier this month.
- Torrey Craig and Cameron Payne have been thrust into the Suns’ starting lineup due to injuries to Cameron Johnson and Chris Paul, respectively, and they’ve been quite productive, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com notes. Craig is averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the last four games, while Payne is averaging 19.3 points, 6.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds through the last seven games. “We’re lucky to have the depth that we have,” Paul said.
Southeast Notes: Carter Jr., Cain, Heat Arena, Bol
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said that he’d been dealing with right plantar fascia for a few weeks before it sidelined him, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.
“There’s really no specific thing you can put on it to stop it from hurting,” he said. “It’s just about tolerance, putting heat on it and stuff like that.”
Carter, who is averaging 16.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists, has missed three of the last four games.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Jamal Cain, one of the Heat‘s two-way players, says that being a 23-year-old rookie makes him better prepared for the ups and downs of his pro career than a younger newcomer, he told Spencer Davies of Basketball News in a lengthy feature. “When you’re young, you want everything to come so fast, you want everything to be perfect,” Cain said. “But after going through college and going through those ups and downs and realizing that my journey is going to be tough… it’s not going to be all perfect.” Cain has appeared in five games with Miami this season.
- Miami-Dade County has filed a motion in federal court to immediately terminate the FTX Arena naming rights agreement, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. The Heat and Miami-Dade County chose to sever ties with cryptocurrency giant FTX after the company filed for bankruptcy.
- Bol Bol is making a bid for the league’s Most Improved Player award and he believes that improved health has led to his breakout season, Andrew Lopez of ESPN writes. The Magic big man is averaging 13.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. “Now that I’ve been healthy,” Bol said, “I feel like I’ve just been getting better every single day.”
Northwest Notes: Juzang, Sexton, Gobert, Porter Jr.
Jazz rookie guard Johnny Juzang has a Grade 3 sprain in his right wrist, according to a team press release. An MRI revealed the extent of the injury, which he suffered while playing with the G League Salt Lake City Stars against the Ignite on Friday. Juzang, who is on a two-way contract, will be reevaluated in 10-to-14 days. He’s averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 28.6 minutes with the Stars.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Collin Sexton struggled trying to replace injured Mike Conley in the Jazz’s starting lineup but the team hopes he’ll become more than just a sixth man, Tony Jones of The Athletic notes. Sexton is in the first year of a four-year, $70.95MM contract from the sign-and-trade deal made with Cleveland. The Jazz are hoping he’ll eventually find the right balance between being an aggressive scorer and a floor leader. Sexton had 10 points and just one assist in 28 minutes against the Clippers on Monday.
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert wants to hear more supportive, rather than fickle, fans in the home crowd, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Minnesota has won four straight games, but has heard plenty of boos from the home crowd, including during Monday’s win over Miami. “I just don’t appreciate people that come in to boo your team,” said Gobert, the team’s biggest offseason acquisition. “When you’re a fan, you’ve got to support your team in the tough or the good moments. There’s no team in NBA history that only had good moments, so if you’re not going to support us in the tough moments, just stay home.”
- Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has come to the realization that he needs to do the dirty work to live up to his contract, Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. “Offense for me should be on autopilot,” Porter said. “I should be focused on the intangibles, the defense, the rebounding, the dirty work. Then that just involves you in the game. If you’re struggling on offense and you’re also not rebounding or playing defense, then it’s like, ‘Why is he out there right now?'” Porter signed a five-year, max extension in September 2021.
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Returns To Action
6:50pm: Morant is active and in the starting lineup on Tuesday, the team tweets.
10:15am: When the Grizzlies announced on Saturday that Ja Morant had been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left ankle sprain, they said he was considered “week-to-week,” signaling that he’d likely miss at least a few games. However, Morant appears to be on the verge of returning after missing only Sunday’s game in Brooklyn.
Originally listed as doubtful for Tuesday vs. Sacramento, Morant has been upgraded to questionable, the Grizzlies announced this morning (via Twitter). That doesn’t guarantee the All-NBA guard will play tonight, but it sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll do so.
If Morant doesn’t end up being activated for Tuesday’s contest, he’ll get a couple extra days off before Memphis hosts New Orleans on Friday night, so he’d be well positioned to play in that game.
With Desmond Bane sidelined due to a toe injury, Morant’s ankle sprain meant the Grizzlies were missing both parts of one of the NBA’s best backcourts on Sunday, a 12-point loss to the Nets. While Bane’s return isn’t imminent (he’s listed as out on Tuesday and will likely miss another week or two), having Morant back would be a major boon for Memphis against a Sacramento team riding a six-game win streak.
Pistons Owner Optimistic Despite Rough Start
The Pistons have the worst record in the NBA but it doesn’t seem as if owner Tom Gores is looking to make any changes to the coaching staff and front office.
Gores is happy with head coach Dwane Casey and GM Troy Weaver and believes the young core Weaver has built will eventually revitalize the franchise, as he told Mike Curtis of the Detroit News.
“We’re growing,” Gores said. “Right now, we have an amazing core group and a lot of confidence. We’re better than our record is. We’re much better than that and I like the way that this team has a lot of heart. I feel great about it. Dwane’s doing good work. Troy continues to think about growth and everything, so I feel great about it.”
Weaver has drafted six players in the first round in three years, including last year’s top overall selection, Cade Cunningham, who is sidelined with a shin injury that may require surgery. Both of the team’s lottery picks this June, point guard Jaden Ivey and center Jalen Duren, have displayed high promise in the first 18 games but the Pistons have only three wins to show for it.
The Pistons are also currently missing two other players, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, both of whom were selected during the first draft with Weaver in charge in 2020. Gores sees a silver lining, as other players get opportunities.
“What’s great is, it’s the next man up,” he said. “Everybody has to do their job. We’re a team, and injuries are a part of the game, so we have to know how to deal with that. Good luck, bad luck, we’ve got to make our luck.”
Gores is especially pleased with the addition of Bojan Bogdanovic, who recently signed a two-year extension. He leads the team in scoring (20.5 points per game) and gives the lineup a veteran presence.
“We’re lucky to have Bojan,” Gores told The News. “I’ll tell you what, he’s a tremendous veteran along with Alec Burks, as well. I think we’re very fortunate. We would be a different team without those veterans. The thing is, veterans bring a lot of experience, but both these guys can play, too. You can’t teach the young men unless you can play, also.”
Muscala Has Pinky Fracture, Will Be Reevaluated In Two Weeks
Thunder big man Mike Muscala fractured his left pinky finger against the Knicks on Monday, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman relays via a tweet from the team’s PR department. Muscala won’t play for the next two weeks and then the injury will be reevaluated.
Muscala has appeared in 14 of Oklahoma City’s 17 games this season, averaging 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. A forward/center capable of stretching the floor, Muscala is off to a slow start from the perimeter, making just 31.8% of his 3-point attempts.
Muscala, who is in his fourth season with the Thunder, averaged a career-best 42.9% from deep last season. He was re-signed to a two-year, $7MM contract this summer. He’s not eligible to be traded until Dec. 15 and also has the right to veto a trade. The team holds an option on his salary for next season.
Eugene Omoruyi potentially could pick up additional minutes in Muscala’s absence.
Central Notes: S. Johnson, Pistons, Pacers, Lopez, LaVine
The eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Stanley Johnson spent his first three-and-half NBA seasons in Detroit, but didn’t blossom into the player the Pistons hoped he would and has bounced around the league since then. Now a free agent, Johnson said during a Twitter Q&A that he’d welcome the opportunity to return to his first NBA team, as Mike Curtis of The Detroit News relays.
“I think the group is amazing,” Johnson wrote when asked about the current iteration of the Pistons. “(Head coach Dwane) Casey is amazing. Everything over there is great, we just didn’t figure it out. I’m 26. I’d love to right the wrong. Detroit loved on me crazy. The organization did too. I had a lot of growing up and trauma to deal with at 18, 19 (years old).”
A solid, versatile defender, Johnson has a decent chance to catch on with an NBA team at some point this season, but a return to Detroit seems unlikely to happen in 2022/23. The Pistons currently have a full 17-man roster and a 3-15 record, making them a long shot to be seeking veteran role players on the free agent market.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- The Pacers, who have won five in a row and nine of their last 11, look like they’re joining the Jazz as presumed lottery teams who are a little too talented to be major players in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, writes Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required).
- George Hill and Jrue Holiday are among the Bucks veterans who believe center Brook Lopez should be the leading candidate for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “You want my honest opinion?” Hill said. “He should have been Defensive Player of the Year for many years now.”
- Referring to Friday’s disaster as a “career-worst night,” Bulls star Zach LaVine said after a Monday win over Boston that a conversation with his father helped him move on from his 1-of-14 showing and a late-game benching, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “He gave it to me straight,” LaVine said. “‘You played like s–t. Go play better next game. It’s as simple as that. It’s one game. You’ve played 500 games in your career. You’re going to have another bad night. Just hopefully it’s not as bad as that one. Go play better next game.'”