Western Notes: Curry, Kuminga, Collier, Fertitta
Stephen Curry‘s pelvic contusion only forced him to miss two games, but the Warriors star said after making his return on Friday vs. New Orleans that he expects to “feel it for a while,” as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN notes. Still, Curry, who suffered a hairline fracture in his tailbone when he fell hard onto courtside stairs during the 2020/21 season, was relieved not to get a similar diagnosis this time around.
“I think that (this time it didn’t) break anything or have any bone damage, was mostly just a deep serious contusion that I’ll feel it for a while,” Curry said. “But I can play and I can’t make it worse as long as I don’t land on it again.”
Curry made just 7-of-21 shots across 34 minutes in Friday’s win over the Pelicans and spoke after the game about needing to work on his timing and endurance. But head coach Steve Kerr believes that getting a week off at this point of the season – even if he spent most of it recovering from an injury – will benefit Curry this spring.
“I thought he looked great,” Kerr said, per Youngmisuk. “He was moving really well. Took care of the ball. I thought Steph played an excellent game. He probably missed his last five or six threes, so the numbers don’t look great, but he looked like himself. And I think the week off did him a lot of good.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- With Warriors guard Gary Payton II sidelined due to a thumb injury, Kerr believes there’s an opening for forward Jonathan Kuminga to step up and take on some of the defensive responsibilities that the team had given to Payton (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “It opens up an opportunity for JK to be that defensive stopper, the guy we’ve relied on Gary to be,” Kerr said. “JK’s the obvious guy. Put him on the best offensive player, pick up full (court), harass people like Gary does. I’m going to ask JK to do that. It definitely opens up more minutes for him if he’s effective with that.” Kuminga, who have averaged just 23.4 minutes per game in eight contests since returning from an ankle sprain, didn’t have one specific defensive assignment on Friday against a New Orleans team missing most of its top scorers.
- Speaking to NBA insider Chris Haynes on the first episode of the Haynes Briefs YouTube show, Jazz guard Isaiah Collier said that not being selected to participate in last month’s Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend motivated him and added “fuel to the fire” (Twitter video link). As Andy Larsen writes for The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required), the Jazz are making a strong promotional push to get Collier a spot on an All-Rookie team, dedicating a section of their website to making his case for consideration. It has been up-and-down season for the first-year guard, but since he entered Utah’s starting lineup on January 5, Collier has more assists than anyone in the NBA besides Trae Young, Nikola Jokic, and James Harden.
- While Tilman Fertitta has indicated that he’ll resign as CEO of Landry’s Inc. if he’s confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino, the Rockets owner won’t be stepping away from his controlling interest in the NBA franchise, writes Erica Grieder of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I have been advised that during my service as Ambassador, the Embassy may address particular matters affecting the financial interests of the National Basketball Association, of which the Houston Rockets professional basketball team is a member,” Fertitta wrote in a letter to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. “The agency has determined that it is not necessary at this time for me to divest my interests in the Houston Rockets because my recusal from particular matters in which these interests may pose a conflict of interest will not substantially limit my ability to perform the essential duties of Ambassador.”
Grizzlies Notes: Spencer, Assistant Coaches, Jenkins, Kleiman
Two-way Grizzlies rookie guard Cam Spencer has seen an uptick in minutes of late. The UConn alum has thrived in his expanded rotation role with the club. The 6’3″ pro spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about how he’s relishing the extra run.
“As a competitor, you want to get as many minutes as you can to help contribute to winning for the team,” Spencer said. “It’s the NBA, so guys are in and out of the rotation. It’s cliché, but you do have to control what you can control a lot of times. With injuries and moving pieces, sometimes you get 20 minutes a game, and sometimes you get none or five minutes where the team needs a spark, so you really have to control what you can. You continue to work hard, control your attitude, and be ready when your number is called.”
Spencer reflected on the realities of life on a two-way contract, where young players are toggled between teams’ NBA and G League affiliate rosters.
“As a two-way player, your schedule is changing by the hour at times,” Spencer said. “You will literally be on a road trip, maybe going to practice or planning to go to practice, and then you get a call, and you have to leave the city within an hour to get back to the Grizzlies from being with the Hustle (Memphis’ G League affiliate). You play in the Hustle game for 30 minutes, then come back up top, and maybe you only get a few minutes. It’s a lot of just staying ready for your opportunities when they come, and that’s a lot of the NBA, especially on the two-way contract.”
Across 20 NBA games with the Grizzlies, Spencer has averaged 3.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG and 1.3 APG in 10.0 MPG. He has a solid .421/.371/1.000 shooting line.
There’s more out of Memphis:
- In addition to firing head coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday, the Grizzlies have let go a pair of his assistants. Sources tell ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Shams Charania (Twitter link) that assistant coaches Noah LaRoche and Patrick St. Andrews were also axed. MacMahon notes that LaRoche had been a key contributor to the Grizzlies’ new offensive approach in 2024/25. Another one of Jenkins’ assistants, Tuomas Iisalo, was promoted to serve as his replacement in an interim capacity.
- Although the decision to move on from Jenkins may have seemed sudden, fissures had apparently been forming for a while, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies let Jenkins go after having lost four of their last five contests. A source tells Cole that several Memphis players were “shocked” to hear the news. Tensions had also developed between rookie center Zach Edey and Jenkins, according to Cole, who notes that the rookie had been removed from the starting lineup for the Grizzlies’ last three games. “[General manager Zach Kleiman] blamed Taylor,” a source told Cole. “Taylor blamed Zach. No one takes accountability for absolutely anything.”
- In case you missed it, injured two-time All-Star Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is considered “day-to-day” to return from a left hamstring strain that has cost him Memphis’ last six games. He’s listed as questionable to play vs. the Lakers on Saturday.
Mavericks’ Anthony Davis Talks Injury, Trade, More
Mavericks big man Anthony Davis is loving life with his new team.
The 6’10” pro has only appeared in three games since being traded as the centerpiece in the Lakers’ blockbuster pre-deadline deal for All-NBA guard Luka Doncic. But he’s already enjoying his experience in Dallas, as he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“I don’t feel it, but a lot of people have been coming to me and telling me they haven’t seen me smile like this in a long time,” Davis told Spears. “Family is happy. Everybody is happy.”
Davis acknowledged being caught off guard when he heard news of the deal, especially given how Los Angeles had been playing at the time.
“It’s the nature of the business,” Davis said. “Obviously, the first maybe 48 hours, it was just a shock because I wasn’t expecting it. Nobody was expecting it, so they say. But I know from my side, my team and my family and everybody who works with me, I wasn’t expecting it. Even when I was getting some of the calls [about the trade], I thought guys were playing. But it ended up being true and that first initial [emotion] was more a shock just seeing the position [we were in]; we’re in fifth in the West [Conference], we were rolling…”
Dallas fans were similarly bewildered by the deal, which also saw the Mavericks acquire three-and-D wing Max Christie and L.A.’s first-round pick in 2029 in exchange for the 2024 Western Conference Finals MVP.
“I know what Luka meant to the [Mavericks] organization, to the team,” Davis said. “So, it’s like, what do I say to these guys coming in as a new leader and trying to lead these guys to do something special? And for them it’s like, ‘S–t, he just went through probably the biggest trade in [expletive] sports history. What do we say to him?’ And I wasn’t playing. So, I just tried to feel everybody out and just kind of let it happen organically. And now we got a super-tight bond, man, with all the guys.”
The Kentucky alum had been recuperating from an abdominal injury at the time of the trade. He aggravated the ailment during his Dallas debut, on February 8, and missed the subsequent six weeks of action.
Despite season-ending injuries to nine-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Davis nevertheless decided to return to the floor for Dallas. The 36-38 club is currently the No. 10 seed in the West, and angling for a play-in tournament berth.
“We were playing with six, seven, eight guys who were coming in after playing a game 40, 42 minutes drained, tired, having to play back-to-backs, having to come in and still [weight] lift and get their shots [up],” Davis said. “That was a motivator for me. I knew I was going [to come back] just because of the amount of games we had left. And not even that, just the position we were in, too. We are half a game behind Phoenix. But we got a chance. [Eight] games left. We are trying to try to make a push to get into these playoffs and just take it from there.”
In his most recent game, a 101-92 victory over Orlando on Thursday, Davis played one minute more than his current 28-minute limit, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to be great and everybody was telling me, ‘Bro, you missed six weeks,'” Davis said. “‘It’s your second game back [after February 8].’ Just trying to find a rhythm but most importantly, we got the win… But I feel good. Body’s feeling good.”
In his three healthy contests for the Mavericks, the 32-year-old is averaging 17.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.3 BPG and 0.7 BPG.
Grizzlies Name Tuomas Iisalo Interim Head Coach
8:01 pm: The Grizzlies have confirmed their decision to name Iisalo their interim head coach (Twitter link).
1:27 pm: After firing head coach Taylor Jenkins with just nine games left in the regular season, the Grizzlies will tab assistant Tuomas Iisalo to take Jenkins’ place, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Iisalo was one of several new assistants hired by the Grizzlies last summer when they revamped the coaching staff under Jenkins. He served as Memphis’ acting coach in November when Jenkins was away from the team due to a death in the family, a sign that he’d be the next man up following the head coach’s dismissal on Friday.
A native of Finland, Iisalo played professional basketball in his home country from 2000-14 before transitioning to coaching. He began his coaching career in Finland, then was in Germany from 2016-23, first as the head coach of the Crailsheim Merlins (2016-21) and then as the coach of Telekom Baskets Bonn (2021-23). Iisalo spent the 2023/24 season in France coaching Paris Basketball.
Iisalo has an impressive international résumé, having earned Coach of the Year honors in the German League in 2022 and 2023 and again in the French League in 2024. He led Paris Basketball to a EuroCup championship last year after winning a Basketball Champions League title with the Telekom Baskets in 2023.
While the Grizzlies seem likely to conduct a full-fledged coaching search once their season comes to an end, it’s possible a strong finish this spring would make Iisalo a legitimate candidate for the full-time job.
New York Notes: Simmons, Whitehead, Knicks
Speaking to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post (subscriber link), former Nets guard Ben Simmons reflected on his unhappy tenure in Brooklyn, discussing the differences between his Brooklyn and L.A. stints and explaining why he feels more comfortable with his new team, the Clippers, than he ever did during his injury-plagued years with the Nets.
“(Los Angeles) feels like home, honestly,” Simmons told Schwartz. “I never really felt like New York was home for me. Being in L.A., I feel like me as a person, it’s my kind of scenery or environment to be in. I think I thrive in situations like that. It was a blessing and a great experience to be in New York and experience being in New York City, there’s no city in the world like it. But I’m happy where I’m at, I love being in L.A.”
In his 11 games with L.A., Simmons is averaging 4.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.5 BPG. It’s a far cry from his All-Star peak, but the 28-year-old remains a solid, versatile defender who can pull down a rebound at will.
There’s more out of New York:
- Second-year Nets wing Dariq Whitehead‘s call-up to Brooklyn represents just the latest step in his comeback from three recent leg surgeries. Head coach Jordi Fernandez weighed in on Whitehead’s progress this season, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). “It’s a process for him,” Fernandez said. “He’s gotta buy into all these things. He shows up and works. And now, when he has these minutes, he has to take advantage of them. So learning all that is extremely important.”
- The 45-27 Knicks, currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference, have 10 games on their slate before this year’s playoffs. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post unpacks the seven most important questions that face the team down the stretch of the 2024/25 season.
- In a reader mailbag, Ian Begley of SNY.tv fields questions about Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson‘s ankle health, how rookie guard Tyler Kolek can carve out a rotational role, reserve center Mitchell Robinson‘s minutes restriction, and more.
Thunder Notes: Dort, SGA, J. Williams, Caruso, Scouts
Asked on Friday about the defensive impact of big men vs. wings in relation to Luguentz Dort‘s Defensive Player of the Year case, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t fully engage in that debate, but he argued that Dort has been the standout and the constant of the NBA’s top-ranked defense (Twitter video link via Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman).
“We have a lot of really good defenders, but he’s anchored consistently what’s been the best defensive league numerically to this point in the season, by a long shot,” Daigneault said.
The gap between the Thunder’s 106.1 defensive rating and that of the No. 2 Magic (109.5) is greater than the difference between Orlando and the No. 12 Heat (112.5).
For his part, Dort tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that while he’s focused on winning games rather than winning awards, he would be honored to make an All-Defense team or to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
“I don’t play for that. I want to win,” Dort said. “And I want to do everything I can to look good for my teammates. But it’s always good to get rewarded for that. So if my name is up there, I’ll be good.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- In speaking to Medina, Dort was more interested in advocating for teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to earn MVP honors than to make his own case for award recognition. Thunder forward Jalen Williams conveyed a similar sentiment while talking to D.J. Siddiqi of Basketball Insiders. “I think he’s the MVP,” Williams said of SGA. “Obviously I’m his teammate, so I’m very inclined to say that. From what I see, the amount of Michael Jordan comparisons and the accolades and all that, I think it would be a very big disservice to him if he’s not the MVP, just based on what he’s been able to accomplish this year.”
- Williams returned to action on Thursday after missing seven games due to a right hip strain and was effective in his first game back, contributing 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 29 minutes as Oklahoma City set a franchise record with its 61st regular season win, Lorenzi writes for The Oklahoman. However, a pair of Thunder regulars – Alex Caruso (low back soreness) and Jaylin Williams (left hip stiffness) – did leave the game early due to injuries, Lorenzi notes (via Twitter). It’s unclear if either player will have to miss any additional time as a result of those ailments — Rylan Stiles of Thunder On SI tweets that Caruso and Williams have been listed as questionable for OKC’s matchup with Indiana on Saturday.
- The Thunder are losing multiple members of their scouting department to college programs, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. As Scotto details, amateur scout Corey Evans is expected to be named the general manager at the University of Cincinnati, while fellow scout Andrew Slater has left the team to take the GM position at North Carolina State.
Celtics Rumors: Holiday, Porzingis, White, Horford, Ownership
While no one expects the Celtics to move on from Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown anytime soon, there are questions around the league about how long the club can carry one of the NBA’s highest payrolls, subjecting itself to significant luxury tax penalties and onerous second-apron restrictions, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The general consensus is that the Celtics might be willing to run it back again if they win another title this season. “You can’t break up a team that could be going for a three-peat,” one Western Conference executive told Fischer. But if Boston falls short of a championship? “They’re going to have to trade some guys at some point,” a team capologist said.
According to Fischer, league figures are keeping a close eye on guard Jrue Holiday and big man Kristaps Porzingis as possible trade chips later this year or next. Fischer suggests that guard Derrick White would likely have more trade value than either Porzingis or Holiday if he were made available this summer, but says no one he talked to seems to believe Boston would consider moving White.
If the Celtics do consider trading one of their top five highest-paid players, Holiday could be the most obvious odd man out due to a handful of factors, including his contract (three years and $104.4MM after this season) and Boston’s loaded backcourt.
As Fischer writes, besides White, the Celtics’ depth chart includes Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Payton Pritchard and rookie Baylor Scheierman, whose development over the course of this season has been viewed by the team as very promising.
Here’s more on the C’s:
- Turning Al Horford‘s $9.5MM salary slot into a minimum-salary player next season would help the Celtics with their cap/tax situation, but the club likely wouldn’t welcome that possibility if it means losing Horford. Assuming the big man wants to continue his career, there are rival cap strategists who believe his market could start around the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7MM), Fischer writes.
- Sixth Street Partners, a private equity firm, has committed more money to William Chisholm‘s ownership bid than Chisholm himself, reports Dan Primack of Axios. That’s not permitted by NBA rules, which allow private equity firms to hold up to a 20% stake in a team as long as their share is less than that of the controlling owner (which must be at least 15%).
- In Primack’s view, Chisholm’s two options are to be granted some sort of waiver by the NBA to get around that rule or to bring in enough new investors that Sixth Street’s full check is no longer necessary and they’re contributing less to the bid than Chisholm. Silver said on Thursday that the option of a waiver isn’t being discussed, according to Fischer. “Not at all,” he said. “And while the deal in a preliminary fashion has just been presented to the league, at this time there’s no contemplation of changing our ownership rules.”
- Fischer also asked Silver on Thursday about the reported arrangement between Chisholm and outgoing owner Wyc Grousbeck that would keep Grousbeck in the CEO and governor positions through 2028. As Fischer notes, it sounds similar to what Mark Cuban wanted when he sold the Mavericks, but in that instance it wasn’t put into writing and didn’t happen. “I think the Grousbeck family and the buyer are still working through those arrangements on exactly how that would work in terms of CEO roles and governor roles during some transition,” Silver said. “I think the situation was very different in Dallas. There was a clear change in control of the franchise to Patrick Dumont and his family. Any decision as to what Mark’s role would be in basketball operations was a function of an arrangement to be made between Mark Cuban and Patrick. The ultimate governance was absolutely clear, as presented to our board, that the last word on any basketball activities or any significant decision for the franchise would be made by Patrick.”
- In his latest mailbag, Brian Robb of MassLive answers questions about Luke Kornet‘s upcoming free agency, the best first-round playoff opponent for the Celtics, and the ownership transition.
LaMelo Ball Undergoing Procedures On Ankle, Wrist
4:26 pm: The Hornets have confirmed Charania’s reporting, officially announcing in a press release that Ball will undergo arthroscopic surgery to address a right ankle impingement and will also have a minor procedure on his right wrist. He’s expected to return to full basketball activities within four-to-six weeks, according to the club.
4:01 pm: Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will undergo a pair of minor procedures to address issues in his right ankle and right wrist, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports that Ball will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
As Charania details, Ball played through both injuries in recent weeks, but after consultation with team doctors and outside specialists, the decision was made to shut him down and address those ailments sooner rather than later. The hope is that undergoing those two procedures now will allow the 23-year-old to have a “full, productive offseason,” Charania writes.
Ball, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has been plagued by health problems since entering the NBA five years ago. The Hornets star has played more than 51 games in a season just once and has appeared in just 105 of 246 possible contests over the past three years, including 47 this season. That’s his highest total since 2021/22.
He previously underwent surgery on his right ankle in March 2023 and on his right wrist in March 2021.
When he was healthy and available this season, Ball continued to be an effective scorer and play-maker for Charlotte, averaging a career-high 25.2 points to go along with 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game. His shooting efficiency dropped off this season, however — his 40.5% field goal percentage and 33.9% mark on three-pointers were both career lows.
Ball will be entering the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension in 2025/26. That deal will pay him $168.7MM over the next four years.
While rival executives are monitoring Ball as a possible trade candidate, the Hornets have maintained that they have no interest in moving him.
Adam Silver Talks Expansion, Wolves Sale, Tanking, RSNs
Asked at his Thursday press conference whether the NBA has looked any more at adding an expansion team or two, commissioner Adam Silver said the league is “still in the process of digesting the Celtics (sale)” and expects to explore expansion in a “more serious way” once that transaction is finalized, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
As Bontemps notes, ESPN has previously reported that the Celtics sale was viewed as a possible precursor to expansion, since it would provide a point of reference for how much the expansion fees for new teams could potentially be worth.
“I wish I could be more conclusive today and say, ‘Here it is, here’s the timeline,'” Silver said, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “There are events that are clearly outside of my control. Part of it, as I said, is trying to assess value in a way that’s both fair, even to a potential owner, and fair to the existing owners in terms of what it means to add additional partners, different cities, divide up our current media pie with the 31st or 32nd share.
“And also, we want to make sure we put teams in a position, particularly as we’re setting the price, to be in a position to be competitive, economically successful and just as important for the other teams, successful on the floor.”
According to Bontemps, the widespread belief is that if the NBA expands, it would do so by two teams instead of one, with Seattle and Las Vegas considered the strong frontrunners for new teams.
We previously relayed Silver’s comments on Thursday about a new European league and the NBA’s All-Star format, but he also addressed several other topics during his New York presser. Here are some highlights:
- Addressing the Timberwolves‘ ownership situation, Silver said longtime owner Glen Taylor is still considering whether to appeal an arbitration ruling in favor of prospective owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and that Taylor continues to communicate directly with Lore and Rodriguez, Bontemps writes. Silver referred to the situation as “on hold” while Taylor weighs his options.
- Silver believes that the variety of tweaks made by the NBA in recent years – including new draft lottery odds, the introduction of the play-in tournament, and the implementation of the 65-game rule and player participation policy – have helped limit the impact of tanking, but admits that the league is still mulling ways to further address the issue. “It comes down to incentives,” Silver said, per Bontemps. “There’s no doubt that incentives change at the end of a season, especially when you have a draft that’s perceived not just with the top pick, but the top maybe few picks is an incredibly strong draft. That’s a way, a legitimate way of rebuilding in this league. So I’m not sitting here saying, ‘All right, here’s the new calibration to the draft lottery and that will solve it.’ We don’t have a new plan at the moment. I don’t have an answer sitting here today as to what we’re going to do other than to say that we recognize it’s an issue and it’s an issue for our fans. And so we’re paying attention to it.”
- While Silver acknowledges the regional sports network landscape has become murky in recent years, he’s optimistic that the NBA will be able to “derive value from the situation,” Bontemps writes. “We think there’s tremendous opportunity there,” the commissioner said. “You have bankruptcies of RSNs, other RSNs that have shut down, and I think that’s created, for lack of a better term, a lot of transactional friction of people who would otherwise be interested. At the same time, well-known streaming services that only a year ago were saying they have no interest in live sports are now aggressively bidding on live sports. So we see no reason why the extent there’s that interest on a national basis or even a global basis there wouldn’t also be on a local basis.”
Kings’ LaRavia Out At Least 7-10 Days With Thumb Injury
Kings forward Jake LaRavia underwent imaging on his injured left thumb and has been diagnosed with a bone contusion, the team announced today (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). LaRavia’s injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Oklahoma City when he took a hard fall under the basket (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento).
According to the Kings, LaRavia will be sidelined for the time being and will be reevaluated in approximately seven-to-10 days. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be ready to return at that time — just that he’ll be reassessed.
LaRavia, who was traded from Memphis to Sacramento at last month’s trade deadline, has played a regular rotation role off the bench for his new team. In 19 appearances since joining the Kings, he has averaged 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 19.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .438/.385/.579.
The timeline for LaRavia indicates he’ll at least miss the team’s next three games – on Saturday in Orlando, Monday in Indiana, and Wednesday in Washington – and could remain out for more beyond that. Saturday’s contest is the first of a six-game road trip that runs through April 7 before Sacramento returns home for its final three games of the regular season.
With LaRavia unavailable, forwards Trey Lyles, Isaac Jones, and Doug McDermott are among the candidates to pick up additional minutes in the Kings’ frontcourt.