Raptors’ Gradey Dick To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Knee Injury
Raptors guard Gradey Dick has been diagnosed with a hyperextended right knee and bone bruises and will be out for at least the next two weeks, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Raptors, Dick – who was injured during the second quarter of Sunday’s win in Orlando – will begin rehabilitating his knee injury upon returning to Toronto and will be reevaluated at the two-week mark.
The injury occurred as RJ Barrett drove into the lane while being defended by Magic guard Cole Anthony. Dick was cutting toward the basket from the corner and when Barrett and Anthony got tangled up near the rim, they fell into Dick — he collided with Anthony, then took a hard fall to the floor as Barrett landed on his leg (video link).
The 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Dick is considered a key part of the rebuild in Toronto. In 54 games (all starts) this season, the 21-year-old has averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 29.4 minutes per game, with a .410/.350/.858 shooting line.
Dick is one of a handful of Raptors wings currently on the injured list, along with Ochai Agbaji (left ankle sprain) and Jamison Battle (nasal fracture). Those ailments could open the door for rookies Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead to play increased roles.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Reath, Blazers
Although the Jazz were missing several regulars and only lost by seven points, head coach Will Hardy wasn’t happy with what he saw from his team on Sunday at home vs. New Orleans. As Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required) relays, Hardy had plenty to say after a 128-121 loss in which Utah gave up 76 points in the paint.
“Everybody wants to play more, and then you get a chance to do it, and you go out there and you don’t execute, that’s frustrating,” Hardy said. “… The frustrating part is that there’s so much opportunity on our team right now, and all of these young players are getting an opportunity to show us who they are, what they are, and that opportunity needs to be met with the desperation that it deserves.”
None of the 10 Jazz players who saw minutes on Sunday are older than 26 years old, while their oldest starter in the game was 24-year-old KJ Martin, so an already young team was even younger in that game vs. the Pelicans.
“No one cares what your résumé was before you got here,” Hardy continued. “I don’t care how many points you scored in high school. I don’t care what you were ranked coming out of high school. It doesn’t matter where you played in college. Doesn’t matter how many wins you got in college. It doesn’t matter how many points you scored in college. Your Instagram followers mean nothing to me. This is a job … this is a profession, and it needs to be treated as such.”
Utah had Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton back in its starting five on Monday against Detroit after they missed Sunday’s game, but the club didn’t fare any better on the second end of a back-to-back set, falling by 28 points at home to the Pistons.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Thunder‘s top two scorers were firing on all cylinders in the team’s past two games, as Jalen Williams poured in a career-high 41 points in Sunday’s win over San Antonio (story via Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up 51 in Monday’s win over Houston for his fourth 50-point game since January 22 (story via ESPN.com). “Whether it’s 50, whether it’s 27, whether it’s 17 — as long as we win, I have fun with it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on Monday. “… Like, you don’t play the game to score a bunch of points. You don’t play the game to get a bunch of rebounds or assists or steals. … You don’t play for anything besides to win, and that’s what it’s all about.”
- As the fourth center on the Trail Blazers‘ depth chart behind Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, and lottery pick Donovan Clingan, Duop Reath hasn’t gotten a chance to play much this season. But he has taken advantage of a chance to play rotation minutes in Portland’s past two games, scoring 20 points in a total of 41 minutes on Sunday and Monday with Ayton and Williams out, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “(Reath) was playing great,” Anfernee Simons said after Monday’s win. “Obviously, having not been playing, staying ready at all times, being professional and coming in doing his job when his numbers is called. We all know what Duop is capable of. Each and every time we know we’re going to get the best out of him.”
- In a mailbag, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) considers why the Trail Blazers haven’t “embraced the tank” this season, explores whether it makes sense for Portland to pursue win-now moves this summer, and acknowledges that it may difficult for the team to find a good deal for Jerami Grant on the trade market this offseason.
Isaiah Collier, Zaccharie Risacher Earn Rookie Of The Month Honors
Jazz guard Isaiah Collier and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher have won February’s Rookie of the Month awards for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
It continues a season-long streak of first-time winners — the league has announced eight Rookies of the Month so far this season, four in each conference, and no player has won the award twice. Jaylen Wells, Yves Missi, and Stephon Castle have also been honored in the West, while Jared McCain, Alex Sarr, and Kel’el Ware have won in the East.
The No. 29 overall pick in last year’s draft, Collier was elevated to Utah’s starting lineup in January. In February, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and an impressive 9.5 assists in 30.4 minutes per game across 13 outings.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, even though it was a short month made even shorter by the All-Star break, Collier’s 123 total assists in February were the most by a rookie in a single month since Pooh Richardson in March 1990.
“I think he’s playing the game with a chip on his shoulder,” Cody Williams said of his fellow Jazz rookie, per Jones. “I think he knows that there weren’t 28 players better than him in the draft, and he came into this season wanting to prove that.”
No player was drafted ahead of Risacher, 2024’s No. 1 overall selection. While the 19-year-old forward had an up-and-down first half, he has been very effective in recent weeks, averaging 12.8 PPG and 4.2 RPG with a .474/.440/.778 shooting line in 12 games (25.7 MPG) in February.
Those numbers don’t include his 27-point outburst in Memphis on Monday — he made 11-of-13 shots in that game and registered a career-high four steals as Atlanta eked out a two-point win.
February’s other Rookie of the Month nominees were Castle, Wells, and Zach Edey in the Western Conference, and Ware, Matas Buzelis, and Kyshawn George in the East (Twitter link).
Nuggets’ Strawther Out At Least Four Weeks With Sprained Knee
The Nuggets have ruled out a key reserve for the rest of March, announcing today (via Twitter) that second-year wing Julian Strawther has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
The injury occurred in the third quarter of Sunday’s game in Boston. Strawther caught a pass from Christian Braun at the top of the three-point arc and drove toward the basket, but after he attempted a floater in the lane, he came up limping and fell to the floor in pain (video link).
After averaging just 10.9 minutes per game in 50 appearances off the bench for Denver as a rookie last season, Strawther had emerged as a crucial part of the team’s rotation in 2024/25. He appeared in each of the Nuggets’ first 61 games this season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 22.1 minutes per night, with a .434/.357/.829 shooting line.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post notes (via Twitter), another 2023 draftee – shooting guard Jalen Pickett – may be in line for an increased role while Strawther is unavailable. Pickett has been in and out of the rotation this season and didn’t play at all in the first half on Sunday, but checked in when Strawther went down and played eight minutes in the second half.
Cavs’ Mobley, Blazers’ Camara Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been named February’s Defensive Player of the Month for the Eastern Conference, while Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara has earned the honor in the Western Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Mobley joins teammate Donovan Mitchell, who was named Player of the Month in the East, as award winners for February after the Cavs won 10 of 11 games over the course of the month. Cleveland had the best defensive rating (108.0) of any Eastern team in February, with Mobley anchoring that unit.
According to the league, Mobley was second among East players in blocks per game (2.3) in February and ranked third in the conference in contested shots per game (11.5).
The ascendant fourth-year forward/center, who was also named the East’s Defensive Player of the Month for December, is considered one of the frontrunners for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
As for Camara, the second-year forward has been establishing himself as one of the NBA’s best wing defenders this season. According to the NBA, he ranked fourth in the conference in steals per game (2.0) in February and was the only player in the conference to compile at least 50 defensive rebounds, 20 steals, and 10 blocks for the month.
Portland entered February with a 19-29 record, but won eight of 12 games over the course of the month and had the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA (109.2) during that time.
Nets center Nic Claxton, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Pacers center Myles Turner, and Pistons teammates Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson were also nominated for the award in the Eastern Conference, while Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., Rockets swingman Amen Thompson, and Clippers teammates Kris Dunn and Ivica Zubac were nominated in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Hawks Sign Dominick Barlow To Standard Contract
March 4: Barlow’s contract is now official, the Hawks announced in a press release. As we relayed in a separate story, Harris’ 10-day contract was terminated early to create room on the standard roster for Barlow.
March 2: The Hawks are set to sign two-way forward Dominick Barlow to a two-year standard contract, agent Todd Ramasar of Life Sports Agency has informed ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter). Barlow is currently on a two-way deal.
Atlanta currently has no room on its standard roster for Barlow, having just inked swingman Kevon Harris to a 10-day contract on Saturday. The team will either have to terminate Harris’ deal early or waive another player to make room for Barlow.
A 6’9″ combo forward, Barlow skipped college, having played instead for Overtime Elite’s Team Overtime in 2021/22.
Barlow, 21, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Spurs. He was on a two-way contract as a rookie and opened the 2023/24 campaign on a two-way deal before seeing that agreement converted to a standard contract at the end of that season.
Barlow has played sparingly for the Hawks at the NBA level so far this season, seeing action in 18 games (two starts). Across just 7.8 minutes per night, he’s averaging 2.9 points and 1.6 boards.
Barlow has, however, made a bigger splash with Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, in 2024/25.
In 13 Tip-Off Tournament games for the Skyhawks, Barlow averaged 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.6 steals per contest. Across four regular season bouts with College Park, he had been averaging 20.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 BPG and 0.8 SPG.
LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Month
Lakers forward LeBron James has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month for games played in February, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). While it’s the 41st time in his decorated 22-year NBA career that James has earned the honor, it’s the first time he has done so since 2020.
James’ Lakers went 10-2 in February, with the four-time MVP averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 35.1 minutes per game to lead the way. The 40-year-old posted an impressive shooting line of .555/.443/.738 in his 11 games over the course of the month.
James’ teammate Austin Reaves was among the other players nominated for the award in the West, along with Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Nikola Jokic, and Anfernee Simons, according to the league (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has earned February’s Player of the Month award. He was selected over fellow nominees Cade Cunningham, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, and teammate Evan Mobley.
Mitchell, who appears well on his way to an All-NBA berth, averaged 25.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game with a .487/.381/.786 shooting line in 10 games in February. His Cavaliers continued to extend their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings during the month, with a 10-1 record.
It’s the third time in Mitchell’s career that he has won a Player of the Month award, including his second time as a Cav.
Knicks Sign MarJon Beauchamp To Two-Way Deal
March 4: The Knicks have officially signed Beauchamp to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
March 3: The Knicks are adding MarJon Beauchamp on a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Beauchamp was waived by the Clippers on Saturday in order to promote Jordan Miller to a standard contract. The Knicks opened up a pair of two-way slots by waiving Matt Ryan and Jacob Toppin on Sunday.
The 24th overall pick in 2022, Beauchamp has struggled to establish himself as a reliable NBA rotation player. He has averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 129 career contests (11.2 MPG).
The 6’7″ forward spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Bucks, then was traded from Milwaukee to Los Angeles at the deadline in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr. Beauchamp came off the bench in 26 contests with the Bucks this season before he was dealt and made three limited appearances with the Clippers.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), he’s eligible to be active for 12 of the Knicks’ 22 remaining regular-season games.
Kevin McCullar holds the Knicks’ other two-way contract.
Mavs Notes: Hardy, Davis, Martin, Jones, Jensen
The Mavericks‘ injury report went from bad to worse on Tuesday when word broke that Kyrie Irving has sustained a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the 2024/25 season. That’s not the only concerning injury news that has come out of Dallas today.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), the Mavs are expecting to be without reserve guard Jaden Hardy for “a period of time” after he sprained his right ankle in Monday’s loss to Sacramento. That update is pretty vague, but it suggests that Hardy’s injury is more than just a day-to-day issue.
Meanwhile, we’re still a couple days away from the date when Anthony Davis (adductor strain) is due to be reevaluated, but Shams Charania of ESPN offered an ominous update during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, suggesting that there are some “very hard conversations” on tap for Davis and his representatives (Twitter video link). According to Charania, “it’s not out of the realm of possibility” that the big man doesn’t play again this season.
Amid the Mavericks’ flurry of injuries, head coach Jason Kidd said after Monday’s loss that he’s doing his best to make sure his team can “hold it together,” per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“It seems every time we’re getting close to getting someone back, someone goes down,” Kidd said. “… We’re running out of bodies here, but guys keep fighting.”
We have more on the Mavericks:
- There’s one bit of positive injury news for the Mavs on Tuesday. As Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter), Caleb Martin has been assigned to the G League, which is another sign that he’s getting close to returning from the right hip strain that has kept him on the shelf since January 10. Martin has been able to take part in contact practices in recent days, as we noted on Monday.
- Kai Jones had a strong debut for Dallas on Monday after signing a two-way contract earlier in the day. The 24-year-old big man scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in nearly 34 minutes. Jones is eligible to be active for up to 12 games on his two-way deal, but Kidd sounds prepared to take advantage of all of those games, as Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes. “It’s always good to have flexibility, just in case you have to pivot,” Kidd said. “To get someone like Kai on a two-way is important for the 12 games we have him for. He’s got a great group of guys around him. We need him to play. He’s another seven-footer, which we need. We have had success in these type situations before.”
- Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen has emerged as one of the top candidates for the head coaching vacancy at the University of Utah, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Jensen played college basketball for the Utes in 1994/95 and – following a two-year hiatus – from 1997-2000.
Raptors Sign Rhoden To Two-Way Deal, Promote Robinson
12:19 pm: Both roster moves are now official, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.
10:54 am: The Raptors have agreed to a two-way contract with guard Jared Rhoden, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Rhoden, 25, was in camp with Toronto back in the fall. When the Raptors waived him at the end of the preseason, he was claimed by the Hornets, who converted him to a two-way deal and kept him him on their roster for about six weeks before cutting him in early December.
After appearing in four games for the Hornets and two for their G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, Rhoden has been suiting up for the Raptors 905 for most of the NBAGL season. The former Seton Hall standout has averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 30.3 minutes per game across 22 appearances for Toronto’s G League affiliate. He has knocked down down 49.5% of his shots from the floor, including 38.0% of his three-pointers.
Rhoden was briefly under contract with the Raptors last month after signing a 10-day deal with the team on February 19. He appeared in just one NBA game for Toronto during those 10 days, seeing 78 seconds of garbage-time action in a blowout win over Phoenix.
The Raptors will have to open up a two-way slot in order to sign Rhoden and the expectation is that they’ll do so by promoting center Orlando Robinson to their standard roster, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). It’s expected to be a straight conversion for Robinson, which means he’ll just be signed for the rest of the season, according to Murphy.
Robinson, who opened the season on a non-guaranteed contract in Sacramento, barely played for the Kings, but has been part of the Raptors’ regular rotation in recent weeks, first on a pair of 10-day contracts, then on a two-way deal. He has posted 5.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 17 games (15.7 MPG) for Toronto.
The Raptors currently have two openings on their 15-man roster, so they’ll still have room for another player after promoting Robinson.