Pelicans’ Missi Available Friday Following Knee Injury
In what is seemingly the first good bit of injury news the Pelicans have had all season, rookie center Yves Missi has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s contest at Dallas, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 21st overall pick of the 2024 draft, Missi sustained a hyperextended right knee last Thursday against Sacramento, which caused him to miss the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend. However, he’s returning in New Orleans’ first game back after the break, so he may not end up missing any regular season contests as a result of the injury.
Missi has emerged as the starting center for a Pelicans team that lacked depth in the middle entering the season, averaging 27.1 minutes per night and starting in 46 of his 52 total appearances.
The 20-year-old big man has averaged 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest so far in 2024/25 as he makes a bid for All-Rookie recognition.
Missi has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise season to forget in New Orleans. The team is trying to end ’24/25 on a positive note after going just 13-42 before the break, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
“It’s tough, it’s really tough,” Zion Williamson said about the struggles. “I mean, we had a lot of things not really go our way. But all you can do is make the most of the situation you’re in at the moment.”
Mavs Notes: Irving, Doncic, Trade, Injuries, Davis, Martin
In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during All-Star weekend (YouTube link), star guard Kyrie Irving called for the Mavericks to “tailor back” their criticism of Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers prior to the deadline earlier this month. As Grant Afseth writes for Athlon Sports, there have been numerous media leaks that have been critical of Doncic in the aftermath of the deal while glossing over how impactful he was during his time with the team.
“Part of our job every day to deal with the public space, but there were real relationships that were built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court, coaching, and then upper management,” Irving told ESPN. “I know that for my own peace of mind, just because we not only had two years together, but we got a chance to know each other as men.
“Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day, not just one moment or a sound bite that ends up being described as something that could be taken out of context. That’s what I feel like is going on right now. People are highly emotional. I’m not the one to shun anybody, whether in a public forum or behind the scenes, and trying not to have that happen.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein examines the local fallout from arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history, as well as the team’s botched handling of the aftermath, which included censoring Doncic out of a promotional video on Friday morning. One longtime Mavericks fan who is also the co-founder and managing partner of a local public relations firm said the trade and fallout were handled “atrociously,” according to Rothstein. “If all of them were aligned and able to articulate their rationale without bashing Luka,” said Stephen Reiff, “I think it would have helped, and I think it would have gone away quicker. [It] has made it a lot worse.”
- Part of management’s rationale behind the deal was the idea of featuring a massive, defense-first frontcourt, with P.J. Washington at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward and Daniel Gafford at center. As Christian Clark of The Athletic observes, that trio looked promising together through about three quarters on February 8 against Houston, but then Washington (ankle) and Davis (adductor strain) went down with injuries, followed by Gafford sustaining a Grade 3 MCL sprain on Feb. 10. Due to a litany of injuries up front (second-year center Dereck Lively has been out since January due to an ankle fracture), the Mavs have instead had to scramble and go small, Clark notes. “I’d say our goals are still obtainable,” head coach Jason Kidd said Thursday. “It’s a matter of, ‘Can we get healthy?’“
- Kidd dodged a question about whether Davis’ “good progress” means he’ll avoid surgery, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. However, it certainly sounds like Davis is trending in the right direction. “I’m not a doctor,” Kidd said. “(Davis’ reevaluation is) in two weeks. I think you’ll get a better understanding of what has to take place but right now he’s doing great. He’s in the weight room. He was shooting on the court. A lot of positive things for him. I don’t know if that means surgery, but I think we’re all excited to see him back to work.”
- Kidd also gave an update on Caleb Martin on Thursday, per Curtis (Twitter link). Acquired from Philadelphia in a trade involving Quentin Grimes and second-round picks, Martin still isn’t doing contact work as he recovers from a hip injury. “Caleb is doing better,” Kidd said. “I don’t know if you guys were in there when he was doing some dribbling and shooting on the court. No contact, but he is trending in the right direction. He feels better.”
Bismack Biyombo Re-Signs With Spurs On Second 10-Day Deal
After his first 10-day contract expired following Thursday’s victory over Phoenix, veteran center Bismack Biyombo has returned to the Spurs, officially signing a second 10-day deal, the team announced today.
Biyombo, a former lottery pick who is playing for his seventh team in his 14th NBA season, signed his first 10-day deal with San Antonio on February 9. Because the Spurs only had two games before the All-Star break and 10-day contracts must cover a minimum of three games, Biyombo’s deal ran through Feb. 20 — that means it was technically a 12-day contract.
The 32-year-old big man didn’t get any playing in his first game with the Spurs and only played 25 seconds in a loss to Boston just before the break. However, in the wake of Victor Wembanyama‘s season-ending blood clot, Biyombo got the starting nod last night against the Suns, recording eight points (on 4-of-4 shooting), three rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes during the 11-point victory.
Although Biyombo is on the short end for a center at 6’8″, he has an enormous wingspan, typically listed at 7’6″ or 7’7″. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the court Biyombo is known for his strength, toughness, athleticism, rebounding and shot blocking.
Biyombo is also known for his humanitarian work off the court, having donated his entire salary in 2021/22 to build a hospital in his home country. He has built schools and basketball academies through his foundation as well.
Before signing his first deal with San Antonio, Biyombo had been a free agent for all of ’24/25 after spending last season with Memphis and Oklahoma City. But he seems to be above Sandro Mamukelashvili on the frontcourt depth chart, and fellow big man Charles Bassey is currently day-to-day, having missed the past six games with a knee issue.
If the Spurs want to retain Biyombo beyond his second 10-day contract, they’ll have to give him a rest-of-season deal, since players are only eligible to sign two 10-day contracts with the same team in a season.
Biyombo has played in 841 regular season games over the course of his career, starting 352 of those contests. He has averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game in those appearances.
Doc Rivers Defends Bobby Portis In Wake Of Suspension
Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers offered a spirited defense of veteran forward Bobby Portis, who was suspended for 25 games earlier in the day for violating the NBA’s drug policy, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Portis’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, explained that his client accidentally took a pain medication called Tramadol, which is banned by the league, when he intended to take Toradol.
“I want to make something clear: Bobby’s not a drug user,” Rivers said. “I hate that it just says that you flunked the drug policy. And so when people read that, the first place they go is the wrong place. This is as big a mistake as can be made, like, it’s a mistake. And, so it bothers me on a lot of levels. Rules are rules, I get it, I get it — but there are also human circumstances and common sense to me.
“Bobby’s not a cheater. And so to me, that’s where we have to try to figure out how to change this a little bit. Because when it’s clear that a guy — Tormazol, Toradol, I don’t even know — when it’s that close and it’s clear, you can tell now from the blood samples, that that was the only time ever, you would think that we could do something less severe. But we have this rule like if you do it, you’re out, and that’s the way it is, so I just feel bad for Bobby, on so many levels.”
Rivers added that the team considered contesting the suspension, but didn’t want to risk losing an appeal and having it delayed. Portis will be eligible to return April 8 and play in the final four games of the regular season.
Portis wasn’t at Thursday’s shootaround, but he will be permitted to practice while he’s suspended, Nehm adds. Rivers said the Bucks are working with the league to see if he’ll be able to travel with the team, although he won’t be allowed in the arena starting two hours before tip-off.
Rivers said along with Portis’ production, the team will miss the strong leadership he provides during games.
“It’s funny, what the people don’t see is there’s certain guys that you need,” Rivers said. “Shootaround (on Thursday) was different. Bobby’s the one guy, he’s the voice (saying), ‘Stop f—ing around in practice.’ And he’s the guy that tells everybody that on our team. And, today, it was me saying that, and it’s just not the same. Let me tell you, Bobby’s voice is bigger and better. Obviously, we miss him on the floor. But I have that saying, ‘You can’t replace a human being.’ You just can’t. And especially one as special as Bobby.”
The Bucks currently have a roster opening, so they could add another player right away. They can also move Portis to the suspended list after five games and sign someone until his suspension expires.
Nehm adds that Portis’ suspension is having an immediate impact on Rivers’ rotation plans. He was hoping to give newly acquired Kyle Kuzma plenty of minutes at small forward, but that’s difficult with Portis unavailable and Giannis Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction after returning from a calf strain.
“It doesn’t matter too much to me,” Kuzma said. “I’ve always said my entire career, I’m just a basketball player, whether it’s playing the three or the four, coming down the stretch, initiating offense. Basketball is such a positionless game and I’ve been playing the game and all types of positions my whole entire life.”
Grizzlies Sign Lamar Stevens To 10-Day Contract, Waive Johnny Davis
FEBRUARY 21: The moves are official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
FEBRUARY 20: The Grizzlies are planning to sign forward Lamar Stevens to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. With a full roster and needing to make room, the Grizzlies are waiving Johnny Davis to complete the transaction (Twitter links).
Stevens is a four-year NBA veteran who last suited up for Memphis in 2023/24. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics in September 2023 before ultimately earning a spot on the roster. At the 2024 trade deadline, Boston sent him to Memphis in exchange for Xavier Tillman.
The 27-year-old forward played in 19 games with the Grizzlies last year, making two starts. During that time, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest. However, the Grizzlies didn’t re-sign Stevens last summer and he hasn’t been on an NBA roster during the ’24/25 regular season until now.
Stevens did spend training camp with the Pistons in the fall, but was waived at the end of the preseason. He has played 29 games this season with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate. In the G League, Stevens has averaged 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.
The Penn State product went undrafted in 2020, signing on with the Cavaliers on a two-way contract. He impressed in Cleveland, earning a promotion to a standard deal by the end of his rookie season, then went on to spend three years with the Cavs before being traded to San Antonio in the transaction that brought Max Strus to Cleveland.
As for Davis, the Grizzlies acquired the Wisconsin alum alongside Marvin Bagley III at this month’s deadline in the trade that sent Marcus Smart to Washington. The No. 10 overall pick in 2022, Davis played 112 games with Washington, averaging 3.5 points per game, but didn’t play at all for the Grizzlies before being waived.
According to Charania, Davis is expected to receive some attention as a free agent. The 22-year-old was a high-profile draft prospect in the 2022 class but never broke through in Washington.
Once the pair of moves are completed, the Grizzlies will be back up to a full roster, with 15 players on standard contracts (including Stevens’ 10-day deal) and three players on two-way pacts.
If Stevens’ deal is completed by Friday, he would be eligible for five games with Memphis before his 10-day contract would expire. At that point, he would need to be re-signed to another 10-day deal or the Grizzlies could move on. If he impresses enough to stick around through his maximum of two 10-day deals, the Grizzlies would need to sign him for the rest of the season.
David Roddy Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
The Sixers have signed David Roddy to a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 6’4″ power forward just completed a 10-day contract with the team that he signed on February 11. He got into only one game during that deal, finishing with four points, five rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes in Thursday night’s loss to Boston.
Roddy fills the two-way slot that opened up when Philadelphia promoted Jared Butler to the 15-man roster last week.
Roddy began the season with Atlanta, but was placed on waivers so the Hawks could complete a two-for-one deal with the Clippers at the trade deadline. Before being released, he appeared in 27 games, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.8 minutes per night.
The Sixers selected Roddy with the 23rd pick in 2022, but traded him to Memphis on draft night. He was sent to Phoenix in a three-team deal at the 2024 deadline and then shipped to Atlanta in an offseason trade.
Alex Reese is also expected to sign a two-way contract with Philadelphia, which will have a full roster once that deal is finalized. Jeff Dowtin holds the team’s other two-way slot.
Bulls Notes: White, Smith, Buzelis, Young
The Bulls are in the unusual position of both collapsing and holding onto a play-in spot, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago dropped its fifth straight game Thursday night in New York, falling to 22-34 overall. However, the weakness of the East leaves the Bulls with a game-and-a-half lead over Philadelphia and Brooklyn in the play-in race, and coach Billy Donovan isn’t interested in tanking the rest of the season.
“I think at some point, you gotta be able to talk about winning,” Donovan said. “The loss of DeMar (DeRozan), Alex (Caruso) and Zach (LaVine), in terms of the scoring and how great those guys are as players, losing those types of guys makes it challenging. But there is a responsibility for the guys that are playing. How can they find a way to do things to impact the outcome of the game? You’ve got to be accountable for those things.”
The absence of stars has caused opposing defenses to focus more on sixth-year guard Coby White, who had been a complementary scorer up until now. After Thursday’s overtime loss, White talked about how he handled late-game situations and the need to adapt to different looks.
“They were mixing up coverages,” White said. “They were blitzing, then not coming back, so I was just trying not to force it and let the game come to me. (Josh) Giddey had it going, (Lonzo Ball) had it going, (Nikola Vucevic) had it going, so take advantage of those moments. If that’s how they’re going to play me, then I have to be more of a playmaker, screening, those types of things. It’s definitely been a difference, but it’s something you’ve got to get adjusted to.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Backup big man Jalen Smith was ruled out of Thursday’s game after taking a shoulder to the face from Karl-Anthony Towns in the second quarter, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Smith dropped to the court after the contact, and Towns tumbled on top of him. Poe notes that the injury enabled Zach Collins to play 15 minutes in his second game with the team, but he produced just two points while missing all four of his shots from the field.
- Matas Buzelis is hoping to make a late run at Rookie of the Year honors, Poe adds in a separate story. No clear favorite has emerged in this year’s race, and Buzelis, who was recently moved into the starting lineup, believes he has a chance to win over some voters. “I would like to win that award for sure,” he said. “I also want to win as many games as possible. But you know, if you win the games, then you’ll be in that conversation.”
- The two-way contract that Jahmir Young signed this week will cover next season as well, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
Lonnie Walker Signs Two-Year Deal With Sixers
February 21: The signing is official, the Sixers announced in a press release.
February 18, 2:46 pm: Walker will exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with Zalgiris Kaunas after all, Langberg tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, the veteran guard has agree to a two-year contract with the Sixers.
While Charania describes it as a $3MM deal, it should be worth a little more than that. Philadelphia only has the ability to offer a minimum-salary contract, but the second year of a minimum offer would come in around $2.94MM.
The amount of Walker’s prorated minimum salary for the rest of this season will depend on when he officially signs. As of today, it would be about $826K, but it will likely take him a little time to gain FIBA clearance.
The second year of Walker’s new contract will be a team option, a source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
The 76ers currently have a full 15-man standard roster, but their 15th man is David Roddy, whose 10-day contract expires on Thursday night, so Walker figures to take Roddy’s spot on the roster.
Philadelphia will be looking to strike gold in the international market again after signing big man Guerschon Yabusele last summer following his five-year stint in Asia and Europe.
According to Stein (Twitter link), the Sixers’ offer to Walker came in today, just in time for him to take advantage of his Feb. 18 opt-out deadline. The team sought shooting guard insurance with Eric Gordon‘s return from a wrist injury up in the air, Stein adds.
February 18, 10:27 am: The contract that shooting guard Lonnie Walker signed with Zalgiris Kaunas in the fall included a clause that allowed him to opt out up until February 18 in order to return to the NBA.
However, Walker won’t take advantage of that opt-out, agent George S. Langberg tells Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The plan, Stein says, is for Walker to finish the current season in Lithuania and return to the NBA for the 2025/26 season.
Walker has 322 career regular season NBA games under his belt, having spent time with the Spurs, Lakers, and Nets from 2018-24. Last season, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes per game across 58 appearances for Brooklyn, with a shooting line of .423/.384/.763.
The 26-year-old was in camp with the Celtics in October before being cut ahead of the team’s regular season opener.
Multiple reports in recent months have suggested that Walker was drawing interest from NBA teams, including a handful of playoff-caliber clubs. However, it’s unclear whether or not any of those teams made a serious pitch to bring him back stateside.
Walker has averaged 13.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 19 EuroLeague games (22.3 MPG) for Zalgiris this season, though his shooting percentages are just 38.7% from the field and 33.1% on three-pointers.
Mark Williams: Time To ‘Move On And Play Basketball’
Mark Williams has been through enough dramatic moments this month, and now he wants to focus on helping the Hornets for the rest of the season, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
The 23-year-old center was traded to the Lakers two weeks ago, reportedly at the request of newly acquired star Luka Doncic, who wanted to be teamed up with an effective lob threat. That deal was rescinded a few days later when L.A.’s team doctors found issues of concern during Williams’ physical.
Williams faced the Lakers when he returned to the court Wednesday night at Staples Center, putting up 10 points and nine rebounds as he reclaimed his starting role. After seeing the course of his career dramatically change twice within a few days, Williams wants to stop talking about the failed trade.
“Yeah, I think it’s, for us, to finish the season strong,” he said. “Just try to have some good games and do a lot of the right stuff on the floor. I think now it’s kind of done. I think now it’s just move on and play basketball.”
Williams’ agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, issued a statement Thursday questioning the Lakers’ judgment for calling off the deal. Boone notes that Schwartz broke the news to Williams about his failed physical, and Williams expressed thanks for his agent’s support.
“It’s great for Jeff to have my back,” he said, “show his support and show he has the same stance as me and everybody else within my circle. So, for him to make a statement to go out to everybody is huge.”
Equally important, Boone adds, is the reaction of other Hornets players and team officials, who have welcomed Williams back like nothing ever happened. Boone states that Williams built up strong camaraderie within the organization since being drafted in 2022, and there’s “zero difference” in how he’s interacting with everyone now that he’s back in Charlotte.
“Mark is like a brother to us,” Miles Bridges said. “So, we’re just welcoming him back with open arms, letting him know that he’s wanted here. That’s just the biggest thing, just him knowing that he’s got a home here in Charlotte. That’s the biggest thing for us and he’s going to continue to play and give us results.”
Williams, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, is presumably back to being part of the Hornets’ foundation for the future. The decision to trade him was more about the return — the Lakers’ unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and the option to swap first-rounders in 2030, along with Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish — than a desire to part with the young center.
Williams is averaging a career-high 15.3 PPG in his third NBA season, along with 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per night. He hasn’t attempted a three-point shot throughout his career, but he’s an efficient finisher around the rim, shooting 61.9% in 86 games.
He was held out of Thursday’s game at Denver, but coach Charles Lee explained that it was due to reconditioning on the second night of a back-to back rather than any lingering physical problem.
“Just that long-term view on all of our player health,” Lee said. “He didn’t play a couple of games during that whole trade week and just the transition. And so then having the break, too, we just want to make sure that we’re bringing him back and ramping him up at the right pace so that he can continue to have longevity.”
Joel Embiid Admits He Needs To ‘Fix The Problem’ With His Left Knee
After shooting just 3-of-9 from the field in Thursday’s loss to Boston, Joel Embiid told reporters he needs to “fix the problem” in his left knee before he can become dominant again, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The Sixers‘ nightmarish season continued as their arch rivals embarrassed them by 20 points on their home court in their sixth straight loss. Embiid was limited to 15 points in 27 minutes, and Bontemps points out that his nine shot attempts were his lowest total of the season for a game in which he wasn’t ejected or didn’t have to leave early due to injury.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now,” Embiid said. “It sucks. … I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”
There was hope that the week-long All-Star break might help Embiid recover from the ongoing physical issues that have limited him to 18 games this season. Embiid still hasn’t fully recovered from the lateral meniscus injury he suffered a year ago, and a report earlier this month indicated that he may need surgery once the season ends.
When he has been able to play, Embiid hasn’t been near the MVP-level force he was in recent seasons. He’s averaging 24.3 PPG, which is more than 10 points lower than a year ago. His 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game are also well below last season’s rates, and his shooting percentages have dropped sharply to 45% from the field and 32.4% from three-point range.
Any thought the Sixers might be giving to shutting Embiid down has to be balanced against their postseason chances. Even though they’re tied for the sixth-worst record in the league, they’re just a game and a half behind Chicago for the 10th spot and a berth in the play-in tournament. There’s still hope that they can sneak into the playoffs, and a healthier roster could make them a tough first-round opponent.
In the meantime, the focus will be on helping Embiid manage his knee issue so he can stay on the court as much as possible.
Embiid added that the week off helped “a little bit,” but he’s still not feeling like he normally does. However, he believes he can help the team even if he’s not 100%.
“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple of months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game,” Embiid said. “Just me being out there, I think, helps a lot. My presence, my ability to attract double-teams, get guys more shots. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. But there’s no excuses. It’s just the way it is. You just have to find ways to figure it out and get better.”