NBA Looking At Thunder, Sixers For Possible Player Participation Policy Violations
The NBA is investigating the Thunder and the Sixers for possible violations of the league’s player participation policy, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, the NBA is looking specifically at the Thunder’s March 7 game vs. Portland, in which the team sat its entire starting five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest), Chet Holmgren (lower leg contusion), Jalen Williams (wrist sprain), Luguentz Dort (patellofemoral soreness), and Isaiah Hartenstein (nasal fracture re-injury). Cason Wallace (right knee contusion) also missed the game, which wasn’t part of a back-to-back set.
While Holmgren sat out Oklahoma City’s March 5 contest too, the other five players who missed the Portland game were available on both March 5 and March 9.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only Thunder player who meets the “star” criteria as defined by the player participation policy, but there’s a precedent for teams being penalized for sitting several “non-star” starters in the same game — the Nets were hit with a $100K fine last season for making a similar move.
Still, Rylan Stiles of SI.com (Twitter link) and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) are among the reporters to question the necessity of investigating the Thunder for their approach to the Portland game, given that they’ve had a strenuous post-All-Star schedule and still won the game by 18 points. Marks suggests that the league should be focused more on lottery-bound teams who may be flaunting the policy in an effort to improve their draft odds.
The Jazz, one such lottery-bound team, were fined $100K two days ago for a player participation policy. The Sixers, who have also seemingly pivoted to prioritizing lottery position in recent weeks, ruled out 11 players for Friday’s game vs. Indiana.
According to Charania, the league is looking at the Sixers due to the recent absences of Paul George (knee/back/finger) and Tyrese Maxey (back/finger). George has missed the past five games, while Maxey has been out for the past six, though head coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s loss that Maxey should return at some point during Philadelphia’s upcoming six-game road trip (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).
The league may determine that the absences of George, Maxey, and the rest of the inactive Sixers players are legitimate, but if the club is determined to have violated the player participation policy, it could face a fine of $250K. That’s the amount for a second violation, and the 76ers already received a $100K fine earlier this season.
Domantas Sabonis Set To Return From Hamstring Injury
Star center Domantas Sabonis will be available on Friday in Phoenix, the Kings announced about an hour before tip-off (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).
Sabonis has been on the shelf since sustaining a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on March 1 in Houston. He has missed Sacramento’s past six games, four of which have been losses. The Kings now sit ninth in the Western Conference at 33-32, just one game ahead of the injury-plagued Mavericks and 3.5 games in front of the No. 11 Suns.
Sabonis has been the Kings’ most valuable player this season, averaging 19.5 points, a league-leading 14.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with a .596/.432/.747 shooting line in 56 outings. It’s the third straight season in which the big man has led the NBA in rebounds per contest, and Sacramento has been 7.8 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the floor.
With Sabonis back in action, veteran center Jonas Valanciunas figures to return to his reserve role after starting each of the past six games.
Sabonis will have to play in at least 10 of the Kings’ final 17 regular season games to reach the 65-game requirement and become eligible for end-of-season awards. He looks like a strong candidate for All-NBA consideration.
Cody Martin On Track To Make Suns Debut
Veteran forward Cody Martin, traded from Charlotte to Phoenix at last month’s deadline, has yet to play for the Suns as he recovers from a sports hernia injury. However, he has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Sacramento and is expected to be available if all goes well during his pregame workout, per head coach Mike Budenholzer (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).
Martin, who missed most of the 2022/23 and ’23/24 seasons due to injuries, was healthy for the first half of ’24/25 with the Hornets, appearing in 39 of the team’s first 41 games. He averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .433/.323/.694, before being sent to the Suns along with Vasilije Micic and a second-round pick in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a first-rounder.
Martin has never been a significant offensive threat, but he’s known as a solid, versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. That could make him a useful piece for a Suns team that currently ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating (116.8), though he admitted today that he’s not sure whether Budenholzer plans to immediately incorporate him into the rotation.
“I’m the player. I’m coming to do my job and making sure I stay prepared and I’m going to come here to work. They make the decisions,” Martin said (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “I’m just going to show up, be myself and when it is time to play and I get my opportunity, go in there and be myself and do everything I can to help win.”
Martin did tell reporters that a recent stint in the G League with the Valley Suns provided him the opportunity to go through “game situations” and got him ready for his NBA return.
“High-intensity workouts,” he said. “They did a good job getting me prepared and put me situations that I feel like are going to be able to simulate the game as much as possible.”
The Suns remain firmly in the hunt for a play-in spot — they’re currently 2.5 games back of Dallas for the No. 10 seed in the West. And while Martin is technically under contract for next season, his $8.68MM salary is non-guaranteed, so he’ll be have plenty of motivation to play well down the stretch if he gets the chance to earn regular minutes.
Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. Cleared To Return
Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. will be available to play on Friday in a showdown vs. the East-leading Cavaliers, the team announced today (Twitter link).
As William Guillory of The Athletic tweets, head coach Taylor Jenkins initially told reporters that Jackson, who has missed the past five games due to an ankle sprain, would be a game-time decision. The big man went through his pregame warmups without any setbacks, clearing the way for him to return to action.
Jackson was initially said to be “week-to-week” as a result of his sprained ankle, so the fact that he’s back just 10 days after that announcement is good news for the Grizzlies, who are battling for playoff position. The club is currently No. 2 in the Western Conference at 42-24.
While the Grizzlies played well during Jackson’s absence, winning four of five games, they’ll certainly be happy to have their leading scorer and defensive anchor back in the lineup. Memphis has a +9.0 net rating this season when the 25-year-old is on the court compared to a +1.4 mark when he’s not.
Jackson’s return also bodes well for his award eligibility. He needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven more games to meet the 65-game minimum and qualify for All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He’s considered a strong candidate for both awards, either of which would make him eligible for a super-max contract extension this offseason.
Injury Notes: Mavericks, Doncic, Lonzo, Ivey
The Mavericks will once again have just nine players available on Friday in Houston. Forward P.J. Washington, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain, was originally listed as questionable, but he has been ruled out and will miss a seventh consecutive game, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Head coach Jason Kidd explained that with the Mavericks scheduled to play an early-afternoon game against Philadelphia on Sunday, Washington was unlikely to be available for that contest if he plays tonight. So, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning relays (via Twitter), the decision was made to hold the forward out of Friday’s game, but it sounds like he should be ready to return in a couple days.
There has been no indication that any other injured Maverick is on the verge of being activated. Kidd did say that Anthony Davis (adductor strain) “continues to trend in the right direction,” but there’s no timeline for his return, tweets Townsend.
Besides only having nine players available, Kidd is also limited in how much he can use several of those players. Dante Exum is on a minutes limit of about 20-to-25 per game, while Dwight Powell, Caleb Martin, and Brandon Williams all remain on minutes restrictions too, per Townsend (Twitter link).
Here are a few more injury-related notes from across the NBA:
- Already missing LeBron James, the Lakers will be without their other star on Friday in Denver. They’ve ruled out Luka Doncic, who is managing a left calf issue as well as a right ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The Lakers have lost three games in a row and will face long odds to snap that streak on Friday with their top two players inactive.
- Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined for the past six games due to a sprained right wrist, told his teammates before they embarked on a six-game road trip that he’d see them “on the second half of the trip,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. It’s unclear whether that means Ball expects to return to action by then or if he’ll just meet up with the team at that point — either way, it sounds like he’ll be out for at least three more games.
- Despite being ruled out for at least four more weeks on Thursday, Pistons guard Jaden Ivey hasn’t given up on the idea of returning to action this spring, as Eric Woodyard of ESPN relays. As the No. 6 seed in the East, Detroit is well-positioned to make the playoffs, so the team should continue playing beyond the end of the regular season for the first time since 2019, giving Ivey more time to recover. “It’s definitely motivating. I want to be out there so bad,” he said. “And I’m putting in the work to get back so just seeing those guys go out there and compete hard, that’s all I want to do is compete and play the game of basketball so it’s definitely encouraging and exciting to see.”
Eastern Notes: Bridges, Thibs, Robinson, Grimes, Mann, Bradley
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau met with forward Mikal Bridges prior to Wednesday’s victory over Portland to clear the air over their recent public comments about the starters’ minutes, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who says sources described the meeting as “productive.” Mike Breen of MSG Network first stated on Wednesday’s broadcast that the two men had talked before the game.
Bridges said on Wednesday that he felt like the Knicks’ reserves should play a little more to help reduce the starters’ workloads. The 28-year-old suggested that he had spoken to Thibodeau about the subject, but the veteran coach later denied having that conversation and defended his minutes distribution.
As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, the minor off-court drama hasn’t impacted Bridges’ play on the court. In three games since Jalen Brunson went down with an ankle sprain, Bridges has averaged 23.3 points per game on 62.8% shooting, including 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting in Wednesday’s overtime win.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is still on a minutes restriction after returning from ankle surgery two weeks ago, but the big man dropped some weight during his recovery process and is pleased with how his leaner physique has aided his mobility on the court, Bondy writes in a subscriber-only New York Post story. “I got to be honest, though. For me to come back from an ankle injury, I kind of move really well,” Robinson said. “Coming back from an ankle injury after 10 months? I move pretty damn good.”
- Sixers guard Quentin Grimes spoke to Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda about his experience playing alongside Luka Doncic in Dallas, what it was like being traded last month, and why he’s “really happy” in Philadelphia even though the team has won just two of 15 games since the trade deadline. Grimes will miss Friday’s game vs. Indiana due to an illness, according to the latest injury report.
- Hawks guard Terance Mann will face his former team on Friday for the first time since being traded last month, but he tells Law Murray of The Athletic that he hasn’t had a chance to reflect on the five-and-a-half years he spent with the Clippers. “I haven’t yet, no, I haven’t yet,” Mann said. “I’ll probably do that after the season. You know, just sit back, hang out with the guys, reflect. Hang out with Zu (Ivica Zubac), Amir (Coffey), James (Harden), Kawhi (Leonard), all those dudes. Talk and just reflect.” Mann added that his agent informed him before last month’s deal about the possibility that he’d be sent to Atlanta and he felt “great” about the opportunity. “They’re expecting a lot more from me,” Mann said. “They’re expecting me to shoot the ball off the dribble, catch and shoot, make plays when I get to the paint. Get to the paint. They just want me to be who I am. And I really appreciate Coach Q (Quin Snyder) for that.”
- After Tony Bradley signed a second 10-day contract with the Pacers on Thursday, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, that the big man is an “ideal” third center for the team right now. “In practices and in simulated stuff in the gym, he’s been terrific,” Carlisle said. “Smart, great hands, defensively has a really good feel for what we’re doing here.”
Active Offseason On Tap For Hornets?
Although the trade was later voided by the Lakers, the fact that the Hornets were willing to move center Mark Williams at last month’s deadline raised eyebrows around the NBA, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link), who say that some rival teams are wondering if Charlotte will be open to making significant roster changes this offseason.
“There may not be too many players on their roster they’re not willing to discuss in deals this summer,” one rival executive told ESPN. “It may start with Brandon Miller and not go too far after that.”
“(General manager) Jeff Peterson and his group have made a couple of shrewd deals to pick up assets,” a scout said. “They may be thinking of doing a larger surgery to the roster.”
According to Bontemps, the general consensus around the league is that the Hornets have taken the right steps in their rebuilding process since new owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin took control of the franchise in 2023. The team has hired Peterson to run the front office and Charles Lee as its head coach, as well as investing heavily in a new practice facility.
“They’re checking the boxes on the things they need to do,” a second scout told ESPN.
The Hornets’ base of young talent includes Miller, LaMelo Ball, Williams, and 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Salaün. The club – which has the NBA’s third-worst record – is in position to add another building block in this year’s draft lottery.
Williams will become eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, so it will be interesting to see whether the front office revisits the idea of trading him before he signs his second contract. But the bigger question in Charlotte is whether the team might be willing to make Ball available.
While sources tell ESPN that the Hornets have no interest in moving Ball, a report earlier this month suggested that he’s worth keeping an eye on going forward and Bontemps agrees, noting that the star guard is the only one of those potential Hornets cornerstones who is already on his second contract. Ball is still in year one of that maximum-salary deal, but he could sign an extension as early as 2026, so it’s not out of the question that the franchise could reach an inflection point with him within the next couple years.
Ball, 23, has averaged a career-best 25.5 points per game this season, but has seen his shooting percentages (.400 FG%, .330 3PT%) decline and has battled injuries throughout his NBA career, having appeared in just 100 of 229 total games since the start of the 2022/23 season.
“LaMelo is the question there,” the second scout told ESPN.
Heat Notes: Larsson, Jaquez, Mitchell, Ware
The energy and enthusiasm displayed by Pelle Larsson may lead to a larger role on a Heat team that’s in need of both qualities, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The rookie guard’s contributions can be summarized by one sequence in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers, Winderman details, as he dove on the floor for a loose ball and outwrestled several L.A. players to gain possession.
“That play at halfcourt is one of the best plays I’ve seen,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He got three loose balls on one possession. You feel like those plays can inspire a whole lot more. That’s what we’re accustomed to.”
Spoelstra has been bringing Larsson along slowly as he adjusts to the NBA, playing him 13 minutes per night in his first 42 games. However, that expanded to more than 28 minutes on Wednesday as Larsson stayed on the court for the entire second quarter. With the Heat needing something to jolt them out of a five-game losing streak, Larsson could become a more regular option.
“Really, the idea was just to get a spark,” Spoelstra explained. “We needed something to get us going. I wasn’t even necessarily expecting that. I’ve been feeling it for a couple of games. I think in short minutes, he’s mentally stable enough to handle that, three or four minutes and then come out, and get your regular guys in there.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Injuries and illnesses opened up a starting opportunity for second-year small forward Jaime Jaquez on Wednesday after he hadn’t played more than 14 minutes in a game for nearly a month, Winderman states in a separate story. Jaquez said the most difficult challenge in that type of situation is staying mentally sharp. “When you’re put in a position like this, you’re given two choices,” he said. “You can either cave in and let it affect you and we all go our separate ways. Or you can come together and get closer, do everything you need and really create a strong bond, especially through this very tough struggle.”
- Davion Mitchell is known for providing on-ball pressure, but Spoelstra wants to see the guard’s defensive role expand beyond that, Winderman adds. Mitchell, who was acquired from Toronto last month in the Jimmy Butler trade, is willing to accept the challenge. “I’m a lot of times kind of thinking of individually and not letting my man score, and sometimes off the ball I get some steals, but I got to do it more,” he said. “I’ve got to help my teammates out more, I’ve got to talk more, I’ve got to be more vocal. Especially on that end, when I’m usually guarding the best players, I’ve got to be more impactful.”
- Kel’el Ware has the most upside among the Heat’s young talent, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald contends in a mailbag column. Chiang notes that Ware’s size and athleticism enable him to protect the rim on defense and serve as a lob threat on offense. The 20-year-old big man has been starting since January and has shown that he’s capable of handling that responsibility.
John Collins To Be Reevaluated In Two Weeks For Sprained Ankle
John Collins suffered a left lateral ankle sprain on Wednesday, the Jazz announced (via Twitter). Collins underwent an MRI on Thursday and will be reevaluated in two weeks.
The 27-year-old power forward was injured during the fourth quarter of a loss to Memphis. He had already been declared out for tonight’s game against Toronto before the team updated his status.
Collins, who’s in his second season with Utah, has been limited to 40 games this year while dealing with several injuries. He’s averaging 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per night while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range.
Collins was involved in numerous trade rumors leading up to last month’s deadline, including a potential deal with Sacramento. The Jazz ultimately decided to hang onto Collins, who has a $26.58MM player option for next season that he’ll have to decide whether to pick up by June 30.
Since he was acquired last month, KJ Martin has been starting whenever Collins is unavailable, which is likely to continue. Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh could also see increased playing time until Collins returns.
Oshae Brissett Signs 10-Day Contract With Sixers
1:35 pm: The signing is official, the Sixers announced today in a press release.
11:07 am: The Sixers will sign Oshae Brissett to a 10-day contract, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old forward signed a G League deal in January and was claimed off waivers by the Long Island Nets. He averaged 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 11 regular season games with Brooklyn’s affiliate.
Brissett was part of Boston’s championship team last season, but he declined a $2.46MM player option last June in hopes of finding a larger role with another team. He only appeared in 55 games a year ago and was limited to 11.5 minutes per night.
Brissett began his career with Toronto in 2019, signing an Exhibit 10 contract after going undrafted out of Syracuse and earning a two-way deal in training camp. After being waived by the Raptors the following year, Brissett got a late-season opportunity with Indiana. He eventually became a rotation player for the Pacers before signing with the Celtics in free agency in 2023.
Philadelphia, which has fallen into 12th place in the East at 22-43, could offer significant playing to Brissett as long as he’s with the team. The Sixers have a full 15-man roster, but will be able to add Brissett through the hardship exception because they have four players who have missed at least three consecutive games and are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.
As a five-year veteran, Brissett will earn $139,391 during his 10-day deal. Assuming it become official in time for tonight’s meeting with Indiana, he’ll be eligible to appear in six games before it expires March 23. The Sixers will be permitted to offer him a second 10-day contract as long as they still fall qualify for a hardship exception.