Central Notes: Allen, Cavs, Giannis, Buzelis
As he watches he role with the Cavaliers change this season, center Jarrett Allen remains a key part of the best team in the league by record in 2024/25, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Allen has ceded some touches and minutes to rising forward Evan Mobley this season, in an effort to help the All-Defensive Teamer take the next step in his own game. Fedor notes that Allen has occasionally even been on the bench late in games so Mobley can play center.
“Evan has been amazing this year,” Allen said. “I have always wanted to push him forward no matter what. Whether it’s taking the toughest assignment on defense so he can shine and have more energy on offense or just being in the dunker spot so he can have more room. Whatever I have to do to make him the best player, so he can unlock this offense and unlock this team, I’m willing to do it.”
Allen has seen his own numbers decline a little this season. After averaging a career-high 16.5 points per game last season, the 6’11” big man is averaging 13.7 PPG on an efficient 69.5% shooting from the floor, along with 10.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per night.
“He is just willing to do what it takes to win, whatever that ask is and it could be different every night,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He’s a huge cog. He is invaluable. When he plays at a top level, we are really hard to beat.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers’ 122-110 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday extended their win streak to eight games, observes Fedor in another Cleveland.com story. Each of those wins was by a double-digit margin. Cleveland is now 29-4 on the year, good for a 72-win pace. “We know it’s about playoff performance,” Atkinson said. “That’s what it comes down to. You don’t want to be that team that everyone says, ‘Oh, they’re a good regular season team.’” Lakers head coach JJ Redick had high praise for Cleveland after the loss dropped his team to an 18-14 record. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter), Redick believes clubs need to play “close to perfect basketball” to defeat the Cavaliers.
- All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks an instant spark upon returning to the team from a four-game absence, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The two-time MVP helped his team rally out of a 19-point third quarter hole against Indiana, eventually resulting in a 27-point swing and a surprise 120-112 win. “We’re still a work in progress is what it says,” head coach Doc Rivers said of the comeback. “What [it] also says is having Giannis and Dame [All-Star point guard (Damian Lillard) on the floor allows you to close a lot better and that’s why we closed tonight.”
- Though Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis was selected with the No. 11 pick in this past summer’s draft, he has been played sparingly by head coach Billy Donovan for much of his first pro season. Donovan recently reiterated that he is prioritizing more veteran players over Buzelis with an eye towards winning, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “The balance between (Buzelis) and also the responsibility to try and make decisions that I feel are the best to put the team in position to win,” Donovan said. “This is not to be critical of Matas, but when there are things going on out there that he is not doing a good enough job on, I can’t just keep on keeping him out there. He’s got to have a level of responsibility.”
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Schedule, Yabusele
All-Star center Joel Embiid and his Sixers are finally looking like the team many NBA observers expected following a productive offseason, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Philadelphia is on a four-game winning streak and has won eight of its last 10 contests. At 13-17, the team is mere percentage points behind the 14-18 Pistons, who are currently the Eastern Conference’s No. 10 seed and final play-in team.
Jones notes that Embiid has been playing more like his MVP self of late, re-emphasizing his game in the post.
“I’ve been saying for a while, we’re just starting to play a lot better,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “We’ve gone a long stretch where we are starting to take whatever has come. We have a few minor injuries, and we just keep on rolling. We are dealing with some foul trouble, and we just keep on rolling. What I’m most happy with is that we’re starting to get a defensive mentality to us. And that can take you a long ways.”
There’s more out of Philadelphia:
- Embiid is sitting out Wednesday’s road clash against Sacramento with a sprained left foot, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). It’s the first game of a back-to-back set for the 76ers.
- Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele is making the most of his second NBA opportunity, as he relayed to Spencer Davies of of RG. Yabusele had previously played in the league from 2017-19, before moving abroad when NBA work had dried up for him. His play for Real Madrid and his native Team France of late earned him a look from Philadelphia. “It’s a crazy year for me,” Yabusele told Davies. “I always say the resolve that we had in Real Madrid and then go to Olympics, be able to have that silver medal but also compete at the highest level and be able to be on the court with the best guy in the world, just that was amazing for me. And then, to be able to come back to the league to get the contract. It’s been just full of emotion, you know?”
- In case you missed it, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
Several Two-Way Players Nearing NBA Game Limit
NBA players on two-way contracts operate under different regulations than the rest of the league. One of the most important differences is they are limited in the number of games that they’re permitted to be on the active roster.
For two-way players who’ve been with their current teams since the start of the season, that number is 50. Each time they’re listed as active counts toward that total, whether they play or not. Players who sign two-way deals during the season have their limit of games pro-rated.
Those numbers are becoming important since we’ve passed the halfway point of the season, and Keith Smith of Spotrac sent out a tweet earlier today identifying a few players who are getting close to reaching their limits.
Once a player hits his allotted number of games, he’s not eligible to appear in the NBA as a two-way player for the rest of the season. He can remain on the team and play in the G League, but he must be signed to a standard contract to see any more NBA action.
Here are the names Smith noted and the number of games they have remaining:
- Jacob Toppin, Knicks (2) – New York has used up nearly all of Toppin’s active time, even though he has only gotten into 15 games and averages 3.1 minutes per night. The small forward seems likely to finish the season in the G League.
- Tyrese Martin, Nets (5) – Martin has become part of the rotation in Brooklyn, averaging 21.3 minutes in the 31 games that he played. The shooting guard is a little old for a prospect at 25, but he seems like a strong candidate to land a regular roster spot so the Nets can evaluate him for the rest of the season.
- Jordan Miller, Clippers (5) – The small forward isn’t part of the rotation in L.A. and may not be in the team’s playoff plans. He has logged just one minute in three of his last four appearances, and the Clippers don’t appear concerned about preserving the number of games he has remaining.
- Jared Butler, Wizards (8) – Washington has nothing left to play for, so it makes sense to take a long look at the 24-year-old combo guard. This is Butler’s fourth NBA season and his second with the Wizards, so this is a good time to determine whether he’ll be part of their future.
- Brandon Boston Jr., Pelicans (9) – Boston was among the two-way players most likely to earn a promotion even before the season-ending injury to Dejounte Murray. Boston has played in all 41 games in which he’s been listed as active, making 10 starts and averaging 10.7 PPG in 23.9 minutes per night.
Here are a few more players getting close to their game limits:
- Kai Jones, Clippers (11) – Jones has made 27 appearances as a backup center, but he’s only averaging 2.2 points in 7.6 minutes per night. The addition of Drew Eubanks in today’s trade with Utah gives L.A. another veteran big man and lessens the need to keep Jones on the roster.
- Moussa Diabate, Hornets (11) – Part of the reasoning for the Nick Richards trade was Diabate’s emergence as a dependable center off the bench. He’s been playing big minutes over the past week and seems like he’ll definitely be on a standard contract soon.
- Ryan Rollins, Bucks (12) – Rollins is a marginal member of Milwaukee’s rotation, making five starts in his 30 appearances and playing 11.9 minutes per night. His fate could depend on what the Bucks are able to do before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Mavs Notes: Trade Targets, Irving, Lively, Thompson, Washington
The Mavericks are mulling whether to add an impact perimeter defender before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
A natural target would be the Pelicans’ Herbert Jones, who made the All-Defensive First Team last season. However, there is little belief in NBA circles that the Pelicans will actually make Jones available despite their struggles this season, Clark notes.
We have more on the Mavs:
- Kyrie Irving didn’t play on Monday against Sacramento due to what the team described as a right shoulder soreness. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link), it had more to do with load management. Irving played 79 minutes in a back-to-back last week. The Mavs will keep monitoring Irving’s minutes while Luka Doncic recovers from his calf strain.
- Irving will be back in the lineup tonight. He’s not listed on the injury report but Dereck Lively is questionable to play against Houston due to a hip ailment, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Klay Thompson, who missed Monday’s game due to an illness, is also available.
- Forward P.J. Washington was surprised he was suspended for a game by the league due to his role in Thursday’s scuffle against Phoenix. “I didn’t feel like I tried to do anything maliciously,” Washington told Curtis. “I just tried to protect my teammate and that was it.” He delivered a 28-point performance in his return on Monday, though Dallas still lost to the Kings.
Jazz Sign Elijah Harkless To Two-Way Contract
JANUARY 1: The Jazz have officially signed Harkless and waived Jones, according to a team press release.
DECEMBER 31: The Jazz have agreed to sign guard Elijah Harkless to a two-way contract, according to reports from Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).
Harkless, who went undrafted out of UNLV in 2023, has spent most of his professional career so far playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate. He also had a stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Saskatchewan Rattlers this past spring.
In 18 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the San Diego Clippers in 2024/25, Harkless has averaged 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.3 steals in 27.1 minutes per contest. The 6’3″ guard has posted a shooting line of .438/.362/.810.
The Jazz don’t currently have an open two-way slot on their roster, so they’ll have to waive one of their current two-way players – Micah Potter, Oscar Tshiebwe, or David Jones – in order to make room for Harkless.
A two-way player is typically limited to no more than 50 NBA appearances in a season, but that figure will be prorated for Harkless, since he’s signing well into the season. Assuming his deal is finalized on Tuesday on Wednesday, his rest-of-season limit will be 30 NBA games.
Thunder Notes: Mitchell, Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren
Thunder two-way player Ajay Mitchell continues to see his role expand. The 6’5” rookie wing has scored in double digits in three of the last five games.
Mitchell was chosen with the No. 38 pick of the draft and acquired in a draft night deal with the Knicks. Oklahoma City heavily scouted Mitchell, who played collegiately for Santa Barbara.
“(GM Sam Presti) loved him from the jump,” coach Mark Daigneault told Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “I can remember (Presti), all the way back into last season, he was on the road watching him, and I remember him telling me about him before I ever laid eyes on him.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said Mitchell was a revelation in training camp.
“His situation coming into the season, you might not have expected this — I certainly didn’t. But after being with him for the first couple weeks of training camp and preseason, you can see where he’s going with it,” the All-Star guard.
We have more on the Thunder:
- Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has already endorsed SGA as the league’s MVP in an interview with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Thunder star scored 40 points in an eight-point victory over Minnesota on Tuesday. “I don’t know if they could give it to [Nikola Jokic] again,” Edwards said. “Yeah, I would say Shai. Yeah, he’s looking like the MVP, man. He was incredible once again tonight. He’s consistent every night. His team gonna give him the ball and just let him rock out every night. It’s nothing to think about. ‘Hey, get Shai the ball and he going to get busy, and then we’re going to figure it out after that.’ I love watching that. It’s incredible, man. If he is keeping him like that, I hope they give [MVP] to him this year for sure. I feel like he should have won it last year, but he’s playing out his mind right now.”
- Chet Holmgren is itching to get back on the court, Gilgeous-Alexander told Lorenzi (Twitter link). “(Tuesday) he came in the locker room and said that he’s ready to go through shootaround with us. Typical Chet Holmgren. … I can’t imagine the game being taken from me like that. … for him to be on his way back, can only imagine how it feels. To see that smile on his face again, it’s very exciting.” Holmgren is recovering from a pelvic fracture suffered in November. On Nov. 11, he was given a timeline of eight-to-10 weeks for a reevaluation.
- In case you missed it, Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week. Get the details here.
Nets Notes: Russell, Johnson, Williams
D’Angelo Russell has been traded from a Western Conference contender back to the Nets. If Russell is upset about joining a rebuilding team, he didn’t sound that way when speaking to the media on Wednesday. The former Lakers guard seemed excited about going back to Brooklyn, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
“It’s a good feeling, honestly, to go back somewhere you’re comfortable, somewhere you know the ins and outs a little bit. See some familiar faces,” he said. “It kind of makes the process a little easier to adjust to. So I’m just grateful for that.”
Russell played two seasons with the Nets from 2017-19. He has an expiring $18.7MM contract.
We have more from the Nets:
- Russell changes the backcourt dynamic for the club. He’ll essentially share play-making duties with Ben Simmons, Lewis writes. The club has lacked a pick-and-roll guard since Dennis Schröder was dealt to the Warriors in an earlier trade. “We know the type of player he is: A primary ball handler, very good shooter, a player that’s going to be important for us. Good pick-and-roll player, good playmaker out of pick-and-roll,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “So, very excited to get to coach him. And he’s going to help this team because it gives us a different dimension with his ability to handle and organize players.”
- Cameron Johnson left Sunday’s loss to Orlando during the third quarter due to a left hip issue. However, he avoided a serious injury and is expected to play against the Raptors on Wednesday. “I’m good. We’ve been taking care of it. Full go in practice and feel pretty good,” Johnson said on Tuesday to Lewis. “Yeah, it’s just stuff I’ve been dealing with. It’s nothing crazy. It’s not out of the ordinary. Sometimes stuff happens. Left hip just tightened up on me a little too much there. But I’m fine.” Johnson is considered Brooklyn’s most valuable trade asset and is the team’s second-leading scorer.
- Ziaire Williams won’t play tonight due to left knee injury management, Lewis tweets. It will be the 12th straight game Williams has missed, though it sounds as if he hopes to suit up for the second end of Brooklyn’s back-to-back set on Thursday.
- The front office swapped out one of their two-way players. Get the details here.
Suns’ Devin Booker: “Frustration Level’s High”
After missing the past five games with a left groin strain, star guard Devin Booker returned to action on Tuesday vs. Memphis, recording 16 points, four rebounds, nine assists and a steal in 30 minutes. However, he went just 4-of-20 from the field as the Suns dropped their third straight game.
While Booker expressed confidence that he’ll soon return to his normal form, he admitted that the team is very frustrated with its recent play — after starting the season with a 9-2 record, the Suns have gone just 6-15 since, and are currently 15-17, the No. 11 seed in the West.
“Frustration level’s high,” Booker said (Twitter video links via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). “We’re all competitors in here, and we realize these games are gonna cost us in the end of the season. …We wanna gain some ground, get up out of the play-in position and just win every possible game.”
“We have guys that have won at a high level, that have high expectations, high standards,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said, per Bourguet (Twitter video link). “…We gotta find ways to get better, so these are not easy times. But our guys will find a way through it, and we’ll find a way through it together.”
Kevin Durant, who finished with 29 points (on 11-of-19 shooting), 10 rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks in 39 minutes, said he needed to play better for the team to find success, according to Bourguet (Twitter video link).
“I feel like I can do so much out there, I just feel like I gotta be better,” Durant said. “And I feel like every player in the locker room got that same mentality. So we all look in the mirror, we’ll be a better team.”
As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, on the night Booker returned, Phoenix lost Bradley Beal to a hip contusion of unknown severity. And Grayson Allen, who was probable entering Tuesday’s contest after missing the previous four games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, was unable to suit up due to a shoulder injury he sustained in Monday’s practice. Veteran forward Royce O’Neale is also out at least 10 days with a left ankle sprain.
Nets Sign Tosan Evbuomwan To Two-Way Deal
11:00am: The signing is official, per a press release from the Nets. As expected, Jaylen Martin has been waived to open the two-way slot for Evbuomwan.
9:42am: The Nets are signing free agent forward Tosan Evbuomwan to a two-way contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
A native of the United Kingdom, Evbuomwan went undrafted in 2023 after starring in college at Princeton. He initially signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Detroit and was waived before the 2023/24 season began.
After spending the early portion of his rookie campaign in the NBA G League with the Motor City Cruise, Evbuomwan signed a 10-day hardship deal with Memphis at the end of January 2024. Shortly after that contract expired, he caught on with Detroit, signing a 10-day deal and then re-signing with the Pistons on two-way deal that covered two seasons.
Evbuomwan averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game in 17 total NBA appearances (eight starts) with Memphis and Detroit, posting a shooting line of .507/.375/.680. In 34 G League outings with the Cruise in ’23/24, he put up averages of 15.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .554/.361/.754 shooting in 34.2 MPG.
The 23-year-old was released by Detroit in October, then signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Clippers, was waived, and had his NBAGL rights acquired by the San Diego Clippers. In 18 total games with San Diego this season, the 6’8″ combo forward has averaged 19.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.8 APG on .519/.338/.726 shooting in 32.5 MPG.
A report on Tuesday indicated that Clippers forward Jordan Miller is a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but the team needs to open up a roster standard spot for that to happen. Evbuomwan was mentioned as a candidate to replace Miller’s two-way spot if he were promoted, but instead he’ll be heading to the Nets.
As our tracker shows, Brooklyn’s three two-way spots are currently occupied by Jaylen Martin, Tyrese Martin and Reece Beekman. One of those players will have to be released to make room for Evbuomwan.
It would be surprising if Tyrese Martin is the one who gets cut, considering he’s been playing regular minutes for the Nets of late. Brooklyn also just acquired Beekman a couple weeks ago in a trade with Golden State. Perhaps that will leave Jaylen Martin as the odd man out.
Nets Waive Jaylen Martin
In order to sign Tosan Evbuomwan to a two-way contract, the Nets have decided to release guard/forward Jaylen Martin, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms the news (via Twitter).
Martin, who turns 21 years old later this month, went undrafted in 2023 out of the Overtime Elite league. He signed a two-way contract with New York in the summer of 2023, but he was waived before the 2023/24 season began.
Martin signed another two-way deal with the Knicks in late November 2023, then was cut again in December. He didn’t make any NBA appearances during his month with the Knicks.
Known for his athleticism, Martin signed a two-way contract with the Nets last February. The deal covered two years.
Martin didn’t play in any NBA games with Brooklyn during his rookie season and has only played five garbage-time minutes over three appearances in ’24/25. He scored his first NBA points when he made a three-pointer on October 27.
While Martin’s NBA contributions have been very limited, he has played pretty well for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate in Long Island this season, averaging 14.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .500/.375/.750 shooting in 11 total games (27.3 MPG). He sustained a scary-looking knee injury in late November, but thankfully it turned out to be a bone contusion instead of something more serious, and he was able to return after missing a couple weeks.
Assuming he clears waivers, Martin will be an unrestricted free agent two days after he’s officially cut loose.