Mavs’ Anthony Davis Out At Least Two More Weeks
While star big man Anthony Davis is “making good progress” from his left adductor strain, he will be sidelined for at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the Mavericks announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
This is the first formal timeline Dallas has provided on Davis since he sustained the injury on February 8 against Houston. It was his first game in Mavs uniform following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
Reporting at the time indicated that Davis was expected to miss multiple weeks with the injury, with Marc Stein later reporting that there was hope that surgery could be avoided.
Head coach Jason Kidd told reporters today (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News) that Davis and fellow big men Daniel Gafford (Grade 3 MCL Sprain) and Dereck Lively (ankle fracture) will all be reevaluated on Mar. 6. Reports have indicated that Gafford, who was injured on Feb. 10, and Lively, who is now out of a walking boot , are expected to miss additional time beyond Mar. 6.
On a more positive note, starting forward P.J. Washington, who sprained his right ankle on Feb. 8 and missed the final three games before the All-Star break, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and will be questionable for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans (Twitter links via the Mavs).
Backup center Dwight Powell, who has been out of action since Jan. 17 due to a right hip strain, went through the non-contact portions of Thursday’s practice. He’s doubtful for Friday’s game, but Kidd said both players are “trending in the right direction,” tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.
Despite the litany of frontcourt injuries, the Mavs entered the break having won four of their past five games. They’ll also have journeyman center Moses Brown active tomorrow against the Pelicans — he went through today’s practice after his 10-day contract became official.
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Expected To Miss Rest Of Season
All-Star center Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season, the Spurs announced in a press release (Twitter link).
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), a deep vein thrombosis is a form of blood clot. San Antonio believes Wembanyama’s health scare is an “isolated condition,” Charania adds.
The Spurs are optimistic that Wembanyama will be fully recovered by the start of the 2025/26 campaign, a team source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News confirms that reporting, writing (via Bluesky) that the Spurs are “not worried” about Wembanyama’s long-term health. Wembanyama’s condition is not considered as serious as the blood clot issue that effectively ended Chris Bosh‘s career, according to Finger.
In their statement, the Spurs said that the issue was discovered after Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following Sunday’s All-Star game in San Francisco. NBA insider Chris Haynes hears (via Twitter) that the team was informed of Wembanyama’s condition today.
On Wednesday, the Spurs had listed Wembanyama as doubtful to suit up for Thursday’s contest vs. Phoenix due to an illness (ESPN.com story via MacMahon). The game will take place at the Moody Center in Austin, and Wembanyama was not present for shootaround this morning, per Finger (Bluesky link).
As Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com tweets, a deep vein thrombosis “is a clot that develops in one of the major veins of the body, usually in the lower extremity.” Brandon Ingram went through a similar issue while with the Lakers back in ’18/19, causing him to miss the final 19 games of that season.
A source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that Wembanyama has had low energy of late (Twitter link). When he was still experiencing low energy at All-Star weekend and his two-day vacation after the break, he underwent testing which revealed a DVT. Amick and Tom Orsborn of The Express-News are the latest reporters to confirm the Spurs are optimistic about Wembanyama’s long-term prognosis (Twitter link).
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Wembanyama will no longer be eligible for major postseason awards due to the 65-game rule. The league’s reigning Rookie of the Year was the odds-on favorite to win his first Defensive Player of the Year award after finishing as the runner-up in ’23/24.
Obviously, this is terrible news for anyone who follows the sport, but particularly for Wembanyama, one of the NBA’s premier young players. Still, it’s at least encouraging that the Spurs seem confident that the issue was caught early and that 2023’s No. 1 overall pick will be ready to play again to open ’25/26.
In 46 games during his second season, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and a league-high 3.8 blocks in 33.2 minutes per contest. His shooting slash line was .476/.353/.836, with nearly half of the Frenchman’s field goal attempts coming from behind the three-point line.
Wembanyama’s absence will certainly decrease San Antonio’s odds of making a postseason push, but that’s obviously a secondary concern compared to his health. The Spurs have been a funk of late, going just 5-13 over their past 18 games. They’re currently 23-29, 3.5 games behind Golden State for the final play-in spot in the West.
Jaden Springer Joins Jazz On 10-Day Deal
February 20: Springer’s 10-day contract with Utah is official, the team announced in a press release.
February 19: The Jazz and free agent guard Jaden Springer have reached an agreement on a 10-day contract, agent Chad Speck tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Springer was drafted 28th overall out of Tennessee by the Sixers in 2021 and spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons in Philadelphia before being sent to Boston at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for a second-round pick.
The 6’4″ guard won a title with the Celtics and was still on their roster to open the 2024/25 season, but was dealt to Houston along with a second-round pick earlier this month in a salary-dump deal. The Rockets subsequently waived him.
Springer never emerged as a consistent, reliable rotation player in either Philadelphia or Boston, having averaged just 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per game across 93 total appearances (four starts) for the two teams. Still, he’s just 22 years old and is a talented point-of-attack defender, making him a worthwhile flier for a lottery-bound team like Utah.
The Jazz have been carrying just 14 players on standard contracts since cutting Josh Richardson shortly after this month’s trade deadline, so they won’t need to waive anyone to make room on their roster for Springer.
Springer will earn $124,288 on his 10-day deal, while Utah carries a cap hit of $119,972. Assuming the contract is officially signed on Wednesday or Thursday, it will cover the Jazz’s next five games.
Mavs Sign Moses Brown To 10-Day Contract
February 20: Brown’s 10-day contract with the Mavericks is now official, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
February 19: The Mavericks are planning to sign center Moses Brown to a 10-day contract, his agent Ryan Davis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
NBA insider Marc Stein, who first reported that Dallas intended to sign a center to a 10-day deal and identified Brown as a candidate, says the big man will audition for the team today and could officially sign as soon as this afternoon if all goes according to plan (Twitter links).
The Mavericks are in desperate need of frontcourt depth, with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, and Daniel Gafford all still facing extended injury absences and Dwight Powell having been sidelined for over a month with a hip strain.
However, the Mavs also facing an extremely restrictive hard-cap situation, so their decision to sign Brown to a 10-day contract now is notable.
As we detailed over the weekend, the Mavs only have $171,120 in breathing room below their hard cap; Brown will carry a cap hit of $119,972. Once Brown’s contract expires, Dallas will only have $51,148 in hard-cap room and will have to wait until April 10 to re-add a 15th man.
Brown, 25, has the ability to step in and provide the Mavs with rotation minutes right away. He has appeared in 159 regular season games for seven NBA teams since making his debut in 2019.
Outside of a brief stint with the Pacers in November and December, the former UCLA standout has spent the current season with the Westchester Knicks in the G League. He has appeared in 26 games for New York’s affiliate, averaging 15.9 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 29.2 minutes per contest.
No corresponding roster move will be required for the Mavs, who are currently carrying 14 players on standard contracts.
Bucks’ Bobby Portis Jr. Suspended 25 Games By NBA
Bucks big man Bobby Portis Jr. has been suspended 25 games without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Portis tested positive for Tramadol. According to Drugs.com, Tramadol “is an opioid agonist that may be used to treat moderate to moderately severe chronic pain in adults.”
Portis’ suspension will begin with tonight’s game between the Bucks and Clippers. Milwaukee played 53 games prior to the All-Star break, which means Portis won’t be eligible to return until April 8, when the team hosts Minnesota.
Milwaukee is 29-24 and in no danger of dropping out of the postseason picture. However, with the team emerging from the break with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, Portis’ suspension could impact whether it holds onto a top-six spot and an automatic berth into the first round.
Portis is one of the league’s top reserves. This season, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.2 minutes per game. He’s come off the bench in 39 on 46 games played.
According to Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein, Portis took the drug by accident.
“I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant,” Bartelstein told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “Bobby unintentional took a pain medication called Tramadol, thinking he was taking a pain medication called Toradol.
“Toradol is an approved pain medication that he has used previously and the teams and players use for pain and inflammation at times. Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication and was just recently added to the banned substance list this past spring. The Tramadol pill came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription f0r the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol.”
Portis and Bucks general manager Jon Horst also issued statements via a team press release. Portis was apologetic for his “honest mistake” and Horst said that the team will accept the suspension.
“I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,” Portis said. “During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it more than you know.”
“This is a very difficult set of circumstances for Bobby and our team,” Horst said. “He and the Bucks organization respect the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program and will accept what’s been handed down. But we 100% support Bobby. Together we will take this opportunity to grow and will have a better and stronger Bobby and Milwaukee Bucks team. He’s an integral part of who we are, a huge member of the Milwaukee community, and we look forward to his return.”
With Portis often serving as the backup center to Brook Lopez, recently acquired big man Jericho Sims could have a significant role the remainder of the season. Taurean Prince, who was projected to lose his starting role with the trade acquisition of Kyle Kuzma, will also likely absorb some of Portis’ minutes.
Portis is in the third year of a four-year, $48.6MM contract. He holds a $13,445,754 option on his contract for next season.
The Bucks will be able to move Portis to the suspended list after he serves the first five games of the suspension, which would open up a spot on the club’s 15-man roster until he’s reactivated.
Pacers Notes: Okafor, Siakam, Haliburton
Jahlil Okafor made a three-minute cameo on February 11, his first NBA action since the 2020/21 season. Okafor signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers this month after playing with Indiana’s G League club. The 29-year-old was the third overall pick of the 2015 draft but found himself on the outside looking in after a stint with Detroit.
“It’s been a surreal feeling,” Okafor told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “It’s been a long journey trying to get back and something that I’m very appreciative for and something I’ve been able to celebrate with my family. We’re all very happy about it.”
It remains to be seen whether he’ll receive another 10-day offer from Indiana but his excitement over wearing an NBA uniform again has not gone unn0ticed.
“He’s a great guy,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s highly skilled. He’s had a very productive year with the Mad Ants. He gives us insurance at the 5 position. I’m really happy for him. It’s been quite a road getting back to the NBA and back in an actual NBA game with some of the things he’s gone through health wise. He’s got a great spirit, a great vibe. He’s just a grateful young man.”
We have more on the Pacers:
- Pascal Siakam made his third All-Star appearance and enjoyed being around star players from other clubs, Dopirak writes. “I missed it because I felt I should’ve been there before a couple more times than I have,” Siakam said. “But it was good being around great players from different teams. I think sometimes it might be a little awkward and you don’t know how to approach them, but some of the guys are just great. Some of the guys you see and play against all the time, I think we have great convos. Just having fun at the end of the day. We do the same job. Obviously, we’re competitive and want to beat each other, but once we’re out there we’re just having fun and enjoying the moment.”
- Dopirak takes a look at six storylines surrounding the team after the All-Star break, including Tyrese Haliburton‘s production and Aaron Nesmith‘s impact on the starting lineup. Dopirak notes that Indiana is 16-2 in games in which Haliburton has scored at least 20 points. The Pacers are 2-8 in games in which he scored fewer than 10 points.
- In case you missed it, Myles Turner is expected to play on Thursday against Memphis. He missed the last three games before the All-Star break due to a cervical strain.
Cavaliers Sign Nae’Qwan Tomlin To 10-Day Deal
February 20: Tomlin’s 10-day deal is official, the Cavaliers confirmed in a press release.
February 19: The Cavaliers have agreed to sign G League forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
As we outlined on Tuesday, Cleveland has been carrying 13 players on standard contracts since the trade deadline on February 6. Teams are permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on their standard rosters for no more than two weeks at a time, so the Cavs need to add a 14th man by Thursday. It appears Tomlin will be that 14th man.
A 6’10” rookie, Tomlin went undrafted last June after finishing his college career at Memphis. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavs last September, which allowed the club to gain his G League rights.
Tomlin has subsequently spent the 2024/25 season with the Cleveland Charge, appearing in 35 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the Cavaliers’ NBAGL affiliate. The 24-year-old has averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 28.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .545/.362/.614.
As Scotto notes, Tomlin has been especially effective in recent weeks, scoring over 20 points in six of his past seven games, including a 37-point outburst vs. the Westchester Knicks on Feb. 7.
Tomlin will earn $66,503 on his 10-day contract with Cleveland, which will cover the club’s next five games. It’s unlikely that he’ll see much – if any – action for the Cavs, but he’ll be available if needed as a depth piece in the frontcourt.
After Tomlin’s 10-day deal expires, the Cavs would have the ability to carry fewer than 14 players for up to two more weeks before having to stay at 14 (or 15) for the remainder of the season, since teams aren’t permitted to drop below that roster minimum for more than 28 total days.
Nets Sign Hayes, Promote Martin, Waive Bogdanovic
FEBRUARY 20: The Nets have officially signed Hayes and promoted Martin while waiving Bogdanovic, the team announced today. Martin’s contract is a multi-year deal, per the Nets.
FEBRUARY 19: The Nets are finalizing an agreement with G League guard Killian Hayes, who will sign a 10-day contract with the team, agent Yann Balikouzou tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Nets have an open spot on their 15-man roster but are also promoting Tyrese Martin from his two-way deal to a standard contract, so a second opening will be necessary. According to Charania (Twitter link), Brooklyn is creating that extra opening by waiving forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
The No. 7 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Hayes appeared in 210 games for the Pistons from 2020-24 but has been out of the NBA after being cut by Detroit last February. He averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 26.1 minutes per game as a Piston and struggled with his shot, making just 38.2% of his attempts from the floor, including 27.7% of his three-point tries.
The French point guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets in the offseason, but he sustained a hip injury which caused him to miss all of Brooklyn’s preseason games and was subsequently waived prior to the 2024/25 campaign.
Since getting healthy, Hayes has been playing for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. In 28 total games for the NBAGL squad, he has averaged 16.8 points, 7.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 33.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .467/.351/.692.
While some European-born prospects head back overseas when they can’t secure an NBA contract, Hayes viewed the G League as his best route back into the league and recently referred to an NBA return as his “only goal.” The 23-year-old will achieve that goal for at least 10 days — once that contract expires, the Nets would have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on whether or not to retain him for the rest of the season.
Hayes will earn $128,603 on his 10-day deal with Brooklyn, while the team takes on a cap hit of $119,972.
Word broke earlier today that Bogdanovic would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his foot. Since he’s on an expiring contract and almost certainly wasn’t in the Nets’ plans beyond this season, he was a clear-cut candidate to be waived if and when the team needed a roster spot.
Blazers Notes: Henderson, Sharpe, Camara, Play-In
Scoot Henderson‘s NBA career got off to a shaky start in 2023/24. As fellow top-three picks Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller shone, the Trail Blazers guard shot only 38.5% from the field as a rookie, making 32.5% of his three-pointers and turning the ball over 3.4 times in just 28.5 minutes per game.
That inconsistent play carried over to the start of his second season, but Henderson has been playing the best basketball of his young professional career since Christmas. The 21-year-old has averaged 13.8 points and 5.7 assists per game with a .475/.405/.798 shooting line in his past 25 outings, and Portland had a winning record in those games.
Speaking to Jason Quick of The Athletic, head coach Chauncey Billups referred to last season as a “humbling year” for Henderson, but said the team remained confident in the young guard’s ability to find his footing.
“He didn’t realize how hard it is to be good in the NBA and to do it every night,” Billups said. “He’d have a good game, but then, dang, here comes De’Aaron Fox tomorrow. Here comes Steph Curry on Thursday, then on to Trae Young. That’s one of the big surprises for a young guy.
“… I mean, everybody … I think (bust) came across their mind at some point. Not me. Not our staff. Because we live with him. We see the inside. We see what’s inside of him.”
For his part, Henderson says he never doubted his ability to eventually succeed in the NBA, but he admits he was frustrated it wasn’t happening right away.
“I’m blessed with the talent, and I did all the work, but I didn’t have anything to show for it,” Henderson said, per Quick. “That’s where I was disappointed.”
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- In an in-depth feature story, Robert Ohman of Willamette Week explores the path taken to the NBA by Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe – the first player of note to emerge from the “hockey town” of London, Ontario – and explores the likelihood of the 21-year-old evolving into a star.
- Over at The Oregonian, Aaron Fentress has published a similar two-part feature on Toumani Camara‘s NBA journey, from his early life in Belgium to the trade that sent him from Phoenix to Portland before his NBA debut to his emergence as a defensive ace for the Blazers. Camara was a 52nd overall pick and was viewed as a relative afterthought in a three-team blockbuster that also included Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Deandre Ayton, but the young forward has turned heads with his play on defense. “His ascension has been amazing in a short amount of time,” Billups said.
- A three-game losing streak prior to the All-Star break has left the Trail Blazers five games back of the Warriors for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, but the club hasn’t given up on the idea of qualifying for the play-in tournament, as Fentress writes for The Oregonian. Starting forward Deni Avdija said that a stretch of 10 wins in 11 games in January and February gave the Blazers confidence that they’re capable of making a second-half run. “We have a chance to make the play-in, and we’re all in it,” Avdija said. “We’re preparing. We’re doing the best we can, and can’t wait to go back on the court.”
And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More
A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.
Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.
After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
- Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
- Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
- The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.