Sixers Notes: Embiid, Maxey, Martin, Yabusele
The Sixers didn’t panic after a disastrous start to the season, and they’re starting to look like the team everyone expected when they revamped their roster over the summer, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Philadelphia continued its turnaround on Wednesday with a victory at Boston, winning for the eighth time in its past 11 games.
The team has weathered a long string of early-season injuries, with the Christmas showdown marking just the sixth game when Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have all been available. Embiid had a minor pre-game scare when he twisted his ankle while stepping on a security guard’s foot, but he was able to put up 27 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes.
“We got a high ceiling,” Embiid said. “It’s all about us putting it together. I don’t think that was close to our best basketball, but we got a pretty good chance. So it’s all about looking for some luck and staying healthy.”
Maxey also had a huge night with 33 points and 12 assists, and Bontemps notes that the Sixers did the little things well, such as beating the Celtics 13-6 in the turnover battle and making all 19 of their free throws. Philadelphia is now just one game away from the play-in tournament and 3.5 games behind Miami for sixth place and a guaranteed playoff spot.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve really done is we’ve come together a lot more,” Maxey said. “I feel like we had a lot of new guys. I don’t know how many new people we have, like seven or something like that, and it’s difficult. You don’t know how you want to play. You don’t know what combinations go with each other. I think we’re finally figuring that out.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Caleb Martin has experienced shoulder, back and neck injuries since the season began, but this week marks the first time he’s been able to play without pain, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Martin enjoyed one of his best games of the season on Wednesday, scoring 23 points while going 7-of-9 from three-point range. “He’s much healthier now than he was two weeks ago,” coach Nick Nurse said. “The first thing he said to me was … ‘Coach I feel so much better physically.'”
- Philadelphia had success with a small-ball lineup as Guerschon Yabusele was plus-18 in 21 minutes of action, Pompey adds. Kyle Lowry (plus-20) and Reggie Jackson (plus-11) frequently played together while Maxey was resting, and the Sixers were able to frustrate Boston with a zone defense.
- The Christmas Day matchup with the Celtics was significant for Yabusele, who started his NBA career in Boston before being waived in 2019, notes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He spent five years overseas and eventually became a star with Real Madrid before an outstanding Olympics performance opened the door for another NBA opportunity. “I’ve got to be the hungriest on the court,” Yabusele said. “So just try to help the team and play with a lot of energy and a lot of force. … I understand, also, that it’s rare to have a second chance in the NBA, so when I’m out here, I just try to compete the best that I can.”
Isaiah Stevens Signs Two-Way Contract With Heat
9:49am: Stevens’ two-way deal is official, the Heat confirmed in a press release.
8:43am: The Heat will fill a two-way opening by signing Isaiah Stevens from their Sioux Falls affiliate in the G League, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move, which had been expected along with the promotion of Keshad Johnson to the 15-man roster, was confirmed to Charania by Stevens’ agent, Matt Bollero of ProMondo Sports.
Stevens, a 24-year-old point guard, was in training camp with Miami, but was waived before the start of the season. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract in July after going undrafted following four years at Colorado State.
He will be eligible to appear in 31 games with the Heat for the remainder the season, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). That’s a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.
Stevens is averaging 13.3 points and 10.9 assists in 17 games for the Skyforce, with a shooting line of .500/.317/.931. A three-time All-Mountain West selection, he was outstanding during Summer League as the Heat captured the championship in Las Vegas.
Miami has a December 29 deadline to add a 14th player to its roster — two weeks after trading Thomas Bryant to Indiana — so the moves with Johnson and Stevens will have to be finalized soon. Two-way player Dru Smith appeared to be in line for a promotion, but he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday.
Heat Promote Keshad Johnson To Standard Roster
DECEMBER 26: Johnson’s promotion is official, the Heat announced in a press release.
DECEMBER 24, 3:20pm: Johnson’s salary for the rest of the 2024/25 season will be fully guaranteed, according to Chiang, who reports (via Twitter) that the signing is expected to become official on Thursday. Stevens is expected to fill the newly opened two-way slot, Chiang confirms.
Assuming Johnson signs a minimum-salary contract, he’ll earn a rest-of-season salary of $724,883, which will also be Miami’s cap hit. However, because Johnson joined the team as a free agent, for the purposes of tax and apron calculations, the deal would count for $1,307,699 (the same as a veteran minimum contract).
DECEMBER 24, 2:57pm: The Heat intend to promote Keshad Johnson to their standard 15-man roster, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson, who is currently on a two-way contract, will be converted to a two-year standard deal, according to Charania. The second year will be a team option, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Johnson signed a two-way contract with Miami after going undrafted out of Arizona this summer. He has only logged 14 total minutes across three appearances for the Heat, but has been a standout for the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
In 13 games with the Skyforce, the 6’7″ forward has averaged 21.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 34.9 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .549/.396/.795.
The Heat dropped to 13 players on standard contracts when they traded Thomas Bryant to the Pacers on December 15. Since teams are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard deals for up to two weeks at a time, the club needs to re-add a 14th man by Dec. 29.
The expectation had been that another two-way player, Dru Smith, would fill that spot, but he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday, scuttling that plan. Another two-way player will get the promotion instead.
The fact that Johnson is getting a two-year contract suggests the team likely isn’t adding him to the roster as a placeholder, but it’s worth noting that the Heat could give him a non-guaranteed deal and then waive him before the league-wide guarantee date of January 7 if they want to take advantage of their full-season allotment of 28 days below 14 players for financial reasons. Miami’s team salary is currently about $3.7MM below the second tax apron.
While I’d expect Johnson to get a minimum-salary contract, Miami could use the taxpayer mid-level exception to give him more than the rookie minimum. If it’s a prorated minimum contract, his cap hit will depend on when the deal is officially completed.
Johnson’s promotion will open up a two-way slot for the Heat. G League standout Isaiah Stevens is among the top candidates for that opening, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Slump, Payton, Kerr, Wiggins
The Warriors had a player-led meeting prior to their Christmas Day game with the Lakers, according to Trayce Jackson-Davis, who said that Stephen Curry was especially vocal during that meeting, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Curry’s message was that the Warriors’ season – which opened with 12 wins in 15 games, then saw the team drop 10 of next 13 heading into Wednesday – “can go one way or the other,” Jackson-Davis relayed.
“It’s been tough trying to find any type of momentum or consistency,” Curry explained. “You just can’t lose spirit, belief that we’re a good enough team to figure it out. Because this league is ruthless … You dig yourself a hole, like, it can be hard to pull out of. Right now we’re right in that window where we can still gain some momentum. The next however many weeks before the (All-Star) break are pivotal. Or else we’re in a situation where we’re chasing down the stretch, and nobody wants to be there.”
While Curry backed up his message with a season-high 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting, it wasn’t enough to get Golden State by Los Angeles. The Warriors tied the game in the final seconds on a Curry three-pointer, but surrendered a game-winning Austin Reaves layup on the next possession. The club is now 15-14 and just a half-game ahead of the No. 11 Spurs.
“We’re down,” head coach Steve Kerr said of his team’s morale, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Everybody’s disappointed. We’ve lost some confidence. You can feel it. We had a great vibe early in the season, and we’re going through it right now. But I love our guys, high-character guys. They care. They care about each other. I believe in them. I believe we’re going to get this thing turned around, so this is all part of the season, part of life.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Golden State is back in action on Friday vs. the Clippers and Saturday vs. Phoenix. Curry – who has battled bilateral knee tendinitis – may sit one of the two games in that back-to-back set after playing a “hard” 36 minutes on Wednesday, Kerr told reporters after the loss. “When the knee popped up, (selective rest) was part of the conversation,” Curry said. “Still dealing with it to some (degree).” According to Slater, if Curry does miss one of this weekend’s games, it will likely be Friday’s contest in L.A.
- Warriors guard Gary Payton II exited Wednesday’s game in the third quarter with a left calf issue and headed to the locker room for the remainder of the contest. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but Payton limped out of the arena at the end of the night, Slater reports.
- Kerr took his share of the blame for the Warriors’ struggles in recent weeks, noting that his unpredictable lineups and rotations haven’t made things any easier on his players, as Slater relays. “I’ve had a million different starting lineups. Guys are in and out of rotations. I’m well aware of that, and it’s hard as a player to not know how many minutes you’re going to get, what minutes you’re going to get,” Kerr said. “The reality is we’re searching. We’ve lost 11 of 14 games. I don’t feel like this is a roster where you say, ‘Here are our top eight guys, top nine guys.’ Our roster is really deep. We have a lot of guys who can play. Every game calls for something different. That’s the issue.”
- In a feature story for The Athletic, Marcus Thompson II and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic take an in-depth look at how Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is attempting to rediscover his joy after dealing in recent years with his father’s deteriorating health and eventual passing.
Anthony Davis Day-To-Day With Left Ankle Sprain
Lakers star Anthony Davis sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game in Golden State. After initially being deemed questionable to return, he was later ruled out, the team announced (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).
Davis, who has a history of foot injuries and has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for several weeks, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, simply took an awkward step and had his ankle roll (YouTube link). There was no contact on the play.
While it’s never a great sign when a player is unable to return after suffering an injury, this one doesn’t sound very serious. Davis was able to walk without additional support following the ankle sprain and is considered day-to-day going forward, according to ESPN’s McMenamin, who reports (via Twitter) that the nine-time All-Star will be reevaluated prior to Saturday’s game vs. Sacramento.
Davis, who was initially listed as questionable due to a left shoulder contusion before suiting up, has often been derided for missing games throughout his career. However, he has been pretty durable the past two seasons, appearing in 76 games in 2023/24 and only missing one full game to this point in ’24/25.
Guard D’Angelo Russell, who is dealing with a sprained left thumb, wound up missing the game. He was also questionable before being ruled out.
With Davis out and multiple other frontcourt members (Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes) sidelined with their own respective injuries, head coach JJ Redick opted to go small, with LeBron James shifting up to center. Christian Koloko, who is on a two-way deal, also played nine minutes in the middle.
Nets Notes: Claxton, Thomas, Williams, Clowney
Nic Claxton cashed in as a free agent last summer, re-signing with the Nets on a four-year, $97MM+ contract. However, he isn’t meeting his own expectations thus far in 2024/25, and Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) argues Brooklyn’s starting center isn’t living up to the team’s investment, either.
“I’m not pleased with nothing, honestly,” Claxton said. “I need to be better, more consistent.
“Everywhere: rebounding, free throws, protecting the rim, more blocks. I need to do everything better. Be more aggressive on offense. Everything.”
Claxton’s numbers are down across the board in 2024/25, with the 25-year-old averaging 9.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 59.4% from the floor in 23 appearances (24.8 MPG). Last season, he averaged 11.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.1 APG and 2.1 BPG while shooting 62.9% from the field in 71 games (29.8 MPG).
In fairness, Claxton has also dealt with injuries, having missed all of preseason action with a hamstring injury and then dealing with a lower back strain which required him to receive an epidural injection. But the Nets have been more effective when he isn’t playing, which certainly isn’t what they were hoping for after giving him a big contract.
Here’s more from Brooklyn:
- Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), who played 5-on-5 on Monday, will be sidelined again on Thursday, Lewis writes for The New York Post. The Nets are eager to get their leading scorer back in the lineup — their offense has sputtered in the month he’s been out, Lewis notes. “It’ll be nice when we get Cam Thomas back just to have some … a real half-court bucket, half-court scorer,” Claxton said. “That’ll be good. We’re missing him right now a lot.”
- Ziaire Williams (left knee sprain) is also nearing a return, but he’ll miss at least one more game, having been ruled out of Thursday’s matchup in Milwaukee, Lewis adds. Both Thomas and Williams will be restricted free agents next offseason if they’re tendered qualifying offers.
- Noah Clowney has been playing some of his best basketball of the season after a “desultory effort” vs. Cleveland on Dec. 16 saw the second-year big man foul out with two points, two rebounds and two turnovers in 17 minutes, according to Lewis. Clowney credited an attitude adjustment for his improved play. “My main goal since the Cleveland game has been to be better energy-wise for my team,” Clowney said. “A lot of body language issues I had, and I’m trying to be an energy-giver. I feel like — I was told — [there’s] no neutral energy. It’s either bad or good. So try to give good energy. So that’s been my main goal, as far as how I play. [You] make shots sometimes, you don’t make shots sometimes. Do what you can on the defensive end. Just try to control what you can.”
Luka Doncic Out Indefinitely After Suffering Left Calf Strain
6:32pm: The Mavericks are anticipating that Doncic will be sidelined for an “extended period of time,” report Shams Charnia and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). According to ESPN, Doncic left the arena on crutches. He’s expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
4:09pm: Mavericks star Luka Doncic experienced a left calf strain late in the second quarter of Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter).
“It’s fine,” Doncic said. “Just trying to get through it. But today, it felt fine. After the first quarter (of Monday’s game), it felt better. Just getting warm. It felt fine. Will get through it.”
The 25-year-old was initially listed as probable with the heel issue before being upgraded to available for today’s game.
Doncic appeared to suffer the injury when he drove into the lane while being defended by Jaden McDaniels (Twitter video links). There was no contact to his left leg on the play. He was able to limp off the court on his own, albeit slowly, after the Mavs called a timeout.
As Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets, Doncic has already missed eight games this season, so an extended absence would jeopardize his chances at earning All-NBA or MVP honors due to the 65-game rule. The Slovenian superstar has a history of calf injuries and has typically missed multiple weeks in those instances, notes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
While it’s obviously unfortunate that Doncic was injured, even if he does end up missing too many games to qualify for major postseason awards, it won’t impact him much financially, as he already met the criteria for a super-max extension by making All-NBA teams each of the past two seasons, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Doncic, who has been named to the All-NBA First Team for five consecutive seasons, will officially become eligible for the Designated Veteran contract extension in the summer of 2025, after he completes his seventh season.
Through 21 games this season, Doncic was averaging 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists and a career-high 2.0 steals in 36.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .462/.348/.766.
With Doncic out for an unknown amount of time, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie are among the Mavericks who could receive more playing time and touches.
Eastern Notes: Merrill, Bulls, Butler, Heat
Fifth-year guard Sam Merrill snapped out of his season-long shooting slump on Monday as the Cavaliers defeated Utah, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Merrill, who grew up a Jazz fan in Bountiful, Utah, near Salt Lake City, notched a season-high 20 points in the 11-point victory, going 6-of-11 from three-point range while also chipping in four assists and three steals in 24 minutes.
A former second-round pick (No. 60 overall in 2020), Merrill has been a rotation mainstay in 2024/25 despite the slump, averaging a career-high 19.9 minutes per contest through 26 games. The 28-year-old has improved defensively and still draws attention with his outside shooting — he’s at 38.4% for his career from beyond the arc, though he has only made 34.0% this season.
Merrill will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension, which he’s eligible for through June 30.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Bulls have been prominently mentioned in trade rumors this season, but have yet to make a deal. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times takes stock of where things currently stand for veterans Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, writing that the Bulls would prefer to make moves “sooner rather than later” with the trade deadline set for Feb. 6.
- Star forward Jimmy Butler, who prefers a trade out of Miami but hasn’t formally requested to be dealt, is doubtful for Thursday’s contest in Orlando with what the Heat are calling “return to competition; reconditioning,” tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. A person with knowledge of the situation insisted to Jackson that Butler has been “genuinely sick” of late, causing him to miss most of the past three games, and that his absences have nothing to do with a potential trade. According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Butler didn’t travel with the Heat to Orlando, but there’s still a chance he could make the short flight north if he’s feeling better.
- Although Shams Charania of ESPN reported that multiple teams have been in touch with the Heat to express interest in Butler, it’s unclear if Miami has actually received a formal trade offer, according to Jackson and Chiang. Neither the Heat nor Butler’s camp have denied that he’s unhappy, but he’s also not “simmering with rage” about the situation, as Jackson puts it (Twitter link).
Fischer’s Latest: C. Johnson, Kumza, Kings, Little, NBA Cup
NBA executives who gathered for the G League Showcase in Orlando are curious to see how apron restrictions will affect this year’s trade market, Jake Fischer writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Fischer states that there are fewer movable contracts than in past seasons, and teams will have to become more creative to get deals done. He adds that front offices will be “counting tens of thousands of dollars in wiggle room” as they try to stay below the aprons.
Fischer cites complications that could affect deals involving Nets forward Cameron Johnson and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, who are both rumored to be on the trade market. Johnson is making $22.5MM this season, but he also has $4.5MM in various incentives that bring his “apron salary” to $27MM. They include bonuses for playing at least 42 games, reaching the playoffs, scoring at least 15 points per game, and having a true shooting percentage better than 60%. There are five other bonuses, all of which figure into Johnson’s price for any team that acquires him.
Kuzma is in a similar situation, Fischer notes, with a $23.5MM salary and an extra $3MM in unlikely bonuses. His contract also includes a 15% trade kicker, and Fischer states that his apron salary would increase by another $2MM if he were to be traded today.
There’s more from Fischer:
- Teams around the league are keeping a close watch on the Kings, who have dropped into 12th place in the West with four straight losses. That slump, combined with last week’s meeting on De’Aaron Fox‘s future involving his agent and team officials, has “raised expectations” that Sacramento will be active ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, according to Fischer.
- Fischer hears that Sioux Falls forward Nassir Little has gotten the attention of several NBA teams with his play at the G League Showcase and during the early part of the season. Little, 24, appeared in 45 games with Phoenix last season, but was limited by numerous injuries. He was a first-round pick by Portland in 2019 and could provide immediate, low-cost help for any team with a roster opening. Sources tell Fischer that Little chose the G League over a chance to play in Europe because he believed it gave him a better path back to the NBA. “He’s one of the better game-ready call-up guys,” a scout told Fischer.
- Several teams have discovered there are benefits to losing group play games in the NBA Cup, Fischer adds. In addition to often getting easier matchups in the two games that are added to the schedule, teams that didn’t advance to Las Vegas enjoyed a longer break and were able to work in additional practice time.
Rockets Notes: Thompson, Eason, Whitmore, VanVleet
Amen Thompson‘s value to the Rockets goes beyond his statistics and his intense defensive presence, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Thompson is officially listed as a small forward, but he seems to fit in well wherever the team needs him. He replaced Dillon Brooks in the starting lineup in Monday’s win at Charlotte, and Feigen points out that he also filled in when center Alperen Sengun was injured last season and when point guard Fred VanVleet has missed time.
“He can play every position on the court,” VanVleet said. “He’s a Swiss Army knife. He can play one through five. He can screen-and-roll. He’s shooting the three now. He can score. He can guard. He’s just a plug-able guy. You can put him anywhere on the court and be successful. He stepped right in for D.B. and we didn’t lose a step.”
Outside shooting was the main concern about Thompson heading into the 2023 draft, but he shown some progress in that area, improving from 13.8% from beyond the arc as a rookie to 29.7% so far this season. The rest of his game is solid and he has been especially effective as a starter, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds while shooting 53.3% from the floor in the three games he has started this year. Feigen notes that the Rockets are scoring 127 points per 100 possessions with him in that role, which would give them the most productive offense in the league.
“You can put him on a bunch of different people, switched and made it tough on (LaMelo) Ball early,” coach Ime Udoka said. “I think it was a whole team effort when you hold a team to 31 in the first half. Amen kind of spearheaded that. On both sides of the ball. He can guard one through five. We’re comfortable with that. Then, offensively, he’s played on ball at times as a backup point guard, or on the wing, and at the four last year. We can plug him into all those situations on both sides. It’s a luxury for sure.”
There’s more from Houston:
- Tari Eason has missed three straight games due to left lower leg injury management, but the Rockets don’t believe it’s a long-term concern, Feigen adds in a separate story. Eason is a valuable member of the bench unit, leading all NBA reserves in steals and ranking fourth in blocks. “He had some soreness come up in the same leg,” Udoka said. “So, just wanted to give him some days. Obviously, we had the time off (after) the in-season tournament. I think at times, being a little bit stagnant is worse than actually playing, and it stiffened up a little bit.”
- Cam Whitmore wasn’t discouraged after being sent to the G League early in the season, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The second-year forward has been getting an opportunity with the Rockets since being recalled recently, scoring 11 points in 14 minutes on Sunday and 17 points in 27 minutes on Monday. “To go kill ’em,” he said of his approach to the G League. “Whatever’s in front of me, I’m gonna be lights out. I’m on assignment, so I’m just gonna go down there, I’m gonna keep grinding every day, keep getting better — better human being and a better basketball player.”
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic examines VanVleet’s prolonged shooting slump to determine why the veteran guard has been missing shots that he typically makes. A career 37.5% three-point shooter entering this season, VanVleet has connected on just 29.8% of his tries from beyond the arc through 27 games.