Suns Looking To Move Jusuf Nurkic
The Suns are shopping starting center Jusuf Nurkic, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.
Phoenix’s front office is seeking another big man in return, with the Wizards‘ Jonas Valanciunas and Bulls‘ Nikola Vucevic among the players mentioned in trade talks.
There still are conversations about a deal with the Heat involving Jimmy Butler, Rankin adds, confirming a Marc Stein report. Bradley Beal would be a natural fit salary-wise in a Butler deal but he’d have to waive a no-trade clause — and the Heat would have to be willing to take on his multiyear, maximum-salary contract.
The Suns, with three star players in their lineup, are floundering at the .500 mark. Their desire to move Nurkic indicates they’re looking for ways to shake things up, though second apron restrictions limit what they can do.
Nurkic is averaging 9.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 24.5 minutes per game during his second season with the Suns. Nurkic played just 15 minutes against Denver on Monday. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 4.0 APG last season.
Phoenix acquired him in the three-team blockbuster in which Damian Lillard was dealt to Milwaukee and former Suns center Deandre Ayton was sent to the Trail Blazers.
Nurkic is signed through next season. He’s making $18.125MM this season and will bring in $19.375MM next season.
Valanciunas is making $9.9MM this season, so there would need to be additional players in a transaction involving the Wizards. Vucevic, also signed through next season, is pulling in $20MM this season.
Sixers’ KJ Martin Out At Least Two Weeks With Foot Injury
Sixers forward KJ Martin underwent an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed a stress reaction in his left foot, the team announced (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
Martin will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks, according to the 76ers.
Martin was expected to have a modest role in Philadelphia this season, but injuries up and down the roster opened the door for him to play regular minutes and he secured a rotation spot with his strong play in recent weeks. Since November 24, he has started six of 12 Sixers games and averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per contest, with a .614/.375/.867 shooting line.
Wings Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Ricky Council, along with forward/center Guerschon Yabusele, are among the candidates for increased roles for as long as KJ Martin on the shelf.
Martin’s recovery from his left foot injury will also be worth monitoring for trade purposes. He re-signed with the team over the summer on a two-year, $16MM contract that is non-guaranteed for the second season, making it a de facto expiring deal. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George are the only three players on the roster earning more than about $8.15MM, and they certainly won’t be going anywhere, so Martin, at $7.98MM, is among of the highest-paid trade candidates on the roster.
Martin will become trade-eligible on January 15.
Latest On Zion, Ingram, Other Injured Pelicans
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who has been sidelined since November 6 due to a left hamstring strain, has entered the “return to play conditioning phase” of his rehab process, according to a press release from the team.
The expectation, per the Pelicans, is that Williamson will resume practicing in full next week. He’s considered week-to-week as he nears a return to action.
The former No. 1 overall pick has been limited to just six appearances this season. He averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game across those six outings. Although the Pelicans won just two of those six games, they’ve been significantly worse without Williamson available, winning just three of the 24 contests he has missed.
The Pelicans’ other star forward, Brandon Ingram, has been on the shelf since December 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain. According to today’s announcement, Ingram is still in the “early treatment and recovery phase” of his rehab and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The plan is to reevaluate him in two weeks, the team says.
New Orleans lost the game in which Ingram was injured and has subsequently dropped all six games he has missed as well.
Here are a few more injury updates from the Pelicans:
- Fourth-year guard Jose Alvarado, out since Nov. 11 with a left hamstring strain, is at the same stage of his rehab as Williamson, having entered the “return to play conditioning” portion. Like Zion, Alvarado is on track to practice in full next week and will be considered week-to-week going forward.
- Swingman Trey Murphy injured his left ankle in Sunday’s game vs. Denver, but the injury isn’t considered serious. He has been diagnosed with a mild left ankle sprain and will be considered day-to-day.
- Rookie big man Karlo Matkovic, who last played on December 1, is in the return to play conditioning phase of his rehab from a low back disc protrusion. He’s week-to-week, according to the club.
Dru Smith Diagnosed With Torn Achilles Tendon
Heat guard Dru Smith has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the injury will end Smith’s season.
Smith exited Monday’s game due to a lower left leg injury that was immediately feared to be significant. His wife joined him as he headed off the court to the locker room, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Smith, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, spent his first professional season in the G League, then made his NBA debut with the Heat on a two-way contract in 2022/23. He appeared in 24 total games with Miami and Brooklyn over the next two seasons, but saw his ’23/24 campaign come to an early end last November when he sustained a torn right ACL.
After being waived by the Heat in March, Smith earned another shot with the club this season, signing a two-way deal in July and claiming a rotation spot in recent weeks upon fully recovering from his ACL tear, impressing the team with his defense.
In his eight most recent games prior to Monday’s contest, the 6’2″ guard had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.
Tearing an Achilles one year after tearing an ACL would be a brutal turn of events for any professional athlete, but the timing is especially awful for Smith, who appeared to be on the verge of being promoted from his two-way deal to Miami’s standard roster. The Heat, who traded Thomas Bryant to the Pacers on December 15, have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th man to their roster, since NBA rules only permit teams to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
With Smith on the shelf, Miami could opt to promote one of its other two-way players (Keshad Johnson or Josh Christopher), call up a player from its G League affiliate (such as Isaiah Stevens), or sign a veteran free agent.
The league-wide salary guarantee date isn’t until January 7, so the Heat could give their new 14th man a non-guaranteed contract and cut him at that time, essentially giving that player a de facto 10-day contract while they continue to consider their options. Teams can carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to 28 total days in a season, so Miami would be able to dip down to 13 for another two weeks at any time after re-adding a 14th man on Dec. 29.
Since Smith was on a two-way contract, the Heat won’t be eligible to apply for a disabled player exception.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Gillespie, Suns, Lakers
Prior to Monday’s game against Indiana, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Jonathan Kuminga‘s recent shot selection and decision-making had been “poor” and that he had spoken to both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski about making better decisions, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays.
Kuminga responded with one of his best games of the season off the bench. In just under 30 minutes of action, he racked up 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists while only turning the ball over once.
“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said after the game, per Youngmisuk. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy (Hield) for three on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I’m really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. … He’s getting better, and it’s fun to watch his development.”
Kuminga started six straight games earlier this month, but has come off the bench for the past three. Kerr has suggested the change isn’t necessarily permanent, but noted last week that the club sets a better defensive tone with Draymond Green starting alongside a center. Kuminga, whose role has fluctuated frequently since he entered the league in 2021, said he’s gotten used to the unpredictability and isn’t letting it faze him.
“From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough,” Kuminga said. “A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, (they) keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Suns two-way guard Collin Gillespie, who was diagnosed last month with a right ankle fracture, is hoping he’ll be able to return to action shortly after the G League’s regular season begins next week, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I haven’t really talked to the coaches about it, but I’m sure that’ll be the plan of making sure I check off all the boxes here, individual workouts,” Gillespie said. “Play 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and just build it up until I’m ready to go 5-on-5. Then I’m sure once they get back from break (between the Winter Showcase and regular season), they’ll have some home games that I’ll be able to play. Hopefully get some reps there.” The Valley Suns, Phoenix’s NBAGL affiliate, will play their first regular season game next Monday.
- A year ago at this time, the Suns had a 14-14 record. This year, despite an 8-1 start, they’re 14-14 again. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports explores why the team is being plagued by the same issues as last season and considers whether those issues are fixable.
- The Lakers‘ offense ranks 29th in the NBA over the past four weeks and head coach J.J. Redick believes the team’s shot selection is a big part of the reason why, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes. “Over the last 13 (games), we’re taking five more non-paint twos – we’re shooting 39% on those,” Redick said. “… Those five extra non-paint twos, if we shot them at the same rate as Phoenix – who shoots 49% on non-paint twos – our offense would go from 29th to 27th. … If we took those five middies and we shot league average on threes, our offense would go from 27th to 12th. In some ways, we need to shoot more threes and we need to make more threes. That doesn’t mean we come down and just, no pass, one dribble shot. We’ve got to generate the right ones and we’ve got to do it with the right process.”
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Miller, Smith, Christopher, Risacher
After getting off to a decent 4-5 start this season, the Hornets have plummeted down the standings over the past month-and-a-half. Monday’s loss to Houston, Charlotte’s 13th in its last 14 games, dropped the team to 7-22 on the season and inspired a players-only closed-door meeting after the game, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“I feel like we established ourselves in the first 10 games as a team that plays physical,” forward Miles Bridges said. “At one point we were leading the league in offensive rebounding. We’ve just got to get back to that. We had a great conversation. Taj (Gibson) really got us together in the locker room — players only — and he talked to us. I talked to the team, Taj talked to us a lot. I feel like that really got to us, so I feel like these next couple games we’re going to see who really wants to play.”
Bridges is the longest-tenured Hornet, having been with the organization since 2018. Gibson is a newcomer, but he was brought in to be a “meaningful voice in the locker room,” Boone writes. The veteran big man played that role in Monday’s meeting.
“I think them talking to us, I think they both said what everybody is thinking,” center Mark Williams said. “I think it just starts with us. We’ve got to be tougher, got to play harder. Just do all the things it takes to win. Just got to have some pride out there. I think we just lacked that tonight.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller has missed the past three games due to a sprained ankle, but he was initially listed as questionable for Monday’s game before being downgraded to out and appears to be on the verge of a return, per Boone. “The last couple days he’s rejoined some group activities that we’ve had. I think he’s really making good progress,” head coach Charles Lee said. “After (Monday’s) game, we’ll continue to evaluate him and see where he is maybe after Christmas.”
- According to both Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Heat had been planning to promote guard Dru Smith from his two-way contract to a standard deal in the coming days in order to get back to the required 14-man minimum. That plan is now up in the air after Smith exited Monday’s game with a lower left leg injury. He’s undergoing an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, as Chiang relays. “Obviously, the air went out of the building seeing him fall like that,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It wasn’t a contact injury. I don’t know the extent fully right now. I don’t want to pontificate until we get the MRI. But, yeah, we were all messed up for a while.”
- Heat two-way guard Josh Christopher was the best player John Hollinger of The Athletic saw at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando. As Hollinger writes, Christopher has improved his shooting and decision-making and is no longer simply getting by on his athleticism. While it remains to be seen whether or not there will be NBA minutes available going forward for the former No. 24 overall pick in the wake of Smith’s injury, Christopher did make his Heat regular season debut on Monday, logging a couple garbage-time minutes in a win over Brooklyn.
- Hawks rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher didn’t get to play for the French national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but this year’s No. 1 overall pick hopes to represent his home country in future international tournaments, starting next summer, as he tells Benjamin Moubeche of BasketSession (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “The French national team is a childhood dream,” Risacher said. “It’s always something special. Every competitor wants to win medals for their country, and for me, it would be an immense honor to represent France at the (2025) EuroBasket.”
Pistons Notes: Cap Room, Fontecchio, Klintman, Gores
Team executives who spoke to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) at the G League Winter Showcase over the weekend identified the Pistons as an important team to watch as the February 6 trade deadline approaches.
Detroit is the only NBA club currently operating under the cap, with about $14MM in room available. Many teams around the league are either prohibited from taking back extra salary due to their position relative to the tax aprons or will be unwilling to take back extra salary due to their proximity to the tax line. Those financial restrictions should put the Pistons in a great spot to be a third-team facilitator in one or more pre-deadline deals.
While $14MM is a nice chunk of room, it could disappear quickly depending on which player(s) the Pistons take back, so the front office will likely be careful about which deal(s) it makes, using that limited cap space as leverage to try to extract the best possible assets from its potential trade partners.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Simone Fontecchio, who re-signed with the Pistons in July on a two-year, $16MM deal, has played a modest role off the bench this season, with his minutes declining to 18.2 MPG after he averaged 30.3 MPG down the stretch last season. However, the veteran wing had one of his best games of the year on Monday in Los Angeles, scoring 13 points on a perfect shooting night (4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line) as Detroit completed a series sweep over the Lakers, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. The Pistons, who won the game by three points, outscored L.A. by 19 in Fontecchio’s 19 minutes on the court.
- The 37th overall pick in this year’s draft, Bobi Klintman spent most of the fall recovering from a calf injury and was active for the first time of the season on Monday. Although Klintman didn’t play at all, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said it was good to have the rookie forward around the team and available to play. “It’s great for him to have an opportunity to be part of the team he was drafted by,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “… He had an odd injury that held him back and it was a long road.”
- Roughly a year after he told reporters during a record-setting losing streak that changes were necessary, Pistons owner Tom Gores told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic and other media members at halftime on Monday that he’s “really proud” of what he’s seen from the team this season. Detroit has hired a new head coach (Bickerstaff) and head of basketball operations (Trajan Langdon) since last year and Gores praised both men for the jobs they’ve done so far. “He’s got a steady hand,” Gores said of Langdon. “He’s doing incredible work organizing us. Same as the way J.B. is, so I give him a lot of credit.”
- In case you missed it, Cade Cunningham won a Player of the Week award for the first time in his four-year career on Monday.
Nuggets’ Malone, Porter Address Trade Rumors
The Nuggets and forward Michael Porter Jr. have been at the center of one of the biggest trade rumors so far this season, with reports indicating that Denver is exploring the possibility of making a deal for Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Porter’s cap hit of nearly $36MM would be necessary for matching purposes in a trade for LaVine or any other trade target earning a significant salary.
Addressing that rumor – along with one from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer suggesting the Nuggets are considering the idea of trading Porter – head coach Michael Malone said prior to Monday’s game vs. Phoenix that there’s more smoke than fire on the rumor mill, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
“A lot of it is noise. I mean, I don’t know where it comes from,” Malone said. “You see different things that are out there, and you never want that stuff getting out there. But I’ve talked to (general manager) Calvin (Booth), and Calvin’s had a good pulse on that stuff. And whenever that stuff is happening, he’s in touch with the guys and their agents to let them know what is real and what is not real. And as of right now as we are 25 games into the season, there’s nothing to that.”
Malone added that he wants his players focusing on what they can control rather than “worrying about the wrong thing.” He also lauded the Nuggets’ front office for the job it has done over the years communicating with the players and making sure they’re not caught off guard during trade season.
Speaking to reporters after Monday’s game, Porter – who scored 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting in a 27-point blowout win over the Suns – agreed that the front office has been good about touching base with him as trade rumors have swirled.
“They’ve reached out to me and said it’s all noise,” Porter said (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports). “There’s nothing serious going on, and if there was, they’d let me know. They’ve said they love how I’m playing and to keep being aggressive, and they have no desire to move me right now.
“But I also know that they wouldn’t tell me if they wanted to move me,” Porter added with a laugh. “But they have reached out, yeah.”
Porter is averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game through his first 27 games this season. He’s also contributing 6.9 rebounds and a career-best 2.8 assists per night, with impressive shooting percentages of 51.8% from the field and 38.8% on three-pointers.
However, the 26-year-old has never been considered a defensive asset, and his maximum-salary contract – which includes two more years and $79MM+ in guaranteed money beyond this season – makes him Denver’s most logical big-money trade chip.
Asked if being the subject of trade rumors is stressful, Porter downplayed his concern, noting that he understands it’s part of the business and pointing out that he’s been “blessed” not only to spend his entire career so far with one team, but to win a championship with that club.
“When stuff like this comes up, I don’t think I take it personally,” the veteran forward said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “You have those moments where you’re like, ‘Man, I want to be here,’ or whatever the thoughts (are) that go through your head.
“But I think for me, I’ve overcome so much in my life. I’ve gone through so much with my family. I’ve gone through so much personally that little stuff like a trade rumor, I kind of leave that stuff up to God. I kind of have zero stress about it, because I know wherever I end up, it will be meant to be. I love where I’m at, and I love playing with these dudes. I think we have a chance to get rolling and do something special, but to answer your question, it’s not stressful for me.”
Magic Notes: Comebacks, Anthony, Queen, M. Wagner, Banchero
On Saturday vs. Miami, the Magic were playing without their top three scorers (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, the latter of whom returned on Monday following a one-game absence with a right ankle sprain). A rotation regular, Gary Harris, missed another game as he continues to deal with a hamstring strain.
Their fourth-leading scorer, Moritz Wagner, suffered a torn left ACL in the first quarter. And big man Wendell Carter was ejected in the second quarter after a pair of technical fouls.
As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, Orlando trailed by 22 points entering the fourth quarter, then proceeded to outscore the Heat 37-8 in the final frame, completing one of the biggest comebacks in NBA history. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), it had been five years since a team had lost when leading by at least 22 points entering the final period.
“You can’t really explain that,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s something I haven’t seen. I have not seen that ever in my years in the league: the ability to stay with it despite all of the circumstances that started in the beginning of the game.”
Backup guard Cole Anthony, who has struggled to find a rhythm for much of the season (entering Monday, he’s averaging a career-low 11.7 minutes per game), erupted for season highs of 35 points (27 in the second half), eight rebounds and nine assists, with Orlando outscoring Miami by 17 points in his 28 minutes on the court. The 24-year-old was emotional during his post-game interview, as he’s been frustrated by his performances but loves playing for the Magic. A close-knit group, three of his teammates were waiting to congratulate him after the game, per Robbins.
“Just to feel that same love back and know I’m always going to get that same love, it’s something that I don’t think is appreciated as much, especially around the league,” Anthony said later. “You don’t get this many good people in one organization. You don’t get this many high-character people in one organization. So, I’m just blessed to be a part of this.”
Here’s more on the Magic:
- They followed up their impressive comeback against Miami with another come-from-behind victory on Monday against the reigning champion Celtics, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. According to the team’s PR department (Twitter link), it was the first time Orlando has registered comebacks of at least 15 points in consecutive games since Feb. 7-9, 2014. Trevelin Queen, who provided a major energy boost vs. Miami, started the first game of his career on Monday and tied a career-high with 17 points, Beede notes, while first-rounder Tristan Da Silva notched a team-high 18 points, including a clutch three-pointer late to seal the victory. Carter moved to the bench so the Magic would have more size in the absence of Moe Wagner, Beede adds.
- Moe Wagner was understandably upset that he’ll miss the rest of the season with a major knee injury, but also said he was “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support he’s received throughout the organization, according to Robbins. “(Keeping an even keel is) part of what (I) try to ask our guys to do in those moments, but the reality is we’re all human beings, and it broke me a little bit,” Mosley said Monday. “I teared up as I watched Moe go down because you watched the work that he’s put in, you watched the tear he was on. I mean, he was in the running probably, in my mind, for Sixth Man of the Year, (with) the energy that he brings to this team, the toughness he brings to this team. It shook me a little bit.”
- Banchero continues to recover from a torn oblique he sustained on Oct. 30, the same injury Franz Wagner suffered on Dec. 6. The former No. 1 overall pick was doing some light shooting and ball-handling work prior to Saturday’s game, and Suggs says he’s eager to have the 22-year-old back in the lineup. “Just having his presence back amongst us is going to be amazing,” Suggs said, per Beede. “He’s used his voice throughout the time he’s been out. I know it’s been hard for him. It always is when you’re not playing to speak up at times and things like that. But to see how mentally locked in he’s been throughout this process, it’s been really cool.”
Heat’s Dru Smith Exits With Lower Left Leg Injury
Heat guard Dru Smith experienced a lower left leg injury in Monday’s contest vs. Brooklyn and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter).
While the severity of the injury has yet to be determined, it didn’t look good in real time, according to a couple of local reporters (Twitter links via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald).
Smith went straight back to the locker room after the injury, with his wife joining him, per Winderman and Chiang. For what it’s worth, several fans replying in the comments seem to think Smith may have suffered an Achilles injury.
As Chiang observes (via Twitter), the third-year guard is on a two-way contract and he appeared to be the frontrunner to be promoted to a standard deal, with the Heat having to fill their 14th standard spot by Dec. 29 after trading Thomas Bryant. A major injury would be a devastating outcome for both parties, but especially for Smith, who missed most of last season with a torn right ACL.
Smith, who turns 27 years old next week, has been a rotation fixture for Miami of late, partly due to his impressive defense. Over the past eight games, he had averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .532/.560/.769.