New York Notes: Clowney, Simmons, Bridges, Towns, Knicks
Nets center Nic Claxton was ejected from Thursday’s game against Toronto, allowing second-year forward Noah Clowney to close out the game and shine, The New York Post’s Brian Lewis writes. The 21st overall pick in 2023 recorded season highs of 37 minutes played and nine rebounds to go along with 11 points.
“His growth defensively, his physicality — obviously its multiple areas — he’s been one of our best players at going vertical, taking a charge,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “His physicality on the ball guarding a really good player like Scottie Barnes, that growth was important. That’s why I was comfortable with him playing all those minutes. … I’m very happy for him because he showed growth. That’s what it’s all about.”
Clowney is averaging 7.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this year and looks to be among the team’s young pillars moving forward. If forwards like Dorian Finney-Smith or Cameron Johnson are traded by February 6, Clowney may continue to see his minutes rise as the year goes on.
We have more out of New York:
- The Nets‘ identity changed after Dennis Schröder was moved to the Warriors, forcing Ben Simmons and Claxton to start together, which is inhibiting spacing, Lewis writes in another story. The duo struggled together in their first post-Schröder outing, but Simmons had a solid night in the win against Toronto. “Yeah, I mean, there’s more opportunity for me now, just being at that point guard position. So just finding my ways,” Simmons said. “I’m gonna go talk to coach about some different looks and things like that that I see out there.“
- Mikal Bridges started his Knicks career in a shooting slump, but he’s starting to flip the script, the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy writes. In his last eight games, Bridges is shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc on 7.3 attempts per game. “Once he started making shots, nobody said nothing [about his revamped shooting form]. Nobody is talking about how it looks now,” teammate Cameron Payne said. “So he just be locked in, man. He’s pretty good with stuff like that man. I actually applaud him for it. Because you could easily get distracted with that or get messed up in the head with it.”
- Karl-Anthony Towns is playing at an MVP-level pace, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post asserts. The Knicks center was No. 6 on NBA.com’s most recent MVP ladder. Towns’ 32 points and 20 rebounds against the Timberwolves put an exclamation point on a strong start to the season, Vaccaro writes.
- Five of the next seven Knicks‘ games come against teams in the bottom four of the league standings, Bondy observes. The Knicks have won seven of their last nine games and are third in the Eastern Conference at 17-10.
Southeast Notes: Hunter, Young, Williams, Butler, Jaquez
De’Andre Hunter is playing like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, providing the Hawks with a scoring punch off the bench, Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Through 17 outings, Hunter’s 19.8 points per game and 45.3% shooting from beyond the arc are both career highs.
“He’s definitely in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, especially if you keep winning and doing the things we’ve been doing,” guard Trae Young said. “Because there’s not a guy come on the bench doing what he’s doing right now and being aggressive and scoring and efficiency and things like that. He’s really bought into it, and it’s made our team a lot better.”
The former No. 4 overall pick out of Virginia was an effective starter after being selected in 2019, averaging 14.3 PPG in 263 games (237 starts). After missing the first 11 games this year, the Hawks elected to bring him off the bench instead of starting him, and he’s thrived in the new role.
“We all know De’Andre can play,” center Onyeka Okongwu said. “He’s been able to play. He’s always been a scorer, defender. He’s finally healthy. Nothing he’s doing is really surprising to me. I’m glad he’s having the year he’s having right now. He deserves it the most.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Young is averaging career lows of 39.0% shooting from the field and 32.0% from three, but Williams writes in another story that the three-time All-Star is focused on making an all-around impact to win games rather than dwelling on his shooting percentages. “My percentages aren’t the way they’ve been, but I’m taking different types of shots, too,” Young said, noting that he has no qualms about taking low-percentage shots at the end of quarters or as the shot clock expires. “I’m obviously getting guys involved, and that’s my main priority, and obviously, the defense is the first priority.” As Williams notes, the Hawks star is leading the NBA in assists per game this season with 12.2 per contest.
- Since their starting center returned from injury on Dec. 3, the Hornets continue to take a conservative approach with Mark Williams, including having him not play in back-to-backs. Williams understands the vision, but is eager to resume his normal playing schdule, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. “Just overall, as a leader of the team and one of the leaders of the organization, you have to understand what is your vision, what is your bigger picture? And as bad as you want to win games, we also want to make sure that we are putting our players in the best position possible to have great careers,” coach Charles Lee said of Williams.
- Heat star Jimmy Butler exited in the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Thunder after turning his ankle and didn’t return. However, as noted by ESPN, he was ruled out for the rest of the night due to an illness, not his ankle injury. There was no word of the ankle in the team’s announcement. It’s not yet clear how much time Butler, involved in trade rumors this season, will miss due to either ailment.
- With Butler ruled out, second-year Heat wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. started the second half and played 30 minutes, his third-most in a game this season. Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel speculates whether Jaquez could serve as Butler’s replacement in the starting small forward role if the latter is moved via trade.
Trade Rumors: Johnson, Thunder, Beal, Cavs
Versatile Nets forward Cameron Johnson has been the subject of trade interest from multiple contenders this season. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer (video link), the Thunder are among the title hopefuls keeping an eye on Johnson.
“I have heard Cam Johnson potentially having interest from OKC,” Fischer said.
Across 26 contests for the chippy 11-16 Nets, the 28-year-old is averaging 19.2 points per game on a .489/.431/.874 shooting line (all career highs). He’s also chipping in 4.5 boards and 3.1 dimes per contest.
The Thunder are currently 22-5 on the year and occupy the No. 1 seed in a crowded Western Conference. Led by All-NBA point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has emerged as a formidable two-way powerhouse. But OKC’s defeat against the Bucks in the NBA Cup championship game showed it could have potential playoff vulnerabilities, especially against bigger forwards, meaning the team could benefit from adding a player like Johnson.
Here are a few more recent trade rumors and notes:
- Given that the Thunder have a bevy of future draft picks at their disposal to use in any potential deal, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports suggests it may be time for the club to part with some of those selections and cash them in for win-now help. O’Connor wonders if Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams, the team’s primary shot creator next to Gilgeous-Alexander, is quite ready for prime-time after recording more field goal attempts (61) than points (56) in the three NBA Cup knockout round games. O’Connor advocates for the Thunder exploring additional shooting help, more bigs, and potential a microwave bench guard.
- Suns guard Bradley Beal addressed recent trade speculation about his long-term fate in Phoenix, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal has been floated as a natural fit for a deal to land Heat All-star wing Jimmy Butler with the team. “Until one of them come say something to me or talks to me, it’s just out there,” Beal said of the team’s front office decision makers. “I’m a Phoenix Sun and I’m here and I’m in the uniform. I don’t pay attention to that. They did that with me for 10 years.” Beal, 31, has a no-trade clause on his $50.2MM contract for this season. “Everybody is going to have an opinion about something. I think that kind of puts you in a negative head space. I don’t pay attention to it.”
- Some opposing executives who have spoken to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor (subscription required) believe the Cavaliers are interested in making a 2-for-1 trade prior to this year’s deadline to consolidate their depth. The Cavs have gotten off to a league-best 24-4 start in 2024/25, thanks in large part to that depth, but the team is just now getting back Max Strus and may want to try to dip below the luxury tax threshold, Fedor observes.
Spurs Notes: Roster, Possible New Arena, Trades, Sochan
The Spurs’ roster was fully healthy for the first time all season for Thursday’s 133-126 overtime victory over Atlanta, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
“It felt like a big relief,” All-Defensive center Victor Wembanyama said. “Even before the game, I think some of my teammates were still questionable. So we were like, ‘Is it the day, finally?'”
Capitalizing on the team’s surprising health edge, acting San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson started Devin Vassell for the first time all year, moving Julian Champagnie to the bench for the first time since November 4. Vassell responded with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The story, of course, was Wembanyama, who led his team with 42 points, along with six rebounds, five assists and four rejections.
“I thought he imposed his will in a positive way tonight,” Johnson said. “You can see it physically just because of his sheer size when he’s demonstrative, playing with conviction, where he is going to get the ball to the spots he wants to get to and nothing’s going to stop him.”
San Antonio has gone 14-13 thus far this season, but in the competitive West, that’s only good for the No. 11 seed.
There’s more out of Alamo City:
- A grassroots community group in San Antonio, COPS/Metro Alliance, has come out in opposition to the city using any of its own dollars for a proposed new Spurs arena downtown, per Molly Smith of The San Antonio Express-News. “Whoever says that this is a done deal I think is crazy, because it’s not a done deal,” said Sonia Rodriguez, leader of COPS/Metro Alliance.
- In a Southwest Division mailbag, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko says he’s skeptical the Spurs will be open to offloading many of their rotational pieces in trades this season. Iko does suggest that – if the offer is good enough from a title hopeful – San Antonio could probably be convinced to part with Vassell or Champagnie. However, the club’s current roster seems capable of qualifying for this year’s play-tournament, Iko posits, adding that oft-injured veteran center Zach Collins, who is owed $34.7MM through 2025/26, may be the most tradable current Spur.
- In addressing the Spurs’ current starting five, Iko advocates for a shooting-oriented group made up of point guard Chris Paul, Vassell, Champagnie, forward Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. Iko cautions, however, that relegating forward Jeremy Sochan and Castle to bench roles would naturally limit their defensive contributions to the roster.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Guards, Celtics, Johnson
Although not much has gone right for the Sixers this year, the growing bond between rookie Philadelphia guard Jared McCain and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry is one of the bright spots. Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer examines the relationship between the 38-year-old former All-Star and the 20-year-old Duke alum.
“I call him Unc Lowry,” McCain said of Lowry. “Grandpa. Super vet. Super duper vet.”
McCain is now sidelined indefinitely after undergoing a left knee surgery. But prior to that, the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft was looking like a bona fide Rookie of the Year contender. Lowry’s tutelage has abetted the rookie’s early-season rise.
McCain had earned the Sixers’ starting shooting guard role by early November, but was versatile enough to also spell All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey at the point when he sat. Lowry talked him through that transition on the floor.
“Sometimes when I’m out there on the court, and I’m the only point guard out there, it’s hard for me to kind of adjust to being a shooting guard or a point guard,” McCain said. “Knowing where everybody is at on the court, being able to talk, being vocal. I’ve just got to adjust and be a leader.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- On Thursday, the Sixers got the green light from Philadelphia’s city council – on a vote of 12-5 – to construct a new $1.3 billion stadium downtown, per ESPN/The Associated Press. Local activists and residents from nearby Chinatown had been protesting the proposed deal. Sixers ownership hopes to relocate the club from its current home, Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, to this new locale by 2031.
- Although the Grousbeck family, majority owners of the Celtics franchise, had claimed they hoped to offload a majority ownership stake in the franchise by late 2024 or early 2025, no such agreement is yet on the horizon, a source informs Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The source tells Himmelsbach that prospective buyers are still waiting on initial meetings with Celtics ownership, with bidding expected to tip off in January.
- Nets forward Cameron Johnson is trying to ignore growing trade chatter ahead of this year’s February 6 deadline, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “We’ve communicated that: Be where your feet are,” Johnson told Lewis of his conversations with Brooklyn brass. “I think the understanding is, don’t get caught up in things that we can’t control or things that are off the court when we have so much to worry about on the court.” Through his first 26 games this season, the 6’8″ vet is averaging 19.2 points (on .489/.431/.874 shooting splits), 4.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per night.
Southeast Notes: Joseph, Daniels, Wizards, Hornets
Well-traveled Magic veteran guard Cory Joseph is becoming a valuable locker room presence for a rising young Orlando squad in his first season with the team, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
“The league’s getting younger and they keep me young, too,” Joseph said of his Magic teammates. “It continues to change and you have to continue to adapt. I’m asking a lot of questions as well, trying to learn from them.”
Rookie forward Tristan Da Silva, the No. 18 pick in this summer’s draft, sang the point guard’s praises.
“He’s a great leader for this team, even though he’s not on the court as much,” Da Silva said. “He still has a huge impact on this team.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- New Hawks guard Dyson Daniels‘s goal is to improve his shooting mechanics and increase his three-point output this season, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Williams notes Daniels has made 30.8% of his 3.4 three-point tries per game overall this season, but also enjoyed a more consistent run between November 18-29, when he nailed 42.9% of 3.5 attempts per game.
- Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, home to both the Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals, has gotten the green light for a $515MM renovation, ensuring that both clubs will stick around for the long-term, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic.
- Following a Thursday loss to lowly Washington, the Hornets have now dropped nine of their last 10 contests and fallen to a 7-20 record on the year. Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer wonders how, or if, Charlotte will be able to right the ship this year, even in a less competitive Eastern Conference — three East play-in teams have records below .500, but Charlotte is 4.5 games back of the No. 10 seed. The Hornets’ “core four” of All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, forwards Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, and center Mark Williams has rarely been able to stay on the court together thus far this season.
Raptors Notes: Lineup, Mogbo, Barnes, Trade Candidates
The Raptors deployed their youngest starting lineup in franchise history in Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who notes that the average age of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and returning star Scottie Barnes was 22 years and 187 days. Agbaji, who is 24, called it “crazy” that he was the oldest starter in the lineup.
Missing reliable regulars like Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors lost a winnable game to the Nets by a score of 101-94, but there were some intriguing takeaways, including the use of Mogbo as a switchable small-ball five, Murphy writes.
Toronto has been better defensively with Mogbo on the court this season and the rookie has provided some reasons for optimism with his play on the offensive end of the floor too, according to Murphy, though he’s still in the early stages of his NBA development.
“There is a lot, for sure, for him. He is learning a lot and every time,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Mogbo prior to the loss. “When you learn different positions that he’s played lately, different matchups, at some point it comes to you slowing down a little bit with your aggressiveness. But we are working through that, and we want him to be aggressive, we want him to be forceful and when he does that, he’s the player that we like.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- The Raptors haven’t had much good fortune so far this season, but the team caught a break with Barnes’ speedy return from his ankle injury, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). The All-Star forward was originally projected to miss “several weeks” due to the sprain, but ended up missing just two games and returning to action 10 days after sustaining the injury. He had 16 points and six assists in 36 minutes on Thursday in his first game back.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks down the Raptors’ roster into “trade tiers,” evaluating which players are the most and least likely to be on the move at this season’s deadline. Koreen classifies veteran swingman Bruce Brown, who is on a $23MM expiring contract, as Toronto’s most likely player to be traded, and suggests Chris Boucher, Bruno Fernando, Davion Mitchell, Kelly Olynyk, and Garrett Temple are the other top candidates to be moved.
- Within the same story, Koreen says he views Barnes as essentially untouchable, with Barrett, Quickley, Dick, Agbaji, Mogbo, Walter, and Jamal Shead also unlikely to be dealt. That leaves Poeltl, who probably won’t be untouchable but also likely won’t go anywhere unless Toronto gets a very strong offer, Koreen says.
- In case you missed it, the Raptors remained in the top 10 in Sportico’s latest NBA franchise valuations, coming in at $4.66 billion.
Grizzlies’ Vince Williams Out 3-6 More Weeks
Grizzlies wing Vince Williams still isn’t close to returning to action and will remain sidelined into the new year, according to a press release from the team (Twitter link).
Williams sustained a Grade 3 right ankle sprain on November 19. The Grizzlies announced two days later that the third-year swingman would be reevaluated in four weeks.
According to today’s update, Williams is making good progress in his recovery from his sprained ankle, but it’s expected to be another three-to-six weeks before he’s able to play again.
Even in a best-case scenario, a three-week timeline would put Williams on track to miss 10 more games and then make his return on January 11. If he requires six weeks to get healthy enough to suit up, the 24-year-old would be unavailable for the next 20 games and would remain on the shelf for all of January.
Williams took advantage of an opportunity for playing time last season when several Grizzlies regulars dealt with injuries of their own and averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 27.6 minutes per game across 52 outings (33 starts). He posted a solid shooting line of .446/.378/.800 and appeared poised to be part of Memphis’ rotation this season even with the roster healthier.
However, Williams missed the first 12 games of the season due to a stress reaction in his left leg and then sprained his ankle in just his third game back.
The good news for the Grizzlies is that they’ve had the depth this season to handle a few injuries to rotation players and remain extremely competitive in the Western Conference. After blowing out Golden State on Thursday, Memphis holds the No. 2 seed in the West with a 19-9 record and ranks in the top five of the league in both offensive rating (117.0; fourth) and defensive rating (107.9; fifth).
If the Grizzlies continue to play that well and stay relatively healthy, Williams may have to fight to earn consistent rotation minutes when he returns in the new year.
Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Bucks, Pistons
The Bulls registered their most impressive win of the season on Thursday in Boston, defeating the defending champion Celtics for their third consecutive victory and increasing their record on the season to 13-15.
As a result of the win, Chicago is now tied with Sacramento for the 10th-worst record in the NBA. That’s notable because the Bulls will send their 2025 first-round pick to San Antonio if it doesn’t end up in the top 10. After scoring a game-high 36 points on Thursday, Zach LaVine made it clear that hanging onto that draft pick isn’t something the Bulls’ players and coaches are thinking about, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“Players and coaches never tank. That’s just not going to happen,” LaVine said. “We’re a good team. From all the predictions early on in the year, like we’re better than what people predicted us to be off the talent we have here. We’re competitive, man. You go out there and play like we did, we can beat anybody.”
Of course, while it may be true that players and coaches “never tank,” the same can’t be said of front offices, who are in position to make in-season personnel moves to weaken a team’s roster and improve its draft position. LaVine is one candidate to be dealt by the February 6 deadline, and Cowley hears there’s “light momentum” in talks involving Chicago’s top scorer.
Still, head coach Billy Donovan said that he hasn’t gotten the impression in conversations with head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas that the front office is in a hurry to start losing.
“The one thing I respect about the organization, and this was even in the summer from exit interviews, meetings, things like that, is I think collectively inside the organization there is an expectation about the integrity of competition and to go out there and put our best foot forward,” Donovan said. “… Nothing has ever been said, ‘Listen, we’ve got to keep this pick so do this and this.’ That is not happening, and I respect that as a coach. I feel like everything we’re doing each and every day is how do we put these guys, ourselves, in the best position to compete and win.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- The Pacers beat the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday for their third straight win and finally appear to be finding their identity after a shaky start to the season, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “The practice time the last two weeks has helped us,” head coach Rick Carlisle said of a stretch in which Indiana played three games in 11 days. “It’s helped us regain an edge defensively. Our full-court defense is more of a factor. We just need teams to feel us. Even if we’re not the most physically bruising team, they need to feel our persistence at both ends. I thought we really picked it up tonight.”
- Like the Pacers, the Bucks came out of the gates slowly this fall before reestablishing their identity and hitting their stride. Milwaukee is ahead of where Indiana is, having won 12 of its last 15 regular season games, plus the NBA Cup final. Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) takes a closer look at how the Bucks have turned things around, with perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way. “Getting the ball in Giannis’ hands and letting Giannis dictate action,” head coach Doc Rivers said of the team’s game plan. “He’s our best player. And so, that’s what we’re doing. But, we gotta make sure we get it to him and then we gotta make sure to run to space.”
- Determining whether Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey are part of the long-term plans is one of the Pistons‘ top priorities this season, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, who notes that both players will be extension-eligible during the 2025 offseason. Within his mailbag, Langlois also answers questions about Detroit’s trade candidates, Ausar Thompson‘s role, and Marcus Sasser‘s development.
Trade Rumors: MPJ, LaVine, Butler, Suns, Nets
The Nuggets are open to the idea of making a significant trade prior to the February 6 trade deadline, but they’re hoping they’ll see enough from their current group in the coming weeks to feel confident about not having to make a major in-season deal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, who takes a closer look at Denver’s trade candidates and potential paths.
Meanwhile, following up on the rumor linking Zach LaVine to Denver and Michael Porter Jr. to the Bulls, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) confirm the Nuggets are indeed considering whether to trade Porter, whose $35.9MM cap hit would be necessary to complete a trade for a player earning a substantial salary.
According to Stein and Fischer, the Nuggets have “always been somewhat unsure” about Porter’s value on the trade market, due in part to his injury history, and are wary about making the team smaller by swapping him out for a guard like LaVine.
Sources tell The Stein Line that some people in the Nuggets’ front office believe that if the team needs to make a moving involving Porter, trading him for two starting-caliber players instead of a single star would be the best course of action. Fischer and Stein point to the Hawks‘ duo of De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Nets‘ duo of Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith as examples.
I may be unsure about Porter’s trade value myself, but given two years and $79MM left on his contract after this season, I have to think that Atlanta and Brooklyn would require some serious sweeteners to seriously consider those trade ideas. That’s an issue for the Nuggets, who aren’t exactly stocked with draft assets — they’ve traded away three future first-round picks and included protections on all of them, complicating their ability to offer additional first-rounders or swaps in subsequent trades. That’s why targeting a distressed asset like LaVine makes sense in the first place.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Suns are Jimmy Butler‘s preferred landing spot in the event of a trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links). However, Gambadoro says Phoenix plans to wait until at least mid-January before making any decisions on trades, which includes anything involving Butler. Although Gambadoro believes the Suns like Butler, it’s unclear if they’d have the pieces to acquire him, given that Bradley Beal (who holds a no-trade clause) would have to be included in any deal.
- Net Income of NetsDaily rounds up a few recent trade rumors involving the Nets and provides his own analysis on each of them. According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn is believed to be seeking at least one first-round pick and potentially “a prospect or two” for Cameron Johnson and is very reluctant to take on multiyear money in trades unless the accompanying return is “rich.”
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) has published his pre-deadline trade primer for the 2024/25 season, running through all 30 NBA teams and taking a closer look at the big questions they have to answer, their tradable players and draft picks, and various restrictions they’re facing.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines 10 potential trade candidates, including a pair of Trail Blazers centers (Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams), and considers which landing spots are most realistic for them.