Injury Notes: Allen, Mobley, McDaniels, Powell, Fox, Sabonis
Discussions about Jarrett Allen‘s potential return for the Cavaliers have gravitated toward “if” rather than “when,” according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The team has said Allen is making progress in his recovery from a broken finger and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of him returning before the regular season ends on Sunday, but his finger was still in a splint this weekend, says Vardon.
Even if Allen is able to play soon, it’s “highly unlikely” that he’ll be 100% effective, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). In Fedor’s view, Evan Mobley – who has missed four games with a sprained ankle and wasn’t walking with a limp after Sunday’s game – is a better bet to be fully effective, or at least close to it, when he returns.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who has been out since March 14 due to a high left ankle sprain, “looks really good” in his scrimmages, head coach Chris Finch said on Sunday (link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). The Wolves will formally reevaluate McDaniels on Monday. Finch expects him to be on a minutes limit when he returns, per Hine.
- Clippers forwards Paul George and Marcus Morris hinted after Sunday’s game that Norman Powell could be close to returning from his left foot injury, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group, who notes that the injured swingman took part in an on-court pregame workout. “It’ll be great for Norm if he could get back out there in the next game or two, just to get a good feel back,” Morris said.
- With the Kings officially eliminated from playoff contention, head coach Alvin Gentry acknowledged that shutting down De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will likely be “something we’ll talk about” (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). Fox has missed Sacramento’s last eight games due to a hand injury, while Sabonis has been out for six games due to a knee issue.
Pacific Notes: Fox, Paul, Warriors, Lue, Westbrook
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox admits that it was “definitely hard” to see second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton depart at last month’s trade deadline, according to Logan Murdock of The Ringer, who says Fox had been planning to mentor his young backcourt partner for years to come.
However, Fox – who is now the Kings’ longest-tenured player – has gotten accustomed to a certain level of turnover since arriving in Sacramento. While his coaches and teammates continue to change around him, Fox himself at least appears to be part of the franchise’s long-term plans.
“The Kings always told us, ‘He’s our guy. He’s our franchise guy. He’s our max player, and we’ll build it around him, man,'” agent Chris Gaston tells Murdock. “That’s what they told everybody else around the NBA is that, ‘Hey, look, you can inquire about De’Aaron all you want, but we’re building around De’Aaron. This is our guy. He’s our main centerpiece.’ And they are true to their word.”
Fox, currently sidelined due to a right hand injury, has shown improvement in his recovery from that injury but hasn’t yet resumed basketball activities, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320. While Fox is with the Kings on their current road trip, his return isn’t considered imminent, prompting Ham to speculate (via Twitter) that we may have seen the last of Fox and Domantas Sabonis (knee) this season.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Suns point guard Chris Paul has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game, but is doing “more and more” in recent days and is getting closer to returning from his thumb injury, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
- Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area makes the case that the Warriors should consider replacing Kevon Looney with Otto Porter Jr. in their starting lineup to help jump-start their offense.
- Since joining the Clippers, head coach Tyronn Lue has emerged from LeBron James‘ shadow and is developing into a star in his own right, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, examining how Lue has kept his team competitive while missing stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. “When you build a system around your best two players, a lot of stuff we can’t run anymore,” Lue said. “I had to look at the mirror myself and just figure out what’s best for this team. I had to go back to the drawing board.”
- Criticized for his inability to score efficiently for much of the season, Russell Westbrook has made nearly 50% of his field goal attempts and 40% of his three-point tries in his last six games. Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group wonders if the Lakers are finally getting the version of Westbrook they envisioned when they traded for him last summer.
Pacific Notes: Wiseman, LeBron, Mann, Fox
James Wiseman‘s latest setback comes at a bad time for the Warriors, who were hoping to get him back on the court before the end of the season, but coach Steve Kerr said that won’t be a factor in any decisions about Wiseman’s health, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Wiseman has playing in the G League, but will have to miss Sunday’s game after experiencing swelling in his right knee.
“We can’t make a decision based on the schedule,” Kerr said. “We can’t make decisions based on the playoffs. Every decision should be made around James’ career and his future.”
Wiseman hasn’t played an NBA game since undergoing surgery last April for a torn meniscus that ended his rookie season. He had another procedure in December and recently returned to play three games with the Santa Cruz Warriors. The swelling started several days ago, Andrews adds, and the training staff decided Friday to keep him out of action.
“I feel terrible for James,” Kerr said. “I will just keep going back to the fact that he’s 20 years old. He’s got his whole future ahead. We just have to be really, really cautious. We have to do what is best for him long term.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Lakers star LeBron James passed Karl Malone tonight to move into second place on the career scoring list with a 38-point performance at Washington. He now trails all-time leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by 1,440 points. “What an incredible feat. He just attacked tonight,” coach Frank Vogel said. “A signature performance in which he passes one of the greats.” (Twitter link from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN)
- Terance Mann‘s versatility has been valuable for the Clippers, per Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Coach Doc Rivers viewed Mann as a point guard when he came into the league, even though he played shooting guard and small forward in college. Now coach Tyronn Lue uses Mann wherever he fits in best. “We don’t have him do too much,” Lue said. “Just guard the best player, defend and rebound … handle the ball and make plays and attack the basket.”
- Kings guard De’Aaron Fox had his right hand X-rayed because of pain and swelling, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320. Fox was held out of Friday’s game (Twitter link), but the injury is not expected to be a long-term issue.
Lowe’s Latest: Gasol, Bucks, Suns, Pacers, Kings, Sixers, More
With Brook Lopez sidelined indefinitely, the Bucks and center Marc Gasol, who is currently playing for Girona in Spain, had discussed the possibility of a possible late-season deal, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link). However, Lowe suggests that a union “does not appear to be in the cards” now that Milwaukee has acquired Serge Ibaka.
It’s worth noting that the Bucks have three open spots on their 15-man roster following the trade deadline, so there still could be room for Gasol down the road, and it’s not like he and Ibaka haven’t had success teaming up in the past — the two vets played key roles for the 2019 champion Raptors. Still, Milwaukee may be looking to address other positions with those open roster spots, and there’s no guarantee Gasol will look to return to the NBA when his season is over in Spain.
Here are a few more highlights from Lowe’s post-deadline roundup:
- Sources confirmed to Lowe that the Suns and Pacers had brief discussions about Deandre Ayton and Domantas Sabonis, which was first reported by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Fischer suggested the two teams might be exploring the idea of an offseason sign-and-trade involving Ayton, and Lowe agrees that the talks seem to have been just exploratory and informal, possibly aimed at the future rather than present. Indiana subsequently traded Sabonis to Sacramento, which could eliminate the possibility of any future deal with Phoenix for Ayton, but Lowe points out that the Suns’ willingness to consider shaking up their roster – even in the offseason – is noteworthy.
- Before acquiring Sabonis, the Kings approached the Hawks about John Collins, but they didn’t discuss Tyrese Haliburton or De’Aaron Fox in that context, says Lowe.
- Lowe expects the Sixers to explore the buyout market for a backup center, since there’s no guarantee that Paul Millsap will bounce back in Philadelphia and Charles Bassey is unproven.
- The Spurs explored ways to move up in last year’s draft, according to Lowe, who notes that San Antonio has since gained more draft ammo to potentially revisit that idea going forward.
- Lowe contends that Kristaps Porzingis should take his trade to the Wizards “as a huge slap in the face,” given the modest return the Mavericks received. As Lowe writes, Dallas appeared to be trying to gain more flexibility for future moves by taking back two (relatively) smaller contracts for Porzingis’ max deal, which could pay off down the road. But it “seems to be selling unthinkably low” on Porzingis, Lowe says.
Fischer’s Latest: Nuggets, Fox, Poeltl, Brunson, Buyouts
Nuggets forward JaMychal Green and guard Facundo Campazzo are considered available in trade talks, reports Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Mike Singer of The Denver Post also recently identified Green and Campazzo as two players the Nuggets would probably be willing to move as they seek a defensive-oriented small forward.
The Nuggets’ ability to trade Green could be complicated by his ability to veto any trade that involves him. A source tells Singer that the veteran forward wouldn’t accept a move to a non-contending team.
Here are a few more trade rumors, courtesy of Fischer:
- The Knicks and Pelicans have held exploratory conversations for Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, says Fischer, whose report was published before New Orleans reached an agreement to acquire CJ McCollum — it’s probably safe to assume the Pels are no longer a candidate to pursue Fox.
- The Hornets are among the teams interested in Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, per Fischer. Toronto and Chicago have previously been reported as potential suitors for Poeltl.
- The Pistons remain very interested in Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, but may have to wait until free agency if they want to make a play for him, according to Fischer, who says Dallas is still committed to retaining Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith through the deadline.
- Nets big man Paul Millsap, Kings center Tristan Thompson, Rockets guard D.J. Augustin, and guard Tomas Satoransky (who is reportedly being traded to the Trail Blazers) are considered potential buyout candidates, writes Fischer.
Pacific Notes: James, Davis, Fox, Haliburton, Rubio, Green, Wiseman
Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has remained in regular communication with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to discuss potential trades, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, but Pelinka has done that in the past. James is prepared to play out the season with the current roster.
“I don’t really like to play fantasy basketball, so this is the group that we have going into the deadline and we’ll be ready to take on all challenges that this season has given us,” James said. “If there’s an opportunity — I’ve said this every year – if there’s an opportunity for you to get better, then you explore those options. That’s always been (my stance).”
The Lakers don’t have a lot of flexibility with three max deals on their cap.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Kings would still prefer to build around De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, sources told the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson. Fox is in the first year of a five-year, $163MM max contract extension. This comes on the heels of a report that the Knicks are interested in Fox and that some people around the NBA believe Sacramento hasn’t given up on its pursuit of Ben Simmons.
- Injured guard Ricky Rubio, who just had his expiring contract moved from Cleveland to Indiana, said in a recent Spanish media interview (hat tip to Hoops Hype) that he wouldn’t mind eventually playing with the Warriors. “It would be nice to play with (Stephen) Curry and Klay Thompson,” Rubio said.
- While the Warriors might be in the market for frontcourt help, GM Bob Myers said the best solution would be to get Draymond Green and James Wiseman back in action, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. “We’re being told that both of those guys, Draymond and James, will be available and back to help up with some games to go,” he said. “I don’t know if it’ll be 20, 25, 15. But we think those two will help us more than anything we’re looking at on the market.”
Windhorst/MacMahon’s Latest: Jazz, Pelicans, Fox, Mavs, Grizzlies
The relationship between Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell is back to being “passively aggressively awkward,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated in the latest episode of Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast. Windhorst said he has heard the same thing, suggesting Gobert and Mitchell have gotten “under each other’s skin” and referring to it as “the most underplayed story in the league.”
Asked today about the report, Mitchell dismissed it, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News: “No, no, no, no. We’re good. That’s not true. … I’m getting tired of answering (these questions) to be honest. Look, we put in the work, we’re leaders for our team, and we’re going through a tough stretch and that happens. But this is part of the business and that’s just how it goes.”
Rumors of tension between Gobert and Mitchell were at their height back in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We haven’t heard as much about the relationship since then — MacMahon says that when the Jazz have everyone healthy and are playing well, the issue “falls in the manageable category.”
Here are a few more highlights from Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast:
- As the trade deadline nears, the Pelicans have been “pretty active looking to buy,” according to Windhorst, who reports that New Orleans has talked to the Trail Blazers, Kings, Rockets, and Hawks about CJ McCollum, De’Aaron Fox, Eric Gordon, and Kevin Huerter, respectively. Windhorst adds that Josh Hart is believed to be among the players the Pelicans would move.
- Following up on Fox, Windhorst confirms that the Knicks have shown interest in the Kings‘ point guard and says that people around the league don’t really believe Sacramento is fully out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes.
- Windhorst and MacMahon have both heard whispers that the Mavericks are talking to the Celtics about Marcus Smart, though MacMahon admitted he’s not sure whether those discussions have taken place as of late. “I can say with certainty that they’ve shown interest in Marcus Smart in the past,” MacMahon said. “I don’t know how much of that has been recent.”
- After stating earlier in the week that the Mavericks likely won’t move Jalen Brunson unless they get blown away by an offer, MacMahon repeated that point and applied it to Dorian Finney-Smith as well. MacMahon added that Brunson’s preference in free agency would be to stay in Dallas, but after earning a total of $6.1MM in his first four NBA seasons, the point guard’s top priority will be getting paid — he won’t be interested in taking a home-team discount.
- Windhorst, MacMahon, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps all agreed – based on what they’ve heard – that the Grizzlies are unlikely to do anything significant at the trade deadline unless they get an opportunity that’s a “grand slam home run.”
Stein’s Latest: Collins, Hawks, Poeltl, Turner, Fox, Lopez
Hawks big man John Collins appears increasingly unlikely to be traded before next Thursday’s deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. As Stein explains, Atlanta has been involved in plenty of trade discussions in recent weeks, but the team is playing well lately and seems inclined to push any Collins deal into the offseason.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe conveyed a similar sentiment earlier today. While he didn’t focus specifically on Collins or any other player, Lowe reported that the Hawks remain active in trade talks, but don’t appear to feel the same urgency to make a move that they did a couple weeks ago.
Here are a few more trade rumors from Stein’s latest roundup:
- The Spurs would require a first-round pick and a quality player in order to part with center Jakob Poeltl, according to Stein, who says the Bulls are among the teams to express interest in the big man. Stein previously identified Toronto as another club with interest in Poeltl.
- Stein was told on Friday morning that the odds of Pacers big man Myles Turner being moved before the February 10 deadline are a “coin flip.” Turner seemed more likely to be dealt before he sustained a stress fracture in his foot that cooled his market.
- Despite the Kings‘ insistence that they want to keep De’Aaron Fox and build around him and Tyrese Haliburton, Stein says numerous teams still believe Sacramento would be willing to part with Fox.
- Teams have inquired on center Robin Lopez, but it’s unclear how interested the Magic are in trading him, Stein writes.
Pacific Notes: Fox, Moody, Warriors, Coffey
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said his injured left ankle is improving and he hopes to play tonight against the Nets, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Fox, who is listed as questionable after missing the last five games, said an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, but he still experiences pain on cuts and lateral movements.
“It’s getting better,” Fox told reporters after this morning’s shootaround. “I want to come back as close to 100% as I can.”
Sacramento dropped all five games that Fox missed, part of an overall seven-game losing streak that has the team three games out of the play-in tournament. The Kings are just 1-8 this season without Fox in their lineup.
Fox said the injury occurred in a January 19 game against Detroit. He was able to finish that game, but was held out three days later against the Bucks due to problems with the ankle.
“I’ve twisted my ankle a lot of times,” he said. “That’s the reason I wear ankle braces, and usually I’m fine and it will hurt for a little bit, but in Milwaukee it just felt different. Tried to do a move and it hurt, so I was out and it’s kind of been lingering … so for me it’s just trying to be able to come to a stop without feeling pain.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Warriors rookie Moses Moody has been putting up big numbers in the G League all season while waiting for his chance to show he can score at the NBA level. With Golden State’s starting backcourt sitting out Tuesday’s game in San Antonio, Moody hit six three-pointers on his way to a 20-point night, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Yeah, it’s an opportunity,” Moody said. “I’ve been waiting patiently on it, I knew it would come. Now that it’s my time to shine, I’ve been preparing. When preparation meets opportunity, that’s when things happen.”
- The Warriors were missing seven rotation players on Tuesday, providing a glimpse at how they believe they can be successful in the future while contending for a title now, notes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We want this franchise to be special for a long time,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I want this team to succeed for long after I’m gone from coaching. … Tonight was a great high for us.”
- Amir Coffey, in his third season as a two-way player, was an unlikely candidate to save the Clippers‘ season, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. But since he joined the starting lineup following an injury to Paul George, Coffey is playing a team-high 31.4 minutes per night and averaging 14.7 PPG.
Knicks Notes: Randle, Fox, Perry, Arcidiacono
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has admitted to associates that he hasn’t been able to get Julius Randle to exhibit the same selflessness he had last season, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle’s downturn has been a major reason why the team has fallen into the race for the play-in tournament after finishing fourth in the East a year ago.
Many observers believe the $117MM extension that Randle signed during the offseason has changed his approach to the game, as he now feels that he has to take on a greater part of the scoring load to justify the contract. Berman also cites incidents where Randle has looked disinterested — he didn’t join a team huddle in a game last week and he has walked away from teammates who have been knocked to the ground rather than helping them up.
The Knicks are willing to consider everything heading into the deadline, sources tell Berman, even a deal involving Randle, who emerged as a team leader last season while capturing Most Improved Player honors. Berman suggests that Randle’s regression, along with his battles with fans and media, may convince team president Leon Rose that he’s no longer suited for a leadership role.
There’s more from New York:
- The Kings‘ De’Aaron Fox may be a natural target for the Knicks, who have been searching for a point guard for years, Berman adds in the same piece. New York general manager Scott Perry drafted Fox when he worked in Sacramento, but Berman says it’s no longer clear how much influence Perry has in the organization. He doesn’t accompany the team on the road, and the only executive currently making road trips is William Wesley, who Berman said has surpassed Perry in the team’s power structure.
- Derrick Rose needs to be active at the trade deadline to have any hope of turning this season around, argues Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro considers RJ Barrett, Rose, and Quentin Grimes to be the team’s untouchable players, along with Cam Reddish, only because the Knicks just gave up a first-round pick to acquire him. Everyone else, Vaccaro adds, should be available in the right deal.
- Ryan Arcidiacono‘s 10-day contract expired over the weekend, Berman tweets. The Knicks will keep the roster spot open for now, which could be an advantage heading into the deadline. Arcidiacono didn’t see any game action during his time with the team.