Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Thomas, Stauskas, Knicks, Jordan
Asked on Tuesday whether the Celtics considered signing Isaiah Thomas at any point this season, head coach Ime Udoka said that point guard “was never really a position of need” for his team, as Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets.
The Celtics did trade away a point guard – Dennis Schröder – at last month’s deadline, but acquired Derrick White on the same day. The team came out of the trade deadline with five open spots on its 15-man roster and has since filled them all without adding another point guard.
Now a member of the Hornets on a 10-day contract, Thomas will face his old team on Wednesday night in Charlotte. And, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe details, the veteran point guard admitted that he’s disappointed a reunion with the Celtics has never materialized since he was traded by the team in 2017.
“I’ve tried to have conversations about that, but it’s hard to speak on because I’ve opened my arms to try to come back in so many ways,” Thomas said on Tuesday. “And it’s not even playing and trying to pick up where I left off. I’m past that moment. I know there’s been times where I can help in that locker room.
“This is from the outside looking in, but I felt like there’s times where (president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens) could make a call and give me an opportunity, and it hasn’t happened, so that’s very frustrating because of the relationship we have, the friendship we’ve been able to have over the years.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Nik Stauskas, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics last week, said on Tuesday that he had considered the possibility of walking away from basketball after this season if he didn’t get another NBA opportunity, tweets Forsberg. Stauskas’ salary for 2022/23 is non-guaranteed, but if he impresses the C’s down the stretch, it’s possible he’ll stick around for next season.
- Fourth-year center Mitchell Robinson has been one of the few bright spots for the Knicks this season, according to Steve Popper of Newsday, who notes that Robinson has played some of his best basketball recently as he nears unrestricted free agency. “Mitch is playing really well, really well,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Monday. “I want him to continue on that path. His effort to the board — his execution is much, much improved in terms of what we can do with him in terms of dribble-handoff and pick-and-roll and that sort of thing. He’s growing day by day.” Robinson, who was limited to just two minutes on Monday due to an illness, is questionable to play in Dallas on Wednesday.
- With the Knicks in need of some reliable backcourt production due to the absences of players like Derrick Rose, Quentin Grimes, and Kemba Walker, Immanuel Quickley has broken out of a season-long shooting slump and strung together a series of impressive offensive performances at just the right time, says Peter Botte of The New York Post. In his last five games (26.5 MPG), Quickley is averaging 18.6 PPG on .528/.520/.960 shooting.
- DeAndre Jordan didn’t make much of an impact in Los Angeles this season, but he could be the ideal backup for Sixers star Joel Embiid, Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer contends.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Noel, Jordan, Raptors
The Nets would have to go on a major winning streak to escape the play-in tournament. Winding up in that extra round could have major offseason consequences, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Coach Steve Nash could find his job in jeopardy, despite all the obstacles he’s been forced to deal with this season. The roster could be overhauled, as Lewis notes only six players have guaranteed contracts for next season and two others can opt out of their deals.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks center Nerlens Noel did not play on Sunday due to plantar fasciitis and he could be out for an extended period, according to The New York Post’s Marc Berman. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Noel would not play until he recovered from the foot ailment and got some regular practice time. Noel has played in just 25 games due to an assortment of knee, hamstring and foot injuries. He signed a three-year, $27.7MM contract last summer with a team option for the final year.
- DeAndre Jordan said his prior relationships with coach Doc Rivers and starters James Harden and Tobias Harris, plus the need for a backup center, made the Sixers an easy choice after he cleared waivers, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Jordan heaped praise on his former Clippers coach, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “He’s the best coach I’ve ever had, he’s more than a coach to me … when a new player comes to a team, it’s always everybody trying to get them to feel acclimated, but with Doc, he’s gonna curse me out like I’ve been here all season,” said Jordan, who played 10 minutes in his Sixers debut on Monday.
- The Raptors’ loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday makes it seem almost inevitable that Toronto will wind up in the play-in tournament, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Canada writes. The defeat dropped Toronto three games behind Cleveland, which sits in sixth place in the East and also holds a tiebreaker advantage over the Raptors.
DeAndre Jordan Signs With Sixers
MARCH 3, 7:58pm: The Sixers have officially signed Jordan and ended Cauley-Stein’s 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release. Jordan will earn a rest-of-season salary of $592,103, while Philadelphia takes on a cap hit of $374,126.
MARCH 3, 1:55pm: Jordan is expected to sign with the Sixers unless a team claims him off waivers prior to the 4:00pm CT deadline Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). A waiver claim is considered unlikely, says Wojnarowski.
The Sixers plan to release Willie Cauley-Stein from his 10-day contract a couple days early in order to sign Jordan, Wojnarowski tweets. Cauley-Stein’s 10-day deal had been on track to run through March 5.
FEBRUARY 28: The Sixers are the frontrunners to acquire DeAndre Jordan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, though the timing of such a move will have luxury tax implications.
The Lakers are waiving DeAndre Jordan in order to add free agent guard D.J. Augustin. Once Jordan hits the waiver wire, his veteran’s minimum contract could be claimed by any team. Philadelphia, which has the seventh-best record in the league, is low in the pecking order.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (Twitter link), Philadelphia currently has a projected $13.19MM tax bill and that would rise to $16.1MM if the team claims Jordan and his $1.66MM cap hit.
If the Sixers wait for Jordan to pass through waivers with the hope no other team claims him, they could sign him for the prorated veteran’s minimum. In that scenario, their projected tax bill would only increase to $13.8MM.
The Sixers have been seeking a veteran center to back up Joel Embiid since trading Andre Drummond to Brooklyn in the Ben Simmons–James Harden blockbuster. They acquired Paul Millsap in that deal but Millsap, 37, is 6’7”’ and a natural forward. They also signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day deal but may view Jordan as a better option.
Lakers Officially Complete Roster Moves
The Lakers have announced in a press release that they have officially signed free agent point guard D.J. Augustin and free agent power forward Wenyen Gabriel, two moves that had previously been announced as being in the works.
Los Angeles opted to waive reserve center DeAndre Jordan, clearing a spot for Augustin on the 15-man roster. Gabriel will replace Sekou Doumbouya on a two-way deal with the club.
The 34-year-old Augustin, most recently with the Rockets earlier this season, will provide a veteran presence backing up starting point guard Russell Westbrook. Augustin was selected with the ninth pick in the 2008 draft out of Texas, six spots behind Westbrook.
The 5’11” vet has previously suited up for the Hornets (back when they were the Bobcats), Pacers, Raptors, Bulls, Pistons, Thunder, Nuggets, Magic, and Bucks, before landing with Houston midway through the 2020/21 season. This season, Augustin averaged 5.4 PPG, 2.2 APG and 1.2 RPG across 34 games (15.0 MPG) in a reduced role for a rebuilding Rockets club.
The reeling Lakers have lost seven of their last 10 games, and currently occupy the Western Conference’s ninth seed with a disappointing 27-33 record. In Augustin, they’ll add a reliable bench option with a solid shooting stroke from deep. For his career, Augustin is connecting on 38% of his 3.4 three-point attempts a night. This season, he is converting 40.6% of his 2.8 looks. Westbrook, meanwhile, is making 29.2% of his 3.4 three-point tries per night.
Gabriel, 24, will be playing for his third team this season, following stints with the Nets and Clippers. Across seven NBA games this season, the 6’9″ Kentucky alum is averaging 6.7 MPG. In 10 contests this season for the Bucks’ NBA G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, Augustin averaged a far more robust 28.3 MPG, as well as 16.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.2 APG and 2.1 BPG.
Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (Twitter link) that Augustin will be earning a $622,467 salary through the rest of the season, with a cap hit of $393,312. That will increase the Lakers’ already-significant projected luxury tax bill to $45MM.
Jordan and Doumbouya are on track to clear waivers on Thursday if they’re not claimed. Both will be playoff-eligible if they join new teams. Jordan is reportedly receiving interest from the Sixers.
Pacific Notes: Wiseman, Suns, Payne, Lakers
Despite rumors that he might be ready to return at the start of March, Warriors center James Wiseman remains sidelined for now. He’s with Golden State on the four-game road trip that begins tonight so that he can practice and scrimmage with the team, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who tweets that head coach Steve Kerr continues to take a “day-to-day” approach with Wiseman’s rehab. There’s still no target date for his season debut.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer contends that Chris Paul‘s absence due to a hand injury could be a “blessing in disguise” for the Suns as long as it doesn’t extend into the postseason. As O’Connor explains, a number of other Suns will get a chance to handle the ball with Paul sidelined, which could allow the team to experiment a little and add a new layer to its offense.
- Suns point guard Cameron Payne did some 3-on-3, 4-on-4, and a little 5-on-5 work on Monday, head coach Monty Williams told reporters today (video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). The team is hoping Payne can return from his right wrist injury soon, with Williams noting that the plan would be for the veteran guard to displace Cameron Johnson in the starting lineup (Twitter link via Rankin).
- John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) questions why the Lakers didn’t complete a salary-dump trade involving DeAndre Jordan prior to last month’s deadline if they were just going to eventually waive him anyway. As Hollinger points out, the Lakers could’ve sent out cash with Jordan, essentially paying him another team to take him. Doing so would’ve reduced L.A.’s tax bill by about $5MM, so the team still would’ve come out ahead financially.
Lakers To Waive DeAndre Jordan, Sign D.J. Augustin
The Lakers are waiving DeAndre Jordan and are signing free agent guard D.J. Augustin. They also plan to sign forward Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team had been seeking depth at the point behind Russell Westbrook.
Jordan played nine minutes in the blowout loss to New Orleans on Sunday but has seen limited action over the last two months. Overall, Jordan averaged 4.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 12.8 MPG in 32 games with the Lakers on a veteran’s minimum contract.
Jordan may not be out of work for long. The Sixers will aggressively pursue Jordan, either via a waiver claim or after he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Augustin, meanwhile, was waived by the Rockets at the trade deadline. The 5’11” point guard, a 14-year NBA veteran, averaged 5.4 PPG, 2.2 APG and 1.2 RPG across 15.0 in 34 contests with Houston this season. Augustin, who has logged 955 regular-season games, will be playing for his 11th team.
Gabriel has spent time with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans in 2021/22. All of his NBA contracts during this season were 10-day deals under the hardship provision.
Gabriel, who was waived by the Bucks during training camp, has played in seven NBA games this season — six for the Clippers and one for the Nets. The 24-year-old didn’t play at all during his most recent 10-day deal with New Orleans, but appeared in 21 games for the Pelicans last season. Overall, he has 58 career NBA appearances.
Los Angeles has Mason Jones and Sekou Doumbouya on two-way deals, so one of those players must be waived to make room for Gabriel.
Lakers Rumors: Westbrook, Hield, LeBron, Davis, Pelinka, Jordan
Last summer, the Lakers appeared to be on the verge of a deal with the Kings for Buddy Hield before pivoting and acquiring Russell Westbrook from Washington. Westbrook’s stint in Los Angeles hasn’t worked out like the Lakers have hoped, which apparently prompted the team to see if it could get a do-over of sorts on that offseason decision.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, sources say that one Westbrook trade idea the Lakers discussed earlier in the season would’ve involved Hield coming to Los Angeles. Obviously, that idea didn’t get off the ground — Westbrook ultimately remained in L.A. through the deadline, while Hield was sent to Indiana in a six-player blockbuster.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- As we relayed on Thursday, Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said he had conversations with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading up to the trade deadline, suggesting there was “alignment” with the stars on the team’s decision to stand pat. However, a source familiar with James’ and Davis’ thinking who spoke to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin disputed that characterization. “Totally false,” that source told McMenamin (video link; hat tip to RealGM). “There was no conversation between Rob Pelinka, LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Thursday. There was no go-ahead of an OK to have inaction at the deadline.”
- In a column on the Lakers’ trade deadline activity, Bill Oram of The Athletic suggests that rival teams may be leery of engaging in discussions with Pelinka due to his decision to pull out of what the Kings viewed as a trade agreement for Hield last summer.
- As the Lakers peruse the buyout market in search of a player who could improve their roster, center DeAndre Jordan appears to be the most likely candidate to be waived, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Jordan is out of the team’s regular rotation and isn’t a fit with the Lakers’ “small-ball ethos,” Buha explains.
Lakers Notes: Trent, Jordan, Bazemore, Monk, Westbrook
As part of their due diligence exploring the trade market, the Lakers have expressed interest in Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr., league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Lakers could theoretically put together an offer for Trent, who is earning $16MM, using Talen Horton-Tucker as the primary salary-matching piece. However, there has been no indication that the Raptors want to move on from the former Duke standout, who is one of Toronto’s most-used players (32 starts, 34.0 MPG), most reliable three-point shooters (.368 3PT%), and most active defenders (1.9 steals and 3.5 deflections per game).
Scotto acknowledges that a deal between the two teams appears unlikely for the time being.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Scotto also confirmed on the latest HoopsHype Podcast that the Lakers have made DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore available, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported last week. According to Scotto, the Lakers aren’t interested in attaching a draft pick to move either player, so they’d likely need to use cash to grease the wheels if teams aren’t interested in Jordan or Bazemore on their own. Los Angeles can still trade up to $4,435,000 in cash during the 2021/22 league year.
- Malik Monk has been a bright spot for an up-and-down Lakers team recently, averaging 20.0 PPG on .523/.475/.900 shooting in his last eight games. However, the better he plays, the more challenging it will be for L.A. to bring him back. As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report outlines, unless they dip into their mid-level exception, the Lakers will be limited to offering Monk a Non-Bird raise of just 20% more than his minimum salary when he hits free agency.
- Like teammate Carmelo Anthony has done in recent years, Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has been asked to accept a lower-usage role this season and is still adjusting to it, writes Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group. Westbrook’s 27.9% usage rate would be high for most players, but it’s the first time since 2009/10 that he’s registered a number below 30%.
Lakers Trying To Trade DeAndre Jordan, Kent Bazemore
After opening one roster spot this week by trading Rajon Rondo to Cleveland, the Lakers are hoping to make similar moves involving DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (Twitter link).
L.A. wouldn’t be looking for players in return, Windhorst adds, as the team wants to create roster flexibility to add talent on the buyout market. Stanley Johnson, who received a 10-day contract earlier today, is expected to fill the slot vacated by Rondo.
Jordan has started 18 games this season, but he recently fell out of the rotation and hasn’t been used in the team’s last six games. He signed with the Lakers in September after reaching a buyout with the Pistons following a trade from the Nets. His $2,641,691 salary ($1,669,178 cap hit) is fully guaranteed and the team would prefer to trade him rather than waive him because of luxury tax concerns.
The Lakers have begun using a smaller, more versatile lineup with LeBron James starting at center. With Anthony Davis possibly returning later this month from an MCL sprain, there’s not much of a future for Jordan in L.A. The 33-year-old is averaging 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds this season while shooting 67.5% from the field.
The Lakers have also explored the trade market for Bazemore, according to Windhorst. The 32-year-old forward started 14 games earlier in the season, but has also been pulled from the rotation and has made just one six-minute appearance since December 17. Bazemore started 14 of the 22 games he has played and averages 4.3 PPG and 1.8 RPG.
Lakers Notes: Davis, Thomas, Westbrook, Ariza
Lakers forward Anthony Davis suffered a left knee injury in the team’s 110-92 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday and he’ll undergo an MRI today after the team flies to Chicago, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“So far all is in good structure, but (we) want to take another image,” a source familiar with the injury told McMenamin.
Davis had already been dealing with soreness in the same knee. He underwent an ultrasound on Monday and was examined by the Timberwolves’ team doctor after Friday’s game. Officially, the Lakers are calling Davis’ injury a knee contusion. He struggled to make it to the locker room, collapsing to the ground in pain going through the tunnel.
We have more on the Lakers:
- Isaiah Thomas made a heartwarming return to the NBA after signing a 10-day contract via the hardship exemption. He scored 19 points and received an ovation from the Minnesota crowd when he entered. Thomas expressed gratitude and said he feels healthy, McMenamin tweets. “I just never thought I would feel this way again,” he said. “Like, I have no limitations with my body, with my hip and that’s why I just smile so much because I’m in a great place mentally and I’m in a great place physically.”
- It’s unlikely that Thomas will wind up remaining on the 15-man roster, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. The team would likely have waive Avery Bradley or shed the guaranteed contract of Rajon Rondo or DeAndre Jordan to make that happen.
- Russell Westbrook had 14 points in 29 minutes on Friday. He entered health and safety protocols briefly but didn’t miss any games after producing multiple negative tests. Westbrook had three negative tests after testing positive, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. He arrived in Minneapolis in mid-afternoon from Dallas, where Los Angeles played its previous game.
- Trevor Ariza was in uniform on Friday but was the only player on the active list to record a DNP. The team will ease the veteran forward back into action, Bill Oram of The Athletic tweets. Ariza has yet to make his season debut after undergoing ankle surgery.