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Atlantic Notes: Noel, Brown, Tatum, Fournier, Trent

May 3rd, 2021 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks moved closer to securing a guaranteed playoff spot in the East with their win over Houston on Sunday, but it may have come at a cost. Veteran big man Nerlens Noel left the game after suffering an ankle injury in the third quarter and didn’t return.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who notes that Noel was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain, X-rays on that ankle were negative. While that’s good news for the Knicks and their starting center, he’ll undergo further evaluation on Monday to determine the severity of the injury and a potential timeline for his return.

If Noel is forced to miss time, the Knicks – already missing Mitchell Robinson – will have to lean more heavily on Taj Gibson and Norvel Pelle at the center spot.

Here are a few more notes from around the Atlantic:

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown limped off the court favoring his right leg after colliding with teammate Jayson Tatum late in Sunday’s loss to Portland, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Both players headed to the locker room after the collision, though Tatum said after the game that he felt OK. Brown’s status isn’t yet known.
Celtics wing Evan Fournier has been back for six games after dealing with COVID-19 and scored 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting on Sunday. However, he told reporters he’s still feeling the aftereffects of the virus. “I feel like I have a concussion,” Fournier said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Right now, it’s actually doing a little bit better. But at first, the bright lights were bothering my eyes, my vision was blurry, and everything was going too fast for me. … My depth perception is really bad right now, but I saw a specialist and she gave me some exercises, and hopefully I can get better.”
As Blake Murphy of The Athletic notes, Raptors swingman Gary Trent Jr., who has missed the last five games with a leg injury, is just one start (or 57 minutes played) away from meeting the starter criteria, which would increase the value of his qualifying offer and cap hold. While it may just be a coincidence based on which Raptors were available, it’s worth noting that Trent came off the bench in his last two healthy games after starting his first eight with the team. Toronto would gain a little extra cap flexibility this offseason if Trent falls short of meeting the starter criteria.

Atlantic Notes: Rose, Thibodeau, Johnson, Injuries, Fournier

April 24th, 2021 at 10:14am CST by marksuleymanov

Tom Thibodeau joined the Knicks this past offseason with a strong reputation despite unceremonious exits during his last two stops with the Bulls and Timberwolves, and has helped New York exceed expectations, putting the club on the cusp of a postseason appearance.

One player who has been with Thibodeau for a while is Derrick Rose, who enjoyed his best years with Thibs in Chicago, joined him briefly in Minnesota, and is now a key depth piece for the Knicks. In Rose’s view, Thibodeau, a top contender for Coach of the Year, has only improved, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes.

“It shows that he’s improved as a coach. He’s already a great coach, but every year he’s improving and adjusting,” Rose said. “That’s the big difference that I see with him this year. He’s giving guys more freedom to go out there and play the way they want. He’s being positive on the court.”

The Knicks own a record of 33-27 record entering play Saturday, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

Year after year, the Knicks seemingly found new ways to become a laughingstock of the NBA through poor hires, questionable signings and head-scratching trades. This season, however, the club has played well behind some shrewd acquisitions and the hiring of a good coach, and is trending in the right direction, Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill writes.
The Nets believe Kevin Durant is close to returning but it’s unclear when that will happen, according to head coach Steve Nash. “I think he’s close, but I don’t think he’s there,” Nash said, per NetsDaily. “We’ll see tomorrow and Sunday if that’s a possibility. But it may not. It may bleed back into this road trip.” Nash added that guard Tyler Johnson, who has missed 10 straight games, is close to a return too.
The Nets are also currently without recent signee Alize Johnson as he is sidelined due to health and safety protocols, per ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter link). Brooklyn recently inked Johnson to a multiyear deal after he signed a pair of 10-day deals.
Celtics trade deadline acquisition Evan Fournier returned to the court on Friday in Brooklyn after missing nine games due to COVID-19. Fournier detailed his symptoms and noted he needs time to ramp up back into shape, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. “My experience — where do I start? The first two days I was doing great, no symptoms at all, and then flu-like symptoms, high fever, really tired, fatigue, all that,” Fournier said. “I honestly stayed in bed and slept for four or five days. The roughest part was ramping up the activity. The last two days of practice was really hard. I had moments where I was doing good and moments where I was exhausted.”

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Durant, Dinwiddie, Green, Pelle

April 23rd, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Coming off a nice win over Phoenix on Thursday, the Celtics are set to play the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday, and both teams are a little banged up.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said during a radio appearance on Toucher and Rich on Thursday that Jaylen Brown, who is dealing with shoulder bursitis, is sore, but should be good to go “in the next few days” (Twitter link via Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston).

Meanwhile, Evan Fournier (health and safety protocols) is going through a ramping-up process and could return to game action as soon as this weekend, per Ainge. The Celtics’ president also said that Robert Williams (knee) is “not too far away.”

Nets star Kevin Durant, who has missed two games with a left thigh contusion, is listed as questionable on the club’s latest injury report and could be available to play on Friday vs. the Celtics, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. If not tonight, Durant looks like a good bet to be back on Sunday against Phoenix.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who suffered a partially torn ACL early in the 2020/21 season, continues to say that he has a realistic chance of returning during the postseason, as Diamond Leung of The Athletic tweets. While that seemed unlikely at one point, there’s an increasing feeling among league sources that Dinwiddie could return before Brooklyn’s season is over, Lewis writes for The New York Post.
Danny Green‘s inclusion in a potential deal for Kyle Lowry at last month’s trade deadline didn’t make or break those talks, but the Sixers value Green as far more than just an expiring contract and were only willing to attach so many additional assets to him in their offer for Lowry, Zach Lowe of ESPN writes in a look at what Green brings to Philadelphia.
Bobby Marks of ESPN has the details on Norvel Pelle‘s new three-year contract with the Knicks, tweeting that Pelle received $500K this season (about double his minimum). The second and third years are non-guaranteed, with a team option on that third year. That option would allow the Knicks to make Pelle a restricted free agent in the summer of 2022 if they so choose.
In case you missed it, we rounded up a handful of Raptors-related notes on Thursday evening.

Celtics Notes: Parker, Injuries, Fournier, Stevens

April 18th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Jabari Parker looked comfortable Saturday night in his new role with the Celtics, writes Sean T. McGuire of NESN. Playing in his first game since joining the team, Parker scored 11 points in 16 minutes and was on the court for several crucial possessions in a win over the Warriors.

The output was more than he scored all season with the Kings before being waived last month. The second overall pick in the 2014 draft, Parker is only 26 and now has an opportunity to establish himself as a scorer off the bench in Boston. His new contract has two guarantee dates for next season if he can stay on the roster.

“We just told him to go out there and play as hard as he can everything else will fall in,” Marcus Smart said. “He did very well. We were definitely ecstatic with the way that he came out, not really knowing the system and just playing basketball, being a basketball player. So, once he gets more involved into the plays and learning everything else will kind of mesh in well. But for his first time out there, he played very well, and we’re proud of him.”

There’s more from Boston:

With six straight wins and a healthier roster, the Celtics look like a threat to the top teams in the East, states Mark Medina of USA Today. Injuries and illness have forced the team to go through long stretches without Smart, Kemba Walker and Tristan Thompson, but all three are contributing as the team heads into the final four weeks of the regular season. “The No. 1 reason for our little run is we’ve been, for the most part, healthier,” coach Brad Stevens said. “We just missed lot of guys earlier. I know that sounds like an excuse. I hope it doesn’t. But we tried to stay afloat as well as we could and hope we get to a time where we’re a little bit healthier and put together some weeks of good basketball.”
Boston could get another boost this week with the return of Evan Fournier, who has been in the league’s health and safety protocols and hasn’t played since April 4, Medina adds. The Celtics acquired Fournier at the trade deadline to provide another scorer, but he only appeared in four games before entering the protocols.
Indiana University would have offered Stevens a seven-year, $70MM contract to take over as head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link from Charlie Clifford of WISH-TV in Indianapolis). Stevens said last month that he has no intention of returning to college basketball.

Atlantic Notes: Thompson, Fournier, Johnson, Shamet, Hill

April 10th, 2021 at 11:54am CST by marksuleymanov

After missing nearly a month due to a positive COVID-19 test, Celtics big man Tristan Thompson returned earlier this week, a welcome sight for a Boston team struggling to play consistently. However, Thompson detailed a difficult battle with the virus while he was away from the team.

“That s–t’s no joke,” Thompson told reporters, including Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link). “That was a battle. I had all the symptoms except losing my taste and smell, so at least I could enjoy my food.”

Thompson, 30, has appeared in 38 games (31 starts) in his first season with the Celtics, averaging 7.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG. While his production is down, Boston is happy to have some size back in the frontcourt, especially given Thompson’s postseason experience. In the meantime, Thompson is looking forward to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“…I’m definitely going to get the vaccine as soon as I can get it,” Thompson said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).

Check out more news and notes from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens announced that trade deadline acquisition Evan Fournier will not travel with the team during its upcoming road trip, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). Fournier has appeared in four games for the Celtics since being shipped to Boston, averaging 11.5 PPG off the bench, but is currently sidelined due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Alize Johnson‘s second 10-day pact with the Nets is ending this Sunday and it remains to be seen what the team does with him. Johnson said he wants to keep showing the club “that I belong and I wanna be here,” per NetsDaily. Brian Lewis of the New York Post breaks down the Nets’ upcoming decision on whether or not to keep Johnson.
After missing a series of games due to an ankle injury, Landry Shamet is expected to return for the Nets on Saturday, Lewis writes in a separate story. Brooklyn has dealt with a series of injuries but are slowly seeing players return, including Kevin Durant after a two-month absence.
While it remains unclear when it will happen, Sixers guard George Hill, whom the team acquired at the trade deadline, expects to return this season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter link). “No one knows the timetable yet,” Hill said. “But I will be back this season for sure. I will be back before playoffs for sure.”

Atlantic Notes: Henson, Hill, Fournier, Maxey

April 6th, 2021 at 7:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

It doesn’t sound as if Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau expects the team’s latest addition, big man John Henson, to crack the center rotation, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“The John Henson signing was just insurance,” Thibodeau said. “Felt we wanted to get a look at both [Henson and fellow recently-added big man Norvel Pelle). We had a roster spot available and that’s what we chose to do with it. I like the idea of it.”

With center Mitchell Robinson out indefinitely after undergoing a surgery to address a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot last month, the team still expects to lean on veteran big men Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson to soak up most of the minutes at center.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers acknowledged that he does not know when new addition George Hill will make his Philadelphia debut, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic. The veteran point guard is still recovering from a February thumb surgery. “I can’t see it anytime soon,” Rivers said. “I had that same injury. That’s not anything you mess around with. Just one whack, you may not get injured, but the pain is excruciating because the nerves are so raw. So we’re gonna try to be as tentative as possible with his injury.”
New Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier will likely miss Boston’s games for the rest of the week as he remains in the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. “We hope that it’s as little time as possible but (it’s) still part of what you have to get used to this year,” Boston head coach Brad Stevens said during an interview with Boston FM radio program Zolak and Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub, as recapped by Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link).
After missing one game due to the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, first-year Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey has been cleared to return to the court, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Maxey, the No. 21 pick out of Kentucky in the 2020 NBA draft, has shown plenty of promise across a limited 14.9 MPG, averaging 7.4 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.6 APG in 42 appearances.

Atlantic Notes: Aldridge, Ujiri, Fournier, Powell

March 31st, 2021 at 7:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets just added former seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge to their gallery of decorated vets, prompting Alex Schiffer of The Athletic to examine how the power forward/center can fit on such a deep roster — especially one with a suddenly-crowded frontcourt. Aldridge figures to serve as a floor-stretching small ball center and a competent defender around the basket.

Meanwhile, Kevin Pelton of ESPN details why Aldridge may not be such a smooth fit on a club that may struggle to parse out minutes effectively among veterans like Aldridge, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, plus ascendant young big man Nicolas Claxton and even switchable forwards Kevin Durant and Joe Harris.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Raptors team president Masai Ujiri has made plenty of incredible moves during his tenure with the club, but his failure to improve the team’s center rotation this season has to be considered one of his biggest oversights, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. After losing big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol to star-studded Los Angeles teams in the 2020 offseason, Ujiri signed Aron Baynes and Alex Len as their primary replacements. The Raptors cut Len in January (he has since proved productive in a limited role with the Wizards), and have had trouble scoring with Baynes on the floor.
Ahead of his arrival in Boston, new Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier had a false positive COVID-19 test, according to Tom Westerholm of Boston.com. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Fournier has remained relatively mum when it comes to addressing his future with the Celtics. “My focus right now is just to learn the plays, learn how to play with my teammate[s], and win games,” Fournier said. ” I like to stay in the present, stay in the moment.” Fournier is currently on an expiring $17.5MM contract.
Trail Blazers shooting guard Norman Powell, a longtime Raptors fixture, penned an emotional goodbye to Toronto in the Players’ Tribune. “I kept it together for a while,” Powell said of hearing about the deal. “And then I saw Jama Mahlalela. Jama is one of our assistant coaches, and he was also my very first coach when I got to Toronto. He’s known me literally since Summer League, and I’ve spent a lot of time working with him super closely. And he came in to give me a hug, and, man … I just heard it in his voice… and that was it. After that, it was a wrap. It was straight-up waterworks. I started breaking down crying … all the memories that I’d been holding back for those last couple of days, they came rushing back in.”

Fischer’s Latest: Mavs, Fournier, Rockets, Drummond, Gasol

March 30th, 2021 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks ended up making just one relatively modest move at the trade deadline, acquiring J.J. Redick and Nicolo Melli in a trade with New Orleans. However, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, that deal may have been a fail-safe option for Dallas as the team explored other options leading up to last Thursday afternoon.

As Fischer explains, the Mavericks also explored a trade that would have sent James Johnson and two second-round pick to Orlando in a package for Evan Fournier. The Magic ultimately chose a similar offer from Boston that allowed them to create a $17MM+ trade exception instead of taking back a matching salary like Johnson’s.

The Mavericks also spoke to the Rockets about Victor Oladipo, sources tell Fischer, but those talks didn’t gain momentum.

Here’s more from Fischer:

During the James Harden trade talks earlier in the year, the Rockets never projected much interest in hanging onto Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert as part of that deal, Fischer says. Houston didn’t view Allen as a long-term frontcourt fit alongside Christian Wood and wanted to roll the dice on Oladipo recapturing his All-NBA form, a gamble that didn’t work out.
Fischer lists the Raptors, Bulls, Mavericks, Clippers, Celtics, Heat, Hornets, Nets, Knicks, and Lakers as teams that showed some level of interest in Cavaliers center Andre Drummond before he was bought out, but none of those clubs could ultimately put together a package that matched the big man’s $28.75MM salary and also appealed to Cleveland. After he was bought out, Drummond was intrigued by the Celtics and spoke to Boston point guard (and fellow UConn alum) Kemba Walker, but ultimately decided to sign with the Lakers.
With Drummond now in Los Angeles, some executives are wondering whether the Lakers will consider buying out Marc Gasol, per Fischer. “When they get fully healthy, it’s gonna be a logjam,” one assistant GM said, referring to a frontcourt that also features big men Anthony Davis and Montrezl Harrell, along with power forwards LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. It’s worth noting Gasol has a second guaranteed year on his contract, though it’s only worth the minimum.

Evan Fournier Cleared To Make Celtics Debut

March 29th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

Newly-acquired Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier has been cleared to play for his new team after having his debut delayed by the NBA’s health and safety protocols over the weekend, the club announced today (via Twitter). Fournier will be available on Monday vs. New Orleans.

Players are typically held in the protocols for one week when they’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and at least two weeks when they test positive themselves. The fact that Fournier was cleared so quickly suggests neither of those scenarios apply to him.

Fournier has averaged a career-high 19.7 PPG and 3.7 APG on .461/.388/.797 shooting in 26 games (30.3 MPG) so far this season. The Magic sent him to Boston last Thursday in a trade that netted them a pair of second-round picks and a $17MM+ trade exception.

Fournier will get the opportunity to inject some added scoring and play-making into Boston’s offense and to make a case for a longer-term deal with the club. The 28-year-old is on track to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Monday night will also be the first time that the Celtics host fans in TD Garden this season, having been approved to fill the arena to 12% of its overall capacity.

Atlantic Notes: Hood, Dinwiddie, Raptors, Fournier

March 28th, 2021 at 4:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Raptors shooting guard Rodney Hood is hoping to revive his career with Toronto, as Steven Loung of Sportsnet details. Hood has struggled to establish consistency since returning from a torn left Achilles tendon in December.

“Yeah, it’s been tough this year just trying to work my way back and get healthier,” Hood said as he took stock of his addition to the Raptors. “Obviously this is another stepping stone to get traded but I feel myself getting healthier, I feel like towards the end of the season I’ll be a little more back to myself but I’ve got to take time and that’s been the frustrating part about it, but I’m excited about where I’m headed.”

The Raptors have a $10.8MM team option on Hood, and while it seems likely to be turned down, his performance in Tampa down the home stretch of the season could make the team think twice.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Nets reserve combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie still believes he can play this season, according to a Twitter conversation captured by Net Income of Nets Daily. Dinwiddie continues to recuperate from a partially torn ACL incurred in December. The 6’6″ guard, who has a $12.3MM player option for the 2021/22 season, is currently rehabilitating at Phenom Sports Performance in Westlake Village, California.
Toronto head coach Nick Nurse noted that the Raptors are hoping to add a big through the buyout market, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Though LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Drummond and Gorgui Dieng are already off the board, Kelly Olynyk and Khem Birch could be intriguing options if their teams part with them.
The Celtics are set to net a $450K tax credit due to new shooting guard Evan Fournier not qualifying for three bonuses in his current deal, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.