Kyler’s Latest: Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies, Magic
The Lakers and Mavericks both currently sit comfortably in the lottery, with little chance of making a run at a playoff spot this season. Still, there’s a sense in NBA circles that the two teams could be logical trade partners, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
Kyler cautions that there have been zero talks between the Lakers and Mavericks about a potential Luol Deng trade, but he suggests that if any team is willing to roll the dice on Deng and his exorbitant contract, Dallas might be that team. The Mavericks have some expiring contracts that would appeal to L.A., and if the Lakers attached Julius Randle and a future draft pick to Deng, that could pique the Mavs’ interest, Kyler writes.
Of course, within the last month, we’ve heard that the Lakers aren’t interested in parting with future first-round picks in order to move Deng, and a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the club had essentially given up hope of another team taking on the veteran forward’s unwieldy contract. So even if the Mavericks represent the best potential fit, the odds of a deal remain slim.
Kyler’s latest piece for Basketball Insiders includes several other items of interest on a handful of lottery teams, so let’s round up a few highlights…
- The Grizzlies are unlikely to make any franchise-altering moves before next month’s trade deadline, which means Marc Gasol probably isn’t going anywhere. Still, they’re a team worth watching, according to Kyler, who points to Tyreke Evans as a potential Memphis trade candidate.
- The “dream scenario” for the Magic would be to move Bismack Biyombo before the deadline, but they’re highly unlikely to find a taker for that contract. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier may also emerge as trade chips, but Aaron Gordon almost certainly isn’t going anywhere — the “prevailing thought” is that he’ll be retained by Orlando as a restricted free agent this summer, says Kyler.
- The Hawks appear open to listening to inquiries on Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore, but their current asking prices are probably too high to work anything out, reports Kyler.
Injury Updates: Bradley, Fournier, Hardaway
Pistons guard Avery Bradley, who has missed the club’s last two games, will remain sidelined for at least a few more contests, the team confirmed today. Speaking to reporters, including Rod Beard of The Detroit News, head coach Stan Van Gundy announced that Bradley will be “shut down for at least a week,” then will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
“It’s going to take some time,” said Van Gundy, who doubles as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations. “But he’ll basically do nothing for the next seven days and see where he is and whether we’re starting him back or not.”
As Detroit waits on Bradley’s return, let’s round up a few more injury-related notes and updates:
- Magic guard Evan Fournier, who has missed nearly two weeks with an ankle sprain, participated in the non-contact portion of Orlando’s practice today, per Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). Fournier is nearing a return, but it probably won’t happen on Wednesday.
- Knicks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. was reevaluated today, but there’s still no set timetable for his return. According to the club (Twitter link), Hardaway will advance his rehab and court work, and will be evaluated again next week.
- Antonius Cleveland, who had been on a two-way contract with the Mavericks, was waived today after suffering a left ankle injury on Monday. According to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link), Cleveland will require surgery on that ankle. Still, the news isn’t all bad for the rookie swingman — he’ll rehab at the Mavs’ facilities, he will continue to be paid by the team until he gets healthy, and he’s a candidate to rejoin the club at some point, per head coach Rick Carlisle.
- As we passed along earlier today, Lakers center Brook Lopez is expected to be sidelined for at least the next three weeks.
Southeast Notes: Batum, Fournier, Graham
If you’re wondering why Nicolas Batum hasn’t been his regular self for the Hornets since returning to the court, it’s because of lingering pain associated with the torn tendon in his left elbow, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes.
Batum elected to forego potential season-ending injury in October when a specialist said that it would be possible to recover through rehabilitation. Batum returned to the Hornets after six weeks. In the 12 starts since, he’s averaged 10.1 points on 37% shooting from the field and just 22% from downtown. Last year, in contrast, he averaged 15.1 on 40% and 33%.
“Since I got back, I’ve not been 100 percent yet. Not even close to 100 percent. It’s always there. Every contact: I grab someone, or someone grabs me, or someone hits me,” the versatile Hornets forward said. “I get [pain] every game.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:
- The Magic are creeping toward a playoff spot but George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel says that’s not exactly a good thing. The scribe notes that the team has shown signs of relative competence but also mediocrity, the latter a one-way ticket to the dreaded middle-ground between success and actually landing a top lottery pick.
- Plenty has gone wrong for the Hornets this season but the club has reason to be optimistic about Treveon Graham, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The versatile wing, who can slide into a forward spot if necessary, could have an impact on how the team handles the coming few, injury-plagued weeks.
- An MRI has revealed that Evan Fournier‘s ankle is sprained. The Magic guard hasn’t played since Wednesday, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes, but he considers himself to be day-to-day.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Howard, Fournier
James Johnson and Dion Waiters were among the players that helped kick-start – and sustain – the Heat‘s 30-11 second half run, but both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason. Johnson and Waiters combined to earn less than $7MM in 2016/17, and with both players in line for sizable raises, Heat owner Micky Arison seems ready to pay up to retain them. As Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald details, Arison published an Instagram photo this weekend that shows him posing with Johnson and Waiters. The caption? “The @miamiheat future looks very bright.”
Of course, an Instagram photo in April doesn’t mean that Johnson and Waiters are guaranteed to re-sign with the Heat in July. Team president Pat Riley will have a major role in that decision, and many teams with cap room could make things difficult for Miami.
Here are a few more notes from around the Southeast:
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at the Heat‘s roster from players one through 15, attempting to determine which guys the team will prioritize this summer. In Winderman’s view, Miami should try to re-sign Waiters, but Johnson should be the priority if the team has to decide between the two.
- Hawks center Dwight Howard, who was previously represented by Perry Rogers, has signed with ASM Sports and will be repped by agent Andy Miller going forward, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Howard remains under contract with Atlanta for two more years after this season, so he won’t be signing a new deal anytime soon.
- Hornets forward Nicolas Batum has already said he won’t play for France in this year’s Eurobasket tournament, but Magic guard Evan Fournier hasn’t ruled out the possibility. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando notes, Fournier told L’Equipe this week that, while he’s not retiring internationally, he’ll visit a wrist specialist soon and will make a decision on his summer after that.
Jodie Meeks Out Indefinitely With Thumb Injury
JANUARY 25: After the Magic conducted a follow-up exam on Meeks’ injury, the team determined that surgery was necessary, according to a press release. GM Rob Hennigan announced that Meeks underwent that procedure on Tuesday and will be sidelined indefinitely — his return will depend on how he responds to rehab, per the team.
JANUARY 19: Magic shooting guard Jodie Meeks will be out an estimated 4-to-6 weeks after an MRI revealed two sprained ligaments in his right thumb, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. He will not need surgery, Robbins adds.
Meeks suffered the injury in a 118-98 loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday.
This is another injury setback for Meeks, who has been sidelined by a variety of ailments in recent seasons. Signed by the Pistons to a three-year, $18.8MM contract prior to the 2014/15 season, Meeks missed the first 22 games of that campaign because of a back injury. Last season, he fractured his right foot in the second game of the season and wound up making just one appearance the rest of the way.
The Magic acquired Meeks in June for a conditional second-round pick. He underwent foot surgery the following month, delaying his Magic debut until December 2nd.
Meeks, who earned nine starts in recent weeks, is averaging 8.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24 games. He has given Orlando a boost on the perimeter, making 40.4% of his 3-point attempts. Meeks is one of the league’s premier spot-up shooters when healthy, as his 37.5% career average from long range attests.
Orlando’s other top option at shooting guard, Evan Fournier, is dealing with heel and foot issues. Meeks’ injury could lead to additional playing time for 2015 lottery pick Mario Hezonja. C.J. Wilcox could also be in the mix.
Magic Notes: Fournier, Hardaway, Gordon
Fifth-year guard Evan Fournier has spent the past week and a half recovering from a foot injury that he believes he may have made worse by attempting to rush back too early, writes John Denton of the Magic’s official website.
“It’s a fine line and [Fournier’s desire to return] probably does work against him,” Magic head coach Frank Vogel said. “We want this to be put behind him. We don’t want him to play a couple and then have to sit another two weeks, play a couple and have to sit. Hopefully when we get him back this time it’s behind him.”
In 36 games for the Magic, Fournier has led the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game. Over the summer, Fournier signed a five-year, $85MM deal.
There’s more out of Orlando:
- After signing a 10-day contract with the Magic, Anthony Brown expects to bring energy and floor spacing to the frontcourt heavy roster. Brown spoke with Basketball Insiders on Sunday.
- Former Magic star Penny Hardaway wishes he never left Orlando, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Hardaway was honored by the team on Friday night and inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame. “Every time I watch the footage, man, I just get tears in my eyes because there’s always that what if if we would have all stayed together,” Hardaway said. Earlier this month the trade that sent Penny Hardaway to the Suns was featured in Hoops Rumors Retro piece.
- The Magic added frontcourt help over the summer that significantly impacted Aaron Gordon, writes Dylan Hughes of 16 Wins A Ring, but the third-year forward has thrived this year at small forward. Hughes cites Gordon’s improved three-point shot as one of the biggest reasons he’s been able to play well out of position, but says that the dunk contest runner-up would benefit from being able to play his own position as Jabari Parker has with the Bucks.
Southeast Notes: Payton, Fournier, Waiters, White
Magic point guard Elfrid Payton may have played well enough to win his starting job back, according to John Denton of NBA.com. Payton was among three players demoted when coach Frank Vogel changed the starting lineup November 27th. But Payton has raised his scoring average, assist totals and shooting percentages since the move, and Vogel is thinking about making him a starter again. “He’s competing and it’s my job to figure out if it’s best to keep him where he is and where he’s having success or to move him back in the starting lineup,’’ Vogel said. “I’m sure that we’ll probably look at that [starting him] at some point. I’d like to see him do this over a consistent stretch and I still might keep him where he is because he’s having success there. It’s just one of the things that I’m monitoring game to game.’’
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic have been without leading scorer Evan Fournier since Thursday because of a bruised right heel, Denton notes in the same story. Fournier has been trying ice, massages and stimulation to ease the pain on the heel, but he was forced to miss another game tonight. “It’s definitely getting better, but one of the bad things about the NBA is that when you have so many games and it takes a week or so, in that time you have three games,’’ he said.
- Heat guard Dion Waiters may find his playing time limited when he returns from a groin injury, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Waiters’ isolation game was useful when the team was shorthanded, but Winderman states that ball movement is now being emphasized and the development of Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson at the wing spots is key to the team’s future. Waiters is considered very likely to opt out of the second season of his contract, and Winderman believes Miami may trade him before he can make that decision.
- The Heat should consider unloading Luke Babbitt or Derrick Williams to make room for a younger prospect at power forward, Winderman suggests in the same piece. One possibility is Okaro White, who was cut by Miami in training camp and currently plays for the team’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls.
Players With Incentive Bonuses For 2016/17
According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical, there are 33 players around the NBA who can potentially earn incentive bonuses this season based on their own durability or performance, or based on how their team performs. Although Marks doesn’t identify all 33 players who have incentives included in their 2016/17 contracts, he discusses over half of them, passing along a number of interesting tidbits about those potential bonuses. Here are some of the highlights:
Minutes/games played bonuses:
NBA bonuses are deemed either “likely” or “unlikely,” using the previous season’s statistics as a benchmark, so if a player didn’t appear in many games during the previous year, a team can include a games-played benchmark and call it an unlikely incentive. For instance, John Henson‘s contract with the Bucks features incentives if he plays 60 games or 75 games this season. He appeared in just 57 contests in 2015/16, so neither of those marks is viewed as likely.
Miles Plumlee (Bucks), Luis Scola (Nets), Greivis Vasquez (Nets), and Deron Williams (Mavericks) are among the other players who have incentives in their deals for games played or started.
Individual statistic bonuses:
The Trail Blazers got creative with Maurice Harkless‘ new contract this summer, including an incentive bonus in the deal that can be triggered based if he keeps his three-point percentage above a certain level. Jeremy Lin, meanwhile, not only has a three-point percentage incentive, but also has bonuses linked to assists, turnovers, and threes and free throws attempted per 36 minutes.
Individual achievement bonuses:
Players like Bismack Biyombo (Magic), Evan Fournier (Magic), and Will Barton (Nuggets) have incentives related to their individual performances as well, but they’re related to awards and honors, rather than raw statistics. Biyombo gets a bonus if he makes the NBA’s All-Defensive team, Fournier gets some extra money for an All-Star appearance, and Barton would get $250K if he wins the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Of course, some of these incentives are more realistic than others. For instance, Thaddeus Young (Pacers) probably shouldn’t be counting on the $500K incentive bonus that he’d earn if he wins the league’s MVP award.
Team performance bonuses:
Several players, including Fournier, Jon Leuer (Pistons), and Joe Ingles (Jazz) have bonuses related to their teams making the playoffs. Many of those postseason incentives are tied to another condition. For example, for Taj Gibson to earn his bonus from the Bulls, he must appear in at least 60 games, play in at least 75% of Chicago’s playoff games, and average 25 or more minutes per game during the regular season.
Some players also have incentives linked to their teams’ win total, and once again, some are more attainable than others. For example, Nikola Mirotic could earn an extra $800K, but he’d need the Bulls to win 65+ games, so there’s a good chance his shot at that bonus will disappear about halfway through the season.
Be sure to check out the full breakdown from Marks for many more details on players who could earn incentive bonuses in 2016/17.
Eastern Notes: Fournier, Noah, Johnson
When the Knicks and the Bulls square off tonight, it will mark the first time Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose will play in Chicago since departing the franchise over the summer. Both players have expressed their happiness to be in New York this season and Noah agreed with his former team’s decision to break up its longtime core, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “I think it was time for change,” Noah said. “There’s no question about that. It seems like this is a happy group, enjoy being around one another. That’s good. That’s what it’s all about, that’s how it should be.”
The center touched upon the 2015/16 season, which was a frustrating one for the player all around, Begley adds. “I look back on it, I was definitely frustrated,” Noah said. “There was definitely a lot of adversity going on there. I can look back at it and see where things went wrong. It’s not about blaming one person. Everybody in that locker room is good people. It’s just [expletive] happens. It’s a locker room. At the end of the day the things I remember the most are good memories from everybody. I have no hard feelings towards anybody.”
Here’s more from the East:
- Cavs shooting guard J.R. Smith noted that during his prolonged free agency this offseason he played a round of golf with Celtics executive Danny Ainge, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. Despite Boston having interest in potentially signing the veteran scorer, Smith said their chatter was mostly golf-related, Forberg adds. “We talked about [Smith’s free-agent status], but mainly we kept it to golf and stuff like that,” Smith said. “I told him I would let my agent handle all of that stuff. So it was great to play golf with him.” Boston ultimately signed Gerald Green to a one-year, minimum salary deal to fill out the team’s wing rotation.
- Evan Fournier, who signed a five-year, $85MM deal this summer to remain with the Magic, says the contract isn’t making him feel added pressure to perform this season, notes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. “When I start the game, I’m not like, ‘If I don’t score 25, we’re not going to win the game.’ I want to be aggressive, of course, because when I’m aggressive and can create a little more. It’s good for the team,” Fournier told the scribe. “The contract didn’t change anything. The biggest difference is playing the 2 [shooting guard] and not the 3 [small forward]. That’s the biggest difference.”
- Second-year player Stanley Johnson is struggling thus far this campaign and the Pistons‘ coaching staff is trying to position the swingman to adapt to being an all-around player with one strength first — then progressing to other areas, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “He has been a primary scorer his whole life and it’s tough for him to not play that way,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “Right now, that’s not the best way to play. I’m not trying to hold the guy back or limit him. What I’ve tried to point out to him is his development. The guy I’ve tried to use as an example with him who came in the league the same way is Jimmy Butler.”
Magic Notes: Fournier, Biyombo, Ibaka
Evan Fournier has been one of the best players in training camp so far and the Magic are expecting big things from their $85MM investment, John Denton of NBA.com writes. Fournier should see an expanded role this season as a result of the Victor Oladipo trade and the 23-year-old is ecstatic about the opportunity. “You can’t ask for more as a player,’’ Fournier said.
Here’s more from Orlando:
- The Magic are impressed with Bismack Biyombo so far in camp and Frank Vogel expects the big man to take a leadership role on the team, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel relays. Biyombo signed a four year, $68MM deal with the Magic during the offseason.
- The addition of Biyombo, along with the presence of Serge Ibaka, will allow the Magic’s perimeter players to have more confidence guarding opposing wings, Robbins adds in the same piece. “We haven’t had that many shot-blockers on our team in a long time,” Fournier said. “It’s a great feeling, man.”
- The arrival of Ibaka and Biyombo creates a logjam in the team’s frontcourt and Vogel believes the competition will bring out the best in the big men, Robbins writes in a separate piece. “Everybody on our team has to be selfless when it comes to position battles and minutes and all that stuff,” Vogel said. “Our guys are selfless. We talk about that, but it’s really about pushing each other and pulling for each other. At the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. We’re pushing in the same direction.”