Grayson Allen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Fischer’s Latest: Tucker, Suns, Warriors, Mavs, Blazers, Graham

January 17th, 2024 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After being traded from Philadelphia to the Clippers earlier this season, veteran forward P.J. Tucker is a “strong” candidate to be moved again ahead of the February 8 deadline, says Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, Washington is viewed as a potential trade destination for Tucker, who would likely be bought out if he’s sent to the Wizards. In that scenario, the Suns and Bucks would be among the teams expected to pursue the 38-year-old on the buyout market, Fischer adds.

Tucker is earning $11MM this season, with an $11.5MM player option for 2024/25, so unless he gives up a significant portion of his remaining money in a buyout agreement, he’d still have a real impact on his team’s salary cap for next season. With that in mind, the Wizards (or another trade partner) would presumably want a solid asset or two as a sweetener to take on his contract, especially if they’re also giving up a rotation-caliber player in the process.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Suns are one of the more active teams on the trade market and have explored what a package that includes Grayson Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, Fischer reports. Those efforts are complicated by the fact that Phoenix’s draft assets consist of just four second-round picks, according to Fischer, who points out too that Allen has been arguably the team’s most important players outside of its three stars.
Although the Warriors and Mavericks have displayed interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Golden State has shown little desire to part with either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody, Fischer writes. As for the Mavs, they’ve been linked to many forwards, per Fischer, including Andrew Wiggins, P.J. Washington of the Hornets, and former Mav Dorian Finney-Smith, now a member of the Nets.
Jerami Grant is the sort of player who would appeal to teams like the Mavericks and Kings, but the Trail Blazers aren’t expected to seriously consider offers for the veteran forward, according to Fischer. Portland guard Malcolm Brogdon, on the other hand, is viewed as a more viable trade candidate.
In addition to veterans like Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, who were previously identified as trade candidates, guard Devonte’ Graham is another Spurs player who is available via trade, sources tell Fischer. Graham has been out of San Antonio’s rotation all season and has a $12.1MM cap hit for this season, with a $2.85MM partial guarantee for 2024/25, so he presumably won’t have positive value.

Western Notes: Jazz Streak, Edwards, Blazers, Allen

January 14th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have moved one game above .500 by winning 11 of their last 13 games. They’re now ninth in the Western Conference and the players have taken note of the team’s rise in the standings, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes.

“Of course,” big man John Collins said of checking the standings. “All the time, and I see us popping up in the standings a little bit. I like it. I’m enjoying all this good energy right now.”

The coaching staff hasn’t made it a point of emphasis.

“I haven’t mentioned the standings once to the team but they all know,” coach Will Hardy said. “I can promise you that with the way social media is now and friends and family and agents and all of you guys, they know where we are, but it’s my job to try to keep them focused on the present moment.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards is shooting more free throws this season — 6.5 attempts per game compared to 5.3 last season. Edwards is falling short of his goal of averaging eight free throws a game, but he’s pleased that he’s getting more calls. “I worked on it all summer because that was an emphasis,” Edwards told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Being able to draw fouls, get to the line, stop the clock, especially when we’re down, I think I’m doing a pretty good job at it right now.”
While the expectations for the Trail Blazers dropped after they traded away Damian Lillard, they’ve still been worse than projected this season, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com writes. They are coming off a road trip in which they went 1-6 and got outscored by 192 points. The games have been as non-competitive as Portland’s post-trade deadline tanking during the past two springs, Highkin notes.
Could Grayson Allen be the Suns’ best bargaining chip? Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported on TNT during Phoenix’s 127-109 road win over the Lakers that the Suns are more interested in acquiring an athletic wing player, rather than a point guard. Allen, who has an expiring $8.5MM contract, might be the only player the Suns could move and get that type of wing in return to help improve the team’s perimeter defense, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.

Suns Notes: Bol, Vogel, Allen, Durant

January 7th, 2024 at 1:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns head coach Frank Vogel has applauded reserve power forward Bol Bol for his recent output with Kevin Durant absent, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). Bol’s play has been strong enough to yield meaningful rotation run even once Durant is back in the fold, Vogel suggested.

Since first entering the team’s lineup on New Year’s Day, Bol has been playing solid ball. Across just 16.4 minutes per night, the 7’3″ big man is averaging 9.7 PPG on an unsustainably excellent shooting line of .800/.750/.667, along with 5.7 RPG and 1.3 APG.

Unfortunately, Bol has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Phoenix due to a right ankle sprain.

There’s more out of Phoenix:

The impact of veteran 3-and-D Suns swingman Grayson Allen on Phoenix this season has been remarkably seamless, Bourguet writes in a separate piece. Various injuries to the Suns’ three maximum-salaried stars have compelled the team to lean on Allen, who has already impressed Vogel. “I didn’t foresee the way he’s played for us this year,” the head coach admitted. “I think he’s exceeded all of our expectations from that standpoint.” The 28-year-old sniper is posting one of the top effective field goal percentages in team history. Across 30 contests, the Duke product is averaging 13.6 PPG on elite .509/.473/.891 shooting splits.
Although Kevin Durant did partake in a pregame shootaround Friday before ultimately sitting out the Suns’ victory over the Heat, Vogel told reporters that he was still feeling discomfort in his strained right hamstring, per Bourguet (Twitter video link). Vogel was quick to point out that the ailment is not a tear. Durant is now considered questionable to play on Sunday against the Grizzlies, Bourguet tweets.
Following that shootaround, Durant did seem to be taking the next step to a comeback, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin writes that, per Vogel, Durant had a “game intensity” workout Saturday. “His individual work, individual shooting he normally goes through, which is high intensity,” Vogel said. “Some strength work. He’s doing some stuff with the medical team.”

Suns’ Bradley Beal Exits Friday’s Game With Ankle Injury

December 15th, 2023 at 10:25pm CST by Rory Maher

In just the second game featuring all of the members of Phoenix’s “big three,” Suns guard Bradley Beal sustained a right ankle injury in the first quarter of Friday’s contest against New York, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (all Twitter links here).

Beal appeared to be in a lot of pain after attempting a shot and having Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo step under his foot as he landed, which caused him to roll his right ankle (video link). DiVincenzo received a Flagrant 1 foul on the play.

Beal stayed in the game to shoot free throws and was able to walk off the court without assistance, but he seemed to have a limp and immediately headed back to the locker room. The Suns later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest, Bourguet adds.

It’s a tough setback for Beal, who was making just his sixth appearance of the 2023/24 season after battling a back injury for much of the fall, which caused him to miss 19 games. Phoenix’s other two stars — Kevin Durant and Devin Booker — have also missed time this season due to various injuries (four absences for Durant, nine for Booker).

As Bourguet tweets, the sample size is extremely small, but the Suns are plus-15 in the 23.8 minutes the trio have shared the court together thus far.

Hopefully the injury turns out to be minor, though it certainly looked like a bad sprain. Despite dealing with several injuries, the Suns have held their own to this point and had a 13-11 record entering Friday’s game.

Here are a few more injury notes on the Suns:

Sharpshooter Grayson Allen was questionable heading into the game but he returned from a three-game absence on Friday after dealing with a right groin strain, as Bourguet relays (via Twitter). Allen, who was acquired via trade in the offseason, is averaging career highs in several statistics, including points (12.3), rebounds (4.5), assists (2.9) and three-point percentage (46.8) through 19 games, all starts.
Josh Okogie missed his second straight game on Friday with a right hip injury, but it’s not a long-term concern, head coach Frank Vogel told reporters, including Bourguet (Twitter link). The 25-year-old is in his second season with the Suns after re-signing on a two-year deal in free agency over the summer.
Forward Nassir Little, who was acquired in the same blockbuster trade as Allen, recently returned from an orbital fracture, which requires him to wear a face mask on the court. He thinks the play he was injured on (video link) was a “dirty” one by Kings center JaVale McGee, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “I feel like it was a dirty play, I watched it over and over,” Little said. “He had hooked my arm … I could have broke my arm.”

Pacific Notes: Beal, Durant, Paul, Thompson, Tucker, Lakers

December 11th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns wing Bradley Beal will be in action for just the fourth time this season when Phoenix faces Golden State on Tuesday. He hasn’t played since Nov. 12 due to a back injury.

“I’m excited,” Beal told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic after Monday’s practice. “It’s been a process for sure. It’s been a game of patience, but definitely ready.”

However, it’s not a given that the team’s big three will all be in action at the same time. Kevin Durant is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain. Beal will be playing with Devin Booker for the first time.

“I’m beyond excited (to play with Booker),” Beal said. “He’s playing at an elite level right now. It was tough the last couple of games just seeing him double teamed, triple teamed.”

Grayson Allen is listed as out due to a groin injury.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors’ Chris Paul and Klay Thompson are expected to play on Tuesday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Paul missed the last game with an illness and Thompson sat out Sunday’s practice because he was under the weather. Both practiced on Monday in Phoenix.
P.J. Tucker has seen his playing time evaporate with the Clippers and it might be tough for him to break into the rotation again, Law Murray of The Athletic opines. Murray notes that Tucker lacks the height to deal with most big men, the athleticism to deal with most guards, and the offensive punch to be a helpful wing at this stage of his career. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that numerous contenders are looking at potentially acquiring Tucker.
The Lakers will hang an in-season tournament championship banner from the rafters. It will be unveiled Dec. 18 and will feature a different shape and color than the team’s 17 NBA championship banners, Marc Stein tweets.

Injury Notes: Beal, Suns, Porzingis, Harris, Adebayo, Jazz

December 8th, 2023 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Star guard Bradley Beal fully participated in the Suns‘ practice on Thursday, but he’s not quite ready to return from his back injury, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team wants to get Beal some more practice reps before reinserting him into its lineup, according to head coach Frank Vogel.

“We want to see him stack together a few practices where he responds well,” Vogel said. “No timeline on how many that is or what that looks like, but we want to continue to make sure he’s responding well before we put him back in there. Stay away from being in and out.”

The shorthanded Suns will also be without Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) and Grayson Allen (right groin strain) when they host Sacramento on Friday. However, as Rankin relays, Vogel referred to those injuries as “short-term” issues, suggesting Durant and Allen may not miss much – if any – additional time beyond Friday.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

As expected, Kristaps Porzingis appears poised to return for the Celtics after missing four games due to a strained left calf. He’s considered probable to play in Friday’s game vs. New York, according to the team (Twitter link).
[Note: Porzingis has since been upgraded to available.]
Pistons forward Joe Harris, who has been sidelined since November 5 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Orlando, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Spacing has been an issue this season for the Pistons, who rank 28th in the NBA in three-pointers per game, so the return of Harris, a career 43.6% three-point shooter, could be a boon.
Heat big man Bam Adebayo will miss a second consecutive game on Friday vs. Cleveland due to his left hip contusion, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Adebayo said earlier this week that he’s unsure about his return timeline.
The Jazz are close to getting some lineup reinforcements. Jordan Clarkson (right thigh contusion), who has missed the past three games, and Kelly Olynyk (right shoulder strain), who has been out for two in a row, are listed as questionable for Friday vs. the Clippers. Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring strain) will be unavailable for a seventh straight contest, but was a full practice participant on Thursday and just has to tick a couple more boxes before being cleared to return, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explains.

Injury Notes: McCollum, James, Reddish, Murray, Markkanen, Durant, Connaughton

November 28th, 2023 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia, the team’s PR department tweets. McCollum has been out since Nov. 4 after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung. McCollum has missed New Orleans’ last 12 games.

Trey Murphy III (knee) and Matt Ryan (calf) have been upgraded to doubtful. Murphy, a starter most of last season, has yet to make his season debut. Ryan hasn’t played since Nov. 18.

We have more injury-related updates:

Lakers star LeBron James is listed as questionable to play against Detroit on Wednesday due to a left calf contusion, according to the team’s PR department (hat tip to Orange County Register’s Khobi Price). Cam Reddish (left groin strain) and Anthony Davis (left adductor) are listed as probable, while Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt will not play.
Jamal Murray has been upgraded to questionable for the Nuggets’ game against Houston on Wednesday, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. Murray has been out since Nov. 4 due to a hamstring strain.
Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will miss at least two more games due to a left hamstring strain, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. He’ll be reevaluated after the team returns from its two-game road trip.
The Suns have listed Kevin Durant (right foot contusion) and Grayson Allen (illness) as questionable to play Wednesday against Toronto, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.
Pat Connaughton exited the Bucks’ game on Tuesday early with a right ankle sprain, the team tweets.

Pacific Notes: Nurkic, Ayton, Beal, Klay, Wiggins, Harden

November 22nd, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

While one game isn’t enough to determine winners and losers of a trade, the Suns‘ victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday served as a reminder of why Phoenix traded former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton for a handful of role players led by Jusuf Nurkic, writes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

Nurkic, Grayson Allen, and Nassir Little all played key roles in the victory, with Nurkic in particular bouncing back from a slow start to have a big game. The veteran center finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, and was a plus-17 in 29 minutes.

Ayton, who was a minus-33 in 31 minutes for the Blazers, is getting an opportunity to play more of a starring role in Portland, while Nurkic is happy to take a back seat to his superstar teammates in Phoenix, according to Bourguet, who suggests those roles suit the two big men based on what they hope to accomplish in the near future.

“It’s not like I’m a main player here, man, [like] I’m just gonna take the ball and do whatever I want,” Nurkic said. “I feel like people need to understand I’m here to sacrifice and do all the little stuff that they need for the game and winning basketball.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Andscape’s Marc J. Spears shares the second diary installment from Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is currently on the shelf with a back injury and said he shares fans’ frustration that the team’s big three has yet to play together. “We want it to happen more than anybody,” Beal wrote. “So, we’re all working diligently…to make sure that happens. … Before you know it, we’re all going to be clicking. And when this thing is healthy and the train is rolling, we’re going to be steaming away.”
Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins haven’t looked quite like their usual selves so far this season, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to the two former All-Stars as “championship players” and indicated that he’s willing to be “really patient” with them, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points on Saturday and Thompson put up a season-high 20 on Monday, Kerr suggested that patience is beginning to pay off. “I think you will see a different Wiggs from here on, and I think the same thing’s going to happen with Klay,” he said.
What has been the key for helping James Harden get comfortable with the Clippers? “Constant communication,” according to Harden and head coach Tyronn Lue, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes. Lue said his experience with Harden has been one he went through with the Clippers’ other stars too. “(They) all want to have a relationship and constant communication with the head coach and just try to figure out what they see, what the coach sees and how we can put it all together,” Lue said.

Pacific Notes: Green, Durant, Allen, Booker, Beal, Lakers, Westbrook, Huerter

October 23rd, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green won’t play in the Warriors’ opener on Tuesday, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Green was sidelined prior to training camp by a left lateral ankle sprain. He was cleared for 5-on-5 action on Sunday and participated in Monday’s practice.

“He’s doing really well but we don’t feel like it would be wise to throw him out with so little scrimmage time on the floor,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ll reassess as the days go.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Suns star forward Kevin Durant will play in Golden State on Tuesday for the first time since he left the franchise and signed with Brooklyn. Durant says he’s looking forward to it. “I’m excited to play in front of those fans,” Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I had some incredible moments there and we built a bond that doesn’t really have to be spoken about, me and the fans in the Bay Area. Feel like they’ve been supporting me way before I came there, actually. Then once I became a part of the Warriors, they just went even harder in support of myself and my teammates.”
Durant believes a recent addition to the Suns, wing Grayson Allen, will thrive with so many offensive threats around him, according to Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. “When he gets the opportunity to play with myself, (Devin Booker) and (Bradley Beal), I think the floor opens up even more for him, and we could play off him a little bit more as well,” Durant said. “He’s just a guy that can fit in. You see how many teams he’s played on and how well he’s played at each stop, so we’re expecting him to have a solid year this year.”
Speaking of Booker and Beal, they’re listed as questionable to play on Tuesday. Booker is dealing with left big toe soreness, while Beal has experienced lower back tightness. “We’re hopeful that they both play,” coach Frank Vogel told Rankin.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Jalen Hood-Schifino won’t play in the Lakers’ opener, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Vanderbilt is dealing with left heel soreness while Hood-Schifino has a right patella contusion. Hood-Schifino will be reevaluated by team doctors on Nov. 3.
Russell Westbrook says he’s striving to be a positive force with the Clippers and won’t mind taking criticism if it eases the pressure off of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. “When I’m playing, let me make sure I can make the game as easy as possible,” Westbrook said. “I take all the bullets for anybody. I take all the heat. I don’t really give a (darn) because I know what’s important to my teammates and to me that’s the most important part.”
Kings coach Mike Brown has challenged Kevin Huerter to be tougher defensively and he’s accepted the message, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “I just think it’s early,” Huerter said. “For me, I’m not worried about the offensive side of the court right now. I think, like you guys have heard throughout this preseason, for us as a team and individually, it’s (about) being better on the other side of the court. We know what we’re capable of — really with anybody on the court — offensively. We’ve just got to continue to buy in and play the right way and do the things we’re supposed to on the other side.”

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Giannis, Roster Spot, Holiday

September 30th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pairing Damian Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo should create plenty of scoring opportunities for the rest of the Bucks‘ offense, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Both players averaged better than 30 points per game last season, so while they’ll have to figure out how to mesh their talents, they provide plenty of individual firepower.

Lillard is a reliable shot maker who will cause opponents to be more reluctant about sagging into the lane to guard Antetokounmpo. Outside shooters Malik Beasley, Pat Connaughton and A.J. Green should all get better looks by playing alongside Lillard, Owczarski notes, while Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis become more dangerous in pick-and-pop actions.

Exchanging Jrue Holiday for Lillard will lead to a drop-off defensively, but Owczarski points out that new head coach Adrian Griffin is installing a system that emphasizes help. With Antetokounmpo and Lopez protecting the rim, the Bucks may be able to cover up Lillard’s shortcomings on defense.

There’s more from Milwaukee:

The Bucks sent Grayson Allen to Phoenix in the three-team deal, leaving them with 14 guaranteed contracts and the ability to make a roster addition, Owczarski adds. He notes that the team doesn’t have a reserve point guard with a guaranteed deal, so that might be a priority. Backups Lindell Wigginton and TyTy Washington both have two-way contracts. Milwaukee doesn’t control any of its first-round picks until 2031, so it will be difficult to improve the roster through any more trades.
Hundreds of fans waited for hours outside Fiserv Forum on Saturday for a chance to welcome Lillard to Milwaukee, according to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports. Lillard acknowledged the crowd, but he didn’t say anything as he walked inside to meet his new team. The Bucks posted a video of Lillard taking a few shots inside the arena.
Holiday offered a farewell message on Instagram after the trade became official, per JR Radcliffe of The Journal-Sentinel. “Thank you fans! For those who know me best, they know we are all about family,” Holiday wrote. “Milwaukee — you welcomed me and my family into your city, into your homes, into your hearts. We will forever be champions together, and me and my family will forever be grateful and thankful. Until next time, thanks for everything.”