Blazers Notes: Henderson, Williams, Avdija, Krejci, Layoffs
The Trail Blazers are entering an offseason of upheaval, with a new owner running the show and a search for a new head coach underway. They also have decisions to make about several key players this summer, including the highest-drafted young player on the roster: Scoot Henderson.
This was supposed to be the season that Henderson, who is extension-eligible following the third year of his rookie contract, took the reins as the point guard of the future, writes Joe Freeman of Oregon Live (subscriber link). Instead, a hamstring injury sustained right before training camp proved to be a critical setback, as he wasn’t able to get on the court for four months.
Henderson ultimately played just 30 games, and while he had some highly successful outings during the Blazers’ first-round series against the Spurs, he didn’t exactly put questions about his future to rest.
“His shot improved a little bit and that’s something you can continue to work on,” an anonymous scout told Freeman. “He has intangibles that you can’t teach. But he has to learn to use them in an NBA game. He needs to finish better. He has no idea how to play explosive against bigger, stronger athletes. Will he get it? Who knows.”
We have more from the Blazers:
- Portland will also have to make a decision on 28-year-old unrestricted free agent Robert Williams III. Though he was limited by a minutes restriction, Williams played 59 games this season, which is the second-highest mark of his career, Freeman notes (subscriber link). The veteran center also stepped into a larger role in the playoffs due to the struggles of Donovan Clingan. Injuries and availability remain a question mark with the talented, defensive-minded big man, but his impact when he plays could draw the interest of other playoff teams if the Blazers don’t retain him. “I feel like I found another home in Portland,” Williams said. “I’d be happy to stay here, help the rebuild. I’m proud of the young guys. We’ve been together for a couple years … but everything is a business. It’s a negotiation. And we’ve got to get into talks.”
- One player whose status with the team is clear at this point is Deni Avdija, who blossomed into an All-Star point forward despite playing on a team that featured some of the worst spacing in the league, according to Freeman (subscriber link). Avdija clearly cemented himself as a franchise cornerstone, though some scouts still wonder if he’s more of an elite second option than the best player on a truly competitive team, Freeman writes. The 25-year-old forward is aware that he may have taken the league by surprise this season and recognizes that likely won’t be the case next year. “A lot of teams are going to prepare and they know me right now and maybe have different solutions,” he said. “I need to learn how to drive both ways, be a better defender, a better leader, be more vocal.”
- The Blazers acquired sharpshooting wing Vit Krejci before the trade deadline to upgrade their perimeter rotation, but he struggled to close the season, possibly in part due to a left calf bruise. Still, Freeman says the team remains intrigued by Krejci’s defensive tools, his shooting, and his team-friendly contract, which is partially guaranteed for next season and non-guaranteed for the following season (subscriber link).
- The mass layoffs from the Portland organization weren’t limited to the business or media side of operations. Blazers scout and WNBA legend Tina Thompson was one of the cuts, as Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report relays (Twitter link). Highkin notes (via Twitter) that Thompson was particularly close with Damian Lillard, who recently recruited her son to Weber State.
Sixers Notes: Morey, McCain, Trade Deadline, Embiid, Front Office Candidates
Daryl Morey’s post-trade assessment that “we sold high” when he sent Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in February continues to be mocked in Philadelphia, writes Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice. While Jake Fischer has reported that trade wasn’t the “proverbial last straw” for Morey in Philadelphia, the deal – combined with the failure to get another player to replace McCain in the rotation – may have factored into the executive’s dismissal this week as the Sixers‘ president of basketball operations.
The only return in that deal with the Thunder was a first-round pick originally belonging to Houston that wound up at No. 22 in this year’s draft. McCain’s roster spot was given to Cameron Payne, who had been playing in Serbia, but he was waived after suffering a hamstring strain in the final week of the season. Two-way player Dalen Terry was promoted to take his place and saw minimal playing time in the postseason.
Morey approached the deadline looking for “cost-effective role players with multiple years of control,” a source tells Aaronson, and his top target was Thunder shooting guard Aaron Wiggins. Morey was hoping to land Wiggins as part of the McCain deal, but Philadelphia would have needed to include multiple other players to make the trade work. OKC held onto Wiggins, and Aaronson notes that McCain has played a role in pushing him out of the Thunder’s rotation.
Aaronson also hears that Morey offered multiple second-round picks to the Bulls for Jalen Smith, but Chicago opted to keep him. Two other prime targets were Rockets forward Tari Eason and Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey, who both remained with their teams through the deadline. Aaronson’s source said the Sixers made attempts to land the Mavericks‘ Naji Marshall, the Timberwolves‘ Donte DiVincenzo, the Warriors‘ Brandin Podziemski and the Suns‘ Ryan Dunn as well. None of those players wound up being traded.
Morey liked the potential fit of Ayo Dosunmu, who has been a valuable contributor in Minnesota’s playoff run, according to Aaronson’s source, but didn’t prioritize him because of his expiring contract. Aaronson reports that the team also had some interest in Vit Krejci, who was sent from Atlanta to Portland four days prior to the deadline in exchange for two second-round picks. Philadelphia had numerous second-rounders to offer, but Morey reportedly didn’t want to commit to a deal with so much time remaining before the deadline.
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Morey’s relationship with star center Joel Embiid appeared to deteriorate throughout the season, Aaronson adds. Embiid expressed displeasure with management at the trade deadline and again when he was held out of a game in early April, and he refused to comment directly on Morey when asked about their relationship during the playoffs.
- Bob Myers, who will be leading the search to replace Morey, could probably have the job if he tells managing partner Josh Harris that he wants it, Aaronson suggests in a separate story. If Myers opts to remain in his current role as president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Aaronson identifies a few other candidates, including Elton Brand, who served as Morey’s top assistant, and Vince Rozman, who spent 16 years with the organization before joining OKC’s front office in 2022. Pistons senior vice president Dennis Lindsey and Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, who were both finalists to run Chicago’s front office, are also on the list, along with Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep, Celtics assistant GM Dave Lewin and prominent agents Austin Brown and Alex Saratsis.
- In a mailbag column, Aaronson examines some options for the Sixers in free agency and explains why the team shouldn’t try to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Northwest Notes: Thunder, Nuggets, THJ, Sharpe, Krejci, Edwards
After clinching the No. 1 seed and the NBA’s best record on Wednesday, the Thunder won’t exactly be going all out to win Friday’s matchup with Denver. They’ve ruled out 10 players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right oblique injury management), Chet Holmgren (low back spasms), Jalen Williams (right hamstring injury management), and Cason Wallace (left great toe soreness), tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
However, there’s a chance the Nuggets will find themselves shorthanded as well. Already missing Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones due to hamstring strains, Denver has also listed Nikola Jokic (right wrist injury management), Jamal Murray (right shoulder impingement), and Aaron Gordon (right hamstring injury management) as questionable (Twitter link).
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Veteran wing Tim Hardaway Jr. hasn’t received a ton of buzz as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, but the Nuggets are pushing his case for the award, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. The 34-year-old has averaged 13.5 points per game on .449/.409/.813 shooting in 79 games for Denver, including 74 as a reserve. “He’s Sixth Man of the Year,” Murray said on Wednesday. “He’s really a starter for us. He’s playing the same minutes as a starter, guarding some of the best players. Just a real professional, honestly, same energy, same mentality every single night. (He’s) real consistent in that regard, so it’s always good to have somebody that you can rely on to not just put the ball in the hoop but for their energy and leadership every single night.”
- The Trail Blazers have upgraded guards Shaedon Sharpe (left fibula stress reaction) and Vit Krejci (left calf contusion) to questionable for Friday’s showdown with the Clippers, the team announced (via Twitter). Sharpe has been out since February 6, while Krejci last played on March 15. A win on Friday would put Portland in the driver’s seat for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference standings heading into Sunday’s regular season finale.
- Anthony Edwards has played in just two of the Timberwolves‘ past 12 games due to a knee injury and an illness, but the team remains hopeful he’ll suit up for at least one of its games this weekend. Edwards is listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Houston, per the Wolves (Twitter link), and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) thinks he’ll probably play as long as things go well at shootaround. Starting center Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, will sit out a second straight game for rest purposes after playing in 76 of Minnesota’s first 79 games this season.
Shaedon Sharpe, Out For Two Months, Upgraded To Doubtful
The Trail Blazers are close to getting a key player back for the play-in tournament.
Shaedon Sharpe, who has not played since Feb. 6, has been upgraded to doubtful for Portland’s game against San Antonio on Wednesday, according to Joe Freeman of Oregonlive.com. Sharpe has been sidelined by a stress fracture in his left fibula.
While Sharpe likely won’t be activated on Wednesday, it’s a signal that his return isn’t far off, which is a major development for a club sitting in the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings. The 2022 lottery pick is averaging a career-high 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.0 minutes per game while appearing in 48 contests (42 starts).
The latest development is somewhat of a surprise, according to Freeman. Acting coach Tiago Splitter said last week that Sharpe had not yet resumed full basketball activities.
“He’s getting better, but still not like on a court,” Splitter said. “He’s shooting free throws and stuff like that.”
Sharpe signed a four-year, $90MM rookie scale extension in October, which kicks in next season.
Vit Krejci, who has not played since March 15, is also listed as doubtful. He has missed the last 11 games with a left calf bruise. The Blazers acquired him on Feb. 1 from Atlanta for Duop Reath and two second-round picks. He’s averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 18 games.
Blazers Notes: Deadline, Cissoko, Love, Thybulle, Krejci, Arena
After making a minor move at the start of the week to acquire Vit Krejci from Atlanta, the Trail Blazers didn’t make any additional trades between Monday and Thursday. As Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes, that was a relief to the Blazers’ players, who admitted to being nervous in the days leading up to the deadline.
“The players were joking around a little bit, (saying) ‘We’re all back,'” interim head coach Tiago Splitter said on Thursday. “I get it. There’s a little bit of tension. But I’m glad everybody’s back. Everybody’s happy to be here and ready to move forward and finish the season.”
Although Portland didn’t shake up its roster in a major way, there will be some changes coming to the rotation. Krejci will have a chance to earn regular minutes, and point guard Scoot Henderson is making his season debut on Friday vs. Memphis after recovering from a hamstring tear. Forward Deni Avdija is out on Friday for a third straight game due to a low back strain, but when he returns, the Blazers will be as healthy as they’ve been all season.
“I’m happy to have that challenge, make them produce and excel at their positions,” Splitter said. “Guys that were used to playing more minutes (are) going to play a little less. Guys that were out (are) going to start to play more minutes and produce for us. We have still like 30 games or so left. Hopefully, this is the normal for us from now on.”
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- One downside of Portland’s deadline inactivity is that the team still has a full 15-man roster, with two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love on track to reach their respective 50-game limits this month, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). Highkin views Cissoko as the more likely candidate for a promotion, since he has a clearer role than Love when the team is healthy, and suggests Matisse Thybulle could be a buyout candidate. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) agrees that Thybulle could be the odd man out, though he says no decision has been made on the wing’s future yet.
- Krejci said earlier this week that he’s “very excited” to join the Blazers, adding that they have a “really great roster,” according to Freeman. “I think this team has a lot of good drivers and that opens (things) up,” Krejci said. “As a shooter, you love playing with guys like that, because they keep slashing, they keep going at the rim.”
- While the Trail Blazers’ basketball operations department ended up having a relatively quiet deadline, the organization’s business operations department is negotiating a crucial deal of its own. According to Bill Oram of The Oregonian, the Blazers continue to work with state, city, and county officials in an effort to secure roughly $600MM in funding viewed as necessary to upgrade the Moda Center and keep the team in Portland long term.
- As Oram details, Multnomah County is believed to be reluctant to commit approximately $40MM in business tax revenue from the Blazers’ sale to the arena renovation. The city of Portland is also receiving push-back on plans to pull as much as $75MM from a clean energy fund to put toward the project, according to Shane Dixon Kavanaugh and Oram of The Oregonian. Oregon governor Tina Kotek spoke to commissioner Adam Silver last week, per Oram, in an effort to reinforce her support for the arena deal and to ensure the team doesn’t consider relocation under a new ownership group led by Tom Dundon. The Blazers’ Moda Center lease agreement with the city runs through 2030.
Northwest Notes: Henderson, Krejci, Nuggets, Murray
According to Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter, third-year guard Scoot Henderson is expected to make his return “very, very soon,” Joe Freeman reports for The Oregonian (Twitter link).
Henderson has missed the entire season to this point with a left hamstring tear, but was recently said to be in the final stages of recovery. While Splitter and the team’s ownership have been wary of putting an exact timeline on when he could make his debut, it sounds like it should happen sooner rather than later.
The third overall pick in the 2023 draft, Henderson holds career averages of 13.3 points and 5.2 assists on 34.0% shooting from three in 27.5 minutes per game. Turnovers have been an issue for him early in his career, though he lowered his giveaways from 3.4 per game as a rookie to 2.7 in his second season.
The Blazers currently hold the ninth seed in the West despite Jrue Holiday only playing 21 of the team’s 49 games. Henderson’s return could help stabilize the point guard rotation while giving Portland more data on the third-year guard, who will be extension-eligible this summer.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Splitter said that he talked to newly-acquired guard Vit Krejci today, Freeman writes (via Twitter). Splitter suggested that – given the current makeup of the Trail Blazers’ roster – Krejci will be a very welcome presence in the rotation. “He’s excited about coming here,” Splitter said. “Great shooter. A guy that doesn’t need many inches to shoot the basketball. And I think we are thirsty for a shooter like him … he’s a player that’s going to help us a lot.” Krejci is a career 40.5% shooter from three and is averaging a career-high 9.0 points per game this season. Portland currently ranks last in the NBA in three-point percentage, hitting just 33.6% as a team.
- The Nuggets aren’t expected to move veterans like Jonas Valanciunas or Cameron Johnson at the trade deadline, writes Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, who says he would be “shocked” by such a move. Peyton Watson is also presumed to be off-limits, despite the Nuggets’ expected difficulty in retaining him this summer in free agency. Instead, Durando reiterates that Denver’s priorities will likely be getting under the luxury tax and converting two-way forward Spencer Jones into a standard deal. Zeke Nnaji is the player the Nuggets would most like to move, but his guaranteed multiyear salary will make that difficult.
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was named to his first All-Star game on Sunday, ending his run as one of the league’s most decorated players without an All-Star appearance. Several around the league felt it was long overdue, Durando writes. “When I saw (the announcement), so many things went through my mind,” coach David Adelman said. “Multiple 50-point games. Multiple 50-point games in the playoffs… Triple-double in the Finals. NBA champion. Most wins in the West over the last 10 years.” Ahead of the team’s matchup with their Western Conference rivals in Oklahoma City, Thunder coach Mark Daignault echoed Adelman’s sentiment. “First of all, congrats to Jamal Murray,” Daigneault said, unprompted. “It’s remarkable he’s never been an All-Star. He’s an All-Star-level player. And very deserving this season.” Murray is the first Nugget All-Star outside of Nikola Jokic since Carmelo Anthony, Durando notes.
Trade Rumors: Williams, Blazers, Kings, Strus, Dieng
The Trail Blazers have been “shopping” Robert Williams ahead of the trade deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). The veteran big man is on an expiring $13.3MM contract and has long been viewed as a possible trade candidate.
As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report writes (Substack link), Portland values Williams, who is “beloved” in the locker room on top of being a “cultural tone-setter.” The 28-year-old has also been the healthiest he’s been in years, averaging 5.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 33 games (16.3 minutes per contest).
Still, it will be tricky for the Blazers to get a substantial return for Williams given his long injury history, Highkin notes. That spotty track record also makes the possibility of re-signing him in the summer a clear risk.
Here are some more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Trail Blazers reportedly have interest in trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Incoming owner Tom Dundon is a wild card in the Giannis sweepstakes, writes Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscriber link). As Oram explains, Dundon has developed a reputation as someone who is highly competitive and unafraid to take risks. While Dundon’s purchase of the team won’t be finalized until after the deadline, the front office has gotten to know him well and recognizes the types of moves he’d be willing to sign off on. Oram believes the Blazers should pass on Antetokounmpo, especially if the Bucks ask for Deni Avdija (and they definitely would). For what it’s worth, new Blazer Vit Krejci shares an agent (Alex Saratsis) with Antetokounmpo, Highkin notes.
- The Kings continue to be active in trade talks after the De’Andre Hunter deal, confirms James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. The Kings created two openings on their standard roster by sending out three players for one, and Ham hears one of those spots will eventually go to Dylan Cardwell. However, that won’t occur until after the deadline. The additional roster flexibility could be useful if Sacramento takes in multiple players (starting with RJ Barrett) from the Raptors in a Domantas Sabonis trade, Ham observes, though nothing is imminent on that front.
- In addition to looking for trades involving Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers have also received some external interest in swingman Max Strus, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). Strus has yet to play this season following offseason foot surgery.
- Fourth-year forward Ousmane Dieng is considered one of the Thunder‘s top trade candidates and there’s a “real possibility” he’ll be on the move by February 5, according to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscription required). “I don’t really think about it,” Dieng told The Oklahoman. “I’m just trying to improve every day and help the team win.”
Hawks Trade Krejci To Blazers For Reath, Second-Rounders
3:40 pm: The trade is official, the Hawks and Trail Blazers announced.
11:20 am: The Hawks and Trail Blazers have agreed to a trade, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Vit Krejci will be heading to Portland for Duop Reath and two second-round picks.
The Hawks will receive their own 2027 second-round pick back from Portland, as well as New York’s 2030 second-rounder, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Blazers controlled both of those picks from previous trades.
Reath, a 6’9″ big man, recently underwent season-ending foot surgery. Although he doesn’t state it outright, Charania suggests Reath could be waived to open a roster spot for the Hawks (Twitter link). N’Faly Dante, who is also out for the season after tearing his ACL, is another candidate to be released, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Trail Blazers have been very active in trade conversations. They plan to promote two-way players Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko to standard contracts after the February 5 deadline, Stein adds.
As several NBA insiders have noted, Atlanta evidently viewed Krejci as expendable after the team acquired Corey Kispert from Washington.
A 6’8″ guard, Krejci has averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 42.3% from three-point range in 46 appearances this season (22.3 minutes per game). The 25-year-old is on a very affordable contract, earning $2.3MM this season, a non-guaranteed $2.7MM in 2026/27, with a $3MM team option for ’27/28.
Krejci’s outside shooting fills an immediate need for the Blazers, who rank last in the league in three-point percentage (33.6%). The former second-round pick will be extension-eligible in July, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Reath, meanwhile, is earning $2.2MM this season and could be a restricted free agent in the summer if he finishes his current contract and is given a qualifying offer, though that seems unlikely.
And-Ones: Gortman, Bamba, All-Value Team, TV Ratings
Multiple college coaches have reached out to Jazian Gortman‘s camp to see if the 22-year-old guard, who has been playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League, would have interest in playing NCAA ball, tweets Jeff Goodman of Field of 68.
Gortman was part of the Overtime Elite program in 2022/23, went undrafted in 2023, and has spent multiple years since then playing in the G League. However, unlike James Nnaji, who enrolled at Baylor this week two years after being drafted by Charlotte, Gortman has actually played in the NBA.
In addition to signing Exhibit 10 contracts with the Bucks, Mavericks, and Thunder since 2023, Gortman also spent over three months in 2024/25 on a two-way deal with Dallas, appearing in 16 NBA games during that time.
According to Goodman, Gortman conveyed that he’s not interested in going the college route. However, the fact that he generated interest at all is an indication that college programs are continuing to test the limits of the NCAA’s increasingly lenient interpretation of rules related to a player’s so-called “amateur” status.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- After recently suggesting that the Raptors should strongly consider Mo Bamba for a 10-day contract next month, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca asked sources why the former lottery pick is currently toiling in the G League rather than the NBA. The general consensus, Grange says, is that there are concerns about the consistency of Bamba’s effort. “He has every tool necessary to be an elite player … but he will always be a tease, unfortunately,” one league executive said. Bamba has averaged 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game in 14 outings for the Salt Lake City Stars this season.
- Which NBA players are on the most team-friendly contracts? Bobby Marks of ESPN selects his 15-man “All-Value team,” singling out players like Hawks guard Vit Krejci, Celtics center Neemias Queta, Mavericks guard Brandon Williams, and the Spencer brothers (Pat Spencer of the Warriors and Cam Spencer of the Grizzlies). Marks’ team is made of players earning less than $3MM this season who weren’t signed via the first- or second-round cap exceptions.
- Ahead of the NBA’s Christmas Day games, the league announced that more than 87 million people have watched games so far this season on ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and NBA TV (Twitter link). That figure represents an 89% increase on last season in the first year of the NBA’s new media rights deal, according to the league.
Eastern Notes: Hawks, Embiid, McConnell, Robinson, Ball
Trae Young is currently on the shelf with a strained MCL, while Kristaps Porzingis isn’t yet producing at his usual level, but the Hawks have picked up back-to-back wins due in large part to big games from unlikely sources.
As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, third-year forward Mouhamed Gueye came up big in Saturday’s victory over the Lakers, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting while also contributing seven rebounds and seven assists. It was a career night for Gueye, who was making his second start of the season with several regulars – including Porzingis and Jalen Johnson – sidelined.
“He’s been hungry,” head coach Quin Snyder said after the game. “He wants to get better. He’s putting the time in games, like tonight, he gets even more opportunity to do that, obviously, on the floor.”
Gueye had a quiet night off the bench on Monday vs. the Clippers, but fellow reserve Vit Krejci set his own career high in points (28), as well as three-pointers, knocking down 8-of-10 tries from beyond the arc. As Williams details, Krejci’s hot shooting helped fuel Atlanta’s comeback, and his banked-in three-pointer to beat the shot clock with 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter helped seal the win (video link).
Both Gueye and Krejci are on multiyear minimum-salary contracts, so the Hawks have the ability to retain them on team-friendly deals beyond this season.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Tuesday’s contest vs. Boston due to right knee soreness, the team announced today (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). It’s Embiid’s first non-scheduled absence so far this season, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. It’s also worth noting that it’s not the knee that has been a recurring issue for the big man in recent years — Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee in the spring. He’s being evaluated further by team doctors, per the Sixers.
- Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell, who was said over the weekend to be “getting closer” to making his season debut, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah, according to the team (Twitter link). McConnell has yet to play this fall due to a left hamstring strain, but his return appears to be imminent — if he’s unable to suit up against the Jazz, the veteran’s next opportunity to play would be on Thursday in Phoenix.
- Mitchell Robinson has played sparingly so far this season, suiting up for just four of the Knicks‘ first nine games as the team carefully manages his workload. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Robinson has made the most of his limited role, grabbing nine offensive rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Minnesota last Wednesday, then finishing as a remarkable +40 in less than 17 minutes of action against Brooklyn on Sunday. “I don’t really fall into the plus-minus stuff a ton, but it’s another amazing stat,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He keeps throwing up these stats that are amazing. … To impact the game that way — again, not a huge believer in it — but to see a number like that in the short amount of time he was playing, was just amazing.”
- Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was assigned to the G League on Tuesday to practice with the Greensboro Swarm (Twitter link). Ball has missed Charlotte’s past four games due to a right ankle impingement, but head coach Charles Lee expressed enthusiasm on Monday about the progress the 24-year-old has made in his recovery (Twitter video link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).