Week in Review News & Rumors

In case you missed any of the past week’s top stories from around the Association, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The Hawks and Ersan Ilyasova finalized a buyout agreement, with Ilyasova the second veteran to be released by Atlanta in recent weeks. And like the prior veteran released by Atlanta before him – Marco Belinelli – Ilyasova has signed a rest-of-season contract with the Sixers. In order to make room for Ilyasova on their roster, Philadelphia released veteran forward Trevor Booker, who plans on signing with the Pacers after he clears waivers.

The Lakers and Corey Brewer finalized a buyout agreement as well. Brewer, like Ilyasova, quickly determined the team with which he wanted to sign, choosing the Thunder after also considering three Eastern Conference teams. The fit in Oklahoma City is logical given the injury to Andre Roberson and Brewer’s relationship with head coach Billy Donovan, Brewer’s coach in college at the University of Florida.

The Timberwolves and Shabazz Muhammad also finalized a buyout agreement, with Muhammad committed to signing with the Bucks once he clears waivers. In order to make room for Muhammad on their roster, Milwaukee released guard Sean Kilpatrick before the March 1 deadline so that he is playoff eligible for a new team if signed.

Despite head coach Gregg Popovich’s recent comments that Kawhi Leonard may not play the rest of this season, Leonard does in fact plan on returning this season. Specifically, Leonard has begun working out at the Spurs’ practice facility in hopes of returning to the court sometime this month. A speculated return date is the Spurs’ mid-March road trip to Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston.

Dwyane Wade is happy to be back in Miami, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that he will suit up again next season. Wade will only be 36 years old this summer, but he’s not ready to commit to another season just yet. Some of the many factors Wade plans to consider include milestones regarding his NBA legacy, his short and long-term health, and his family.

Here are 13 additional headlines from last week:

• The Pelicans signed veteran big man Emeka Okafor to a rest-of-season contract after his second 10-day contract expired.
• The Jazz signed Naz Mitrou-Long to a second 10-day contract with the team.
• The Bulls signed Jarell Eddie to a 10-day contract.
• The Magic signed Rashad Vaughn to a second 10-day contract.
• The Lakers signed Travis Wear to a 10-day contract.
• The Pelicans will sign Walt Lemon Jr. to a second 10-day contract.
• The Suns signed Shaquille Harrison to a second 10-day contract.
• The Knicks signed Troy Williams to a second 10-day contract.
• Jimmy Butler underwent successful surgery on his torn right meniscus.
• Knicks point guard Jarrett Jack considered requesting a release from the Knicks before the March 1 playoff eligibility deadline.
• NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo to all 30 teams with a reminder of the league’s policy on tanking.
• Former MVP Derrick Rose has received a couple of 10-day contract offers, but continues to hold out hope for a long-term offer.
• Despite a report to the contrary, Mirza Teletovic has denied that pulmonary emboli in both of his lungs has ended his career.

If you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the more noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

Despite being medically cleared to return, Spurs All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard may not play the rest of this season, per head coach Gregg Popovich. Leonard, who missed the first two months of the season with a lingering quad injury, was shut down by the team after appearing in just nine games. As we relayed earlier this season, Leonard’s prolonged absence has caused stress within the Spurs organization, and the deteriorating relationship between the team and its star player could affect his decision when free agency arrives in 2019.

The Mavericks have one of the worst records in the NBA, and with no shot at making the playoffs, owner Mark Cuban has admitted that it would be in the team’s best long-term interest to keep piling up losses this season. Cuban further admitted to telling some of the Dallas players during a recent dinner that losing is the team’s best option. The NBA was none too pleased with Cuban, fining the outspoken owner $600K for his comments.

In even more bad news for what became a terrible week for the Mavericks, the team has hired outside counsel to investigate allegations of a corrosive workplace culture involving misogyny and sexual harassment. Sources have made it clear that Cuban was not involved in any sexual harassment himself, though most believe it hard to imagine that a hands-on owner would be unaware of such issues surrounding his franchise. For what it’s worth, Cuban strongly condemned the situation, calling it “abhorrent.”

A plethora of 10-day contracts were signed this past week, with nine different teams adding to their roster.

• The Magic signed former first-round pick Rashad Vaughn.
• The Knicks signed Troy Williams, who was waived by the Rockets earlier this month.
• The Trail Blazers signed former lottery selection Brandon Rush.
• The Cavaliers signed rookie Marcus Thornton to his first NBA contract.
• The Wizards signed a former player of theirs – point guard Ramon Sessions.
• The Hawks signed rookie and former Maverick Antonius Cleveland.
• The Pelicans signed rookie Walter Lemon Jr.
• The Suns signed Shaquille Harrison – and waived Josh Gray to open a roster spot.
• The Pacers signed G League veteran Trey McKinney-Jones.

The Suns and Mavericks are among the teams viewed as potential offseason suitors for Magic power forward Aaron Gordon. And while both Phoenix and Dallas should have plenty of cap space to make a compelling offer, Gordon will almost certainly be made a restricted free agency by Orlando, meaning they will be able to match any offers.

Here are 10 additional headlines from last week:

• The Hawks and veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova, 30, are nearing an agreement on a buyout.
• The Hall of Fame announced 13 finalists for 2018, including likely first-ballot hall-of-famers Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash.
• Lakers newly-acquired big man Channing Frye underwent an appendectomy and will be out for the foreseeable future.
• Brazilian center Tiago Splitter, overcome by hip issues over the last few years, announced his retirement.
• The Hornets and soon-to-be former general manager Rich Cho will officially part ways at the end of this season.
• Despite only being the sixth-seeded team at the time of his injury, Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis believes New Orleans was a legitimate title contender with a healthy DeMarcus Cousins.
• The NBA will return to Seattle for the first time since 2008 when the Kings and Warriors play next preseason at KeyArena.
• While still in its infancy, the NBA has discussed a postseason play-in tournament to determine the bottom two playoff seeds in each conference.
• In addition to the 10-day contracts signed above, the Mavericks are planning to sign Scotty Hopson to a 10-day deal.
• The Warriors, Timberwolves, and Thunder are all keeping an eye on a potential Joakim Noah signing in the event he reaches free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

In case you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The Rockets officially signed free agent guard Joe Johnson to a rest-of-season contract after he was bought out by the Kings. Johnson, who was reportedly unhappy in Utah before the trade deadline, was traded to Sacramento from the Jazz as part of the three-team trade that sent George Hill and Rodney Hood to Cleveland. As part of the buyout agreement, Johnson surrendered $1MM of his $10.5MM salary. In order to sign Johnson, the Rockets were forced to waive second-year player Troy Williams.

After being sent to Utah from Cleveland in the above-referenced three-team trade between the Cavaliers, Kings, and Jazz, Utah has officially waived former MVP Derrick Rose. Both the Timberwolves and the Wizards have interest in the free agent point guard. And while both clubs discussed a possible waiver claim, Rose has since cleared waivers and will not be signed by any team, if at all, until after the All-Star break.

After agreeing to a buyout with the Hawks, Marco Belinelli cleared waivers and signed with the Sixers. Belinelli, who seemed to confirm his intentions to go to Philadelphia by sending out a tweet that read “TRUST THE PROCESS”, scored 17 points in 28 minutes of action during his debut in a comeback win against the Heat on Wednesday.

The Wizards, recently hit by the injury bug at the point guard position, are expected to sign a point guard to a 10-day deal after the All-Star break. John Wall has been out with an injury in his left knee and back-up point guard Tim Frazier, who suffered a nasal fracture during last Saturday’s game, has undergone surgery will no timetable for his return.

Speaking of the Wizards and their injured All-Star point guard, he and staring center Marcin Gortat met to clear the air after a alleged recent social media spat between the two. The meeting, which was requested by both players, didn’t last long, but sources indicate that there’s still more work to be done before their relationship is fully repaired.

Here are 10 more headlines from the last week:

• Former All-Star Chris Bosh is interested in making an NBA comeback after sitting out the past two seasons with blood clotting issues.
• Another former NBA player, Brandon Jennings signed a G League Contract and was almost immediately claimed off waivers by his former team’s (Bucks) G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd.
• A buyout was completed for Brandan Wright and, as previously indicated, he has officially signed with the Rockets.
• The Mavericks waived – and likely bought out – veteran big man Josh McRoberts, whose playing time for Dallas was hampered by a nagging left foot injury.
• According to Heat legend Dwyane Wade, he will not leave Miami again, stating he will play for the Heat until it is time “to hang it up”.
• The Suns signed rookie point guard Josh Gray to a second 10-day contract.
• The Pelicans signed veteran center and former second-overall round pick Emeka Okafor to a second 10-day deal.
• Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis underwent successful ACL surgery on his injured left knee.
• Another Knick, guard Ron Baker, also underwent successful surgery on his dislocated right shoulder.
• The Timberwolves are open to buying out veteran shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad.

If case you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA (e.g. trade deadline), we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The Cavaliers traded away half of their rotation – including former MVP-candidate Isaiah Thomas – in what became a wild day in Cleveland on Thursday. All told, the Cavaliers traded away six players (Thomas, Channing Frye, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, and Dwyane Wade), their 2018 first-round pick (lightly protected – LAL), and a second-round pick in 2020 (SAC) in exchange for four players (George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr.) and a heavily protected second-round pick in 2024 (MIA). Frye and Thomas head to the Lakers, Crowder and Rose to the Jazz, while Shumpert is now on the Kings and Wade returns to the Heat. Meanwhile, Joe Johnson was sent from Utah to Sacramento.

Speaking of Johnson, he was bought out by the Kings this afternoon and will sign with the Rockets once he clears waivers on Monday. Johnson, 36, was rumored to be favoring the Celtics or the Warriors after he hit free agency, but has evidently decided to sign with Houston instead. In addition, the Rockets are expected to sign 11-year veteran Brandan Wright after he completes a buyout with the Grizzlies. In order to make room on the roster for the new additions, Houston will waive Bobby Brown, who the team had just signed yesterday, and will need to cut one more player.

In another deadline-day deal, three former lottery selections changed teams in a three-way deal between the Knicks, Mavericks, and Nuggets. The trade will send Emmanuel Mudiay to the Knicks, Devin Harris to the Nuggets, and Doug McDermott to the Mavericks. Additionally, Denver acquired a second-round pick from New York and Dallas acquired a second-round pick from Denver – both in this year’s draft.

In non-trade related news, Clippers break-out star Lou Williams has signed a three-year contract extension with a partial guarantee in the third year. Williams will make $8MM annually, with the third-year guarantee paying $1.5MM for a total of $17.5MM in guaranteed money. Given Williams’ play so far this season, most pundits estimated a yearly guarantee exceeding that amount, but Williams is reportedly happy in Los Angeles and prefers the stability this new contract provides as opposed to testing the free agent market.

In yet another tough break for Team LeBron, not to mention the Knicks, All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Tuesday night’s game against Milwaukee and will miss the remainder of the season. And, despite being able to put weight on the knee after the injury occurred, recovery time could be as long as 12 months.

Here are 11 more worthwhile NBA headlines from last week:

• The Suns acquired Elfrid Payton from the Magic for a second-round pick in this year’s draft. Isaiah Canaan was waived to make room on the Suns’ roster for Payton.
• The Hawks and Marco Belinelli reached an agreement on a buyout, with Belinelli expected to draw interest from plenty of suitors.
• The Knicks traded Willy Hernangomez to the Hornets in exchange for Johnny O’Bryant and Charlotte’s second-round picks in 2020 and 2021.
• The Pistons acquired Jameer Nelson from the Bulls in exchange for Willie Reed and the Bulls’ right to swap second-round picks in 2022.
• The Grizzlies traded James Ennis to the Pistons in exchange for Brice Johnson and a 2022 second-round pick.
• The Bucks acquired Tyler Zeller from the Nets for Rashad Vaughn and a protected 2018 second-round pick. Then, on deadline day, Vaughn was traded by Brooklyn to the Pelicans in exchange for Dante Cunningham.
• The Trail Blazers traded Noah Vonleh to the Bulls, thereby lowering Portland beneath the luxury tax line.
• The Heat acquired Luke Babbitt from the Hawks in exchange for Okaro White, who Atlanta then waived.
• The Kings traded Malachi Richardson to the Raptors in exchange for Bruno Caboclo. Despite an initial report, Caboclo will not be released at this time.
• 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo admitted that it’s possible Markelle Fultz won’t play again this season.
• Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has opted into his $12.5MM player option for the 2018/19 NBA season.

If case you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

In a somewhat surprising, albeit blockbuster move, the Clippers traded star power forward Blake Griffin to the Pistons in a multi-player deal. Detroit sent forward Tobias Harris, shooting guard Avery Bradley, center Boban Marjanovic, its 2018 first-round pick, and a 2019 second-round pick to the Clippers, while Los Angeles sent forward Brice Johnson and center Willie Reed to Detroit in addition to Griffin. The Pistons’ 2018 first-rounder being sent to the Clippers is protected for picks 1-4 in this year’s draft as well as the 2019 and 2020 drafts, assuming it’s not conveyed. The pick is unprotected in 2021.

Despite initially falling apart because New Orleans didn’t want to guarantee Nikola Mirotic’s 2018/19 salary, the Pelicans and Bulls agreed to a trade centered around Mirotic, with his next season’s salary now guaranteed. Omer Asik, Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson, and the Pelicans’ 2018 first-round pick are headed to Chicago in exchange for Mirotic and the Pelicans own 2018 second-round pick that the Bulls originally acquired from New Orleans in a September trade. In order to complete the the trade, the Bulls also waived Quincy Pondexter. The 2018 first-rounder headed to Chicago is top-five protected in 2018, top-eight protected in 2019, top-ten protected in 2020, top-nine protected in 2021, and top-six protected in 2022. Finally, the Bulls will have the option to swap second-round picks with the Pelicans in the 2021 draft.

The Suns waived Greg Monroe as part of a buyout agreement after being unable to find any worthy trades on the market. Monroe, who was sent to the Suns earlier this season in the move that landed Eric Bledsoe in Milwaukee, had seen inconsistent minutes while competing for playing time with Tyson Chandler and Alex Len. The details of the buyout agreement are not yet known, but Monroe will likely retain a large chunk of his salary, as Phoenix would still be nearly $9MM under the cap even if it paid Monroe’s full $17.88MM cap hit.

Speaking of Monroe, he will sign with the Celtics on a one-year, $5MM deal after becoming a free agent today. The Celtics and Pelicans were believed to be the frontrunners for Monroe, who is from New Orleans, but while the Pelicans offered Monroe the opportunity to be their starting center, the big man will presumably instead head to Boston because he’ll make more money and have a better chance to win a title. Boston was able to take advantage of its $8.4MM disabled player exception – awarded after Gordon Hayward went down in the team’s season opener – while New Orleans was unable to do so because DeMarcus Cousins went down after the Jan. 15 deadline to apply.

LeBron James steadfastly denied an ESPN story about him being open to talking to the Warriors during his free agency this offseason. The report cautioned that there’s no indication Golden State would be interested, but that James would listen to a pitch out of respect for the team’s “winning culture.” James vociferously denied the story yesterday, calling it “nonsense” and a “non-story”, claiming his only focus at the moment is becoming a champion again and not to trust any rumors coming directly from his mouth.

Here are 11 more NBA headlines from the last week worth noting:

• Thunder swingman Andre Roberson ruptured his left patellar tendon and will miss the remainder of the season.
• Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand and will be out for about eight weeks.
• Wizards point guard John Wall underwent a successful arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left knee and will miss about six to eight weeks of action.
• Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks after suffering a partially torn left quadricep tendon.
• Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans will not play until after the trade deadline or Memphis trades him, whichever comes first. The Bulls did the same thing with Nikola Mirotic.
• Another Grizzlies guard, point guard Mike Conley, underwent successful surgery to smooth a small bone protrusion in his left heel and will miss the remainder of the season.
• Suns guard Isaiah Canaan suffered a gruesome left ankle fracture – a la Gordon Hayward – and will be out for the remainder of the season.
• Knicks center Joakim Noah and head coach Jeff Hornacek got into a heated exchange and, as a result, Noah will not return to the team until further notice.
• Injuries to All-Stars means All-Star replacements. Paul George, Andre Drummond, and Goran Dragic will replace DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Kevin Love, respectively (links click here).
• Bucks forward Jabari Parker made his debut last night after missing the last year with a torn ACL.
• The Pelicans are finalizing a 10-day contract with former second overall pick Emeka Okafor.

Missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA? We’ve got you covered. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The Bucks fired head coach Jason Kidd, and assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over for Kidd as the interim head coach in Milwaukee for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. Despite currently holding on to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, management is disappointed with the team’s mediocre record so far, especially after the in-season acquisition of point guard Eric Bledsoe. All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was reportedly “devastated” by Kidd’s firing, so it will be interesting to see how the relationship between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo plays out in the future.

Pelicans All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins suffered a torn achilles tendon in last night’s game against Houston and will miss the remainder of the 2017/18 season. The injury occurred with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter after Cousins notched his second triple-double in three games. Cousins will undergo surgery to repair the tendon as soon as possible and his estimated recovery period is six to ten months.

Despite a steadfast denial from within the Spurs’ organization and a stellar track record of good rapport between players and management, there are reports that the relationship between the Spurs and their superstar forward Kawhi Leonard has soured over differences in opinion regarding the treatment and rehabilitation of Leonard’s lingering quadriceps injury. Leonard is currently sidelined indefinitely as he focuses on rehabbing his quad.

After being pummeled by the Thunder on national television last Saturday, the Cavaliers held an emotional team meeting on Monday where teammates questioned Kevin Love about his early exit from both the game and arena as a result of an apparent illness. His teammates questioned whether he was truly sick, but Love defended himself and there was apparently a sense after the meeting that team had worked out some issues.

The NBA All-Star lineups and teams were finalized this week. As was highly publicized, leading vote getters LeBron James and Stephen Curry picked their teams from the pool of remaining starters and reserves. Team LeBron’s starting lineup includes James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Kyrie Irving. James’ reserves will be comprised of Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Kristaps Porzingis and John Wall. Team Curry’s starting lineup includes Curry, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid. Curry’s reserves will be Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Al Horford.

After requesting a trade from the Cavaliers in the offseason, Celtics’ All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving threatened to undergo knee surgery that would sideline him for most or all of the 2017/18 season if the Cavs didn’t move him, thereby convincing Cleveland’s front office and owner Dan Gilbert that the relationship wasn’t fixable. LeBron James apparently asked the front office not to move Irving, but they felt they had no choice.

Here are 10 more NBA headlines from the last week worth noting:

• As part of their potential efforts to trade point guard Kemba Walker, the Hornets would like to engage the Knicks in trade discussions.
• The Pelicans have signed guard DeAndre Liggins to a second 10-day contract after appearing in just one game during his first 10-day stint.
• Tony Parker, the Spurs’ 17-year veteran point guard, has ceded his starting role in the team’s first-unit to second-year point guard Dejounte Murray.
• Current Lakers’ shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is being prioritized by the Knicks as a free agent target this offseason.
• In addition to already-reported interest from the Cavaliers and Bucks, the Trail Blazers are also interested in a potential trade for Clippers’ big man DeAndre Jordan.
• The Cavaliers have inquired into the availability of the Hawks’ Kent Bazemore in anticipation of the upcoming trade deadline.
• The NBA has awarded the Jazz a $2.62MM disabled player exception as a result of the season-ending knee injury suffered by veteran swingman Thabo Sefolosha.
• LeBron James is apparently upset with the Cavaliers front office for not upgrading their roster with potential targets’ Paul George and Eric Bledsoe.
• Despite rumors throughout the last week, a trade between the Kings and Cavaliers for point guard George Hill is not imminent.
• The Mavericks are open to the possibility of trading guard Wesley Matthews, but are only looking to do so if they can get a first-round pick in return.

Missed this week’s biggest NBA headlines? We’ve got a recap for you. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:

The Hornets are reportedly open to moving Kemba Walker. That certainly doesn’t mean that Walker is a lock to be moved by February 8, or that Charlotte even wants to make a deal. But the Hornets recognize that attaching their star point guard to one or more of their less desirable contracts may be the quickest and most effective way to kickstart a rebuild.

Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out indefinitely due to right quadriceps tendinopathy. The Spurs forward returned from the same injury last month, but never looked quite right, missing games frequently even after getting back in the lineup. Head coach Gregg Popovich said Leonard’s injury “hasn’t responded the way we wanted it to,” so the superstar will focus on rehabbing his quad for the foreseeable future.

The deadline for teams to sign players to two-way contracts has now passed. That means that the 59 players currently on two-way deals are reasonably safe, since they can’t be replaced. Kay Felder, Demetrius Jackson, and Mike James were among the players with NBA experience who inked new two-way deals before Monday’s deadline.

Nikola Mirotic and 15 other players became eligible to be traded. In addition to being the deadline for two-way signings, Monday was also the day that trade restrictions lifted on several players who signed new contracts in the offseason. Of those players, Mirotic was the most notable, since the Bulls forward has been the subject of a number of trade rumors this season.

Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green received two-game suspensions as a result of an altercation in Los Angeles. NBA Twitter was abuzz late on Monday night as reports surfaced that multiple Rockets players had tried to get into the Clippers‘ locker room after a testy game in L.A. Chris Paul, James Harden, Austin Rivers, and Blake Griffin escaped without suspensions. While the incident wasn’t the biggest NBA story of the week, the various details (including a supposed “secret hallway” used by the Rockets to get to the Clips’ locker room) made it perhaps the most entertaining.

Here are 10 more NBA headlines from the last week worth noting:

• The Kings have begun to sit two veteran players per game as they focus on the future.
• Jazz swingman Thabo Sefolosha will miss the rest of the 2017/18 season due to a knee injury.
• The Cavaliers are believed to be eyeing George Hill, DeAndre Jordan, and Lou Williams as they explore potential trades.
• The Knicks signed Trey Burke to a rest-of-season deal after waiving Ramon Sessions.
• The Bulls are reportedly gauging trade interest in point guard Jerian Grant.
• Jazz guard Rodney Hood was identified as a possible trade candidate.
• The Kings have shut down 2017 first-rounder Harry Giles for the rest of the 2017/18 campaign.
• Jarell Eddie and Nigel Hayes signed 10-day contracts with the Celtics and Lakers, respectively.
• Pistons big man Jon Leuer underwent season-ending surgery on his troublesome left ankle.
• The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception passed on Monday. The Pelicans and Nets had their requests for DPEs granted; we’re still waiting for updates on requests by the Heat and Pistons.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

Monday is the last day for teams to sign players to two-way contracts for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. Below is a list of players who signed or agreed to sign a two-way contract this week:

• The Bucks signed Xavier Munford.
• The Jazz agreed to sign Georges Niang.
• The Pacers signed Ben Moore.
• The Grizzlies signed Myke Henry.
• The Pelicans agreed to signed Mike James.

Sunday was the last day for teams to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts before those players’ contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. The following players were waived before the deadline:

• The Lakers waived Andrew Bogut.
• The Pacers waived Damien Wilkins.
• The Bucks waived DeAndre Liggins and Joel Bolomboy.
• The Rockets waived Bobby Brown.

Perhaps the most talked-about trade candidate so far this season, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has yet to garner any serious offers from opposing teams, with Adrian Wojnarowski calling the pursuit of Jordan “sluggish” and one anonymous GM being told that not many teams feel Jordan will put them over the top (i.e. able to beat the Warriors). Part of the issue also stems from teams’ unwillingness to part with draft picks as a result of Brooklyn’s infamous 2013 trade with Boston, with Woj being told that no club, including the Clippers, wants to end up “embarrassed like the Nets were.”

The Jazz and the Bulls are engaged in discussions about a potential trade involving Nikola Mirotic. Mirotic, who is in the first season of a two-year deal that features a $12.5MM team option for 2018/19, becomes trade-eligible on Monday, and while any deal involving him would require his approval, that’s not expected to be a major roadblock considering Mirotic’s relationship with teammate Bobby Portis. The asking price for Mirotic is a first-round pick with no long-term contracts attached.

Multiple NBA teams have identified Tristan Thompson as a player the Cavaliers would be willing to move before the trade deadline, with one report indicating that Thompson would be a prime candidate to head to Los Angeles in exchange for Jordan. However, the Cavs are said to be reticent to trade away the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick.

Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

• The Kings fired former assistant coach Mike Bratz, who was the senior director of scouting and senior advisor to GM Vlade Divac.
• Several teams have contacted the Knicks about trading for backup center Willy Hernangomez, who has struggled to find playing time this season.
• The Grizzlies, positioned to be sellers at next month’s trade deadline, are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Tyreke Evans.
• The Lakers agreed to sign Jamil Wilson to a two-way deal before reneging days later after news surfaced that Wilson was named in a civil suit.
• Bulls guard Zach LaVine will make his long-awaited debut for his new team tonight against Detroit.
• In addition to the Jazz, the Pistons and Blazers are also interested in trading for Mirotic, with all three teams having Chicago’s first-round pick asking price.
• After being waived by the Bucks, DeAndre Liggins signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans.
• The Clippers and veteran guard Lou Williams have recently engaged in discussions about a possible extension.
• The Pistons are receiving trade interest on rookie Luke Kennard.
• The Pistons are converting the contract of guard Dwight Buycks from a two-way pact to a standard NBA deal.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s (Happy New Year!) headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

Tomorrow is the last day for teams to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts before those players’ contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. As a result, several teams have already come out and reported that they plan to retain certain players beyond the deadline, thereby guaranteeing (albeit unofficially) those players’ salaries for the remainder of the season.  As it currently stands, the following players will reportedly not be waived:

• The Rockets will guarantee the non-guaranteed contract of Gerald Green.
• The Jazz will guarantee the non-guaranteed contract of Raul Neto.
• The Hawks will guarantee the non-guaranteed contracts of Tyler Cavanaugh and Isaiah Taylor.
• The Magic will guarantee the non-guaranteed contract of Khem Birch.

In other news, Isaiah Thomas made his return for the defending Eastern Conference Champions in the Cavaliers‘ win over Portland on Tuesday. Thomas came off the bench and, as part of his continued treatment, did not play Wednesday against his former team in Boston. However, Thomas is expected to start tonight against Orlando. In his first game back, Thomas went off for 17 points in only 19 minutes.

Rockets star guard and MVP candidate James Harden will be sidelined for at least another week, if not more, after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the team’s double-overtime victory over the Lakers last Sunday. Despite the injury, Harden still managed to post 40 points and 11 assists.

Warriors point guard and two-time MVP Stephen Curry returned to action last Saturday night in the Warriors’ win over Memphis. Curry, who had missed 11 games with a sprained right ankle, scored 38 points in only 26 minutes of action in Golden State’s victory.

Here are 11 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

• Former Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas has signed with Olimpia Milano of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A.
• Former Hawks forward Nicolas Brussino has signed with CB Gran Canaria of Spain’s Liga ACB.
• The Heat waived shooting guard Matt Williams and signed small forward Derrick Jones to his now vacant two-way contract.
• In response to a missed call that potentially cost the Thunder a win against the Bucks, the NBA is going to consider potential solutions on late game out-of-bounds replays.
• Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard returned to action Tuesday after missing nearly two weeks with a hamstring injury
• The Wizards waived one their two-way players – rookie forward Michael Young.
• Turns out that the Spurs were serious contenders for Kyrie Irving this summer, but ultimately failed to have the draft assets so coveted by Cleveland that Boston possesed.
• The Knicks are considering signing former first-round pick and current G League star Trey Burke to an NBA deal.
• Despite signing a lucrative three-year, $57MM deal with the Kings this summer, George Hill is having a difficult time adjusting to his new role.
• The Clippers signed Tyrone Wallace to a two-way deal after waiving two-way contributor Jamil Wilson.
• The Sixers signed former first-round pick James Young to a two-way contract after waiving guard Jacob Pullen.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

The Lakers‘ goal of trading away some of their players in exchange for cap space in the summers of 2018 and 2019 has been well-documented. This week, details of the Lakers’ plan began to more fully emerge. First, the team is confident that it will be able to unload the contract of guard Jordan Clarkson at some point after the season to help with their pursuit of free agents in the offseason. Moreover, the team has also already looked into moving Julius Randle, with the Lakers and Mavericks discussing a deal swapping Randle for Nerlens Noel. Both reports come on the heels of the news that the Lakers have abandoned hope of being able to trade Luol Deng and his remaining $36.81MM in guaranteed money.

Despite the Bulls’ improved play since the return of Nikola Mirotic from injury, Mirotic is still willing to waive his no-trade clause to join a contender. Likely one of the reasons for Mirotic’s openness to being moved is the rocky relationship he still shares with teammate Bobby Portis after the pair’s infamous altercation in October. Meanwhile, the Bulls are reportedly open to a trade as well given the team’s concerns about its rebuilding plans in the wake of Mirotic’s impressive play since his return from injury.