2019 March | Hoops Rumors

Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon Done For Season

March 31st, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon will undergo a non-surgical procedure on his aching left ankle this week and won’t play any more this season, the team announced in an email.

Dedmon, 29, is headed toward unrestricted free agency after exercising his $7.2MM option last summer. He figures to attract significant attention on the free agent market after being mentioned in several trade rumors before the deadline.

Dedmon appeared in 64 games this season, averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per night. He has spent the past two years in Atlanta after signing with the team in 2017.

New York Notes: Jordan, Robinson, Russell, LeVert

March 31st, 2019 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Mitchell Robinson will be the Knicks‘ starting center for the rest of the season, pushing DeAndre Jordan out of the rotation, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Coach David Fizdale made the move official yesterday, with Robinson and Luke Kornet each playing 36 minutes while Jordan never left the bench. The Knicks are also taking a long look at Kornet before deciding how to handle his upcoming free agency.

Fizdale has been holding off the move out of respect for Jordan, who was acquired from the Mavericks in the Kristaps Porzingis deal. The 30-year-old Jordan will also be a free agent this summer and is a close friend of Kevin Durant, whom the Knicks are hoping to sign. There had been talk that Jordan might seek a buyout, but he opted to remain in New York.

“I can’t speak highly enough about DJ,’’ Fizdale said. “I spoke to [Jordan] today about it. Asked him what he thought. The pro that he is — exactly what he’s been since he got here. He sacrificed not going to another team to stay here with the Knicks to help Mitchell. He said, ‘Coach, let’s get that kid in there and see what he can do and I’ll be ready for you.’ I can say he’s one of the most professional veterans I’ve ever been around, been a great leader.”

There’s more this morning from New York City:

Landing Durant would be just the first step toward solving the Knicks‘ problems, observes Steve Popper of Newsday. Massive overhaul is expected during the offseason on a roster where few players have established themselves as part of the future. Robinson and rookie Kevin Knox appear most likely to stay, but Knox and Durant play the same position.
The Nets‘ D’Angelo Russell dominated Boston’s Terry Rozier Saturday in a matchup of the top two restricted free agent point guards who will be on the market this summer, notes Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Russell’s 29-point, 10-assist performance is part of a season of redemption that could land him a contract starting at more than $20MM a year. “Everybody was wrong obviously,” Russell said. “Everybody was wrong about me, so I don’t have to say anything.”
Nets guard Caris LeVert feels like he’s finally getting his game back after recovering from a severe right leg injury he suffered in November, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. LeVert posted his third straight solid game Saturday as Brooklyn tries to lock down a playoff spot. “I’ve just been trying to stay consistent with my habits off the court, get my work in, taking care of my body,” LeVert said.

Mavericks Notes: Porzingis, Doncic, Dragic, Barea

March 30th, 2019 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks informed the Mavericks about the pending rape allegation against Kristaps Porzingis before completing the January trade that sent him to Dallas, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The league office was also told about the situation. Porzingis has denied the accusation through his attorney.

Dallas’ decision to go through with the deal is especially significant in light of a workplace misconduct scandal that the organization dealt with last year. The Mavericks overhauled their front office in response to response to numerous claims of sexual misconduct and received a glowing report from commissioner Adam Silver when he visited the team last month.

There’s more tonight from Dallas:

Luka Doncic‘s remarkable rookie season might be finished because of a right thigh contusion he suffered Thursday, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that Doncic won’t play tomorrow at Oklahoma City and may be held out much longer. “We’re going to be very prudent with this and make sure that he’s 100% before even thinking about him getting back out there,” Carlisle said, adding that Doncic was fortunate to take the brunt of the collision on his thigh rather than his knee. Doncic is a heavy favorite to be named Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 70 games.
A league source says Miami’s Goran Dragic is unlikely to sign with Dallas this summer even though the Mavericks’ front office seems him as an ideal backcourt partner for Doncic, Townsend reports in a separate story. Dragic has to make a decision on a $19.2MM player option and won’t take less than than from another team, Townsend adds. Dallas will have about $30MM in cap space, but seems unlikely to spend most of it on a 32-year-old player coming off arthroscopic surgery. The source identified the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley, who is making just $5MM this season, as a more realistic target if the Mavs can’t land a top-flight option such as Kemba Walker or Klay Thompson.
Apart from Dirk Nowitzki if he decides to keep playing, J.J. Barea may be the only impending free agent that the Mavericks try to re-sign, according to Jordan Hicks of Basketball Insiders. Barea may not be able to provide immediate help next season because of a torn right Achilles tendon he suffered in January.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/30/19

March 30th, 2019 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Rockets recalled forward Gary Clark and center Isaiah Hartenstein from Rio Grande Valley after Friday’s G League playoff victory, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. They will likely rejoin the Vipers Tuesday for the start of the conference finals.
The Grizzlies recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter from the Memphis Hustle, according to a tweet from the team. Memphis lost its playoff game last night, so Carter’s G League season is over.

Wolves Sign Mitch Creek To 10-Day Deal

March 30th, 2019 at 8:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

8:22pm: The signing is official, the Timberwolves confirmed in a tweet.

11:44am: The Timberwolves are working on a 10-day deal for Mitch Creek, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Minnesota has been hit with a rash of injuries in the backcourt and Creek may get a chance to see playing time with the team.

Creek signed two 10-day deals with Brooklyn earlier this season. He saw action in four games, scoring just 3.8 points per contest.

The shooting guard most recently played for the Long Island Nets of the G League. Creek also has an extensive international resume with China and Australia among his prior stops.

Minnesota has a full 15-man roster, but should qualify to add an extra player via the hardship provision, since the team has at least four players – Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Jeff Teague, and Robert Covington – sidelined with long-term injuries. Assuming the team is granted a hardship exception, no corresponding roster move will be needed to clear room for Creek.

Southeast Notes: Richardson, Winslow, Ariza, Carter-Williams

March 30th, 2019 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat may have to make their final push for the playoffs without Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow, relays Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Neither player traveled with the team on its two-game trip to New York and Boston, and there’s no guarantee that either will return over the final week and a half of the regular season.

Richardson, Miami’s leading scorer at 16.7 PPG, suffered a bruised left heel when he was undercut in Tuesday’s game. He has been wearing a walking boot for protection and because he’s not able to put pressure on the heel.

Winslow missed his eighth straight game tonight with a bruised right thigh. The team hoped to have him back this week, but he hasn’t made enough progress to resume playing. Rodney McGruder also didn’t make the trip because of an aching left knee, and coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed that they’re all getting “as much treatment and work they can get around the clock. That’s their focus.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The short-handed Heat are turning to rookie power forward Duncan Robinson to help fill the gap until their injured players return, Jackson adds in the same story. Robinson signed a two-way contract last summer and has only appeared in 12 NBA games. However, he played 22 minutes Thursday night. “He’s certainly gotten better,” Spoelstra said. “He had a phenomenal year in the G League, but he’s improved his defense, his body, conditioning, his strength. He’s improved his ability to work on the move for catch and shoot opportunities. He’s become much more dynamic.”
Bradley Beal‘s competitive nature will likely prevent him from taking any nights off, even though the Wizards are out of playoff contention, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. However, Trevor Ariza appears to be done for the year after aggravating his left groin strain on Tuesday.
The Magic have been so impressed by Michael Carter-Williams that they would like to have him on the postseason roster if they qualify, but that will require a difficult decision next week, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Orlando received an injury hardship waiver that enabled it to sign Carter-Williams to a pair of 10-day contracts. His second deal expires Thursday, and he must be added to the 15-man roster to be eligible for the playoffs. Robbins identifies Jerian Grant and Isaiah Briscoe as candidates to be waived to make room.

Kristaps Porzingis Accused Of Rape, Issues Denial

March 30th, 2019 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:32pm: Porzingis is denying the accusations through his attorney, Roland G. Riopelle, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. “We made a formal referral to federal law enforcement based on the accuser’s extortionate demands,” Riopelle said.

7:11pm: New York police have received what they consider to be a credible rape accusation against former Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis, according to Tina Moore of The New York Post.

The incident reportedly happened on February 7, 2018, hours after Porzingis suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. An unidentified woman who lived in the same building alleges that Porzingis visited her around 2 a.m. and invited her to come to his apartment. She claims that when she got there, he held her down and raped her. The case is being investigated by the NYPD’s Special Victims Division.

The woman said she waited more than a year to come forward because Porzingis promised to pay $68K to cover her brother’s college tuition if she agreed to keep quiet. She said he eventually reneged on that agreement, and police aren’t sure if she ever received any money.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who traded for Porzingis in late January, confirmed that police informed him about the accusation.

“We have been instructed by federal authorities not to comment,” Cuban wrote in an email. Representatives for Porzingis also declined comment, saying they have not seen the police report. Contacted about the case, a Knicks spokesman replied, “This is Kristaps’ personal matter and not related to the Knicks.”

Beyond any legal repercussions Porzingis might face, he could also be subject to a league suspension if he is convicted of a crime.

Possible First-Rounder Chuma Okeke Tears ACL

March 30th, 2019 at 6:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Auburn’s Chuma Okeke, a potential first-round pick in this summer’s draft, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in last night’s win over North Carolina, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Surgery is set for Tuesday, according to Tom Green of AL.com.

The sophomore power forward collapsed to the court on a drive to the basket late in Friday’s regional semifinal game. He grabbed his left knee and remained down for several minutes before limping to the locker room with help from trainers.

“It’s just hard to take in,” teammate Bryce Brown said. “I don’t think Chuma deserves that at all.”

Okeke is listed 29th on the latest ESPN big board of draft prospects. He averaged 12.0 PPG this season and led the Tigers in rebounding, steals and overall plus/minus.

Kyrie Irving May Prefer Nets Over Knicks

March 30th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have rumors for months that Kyrie Irving will consider coming to New York when he opts out of his contract this summer. But Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News suggests the Knicks may not be his destination.

Bondy writes that “some sources around the league” believe Brooklyn would be Irving’s preferred choice and cites a recent NBA TV interview by former Cavaliers GM David Griffin, who spent time with Irving in Cleveland.

“I think Brooklyn is the fit that’s better for him in terms of his mindset,” Griffin said. “I think he likes what they’ve done there, culturally.”

The Nets have a huge head start if Irving is looking for an instant contender. Brooklyn is fighting for a playoff spot at 38-38, while the Knicks are limping toward the finish line with a league-worst 14-61 record.

Brooklyn will have enough cap space to extend a max offer to Irving, while the Knicks will be able to offer two max contracts and are hoping to team Irving up with another elite free agent such as Kevin Durant. However, signing Irving would probably mean the Nets will have to part with point guard D’Angelo Russell, who will be a restricted free agent after a breakout season.

Irving promised Celtics fans in October that he would re-sign with the team. However, as losses piled up, speculation has increased that he may go back on that pledge. The Celtics’ performance in the playoffs could go a long way toward determining whether Irving will return to Boston or take his talents elsewhere.

LeBron James Done For Season

March 30th, 2019 at 4:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James‘ first season with the Lakers will end early, the team announced in a press release. With a playoff bid out of reach, the organization has decided to shut down James down for the rest of the season.

“After consulting with our team doctors and medical staff, we have decided to hold LeBron out of games for the remainder of the season,” the team said in a statement released by president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka. “This decision will allow his groin to fully heal, and is best for the future success of both LeBron and the Lakers.” (Twitter link)

The Lakers have just six games to go and are mired in 11th place in the West, so the decision not to play LeBron won’t have much effect on the standings. He will continue to travel with the team as a sign of support.

James appeared in just 55 games, missing significant time after injuring his groin in a Christmas Day game. His numbers remain outstanding — 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per night — but his durability is becoming a question after playing 82 games and leading the league in minutes last year.

L.A. had a 28-27 record in games that James played, including victories in the last three, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The team was in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race before his injury, but dropped off quickly once he was out of the lineup.

James still has two years left on his current contract at $37.4MM and $39.2MM, plus a $41MM player option for 2021/22.

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