Month: November 2024

Bulls Name Joakim Noah Team Ambassador

October 28th, 2021 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Joakim Noah, who will be honored by the Bulls during Thursday night’s game vs. the Knicks, has been named a “Bulls Ambassador,” the team announced in a press release. According to the club, Noah will work with the organization to “build relationships with people throughout Chicago and across Bulls Nation.”

“I’m truly humbled to be honored by both the team and city that I have always loved and respected,” Noah said in a statement. “Even more so to be able to celebrate tonight with family, friends, former players and coaches, and most of all – the Bulls fans who helped drive my energy throughout my years in a Bulls uniform at the United Center. It means so much to me that I’m now a Bull for life. I love you all and am thrilled tonight to solidify my continued connection with the Bulls and the city of Chicago, in this new chapter of my life.”

The ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Noah spent the first nine seasons of his 13-year NBA career in Chicago. Although he never averaged more than 12.6 PPG in a season, he was a difference-maker for the Bulls, earning three All-Defensive nods and two All-Star appearances.

Noah’s best year came in 2013/14, when he was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and was voted to the All-NBA First Team. The Bulls made the playoffs in seven consecutive years during his time with the team, appearing in the Eastern Finals once. Noah announced his retirement earlier this year.

Noah’s ambassador role sounds like a fairly casual one, focused primarily on fan outreach. However, if he has interest in transitioning into coaching or a front office position in the future, I imagine the Bulls would be open to accommodating him.

Community Shootaround: Slow Starters

October 28th, 2021 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Entering the 2021/22 season, the Lakers and Nets were widely viewed as the frontrunners to reach the NBA Finals. When ESPN polled 16 of its NBA experts on predictions for the coming season, 10 picked the Lakers to win the West and 10 chose the Nets to win the East.

So far though, Los Angeles and Brooklyn have been inconsistent and underwhelming, posting matching 2-3 records. The Lakers lost two home games to open the season, then blew a 26-point lead in Oklahoma City on Wednesday against the winless Thunder. The Nets, meanwhile, have lost three games by double-digits — one in Milwaukee and two at home, vs. the Hornets and Heat.

It’s far, far too early for either team to panic. LeBron James has missed two games for the Lakers and James Harden is still working his way back from a hamstring injury for the Nets. And with the exception of the Lakers’ disaster in OKC, both teams’ losses so far have come against pretty tough opponents.

Still, the early-season results can’t be written off entirely. James has been increasingly affected by injuries in recent years — if that trend continues this season, it’ll have a significant impact on a top-heavy Lakers team. The club acquired Russell Westbrook over the summer in part to have another star available when James or Anthony Davis miss time, but Westbrook has gotten off to a shaky start in L.A., averaging just 17.8 PPG (his lowest mark since 2009/10) and turning the ball over six times per game. His fit on this Lakers roster was an open question entering the season, and it doesn’t seem as if the team has fully figured it out.

As for the Nets, the impact of Kyrie Irving‘s absence shouldn’t be understated. Brooklyn is supposed to have one of the best offenses in league history, but through five games, the club’s offensive rating is an ugly 100.6 — only Detroit and New Orleans have been worse. Harden expects to be back to his old self soon, but he’s certainly not benefiting from the NBA’s reduction on foul calls when offensive players go out of their way to initiate contact.

Again, it’s too early for a sub-.500 record to be a major concern for either of these teams, whose rosters are heavy on star power and veteran experience. But the expectations in Los Angeles and Brooklyn are high. Anything less than an NBA Finals appearance will be a letdown, so there’s not much room for error.

Many of the NBA’s other sub-.500 teams aren’t surprising, but the Celtics (2-3), Pacers (1-4), Suns (1-3), and Clippers (1-3) certainly would’ve hoped for better starts.

We want to know what you think. Is it still too early to draw any conclusions about any of this season’s slow starters? Or has some of what you’ve seen from the Lakers, the Nets, or other sub-.500 clubs made you skeptical of their ability to meet preseason expectations?

And-Ones: M. Gasol, Leunen, B. Ferry, Overtime Elite

October 28th, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

After big man Ekpe Udoh suffered a serious knee injury last month, Virtus Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo reached out to Marc Gasol to gauge his interest in joining the Italian club, Scariolo confirmed this week on Italian Twitch channel Area 52 (video link). As Marc Stein of Substack relays (via Twitter), Scariolo said Gasol turned him down in an “elegant way.”

Scariolo coached Gasol on the Spanish national team and as an assistant in Toronto, so he has an existing relationship with the veteran center. However, Gasol – who was traded to Memphis and then waived in September – appears content to spend time with his family in Spain rather than joining another NBA or EuroLeague team anytime soon. There were rumors last month that Gasol would be playing for Girona, the Spanish club he owns, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former Oregon forward Maarty Leunen, who spent the last 13 seasons playing overseas in various European leagues, has announced his retirement, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Leunen was the 54th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and has had his rights traded four times since then – most recently to the Pacers in 2019 – but never signed an NBA contract.
Former Washington Bullets general manager Bob Ferry, who ran the front office from 1973 to 1990, died at age 84 on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The father of Danny Ferry, Bob Ferry won two Executive of the Year awards and helped Washington win the only title in franchise history in 1978.
Jeremy Woo of SI.com shares his impressions of the Overtime Elite’s Pro Day, including his thoughts on the program’s three most notable 2022 draft-eligible players: guard Jean Montero, wing Kok Yat, and forward Dominick Barlow.

NBA’s Top 50 Highest-Paid Players For 2021/22

October 28th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2021/22 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn about $17.7MM more than Jayson Tatum in ’21/22 despite both stars technically being on max deals.

When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2021/22 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since his deal started in the summer of 2017 and includes 8% annual raises. The annual cap increases haven’t kept up with those 8% raises.

Listed below, with the help of salary data from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2021/22 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. The list below only considers salaries for ’21/22.

Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.

The cutoff for a spot on this year’s top-50 list is north of $20MM, so Danilo Gallinari, Harrison Barnes, Jerami Grant, and Jarrett Allen didn’t make the cut despite the fact that all four players have cap hits of at least $20MM.

Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2021/22 season:

Stephen Curry, Warriors: $45,780,966
James Harden, Nets: $44,310,840
John Wall, Rockets: $44,310,840
Russell Westbrook, Lakers: $44,211,146
Kevin Durant, Nets: $42,018,900
- Note: Durant’s cap hit includes a $40,918,900 base salary and $1,100,000 in likely incentives.
LeBron James, Lakers: $41,180,544
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $39,344,900
Paul George, Clippers: $39,344,900
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $39,344,900
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $39,344,900
Klay Thompson, Warriors: $37,980,720 (15% trade kicker)
Jimmy Butler, Heat: $36,016,200 (15% trade kicker)
Tobias Harris, Sixers: $35,995,950 (trade kicker of $5MM or 5%, whichever is lesser)
Khris Middleton, Bucks: $35,500,000
Anthony Davis, Lakers: $35,361,360
Rudy Gobert, Jazz: $35,344,828
Bradley Beal, Wizards: $33,724,200
Pascal Siakam, Raptors: $33,003,936
Ben Simmons, Sixers: $33,003,936
- Note: Simmons may lose upwards of $2MM due to fines accumulated during his holdout.
Jrue Holiday, Bucks: $32,431,333
- Note: Holiday’s cap hit includes a $30,133,333 base salary and $2,298,000 in likely incentives. Holiday also has another $3MM+ in unlikely incentives.
Devin Booker, Suns: $31,650,600
Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks: $31,650,600
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $31,650,600
Joel Embiid, Sixers: $31,579,390
Andrew Wiggins, Warriors: $31,579,390
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $31,579,390
- Note: Jokic’s cap hit includes a $30,510,423 base salary and $1,068,967 in likely incentives.
Kevin Love, Cavaliers: $31,258,256
CJ McCollum, Trail Blazers: $30,864,198
Chris Paul, Suns: $30,800,000
D’Angelo Russell, Timberwolves: $30,013,500
Gordon Hayward, Hornets: $29,925,000 (15% trade kicker)
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $29,467,800
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $29,467,800
Bam Adebayo, Heat: $28,103,500
De’Aaron Fox, Kings: $28,103,500
Donovan Mitchell, Jazz: $28,103,500
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $28,103,500
Al Horford, Celtics: $27,000,000
Kyle Lowry, Heat: $26,984,128
Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $26,758,928
- Note: Brown’s cap hit includes a $24,830,357 base salary and $1,928,571 in likely incentives. Brown also has another $964,286 in unlikely incentives.
DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: $26,000,000
Draymond Green, Warriors: $24,026,712 (15% trade kicker)
Nikola Vucevic, Bulls: $24,000,000
Buddy Hield, Kings: $23,073,234
- Note: Hield’s cap hit includes a $22,477,272 base salary and $595,962 in likely incentives. Hield also has another $4,487,371 in unlikely incentives.
John Collins, Hawks: $23,000,000
Julius Randle, Knicks: $21,780,000
- Note: Randle’s cap hit includes a $19,800,000 base salary and $1,980,000 in likely incentives. Randle also has another $990,000 in unlikely incentives.
Malcolm Brogdon, Pacers: $21,700,000
Tim Hardaway Jr., Mavericks: $21,306,816
Mike Conley, Jazz: $21,000,000
- Note: Conley has another $1,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
Gary Harris, Magic: $20,482,143
- Note: Harris has another $2,600,000 in unlikely incentives.

One name not included in this list is Nets star Kyrie Irving. Irving has a base salary of $34,916,200 and could theoretically earn another $1,100,000 in likely and unlikely incentives. However, as long as he continues to be fined for missing home games due to his vaccination status, he’ll lose such a significant portion of his salary that he’ll end up outside of the NBA’s top 50 highest-paid players this season.

If Irving gets vaccinated or New York City adjusts its vaccine mandate to allow him to suit up, he’ll likely end up back on this list.

Also not included among the 50 names above are players like Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin, who were bought out of lucrative contracts earlier in 2021. The cap hits the Thunder and Pistons are carrying this season for Walker and Griffin, respectively, are bigger than some salaries on our top-50 list. However, Walker and Griffin aren’t actually earning all that money this season — even if teams don’t apply the stretch provision to a player’s cap hit when he’s waived, the player’s payments still get “stretched” across multiple seasons.

For instance, the Thunder are carrying about $53.7MM in dead-money cap hits for Walker this season and next. But Kemba will be paid that $53.7MM across five seasons. As such, combining his earnings from his old contract with the Thunder and his new one with the Knicks wouldn’t make him one of the NBA’s top 50 highest-paid players for 2021/22.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Rose, Mills, VanVleet

October 28th, 2021 at 8:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose seem to have solved the Knicks‘ long-standing problem at point guard, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Walker and Rose are both over 30 and have troublesome injury histories, but they’re off to a strong start, averaging a combined 26.8 points, seven assists, almost six rebounds and more than two steals through the first four games.

When New York signed Walker after his buyout with the Thunder, Rose staved off any controversy by saying Walker should be the starter. The question of who will close out games appears to depend on who’s having the better night.

“There’s gonna be games where I do score like that, maybe even more. There’s gonna be games where I don’t,” Walker said following Tuesday’s win over the Sixers. “There’s gonna be games where Derrick is playing super well, and he’s gonna stay in the game. It just is what it is. … There’s gonna be games where I’m not gonna get back on the court just because guys are playing super well. And I have no problem with that, especially D-Rose, the youngest MVP ever.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

After a strong rookie season, Immanuel Quickley is fighting for playing time again in a crowded Knicks backcourt, notes Mirin Fader of The Ringer. Quickley says proving himself has been a recurring theme ever since he arrived at Kentucky.
The Nets didn’t know they wouldn’t have Kyrie Irving available when they added Patty Mills in free agency, but he has turned out to be exactly what they need, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Mills, who signed for the mid-level exception, was considered one of the top bargains of the summer. “He’s a winner,” coach Steve Nash said. “He plays the right way, he’s experienced. Obviously he’s skilled, but he just brings a great feel to the game, with (or) without the ball. And defensively, he makes our team communicate better. He organizes us (on) both sides of the ball. So, he just brings a lot to the table, and he’s a great addition to our team.”
Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet was second in the league in minutes played last year and his workload has increased in the early part of this season, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. VanVleet doesn’t mind the extra playing time, saying he spent the summer preparing for it. “I feel good, that’s why you put so much work in during the offseason,” he said. “I spend every hour that I’m not on the court trying to figure out how I can get my body ready for tomorrow. So just being dedicated to the craft and trying to figure out how I can be the best pro I can be.”

MRI Set For Wizards Center Daniel Gafford

October 27th, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Daniel Gafford will undergo an MRI on Thursday after leaving tonight’s game with a right quad contusion, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Wizards center was injured in the second quarter when he banged knees with the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, who remained in the game. Gafford fell to the court in obvious pain and grabbed the back of his leg before being escorted to the locker room.

An extended absence for Gafford would be a tough blow for Washington — the team is already playing without Thomas Bryant, who is recovering from an ACL tear he suffered last season and is hoping to return in December. If Gafford is out, the starting center duties figure to go to Montrezl Harrell, who was acquired in a trade with the Lakers over the summer.

Gafford, 23, blossomed after the Wizards picked him up in a deal with the Bulls at the March deadline. He was averaging 9.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks through the first three games of the season. Earlier this month, he signed a three-year, $40.2MM extension that runs through the 2025/26 season.

2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Oklahoma City Thunder

October 27th, 2021 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.

Mike Muscala: Two years, $7MM. Second-year team option. Re-signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Paul Watson: Two-way contract.

Trades:

Acquired Kemba Walker, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 draft, and either the Celtics’ or Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Celtics in exchange for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and either the Thunder’s, Wizards’, Mavericks’, or Heat’s 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: If the Mavericks’ and Heat’s 2023 second-round picks are the two least favorable of the four, the Celtics would acquire the most favorable of those two picks.
- Note: Walker was subsequently bought out.
Acquired the Pistons’ 2022 first-round pick (top-16 protected) and the Wizards’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected) in exchange for the draft rights to Alperen Sengun (No. 16 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (No. 32 pick) from the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Rokas Jokubaitis (No. 34 pick) and the draft rights to Miles McBride (No. 36 pick).
Acquired Derrick Favors and the Jazz’s 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected) from the Jazz in exchange for either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) and cash ($2MM).
- Note: If the Jazz don’t convey their 2022 first-round pick (top-six protected) to Memphis in 2022, the first-round pick they send the Thunder will be pushed back until at least 2025.

Draft picks:

1-6: Josh Giddey
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $27,214,807).
1-18: Tre Mann
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,047,213).
2-32: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
- Signed to four-year, $7.89MM contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
2-55: Aaron Wiggins
- Signed to two-way contract.

Draft-and-stash signings

Vit Krejci (No. 37 pick; 2020 draft)
- Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract. Second year partially guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Contract extensions:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Five years, maximum salary. Projected value of $172,500,000. Projected value can increase to $207,060,000 if Gilgeous-Alexander earns All-NBA honors in 2022. Includes 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.

Departing players:

Tony Bradley
Charlie Brown Jr.
Moses Brown
Josh Hall
Jaylen Hoard
Al Horford
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk

Other offseason news:

Hired Nick Collison as special assistant to general manager Sam Presti.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
Carrying approximately $78.1MM in salary.
$23MM below salary floor.
Hard-capped at $143MM.
$3,110,742 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($6,425,258 used on Mike Muscala, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Vit Krejci).
Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.
Two traded player exceptions available, including one worth $12.8MM.

The Thunder’s offseason:

Two years after initially launching their rebuild by trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook, and one year after sending Chris Paul to Phoenix, the Thunder entered the 2021 offseason in no rush to speed up the process.

Armed with a ton of potential cap room and a massive stash of future draft picks, Oklahoma City could have begun cashing in its chips and taken a significant step toward contention this summer. However, general manager Sam Presti made it clear he’s still very much in asset-gathering mode and won’t be rushed into pushing for the playoffs quite yet.

The approach makes sense. The Thunder have one potential future All-Star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who received a maximum-salary extension from the team in August, but none of the team’s other young prospects have displayed that sort of upside yet. Oklahoma City will also still have cap flexibility for years to come even after accounting for Gilgeous-Alexander’s lucrative new deal. And the team owes its lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick to Atlanta — that obligation will turn into two second-rounders if OKC keeps its 2022 first-rounder. In other words, it would be premature for the club to push all its chips into the center of the table so soon.

That meant the Thunder were happy to accommodate a couple more salary dumps this offseason, securing extra first-round picks from Boston and Utah for taking on Kemba Walker and Derrick Favors, respectively. Oklahoma City also avoided free agency nearly entirely — its only non-two-way signing was an inexpensive short-term investment in Mike Muscala, a trusted veteran who will provide leadership but won’t make much of an impact on the team’s win-loss record.

Given Presti’s patient approach, it was a little surprising that the Thunder were willing to complete a buyout with Walker shortly after acquiring him from the Celtics. He seemed like a candidate to be the club’s next Paul — a star point guard who could rebuild his value after an injury-plagued season and could eventually be flipped for another bad contract and another draft pick.

Still, the decision to complete a buyout early was justifiable for a few reasons: Walker was willing to give up a significant chunk of salary (about $20MM over two years); the franchise wanted to show it treats its veteran players well; and Kemba might’ve compromised the quest for another top-five pick by making the team a little too competitive.

Conversely, the decision to trade this year’s 16th overall selection for two heavily-protected future picks was a perfect example of the Thunder’s willingness to play the long game. Rather than selecting promising big man Alperen Sengun, Oklahoma City accepted a Pistons first-rounder that may not convey for several years (it’s top-16 protected in 2022, then top-18 protected in 2023 and 2024 before becoming top-13 protected in 2025), along with a lottery-protected Wizards 2023 first-rounder that’s also at least two years from turning into anything concrete.

It’s entirely possible – perhaps likely – that Sengun will be a better pro than the two players eventually selected with those future picks, but for a Thunder team focused on accumulating assets, the deal made sense. Turning one first-rounder into two helps ensure that OKC’s pile of future assets will be well-stocked when the team eventually wants to cash them in. It’s just not that time yet.

The Thunder did use their No. 6 pick to select Josh Giddey, an intriguing young point guard who came off the board a few spots earlier than expected. The fact that Oklahoma City wasn’t willing to pick up more assets by trading down a little and hoping Giddey was still available is a reflection of how much the team likes him.

It’s still too early to know what Oklahoma City has in Giddey, but he flashed his real upside in his third career game on Sunday when he filled up the box score with 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. The Thunder are going to lose a lot this season, but it’ll at least be entertaining watching Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander play together in the backcourt and imagining what they could look like two or three years from now.

Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and 2020 pick Vit Krejci are among the Thunder’s newly-added rookies. The Robinson-Earl selection was a sign that the organization is prepared to consolidate its assets in order to land a player it likes — OKC gave up the 34th and 36th picks to move up just two spots to No. 32 to snag Robinson-Earl. We can probably expect more moves along those lines in years to come, since the Thunder control way too many future picks to realistically use them all.

The Thunder’s season:

The Thunder are off to an 0-4 start this season, putting them dead last among the NBA’s 30 teams. It’s probably safe to assume they’ll remain in that spot – or pretty close to it – for most of the season. This just isn’t a team that’s built to win yet, and the front office will be happy to pile up the losses and secure a high lottery pick in the 2022 draft while assessing its young talent and starting to determine which players are keepers.

The most pressing question in Oklahoma City this season isn’t how the team will perform on the court — it’s what moves will be made off it. The Thunder remain well below the salary floor for the 2021/22 league year, which means they’ll almost certainly be looking to take on more unwanted contracts in midseason trades. There should be a handful of clubs looking to either get out of luxury tax territory or reduce their tax bill, and the Thunder are well positioned to help out more than one of them, procuring a few more future draft picks for their cooperation.

The Thunder’s extreme approach to asset-gathering may feel like overkill, but the more ammunition Presti stockpiles, the more leeway he’ll have to take big swings down the road when the club eventually pivots to playoff contention.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Southwest Notes: Kidd, McDermott, House, Williams

October 27th, 2021 at 7:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Mavericks coach Jason Kidd used his entire active roster during the first three quarters of Tuesday’s game, writes Tim Cato of the Athletic. All 15 players saw time on the court, which is a rarity in a league where rotations typically involve nine or 10 players unless the game has already been decided.

Kidd said the idea of playing everybody was developed by the team’s leadership council, which is made up of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. They offered the suggestion Tuesday during their first official meeting with their coach in that capacity.

“It’s a cool thing, because we always talk about (players who are) 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 (on the roster) as part of the team and they tend to not get to play,” Kidd said. “The matrix was in a twist, but we figured it out.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

An MRI on Doug McDermott‘s right knee was negative, but the Spurs expect him to miss their upcoming three-game road trip, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. The knee swelled up after he hurt it in Tuesday’s game. He’s projected to return to the court November 3.
Rockets forward Danuel House suffered a sprained right foot Tuesday night, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. House landed awkwardly after saving a loose ball from going out of bounds and was visibly limping after the play. X-rays were negative, but he wore a walking boot when he returned to the bench later in the game.
LeBron James said it was a “weird dynamic” to play against Grizzlies rookie Ziaire Williams, who was his son’s high school teammate two years ago, per Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. It was a big deal for Williams as well to be on the same court with “Uncle LeBron,” who was in the crowd for a lot of those high school games. “It was fun to see a different side of him,” Williams said. “He’s always fun and joking around with us at Sierra Canyon watching games so it was cool to see him in his element when things are serious.”

Celtics Notes: Parker, Horford, Langford, Nesmith

October 27th, 2021 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jabari Parker didn’t really explore other options after the Celtics waived him last week, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Parker was cut loose so the team could avoid paying a $100K guarantee that would have taken effect with the season opener. He re-signed with Boston after clearing waivers and said it’s where he wants to play.

“I just knew (Boston) was the right place to be. I knew that,” Parker said. “This is a winning team and iron sharpens iron, so if anything, I’m going to get better here playing against the guys every day, being around true competitors, and obviously get a chance for me to learn. So this is just a great situation just because I’m just grateful for it and I’m counting my blessings.”

Parker didn’t play in the team’s first three games, but he got a chance Monday night with Al Horford sidelined by injury. He scored 13 points in 17 minutes and made a case for a larger role providing instant offense off the bench. No matter what happens, Parker is happy to get a second chance in Boston after three years of bouncing around the league.

“It’s the journey that I chose, so definitely appreciative of the Celtics organization, just my teammates always being supportive,” he said. “Regardless of anything, I’m around good people, I’m around a great team, and I’m just grateful for the moment.”

There’s more from Boston:

Horford has been providing more than just veteran leadership since rejoining the Celtics, notes Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. The 35-year-old big man is averaging 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in his first two games. “I love everything about Al,” Jayson Tatum said. “How he plays the game, how he goes about his duties on a day-to-day basis. He’s a true professional. I’m sure everyone’s going to say the same thing about him. He’s just a great teammate and a great person to be around.”
An MRI on Romeo Langford‘s left calf didn’t show any damage, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Coach Ime Udoka said there’s hope that Langford won’t have to miss much time.
Aaron Nesmith is off to a rough start in his second NBA season, going scoreless in his first three games and missing all 10 of his shots, but Udoka told reporters that he hasn’t lost confidence in what Nesmith can do, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “We told him to take his time, slow down, and play like he did in the summer,” Udoka said. “… With Romeo being out, there’s opportunity for him there. So just got to slow down and take the shots that he always has.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Morey, Maxey

October 27th, 2021 at 5:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been slowed by pain in his right knee and wasn’t able to walk for two days after hurting it in the season opener last Wednesday, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Shelburne made the comments during an appearance on NBA Today (video link), adding that Embiid is determined to continue playing because Ben Simmons isn’t available.

Embiid has appeared in all four of Philadelphia’s games, although he’s averaging career lows so far with 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per night. Simmons told the team last week that he’s not mentally ready to play, and it’s uncertain when he might return.

Embiid is also trying to lead by example and is motivated by his second-place finish in last season’s MVP race, Shelburne adds. He appeared in just 51 games in 2020/21, which was one of the arguments some voters made for not supporting him.

Embiid suffered a small meniscus tear in his right knee during the first round of the playoffs, but was able to continue playing until the Sixers were eliminated. The pain flared up after he banged knees with Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas last week, and Shelburne said there’s a feeling that “maybe he should sit a game or two” to help relieve it.

There’s more from Philadelphia:

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said this week that “things seem to be moving very much in a positive direction” with Simmons (video link). He added that the team is working with Simmons to provide “every resource to help him with what is needed.”
Until the Simmons situation is resolved, it will loom as a threat to team chemistry, contends Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons still prefers to be traded, and the rotation is likely to undergo a shakeup whenever that happens. There are also players on the roster who could be headed elsewhere in a Simmons deal. “There’s obviously uncertainty,” Tobias Harris said. “Personally myself, I look at all of the uncertainty as a positive of what could happen. And in reality, the biggest thing is to just stay in the moment.”
Tyrese Maxey is experiencing “growing pains” as he tries to handle the lead guard role in Simmons’ absence, Pompey adds. Maxey is a combo guard who isn’t used to running the offense, and he didn’t have an assist until the fourth quarter in Tuesday night’s loss to the Knicks.

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