2021 | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Notes: Bates-Diop, Murray, Hammon, G League

December 25th, 2021 at 8:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Keita Bates-Diop was an unlikely candidate to become the first Spurs player with a 30-point game this season, but the little-used forward reached that number in Thursday’s win over the Lakers, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Bates-Diop had 88 total points in his first 23 games, but he exploded in L.A., hitting all 11 of his shots from the field in the best night of his career.

“That’s why he’s in the NBA,” teammate Lonnie Walker said. “You’ve got to put respect on almost any player that’s out there. We’re all here for a reason.”

Bates-Diop was named Big Ten Player of the Year at Ohio State in 2018, but he has found only limited success in the NBA. Taken by the Timberwolves with the 48th pick in that year’s draft, he spent a season and a half in Minnesota before being traded to Denver. He signed a two-way contract with the Spurs last season and earned a standard deal this year.

“He’s a conscientious guy,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s becoming more and more conscientious all the time — and also a bit more confident, like he feels like he has a place.”

There’s more from San Antonio:

It took a lot of years and a lot of help for Dejounte Murray to develop into a top-level point guard, McDonald notes in a separate story. Drafted in 2016, Murray got to learn from Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard early in his career, but also had to overcome a torn ACL that wiped out his entire third season. “He had very little experience coming into the league and basically missed one whole season where he wasn’t able to develop,” Popovich said. “So at this point to see him playing the way he is, the confidence arena, where he’s got habits that are formed now — he understands the position. He understands the role and responsibility every night.”
Two WNBA teams have expressed interest in hiring Spurs assistant Becky Hammon as their head coach, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces have both reached out and there is mutual interest, according to Charania. Hammon has been rumored for years as a potential replacement for Popovich whenever he retires.
With the G League delaying the start of its regular season, Joshua Primo, Joe Wieskamp and Devontae Cacok may join the Spurs for Sunday’s game against Detroit, Orsborn tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Rose, Simmons, Durant, Raptors

December 25th, 2021 at 7:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker capped off his comeback week with a triple-double in today’s win over the Hawks, leading to questions about why coach Tom Thibodeau pulled him from the Knicks‘ lineup in the first place, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Eight days ago, there were questions about whether Walker would ever play for New York again, but now it appears he has reclaimed the starting point guard job.

“I take it as a blessing in disguise — God works in mysterious ways, man,’’ Walker said of his temporary benching. “He helped me stay humble, grounded and got me through a tough situation. Guys went down and I’m back — the first game (in Boston) versus my old team in the starting lineup. The rest is history. This is not how I pictured it. But I’m not complaining, either.’’

After being held out of action for more than three weeks, Walker got a chance last Saturday against the Celtics due to a combination of injuries and players in the health and safety protocols. He responded with 29 points, then followed with 21 Tuesday against the Pistons and 44 Thursday against the Wizards before today’s 10-10-12 performance.

“Since he came back, he’s come out with a consistent energy,’’ Julius Randle said. “It’s a lot of fun to play with. We’re feeding off each other. We kind of got a second shot at it.’’

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

With Derrick Rose likely sidelined until at least mid-February following ankle surgery, the Knicks are searching for ways to make up for the absence of their most dependable guard, observes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The ankle has been a season-long issue for Rose, who tweaked it during the team’s second preseason game, Katz adds. Although he was able to practice the next day, Rose had to miss three games in November with ankle soreness, which lingered until the decision to have surgery.
There was little discussion at the G League showcase in Las Vegas about the Sixers working out a Ben Simmons trade any time soon, Marc Stein of Substack said on his latest podcast. He adds that trade talks have taken a back seat in the wake of roster upheavals caused by COVID-19. Appearing today on “NBA Countdown,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said there has been no progress on a deal or on Simmons returning to play for Philadelphia.
Head coach Steve Nash said the Nets haven’t received any word that Kevin Durant will test out of protocols in time to play against the Clippers on Monday, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Although it remains possible, Lewis states that it appears unlikely Durant will play.
Sunday’s game with the Cavaliers is still on, but the Raptors flew into Cleveland today with just four roster players and a limited number of coaches and staff members, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Toronto has 10 players in health and safety protocols and is hoping to have at least four hardship additions cleared by game time.

And-Ones: Team USA, Faried, Bennett, All-Star Voting

December 25th, 2021 at 6:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Team USA coach Steve Kerr may not hold a training camp involving players during the summer, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Kerr, who officially took over the position earlier this week, has talked to managing director Grant Hill about conducting a coaches camp instead, which would represent a new approach for the national team.

The next World Cup won’t take place until the 2023 offseason, and the next Olympics are two-and-a-half years away. Team USA will be hoping to get a two-year commitment from its players to participate in both events. The Americans have won the last four Olympic gold medals, but finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup.

“I’m in touch with Grant all the time and we’re discussing those things,” Kerr said. “Obviously there is COVID complications as well, but with the World Cup not being until the following summer, there’s not a huge sense of urgency to get a bunch of players together. It’s more about getting the coaches together and really starting to put a foundation together.”

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Kenneth Faried has received an offer to play in the G League, tweets Marc Stein of Substack. The 32-year-old big man played eight NBA seasons, but hasn’t been in the league since finishing the 2018/19 season with the Rockets. Faried has played overseas since then, but ended his arrangement with CSKA Moscow last week.
Anthony Bennett has parted ways with Hapoel Jerusalem, tweets Israeli basketball writer Roi Cohen. Bennett, the first selection in the 2013 draft, averaged 7.0 points per game while playing in the Winner League and the Basketball Champions League. Bennett has been out of the NBA since the 2016/17 season and has played both in the G League and overseas.
Fan voting for the NBA’s All-Star Game began today and will continue through January 22, the league announced (via Twitter). Votes can be submitted at NBA.com, through the NBA app or on Twitter. Votes will count double today, as well as January 13, 17 and 20.

Paul George Has Torn Elbow Ligament, Will Miss At Least 3-4 Weeks

December 25th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers star Paul George suffered a torn ligament in his right elbow, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who adds that George’s condition will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

George returned to action Monday after missing more than two weeks with elbow pain. He reported a “couple stingers” in the elbow, but remained productive, scoring 25 and 17 points in the two games that he played.

Testing revealed a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). The Clippers plan to see how the injury responds to rest before determining how to proceed with treatment.

George has been asked to take on a larger role this season with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, and he has responded by averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists, which are all the highest totals in his three seasons with L.A.

The Clippers are currently fourth in the West at 17-15, but they are just two games ahead of the ninth-place Timberwolves, so the next month or so should be challenging without their on-court leader. Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson both entered the league’s health and safety protocols in the past week.

Kyle Lowry Enters Health And Safety Protocols

December 25th, 2021 at 4:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The short-handed Heat will have to survive for a while without point guard Kyle Lowry, who has been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Lowry, 35, was Miami’s major offseason acquisition and has helped the team rise to fourth in the East despite injuries to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Lowry is averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists through 31 games and remains a feared defender in the backcourt.

Butler, who hasn’t played since December 6 because of an injured tailbone, is hoping to return soon and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Magic. P.J. Tucker is also questionable, while Adebayo, Dewayne Dedmon and Markieff Morris are all sidelined with injuries. However, with Caleb Martin returning this week, Lowry will be the only Heat player in protocols.

If Lowry tested positive for COVID-19, he will miss 10 days unless he can submit consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. Counting tomorrow’s game, Miami plays six times in the next 10 days.

Two Warriors Assistant Coaches Now In COVID-19 Protocols

December 25th, 2021 at 3:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco has joined Mike Brown in the NBA’s health and safety coronavirus protocols, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link). It was first announced that Brown had entered COVID-19 protocols on Thursday.

Shelburne notes that Golden State will be missing Brown, DeMarco and Kenny Atkinson, the team’s top three assistants behind head coach Steve Kerr, ahead of its Christmas Day game tonight in Phoenix against the Suns.

Atkinson, who suffered a leg injury in October, recently returned to the Warriors’ bench, but still isn’t traveling with the team for road games, per Shelburne and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (via Twitter).

The matchup represents a contest between the two top teams, by record, in the entire NBA. The Suns are 26-5 on the year and have won their last five straight games. The Warriors are 26-6 and have won two consecutive contests. Each team has defeated the other once so far this season.

Alvin Gentry Clears COVID-19 Protocols, Could Return Sunday

December 25th, 2021 at 3:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and expects to resume coaching Sacramento for the team’s game tomorrow against the Grizzlies, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Woj notes that Gentry has missed the past five Sacramento contests since first testing positive for COVID-19 10 days ago.

The Kings have gone 2-3 under the tutelage of assistant coach Doug Christie, who took over for Gentry while he quarantined.

The team’s record under Gentry overall this season is 7-9, which includes the five games with Christie coaching in Gentry’s stead. At 13-20 for the season (Gentry replaced previous head coach Luke Walton in November), the Kings are the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference, just one game behind the tenth-seeded Spurs as the race to make the league’s play-in bracket heats up.

Pistons Add Derrick Walton, Cassius Stanley On 10-Day Contracts

December 25th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2:21pm: The deals for both guards are now official, according to an official statement from the Pistons (via Twitter).

2:08pm: Guards Derrick Walton and Cassius Stanley are expected to sign 10-day deals with the Pistons via hardship exceptions, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Walton and Stanley logged some preseason run with Detroit before ultimately being waived ahead of the 2021/22 NBA season. They were most recently playing for Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

Stanley, a 6’5″ shooting guard, is averaging 9.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG for the Cruise, with a shooting line of .380/.256/.600. The 22-year-old was selected with the No. 54 pick by the Pacers in 2020 out of Duke.

The 6’0″ point guard Walton, 26, went undrafted out of Michigan in 2017. He has logged time with the Heat, Clippers, and Pistons. Walton also has played internationally, with Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas and later German club Alba Berlin.

In 12 games for Motor City, Walton is averaging 13.6 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.3 SPG. He holds shooting averages of .416/.365/.765 with the G League club.

The 5-26 club could use all the help it can get. Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saben Lee, Rodney McGruder, and Isaiah Stewart are among the Pistons in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Detroit is also without star forward Jerami Grant, still dealing with a thumb injury; big man Kelly Olynyk, absent due to a grade-2 MCL sprain; and Isaiah Livers, who continues to be day-to-day while he works on his conditioning.

Keep tabs on the league’s various coronavirus-related absences via our daily tracker.

Timofey Mozgov Signs With Russian Team

December 25th, 2021 at 1:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime NBA center Timofey Mozgov has inked a deal with Russian Super League team Runa Basket Moscow, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando.

After spending the 2017/18 NBA season on the Nets, the 7’1″, 275-pound center traveled overseas. He rejoined Russian club Khmiki from 2019-21. He also suited up for Khmiki from 2006-2010 and again during the 2011 NBA lockout. Last year, Mozgov averaged 8.3 PPG and 4.2 RPG across six contests.

The 35-year-old big man logged eight seasons in the NBA after initially going undrafted in 2008. He played with the Knicks, Nuggets, Cavaliers, Lakers, and finally the Nets. Mozgov won a title as a key role player for the 2016 championship Cleveland team.

After winning in Cleveland, Mozgov signed a lucrative four-year, $64MM deal with the Lakers, which immediately became an albatross. Los Angeles traded him to Brooklyn the next summer. It would be his final NBA on-court action, and he essentially became a contract used to match salaries in deals.

Mozgov was then sent to the Hornets in the summer of 2018, who promptly traded his contract to the Magic. Mozgov never played a game for Orlando during the 2018/19 season after being felled by a knee injury that required surgery. Orlando waived him in the 2019 offseason.

Mozgov holds career averages of 6.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 0.8 BPG across 454 games.

COVID-19 Updates: Celtics, Lakers, Raptors

December 25th, 2021 at 12:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics reserve point guard Dennis Schröder has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will not play in today’s Christmas game against the Bucks, the team has announced (Twitter link). He joins eight other Celtics in the protocols.

In a more positive twist, Juancho Hernangómez, Jabari Parker, and Brodric Thomas have exited the league’s COVID-19 protocols and are available for today’s game, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (via Twitter). Guards Marcus Smart, who has been dealing with a hip injury, and Romeo Langford, who has missed time due to an Achilles injury, are also available. Boston center Al Horford is out of the league’s coronavirus protocols but is still working on his conditioning and has been ruled out for the contest.

Here are more COVID-19 protocol updates from around the NBA:

Lakers guards Avery Bradley and Malik Monk have left the league’s COVID-19 protocols and will be able to suit up today for Los Angeles against the Nets, per Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Raptors players Khem Birch, Isaac Bonga, and Justin Champagnie have entered the league’s COVID-19 protocols, though Dalano Banton has apparently exited, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link). A total of 10 Toronto players are now in the protocols. Toronto’s previously-scheduled game on Wednesday, against the Bulls, was canceled as a result of the Raptors not having enough players available. The team’s next game is scheduled for tomorrow against the Cavaliers. Lewenberg adds (via Twitter) that Raptors rookie shooting guard David Johnson (calf) and veteran point guard Goran Dragic (personal) also continue to be unavailable.
Keep track of all the NBA players within the league’s health and safety protocols on our tracker here.

Year: 2024