2021 | Hoops Rumors

D’Angelo Russell, Three Blazers Enter Protocols

December 25th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell has joined the growing list of Minnesota players in the health and safety protocols, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Timberwolves now have eight players affected, including stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. They’ve already signed a pair of replacement players – Chris Silva and Rayjon Tucker – using hardship exceptions, but will likely make at least one more roster addition before their next game on Monday.

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

Three Trail Blazers players – Robert Covington, Ben McLemore, and Keljin Blevins – have entered the health and safety protocols, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). That brings Portland’s total count to five affected players, all of whom have been placed in the protocols in the last two days.
Kevin Knox has exited the protocols, but Jericho Sims has entered, so the Knicks still have three players affected, according to the team (Twitter links). RJ Barrett is back in the starting lineup for New York today and Quentin Grimes is also expected to play, but Immanuel Quickley and Knox will need a little more time to ramp up their conditioning, says Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).
Mavericks wing Josh Green has tested out of the protocols, but didn’t travel with the team to Utah and won’t play tonight, tweets ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Celtics Sign Al-Farouq Aminu, Norvel Pelle

December 25th, 2021 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 25: The Celtics have officially signed Aminu and Pelle to 10-day contracts, the team announced today in a press release. Both deals will run through January 3.

DECEMBER 24: The Celtics have agreed to sign forward Al-Farouq Aminu and big man Norvel Pelle to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Boston currently has eight players in the health and safety protocols. The team has signed Justin Jackson, C.J. Miles, and Joe Johnson to 10-day deals, but remains eligible to sign a few more replacement players and will take advantage of that allowance to add Aminu and Pelle.

An 11-year veteran, Aminu has averaged 7.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG across 711 total regular season games for six teams. The 31-year-old, who has long been considered a strong defender, has battled health issues in recent years and has only played in 41 total games since signing a three-year, $29MM+ deal with the Magic during the 2019 offseason. He was traded from Orlando to Chicago in last season’s Nikola Vucevic blockbuster, then was rerouted to San Antonio in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in August before being waived by the Spurs in October.

Pelle, meanwhile, has played for a handful of international teams and has bounced back and forth between the NBA and the G League over the last two seasons. The 28-year-old appeared in a total of 37 games from 2019-21 for the Sixers, Nets, Kings, and Knicks. A talented rim protector, Pelle has averaged 2.2 blocks per game in 95 career G League contests and put up 8.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG in his first nine games (22.1 MPG) with the Cleveland Charge this season.

Assuming they clear the COVID-19 testing process in time, Aminu and Pelle could join the Celtics for their Christmas Day game in Milwaukee on Saturday.

NBA, NBPA Making Progress Toward In-Season Tournament?

December 25th, 2021 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

There’s “renewed traction” in discussions between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association about a future in-season tournament, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

An in-season tournament is a concept that has been reported for years as a possibility, but Wojnarowski’s latest report suggests the two sides are making some progress toward bringing the idea to life.

As Woj outlines, the league and the players’ union are having conversations about a structure that would include December pool play, with a quarterfinal, semifinal, and final taking place prior to Christmas. The two sides continue to discuss the possibility of a $1MM payout per player on the winning team, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reported in September.

Creating the necessary incentives to get both players and fans invested in the results of a play-in tournament has been a challenge for the NBA as it attempts to get the idea of a midseason tournament off the ground.

A $1MM-per-player prize would likely do the trick for players — especially for younger guys. Some rookies are earning less than $1MM in salary this season, so a $1MM bonus would more than double their earnings. Plus, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), 73% of the NBA’s players are earning less than the league’s average salary.

It remains to be seen what the league has up its sleeve to get fans on board, but I suspect that – regardless of what’s at stake – an in-season tournament would likely generate more interest than an average slate of regular season games in December.

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Cavaliers Extend J.B. Bickerstaff Through 2026/27

December 25th, 2021 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

10:11am: Bickerstaff’s extension is now official, the Cavaliers confirmed in a press release. The team didn’t announce the terms of the deal, simply referring to it as a “multiyear” extension.

9:53am: The Cavaliers and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff have agreed to a long-term contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the new deal will keep Bickerstaff under team control through the 2026/27 season.

Bickerstaff took over as the Cavaliers’ head coach near the end of the 2019/20 campaign, replacing John Beilein. Since then, he has led the team to a 46-69 (.400) record.

That overall record since Bickerstaff took the reins is somewhat misleading. After going 22-50 last season, the Cavs are off to a 19-13 start in 2021/22, looking as dangerous as they have since LeBron James left the franchise in 2018.

The new-look Cavaliers, led by youngsters Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley and veteran point guard Ricky Rubio have the Eastern Conference’s best defensive rating so far this season. Bickerstaff, who has previous head coaching experience in Houston and Memphis, is being rewarded for the team’s turnaround.

Donte DiVincenzo Cleared To Make Season Debut

December 25th, 2021 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks wing Donte DiVincenzo has exited the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols and has been cleared to make his season debut on Christmas Day, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

DiVincenzo suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle during the Bucks’ championship run this spring and underwent surgery in June. The recovery process sidelined him to start the 2021/22 campaign.

Just when it appeared two weeks ago that DiVincenzo was on the verge of getting back on the court, he entered the health and safety protocols, further delaying his return. However, it seems he finally has the green light and will be active when Milwaukee hosts the Celtics this afternoon.

The third-year swingman out of Villanova had his best season as a pro in 2020/21, his first as a full-time starter. DiVincenzo, who will be a restricted free agent in 2022, averaged 10.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.1 SPG across 66 games, with shooting percentages of .420/.379/.718.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis out of the protocols too, the Bucks no longer have any players affected by COVID-19, at least for the time being.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Exits Protocols, Expected To Play Saturday

December 25th, 2021 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 25, 8:53am: Antetokounmpo is expected to return to action for the Bucks on Saturday after missing the team’s last five games, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter).

DECEMBER 24, 12:17pm: Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Lowe and Wojnarowski, Antetokounmpo is expected to get on the court today and make a decision tomorrow about whether he’ll be able to suit up for the Bucks in their Christmas Day game vs. Boston. The two-time MVP will have to pass cardiac tests before he’s cleared to return following his stint in the health and safety protocols.

Although Giannis still has a chance to play on Saturday, it appears the same can’t be said for Hawks star Trae Young. League sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that Young isn’t expected to be cleared in time to be activated for Atlanta’s Christmas Day contest in New York.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events, given the burgeoning rivalry that Young and the Hawks have established with the Knicks and the fans in New York. However, it doesn’t come as a surprise — Young just entered the COVID-19 protocols five days ago, so the odds of him testing out this quickly were low unless his initial test was a false positive.

In addition to not having to face Young on Saturday, the Knicks also may get some additional reinforcements, as guard Immanuel Quickley has exited the protocols, per the team (Twitter link). New York now has just three players still in the protocols — Kevin Knox, Nerlens Noel, and Miles McBride.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau did caution today that Quickley may not be ready to play on Christmas, but said RJ Barrett, who also exited the protocols this week, has a better chance to be active (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN).

Hawks Sign Cat Barber, Malik Ellison To 10-Day Deals

December 25th, 2021 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

8:13am: The Hawks have issued a press release confirming the signing of Barber and announcing that they’ve also signed guard Malik Ellison to a 10-day deal using a hardship exception.

Ellison, the son of former No. 1 overall pick Pervis Ellison, is another call-up from the College Park Skyhawks. He averaged 10.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG with a .505/.423/.640 shooting line in 14 games (29.7 MPG) for Atlanta’s G League team this season. The 6’6″ guard went undrafted out of Hartford in 2020 and played in the Czech Republic last season.

7:28am: The Hawks will promote guard Cat Barber from their G League affiliate and sign him to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As we detailed on Friday, Atlanta was required to sign another replacement after having more players – Onyeka Okongwu and Wesley Iwundu – enter the health and safety protocols. The team had previously signed Lance Stephenson, Malcolm Hill, and Iwundu via hardship exceptions.

Barber, 27, will have an opportunity to make his NBA debut more than five years after he went undrafted out of NC State in 2016. Since then, he has played for a series of international and G League clubs, most recently joining Atlanta’s affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. In 14 NBAGL games this season, he had averaged 13.4 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 4.1 RPG on .449/.387/.767 shooting in 26.4 minutes per contest.

While Atlanta’s roster has been hit hard by positive COVID-19 tests as of late, the team did get some good news on Saturday — big man Clint Capela has exited the protocols and will play in the Christmas Day game vs. the Knicks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The Hawks still have eight players in the protocols, including Trae Young.

COVID-19 Updates: Hawks, Blazers, Celtics, Bucks, Nets

December 24th, 2021 at 6:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Wesley Iwundu, who just signed a 10-day contract with the Hawks on Thursday, has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Iwundu played 23 minutes in the Hawks’ 98-96 victory over the Sixers Thursday night, scoring two points and grabbing five rebounds. ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets that the Hawks will need to sign another replacement player to replace Iwundu — himself a replacement player.

Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu, who made his season debut last week, has entered the protocols as well, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. In three games this season (22.3 MPG), Okongwu is averaging 10.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.0 BPG. The Hawks now have nine players in the protocols.

Here are a few more COVID-related updates:

Backup point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and two-way rookie Trendon Watford have entered the protocols for the Trail Blazers and the rest of the team will now be re-tested, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). DSJ and Watford are the only players currently in the protocols for the Blazers.
The Celtics have four new players entering the protocols: C.J. Miles, Justin Jackson, Aaron Nesmith, and Bruno Fernando, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. However, Al Horford, Juan Hernangomez, Jabari Parker, and Brodric Thomas, who’ve all been in the protocols, are listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Milwaukee, so they could be exiting the protocols soon. Until those four are cleared, the Celtics will have 12 players in the COVID-19 protocols — the largest outbreak in the NBA.
In addition to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis has exited the protocols for the Bucks, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Like Horford and the other Celtics, Donte DiVincenzo, who’s also been in the protocols, is listed as questionable to make his season debut Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bruce Brown and James Johnson have exited the protocols for the Nets, but seven others, including star Kevin Durant, remain in the protocols for their game Saturday against the Lakers, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Warriors rookie Moses Moody has entered the protocols, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Golden State now has four players in the protocols.

Dewayne Dedmon Out 1-2 Weeks For Heat

December 24th, 2021 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat center Dewayne Dedmon, who has been starting in place of the injured Bam Adebayo, has suffered a Grade 1-Plus MCL sprain and is expected to miss one-to-two weeks, our JD Shaw tweets. Dedmon was injured early in the Heat’s 115-112 victory over the Pistons on Thursday.

In 33 games this season, Dedmon is averaging 6.5 points and 6.1 rebounds on a .575/.600/.750 shooting line in 17.2 minutes (the 60% mark on threes is a very small sample size — he’s 12-for-20 on the season). Those numbers jump up to 23.1 minutes, 8.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in his 15 starts.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Dedmon has been a solid defender and inside presence for the 20-13 Heat, the No. 4 seed in the East. He’d played in all of Miami’s games prior to suffering the knee sprain.

In addition to Dedmon and Adebayo being sidelined, the Heat have been without star Jimmy Butler (back) for 12 of their past 13 games, and Markieff Morris has missed 23 straight with whiplash, so their frontcourt depth is very limited.

Rookie center Omer Yurtseven, who’s averaging 12.3 rebounds in just 21.6 minutes over his last four games, should see more minutes in Dedmon’s absence. Udonis Haslem, the oldest player in the NBA, could also see an uptick in minutes.

Lakers Sign Darren Collison, Stanley Johnson To 10-Day Deals

December 24th, 2021 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45 PM: The 10-day contracts for Collison and Johnson are now official, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (via Twitter).

12:28 PM: The Lakers intend to sign guard Darren Collison and forward Stanley Johnson to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team hopes both players can be available for Saturday’s Christmas Day contest vs. Brooklyn.

Collison made a surprise retirement announcement just ahead of free agency in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. In his final NBA season in 2018/19, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG with a .467/.407/.832 shooting line in 76 games (28.2 MPG) for the Pacers.

There were reports that Collison might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the ’19/20 season, but nothing came of those rumors and he later said they were overblown. However, the 34-year-old reportedly worked out for the Lakers and Warriors this summer, signaling that he remained open to the idea of a comeback. Now, for at least 10 days, it’s happening.

Johnson, 25, signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Bulls earlier this month, but entered the health and safety protocols before appearing in a game with the team. Assuming he tested positive for COVID-19, it appears he’s now fully recovered.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, and Raptors since entering the NBA. He has proven capable of providing energy and defensive versatility off the bench, but his offensive game has always been limited. In 371 career regular season games, he has averaged 6.2 PPG on .375/.298/.761 shooting in 19.7 minutes per contest.

Collison and Johnson will be the Lakers’ third and fourth hardship signings, joining Isaiah Thomas and Jemerrio Jones. The team currently has five players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Year: 2024