2021 | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Mobley, LeBron, Celtics, Bucks, Dragic

October 30th, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar LeBron James praised Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley after Los Angeles beat Cleveland 113-101 on Friday night. Mobley finished with 23 points, six rebounds and two steals in just his sixth NBA game, catching James’ eye.

“He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this league,” James said, according to Mark Medina of NBA.com. “Cleveland has a good one. They’ve done a good job over the years in the draft, I’ll say.”

Cleveland has started Mobley alongside Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen, deploying one of the biggest lineups in the league. The 20-year-old was selected by the team No. 3 overall in July’s draft.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston examines potential trade targets for the Celtics, noting that any acquisition should fit well alongside Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Boston has opened the season with a 2-3 record, sporting a rotation that includes new additions Dennis Schroder, Al Horford and Josh Richardson.
The Bucks will visit the White House on November 8, becoming the first team to do so since 2016, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports. Milwaukee will celebrate winning the 2020/21 NBA championship — its first since 1971.
Raptors guard Goran Dragic received his second straight DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) on Friday, Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets. “He’s a very approachable guy, very professional guy,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Dragic. “I talk to him everyday and I pretty much just tell him to stay ready… We’ll see where it goes from there.” Dragic is still viewed as a strong candidate to be traded during the season.

Southeast Notes: Yurtseven, Harrell, Wizards, Herro, Lowry

October 30th, 2021 at 1:53pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat rookie center Omer Yurtseven has only played 11 minutes so far this season, but time and place are still the questions for the 23-year-old, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Yurtseven, who is eligible to spend time with the team’s G League affiliate. is currently behind starter Bam Adebayo and veteran Dewayne Dedmon in the club’s rotation. As Winderman notes, regularly practicing against against those big men and staying available at the NBA level might benefit Yurtseven more than playing in the G League.

“I think this is where I want to be at ultimately,” Yurtseven told the Sun Sentinel. “And I think that I’m adjusting to it and doing whatever is necessary to conquer this beast.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

Speaking of the Heat, Ira Winderman examines whether Pat Riley‘s best move this offseason was choosing to keep Tyler Herro. Herro has started the season on a strong note, scoring 26 off the bench against Charlotte on Friday night.
Wizards big man Montrezl Harrell has quickly connected with his new team’s fans, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. “I’m from North Carolina. It’s only like three hours from here, so I feel like I’m kind of in my backyard,” Harrell explained. “This is down south, homegrown people that love the hard work, the grittiness, the toughness, the coming in and putting on your hard hat every day just ready to work. You’re not really coming in and thinking you’re better than someone or just going off your name. You’re coming in ready to work and they’re gonna get behind that.”
Veteran guard Kyle Lowry is actively helping the Heat return to contention, Dan Devine of The Ringer writes. Lowry — along with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo — have formed Miami’s newest “big three,” and led the team to four wins in five games. The Heat’s only loss has come when Lowry didn’t play (sprained ankle).

And-Ones: Team USA, Koufos, Ignite, Noah

October 30th, 2021 at 11:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

An announcement on Gregg Popovich’s replacement regarding Team USA’s head coaching vacancy probably won’t come until closer to the end of the calendar year, Marc Stein of Substack reports. Previously, the opening was expected to be filled by the start of the NBA season. The timeline for completing the search has been pushed back for procedural reasons, according to Stein, who previously reported that Steve Kerr is the most likely successor.

We have more from around the basketball world:

In the same post from Stein, he notes that former NBA center Kosta Koufos will still play for the G League’s Ignite team but his arrival has been delayed due to the birth of his first child. Koufos is joining the Ignite after playing two seasons in the EuroLeague. Amir Johnson and Pooh Jeter are among the other veterans on the team, which allows top prospects to get a taste of professional basketball to prepare for next year’s draft.
The Ignite team – which trains in Walnut Creek, California – will play eight home games in Las Vegas, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. The first two of those games will be a back-to-back next month against the Clippers’ Agua Caliente squad.
The Bulls have named Joakim Noah as a team ambassador and the 36-yard-old Noah has no regrets about retiring, he told Sam Smith of the team’s website. “Obviously, I miss the competition and I miss the locker room,” Noah said. “But when your body tells you it’s time to go, it’s time to go. So you have to be honest with yourself. I shot every bullet in my gun and I have no regrets. I gave it everything I got.”

Western Notes: Conley, Valanciunas, Ayton, Mann

October 30th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks, Bulls, Mavericks and Pelicans showed interest in Mike Conley during free agency but re-signing with the Jazz was an “easy” choice, as he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“It was an easy decision (based) on what we had built here and what I was able to be a part of last year and in the last few seasons,” he said. “Just wanted to be a part of that journey with these guys. Trying to bring a championship to a place that, you know, it’s not easy to do. I think that seeing Milwaukee win was awesome.”

Conley signed a three-year, $68MM contract that includes some incentives.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Jonas Valanciunas has quickly emerged as a crucial player for the Pelicans, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. Valanciunas is averaging 18.2 PPG and 14.7 RPG while logging a career-high 34.3 MPG through six games. Coach Willie Green said the starters would continue to play big minutes until Zion Williamson returns. “Right now, those guys are going to play high minutes. That’s why we’re not doing much at practice,” Green said. After being acquired from Memphia, Valanciunas signed a two-year, $30.1MM extension this fall.
Suns coach Monty Williams isn’t worried about Deandre Ayton‘s focus even though the team didn’t reach an extension agreement with their center, Amick writes in a separate story. In fact, Williams hopes Ayton plays more selfishly as he heads toward restricted free agency. “He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how unselfish he is. We want him to be more selfish,” Williams said. “We want him to be more aggressive, but I don’t foresee that happening. The young man wants to win, and that’s what I’ve seen since I’ve been with him from Day 1.”
The Thunder have assigned Tre Mann, the 18th overall pick, to the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue. Head coach Mark Daigneault believes that will accelerate his development more than having him play spotty minutes with the Thunder, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. “His ability to go there, play more minutes, take on a heavier load defensively, find a little bit of rhythm offensively, settle into games a little bit more, settle into practices a little bit more is a great opportunity for him to grow,” Daigneault said. Oklahoma City also has a logjam of young guards, Mussatto notes.

Central Notes: LaVine, Williams, Jackson, Duarte

October 30th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Zach LaVine says that playing with a ligament tear in his left thumb is difficult but he’ll make it work, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“It will be like this for a little bit,” LaVine said. “Knock on wood that nothing happens in the game to where it re-aggravates it. But it has to play its course. They were telling me it’s almost like a Grade 2 ankle sprain but in my thumb. So it’s going to take some time.”

LaVine has shot 20-for-51 from the field over the last three games after exceeding 30 points in his first two outings this season.

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after tearing ligaments in his left wrist. In response, the Bulls will likely go with a smaller lineup, Johnson writes in a separate piece. Individually, Williams loses a year of growth and the ability to establish himself as a two-way force. “When you lose a guy like that who can physically guard a lot of different positions and who has the strength and size to deal with post-up players, it definitely hurts,” coach Billy Donovan said.
The Pistons are still seeking their first win and reserve guard Frank Jackson has struggled with his shooting this season, but he’s holding onto his rotation spot, James Edwards III of The Athletic notes. Jackson was waived by the Thunder last December and Detroit took a flyer on him. He was re-signed to a two-year, $6.2MM deal this summer with a team option. “What got my attention as much as his shooting last year was his defense,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He pursues, he competes defensively. Very athletic with speed and quickness. Then you add shooting on top of that.”
Pacers lottery pick Chris Duarte heard a lot from scouts and executives about his age at the pre-draft camp. The 24-year-old Duarte put a different twist on that concern, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. Duarte responded, “If you want to win games, get me. If you want to win in four years, go ahead and draft a 19-year-old kid. Then you can develop him and make him a superstar in three, four or five years. But you don’t know if he’s going to be a superstar — you don’t know, who knows? So you know what you’re getting now.” Duarte is averaging 18.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG through six games.

Cade Cunningham To Make Debut Saturday?

October 29th, 2021 at 10:03pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pistons have had a rough start to the season, losing their first four games. However, number one overall draft pick Cade Cunningham might be ready to make his regular season debut.

As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link) notes, Cunningham isn’t listed on the team’s injury report for Saturday, which is an indication he’ll be available against the Magic.

Cunningham suffered a sprained ankle during training camp, causing him to miss all of the team’s preseason and regular season games thus far. Langlois wrote a story earlier today indicating Cunningham had been ramping up his practice time this week.

Pistons head coach Dwane Casey wouldn’t outright say that Cunningham was playing Saturday, but he thinks he’s ready.

“We’ll see where he is tomorrow,” Casey said. “We’re not putting a timetable on it. I’m just waiting to see when he’s available. I think he’s ready. He understands what we need to be doing.”

Guard Frank Jackson is excited to see what Cunningham can bring to the team, as Langlois relays.

“He’s going to bring some juice right away,” Jackson said. “He’s been working hard. It’ll be fun to get him out here and get rolling. It could take time, but I think he’s willing and ready to do what it takes to help our team excel. I’m excited for him to get out there.”

Langlois notes that Cunningham has been out four-plus weeks, so he might be on a minutes restriction to start out.

The Pistons face the Magic Saturday at 6:00 PM CT.

Injury Notes: Brown, Pacers, Raptors, Bucks

October 29th, 2021 at 9:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown is dealing with lingering after-effects from contracting COVID-19, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Brown says it’s taking his body much longer to recover than normal, which is part of the reason he’s had up-and-down performances thus far.

“Like, I feel great. And then it feels like instead of playing one game, it kind of feels like I played three. I’m used to my body responding and recovering a lot faster. I know I just turned 25, but this can’t be what it looks like on the other side,” Brown said Friday.

Head coach Ime Udoka recently said Brown’s inconsistency has been “mind-boggling,” according to Bontemps. Brown agreed, but he’s still not feeling right.

“Ime came and talked to me about it yesterday,” Brown said. “It didn’t bother me. It’s mind-boggling to me too. I was surprised that my body didn’t respond the way it normally responds. I’m usually able to have that zip, that pop, flying up and down the court, but it wasn’t there. I think that was obvious.

“I don’t think he was out of line or anything for that. I gotta be better and get with my medical staff and figure how to get my body to the point where I feel normal. Some days I feel fantastic and then it’s like two, three days, it takes my body too long to feel fantastic again. That’s an issue for me. As I navigate that, we have to still tighten up on the details, tighten up on our defense and find a way to win games. Even though I don’t feel the same on the court, I could still be better in certain areas and detailed in certain areas. That’s more the conversation that we have,” Brown said.

Brown is also suffering from patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, relays Bontemps, which is why he missed a game versus the Rockets on Sunday.

Here are some more injury notes from around the league:

We noted yesterday that Pacers rookie Isaiah Jackson suffered an injury on Wednesday and will be out “a while,” per head coach Rick Carlisle. The team provided an update today in press release, stating that Jackson has a hyperextended left knee and is considered week-to-week.
Caris LeVert missed the game tonight, but he’s close to returning for the Pacers, relays Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is progressing from his shoulder injury, but he’s still weeks away from returning, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Grange says the best-case scenario is Siakam might return in mid-November.
In a separate tweet, Grange says that Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe suffered a setback with his calf injury and was unable to practice today.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t expect Brook Lopez or Jrue Holiday to play this weekend, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter). In a follow-up tweet, Nehm relays that Bobby Portis will miss tomorrow’s game as well (reconditioning).

Trae Young Fined $15K For Contact With Referee

October 29th, 2021 at 7:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has fined Hawks point guard Trae Young $15K for making contact with a referee, the league announced (via Twitter).

The league also provided a video link of the incident, which occurred during the second quarter of Atlanta’s game Thursday night, a 122-111 loss to the Wizards.

Young appeared frustrated after not receiving a foul call after a slight bump from Raul Neto and a missed shot attempt, which was tipped in by John Collins immediately afterwards. Young then made contact with the referee closest to the play and received a technical foul.

Young made comments after the game that showed his frustration with the incident and the new rule changes to limit “non-basketball moves.”

Jazz Exercise 2022/23 Option On Udoka Azubuike

October 29th, 2021 at 6:53pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz have picked up their 2022/23 third-year option on Udoka Azubuike, the team announced in a press release.

The Jazz selected Azubuike with their first-round pick (27th overall) in the 2020 draft. As a second-year former first round pick, his salary is fully guaranteed this season. Exercising the team option means his salary for next season will be guaranteed as well. Azuibuike will earn $2,174,880 in ’22/23.

Azubuike, a hulking center with a massive 7’7″ wingspan, appeared in just 15 games as a rookie last season, averaging 1.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 3.8 minutes per game.

He most recently saw action during 2021 Summer League, averaging 13.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in three games in Salt Lake City, and 13.8 points, 8.8 boards and 2.5 blocks in four contests in Las Vegas.

Azubuike figures to see a lot of time in the G League this season, as the Jazz have three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert at starting center, with Hassan Whiteside as backup.

All decisions on rookie scale options for 2022/23 are due by Monday, Nov. 1. We’re tracking them right here.

Community Shootaround: Officiating Adjustments

October 29th, 2021 at 5:41pm CST by Rory Maher

A notable new change to officiating this season has been the emphasis on “non-basketball moves” from offensive players designed to draw contact from defenders. In the past, these plays were frequently called defensive fouls. This season, they’re supposed to be no-calls; in some instances, they’ve been called offensive fouls.

Hawks star Trae Young is on board with some of the new changes, but feels like the referees have swung too far in the opposite direction and haven’t been calling some legitimate fouls, per ESPN News Services.

“There’s a lot of missed calls,” Young said. “It’s basketball. It’s just, it feels that they’re learning, and they’re just — I don’t know. It’s frustrating.

“Veering back and jumping into guys — that’s different,” Young said. “There are certain things that, I agree with the rule changes, but then there’s things that are still fouls, and guys are going to get hurt. Especially a smaller guy like me who’s going up against bigger and stronger defenders, they’re using their body and they’re using their legs and their hands to stop me.”

Young made the comments following Atlanta’s 122-111 loss to the Wizards. He was subsequently fined $15K for making contact with a referee during the game.

Through five games this season, Young is averaging 4.4 free throw attempts per game. Last season, he averaged 8.7.

Another player known for drawing fouls is Nets star James Harden. Harden averaged 7.3 free throw attempts per game last season (8.7 career). Through five games this season, he’s averaging 3.0, a career low.

However, some players love the changes. Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma recently tweeted his support.

“The new rules changes to the sport are the best thing the league has done in recent history. Watching the game Is muuuuuch different,” Kuzma wrote.

Here’s some early foul call data that compares the start of this season to the start of last season, courtesy of Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

This season, through 10 days: 13 teams are averaging less than 20 free throw attempts per game, and none are averaging more than 25 attempts per game.

Last season, through 10 days: Six teams averaged less than 20 free throw attempts per game, and eight teams averaged more than 25 attempts per game.

We want to know what you think. Have the changes resulted in a better viewing experience? Will the referees continue swallowing the whistle on “non-basketball moves”? Will free throw attempts stay down? Or is it too early to draw conclusions from the small sample size?

Head to the comment section to let us know your thoughts.

Year: 2024