Month: November 2024

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Durant, Carmelo, Payton

February 22nd, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ front office met with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, along with Tyronn Lue and his coaching staff, to assess the team’s needs following the trade deadline, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The group determined that a veteran point guard would be useful, particularly after trading away Reggie Jackson and John Wall, which led to the decision to pursue Russell Westbrook if he became available.

Westbrook signed with the Clippers after a buyout with the Jazz and could debut with his new team Friday night. The 34-year-old guard will try to rehabilitate his image in L.A. after spending a rocky season and a half with the Lakers.

There’s risk involved for both sides in the new arrangement, Youngmisuk notes. The Clippers are playing their best basketball of the season, winning 10 of their last 14 games, and will now try to integrate one of the league’s most polarizing players into their lineup, possibly as a starter. Westbrook, who will be a free agent this summer, faces the possibility of tanking his value even further as he seeks his next contract.

Youngmisuk notes that the Clippers are hoping Westbrook can become a more successful version of Wall, a similar type of player, who was trying to revive his career after years of injuries. Wall was on a minutes limit for much of the season and rarely got to play with Leonard and George at the same time because they were managing injuries of their own.

“Sucked that John didn’t work,” George said, “but what John brought is what we need: A guy that can get up and down the floor and get us some easy baskets in transition.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kevin Durant will likely play his first game with the Suns on March 1 at Charlotte, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. There had been hope that Durant would be ready for Friday’s home game against Oklahoma City or Sunday’s nationally televised contest at Milwaukee, but sources tell Charania that next Wednesday is now the target date. Durant has been sidelined since suffering an MCL sprain on January 8.
Recent comments from Durant and Chris Paul about Carmelo Anthony have led to speculation that they may lobby the Suns to sign the 38-year-old forward, according to Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic. Anthony has been out of the league after playing 69 games for the Lakers last season.
Gary Payton II told reporters that he wasn’t surprised when he failed his physical with the Warriors, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Payton said he knew his body wasn’t 100% and explained that he took Toradol when he was with the Trail Blazers because “being a competitor, I just wanted to get out there.”

Russell Westbrook Signs With Clippers

February 22nd, 2023 at 7:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 22: Westbrook has signed with the Clippers after clearing waivers, the team announced (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 20, 4:32pm: Westbrook has officially been waived, the Jazz’s PR department tweets.

FEBRUARY 20, 9:51am: Russell Westbrook will join the Clippers once he completes a buyout with the Jazz, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Paul George and Marcus Morris recently spoke out in favor of adding Westbrook, but Clippers management took more convincing, Wojnarowski writes. Sources tell Woj that team officials, including coach Tyronn Lue and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, recently had discussions with Westbrook on whether he would accept a clearly defined role that focuses on his play-making, rebounding and toughness.

Those attributes could make a difference for a Clippers team that has been searching for a point guard after failing to fill that role before the trade deadline. L.A. unloaded Reggie Jackson and John Wall in separate deals, so there was a desire to find a lead guard.

Westbrook also had discussions with the Bulls, Wizards and Heat, but Wojnarowski’s sources say he was swayed by the chance to remain in Los Angeles and compete for a title with the Clippers.

Westbrook began the season with the Lakers, continuing a relationship that seemed rocky ever since he was acquired from Washington in 2021. He adapted to a sixth man role under new coach Darvin Ham and contributed 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 52 games. However, his shooting percentages remained low at 41.7% from the field and 29.6% from three-point range, and shot selection and turnovers were still an issue.

The 34-year-old guard, who was traded to Utah at the deadline, still must finalize buyout terms with the Jazz and clear waivers before he can join the Clippers. He will likely give up a portion of the money still owed to him on his $47MM+ expiring contract.

The Clippers were considered among the favorites in the West when the season began, but they have been inconsistent during a 33-28 start. If they get the best version of Westbrook to pair with Kawhi Leonard and George, his former teammate in Oklahoma City, they would be a tough playoff matchup for anyone.

Pistons Notes: Wiseman, Hampton, Cunningham, Grant, Bagley

February 22nd, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have been out of the playoff race for a long time, but they still have some important work to do in their final 23 games, observes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Part of that mission includes seeing what they have in a pair of reclamation projects who were once considered elite draft prospects.

James Wiseman was acquired from the Warriors at the trade deadline, but because a health issue involving Gary Payton II held up the deal, Wiseman only appeared in one game before the All-Star break. He displayed a glimpse of the potential that caused Golden State to take him with the No. 2 pick in 2020, posting 11 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.

Detroit has to determine how Wiseman can fit with the team’s other young big men. He has been used exclusively at center during his brief NBA career, but Langlois believes the Pistons will want to test out a lineup with Wiseman at power forward alongside rookie center Jalen Duren. The addition of another seven-footer seems to indicate that Isaiah Stewart will now be used primarily at power forward, Langlois adds.

Detroit will reportedly sign R.J. Hampton sometime after he clears waivers on Thursday. Hampton hasn’t made an impact in his first two NBA stops, but he’s only 22 and a rebuilding team like the Pistons could give him an opportunity for regular playing time.

There’s more from Detroit:

Cade Cunningham is still recovering from season-ending shin surgery in December, but the Pistons are optimistic about his long-term prognosis, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes in a mailbag column. Cunningham hasn’t been cleared to play 5-on-5 yet, but team officials believe he’ll be ready for full summer workouts once the season ends. Sankofa notes that Cunningham has been dealing with soreness in his left shin for several years, so there’s hope that he’ll be pain-free next season.
Jerami Grant could become a target for the Pistons in free agency, Sankofa adds. Grant, who Detroit traded to the Trail Blazers last summer, hasn’t decided on a four-year, $112MM extension offer from Portland. If he turns it down, Sankofa sees Grant as an obvious target for general manager Troy Weaver, who could have up to $40MM in cap space to work with this offseason.
Marvin Bagley III participated in most of Wednesday’s practice and coach Dwane Casey said he’s close to returning, Sankofa tweets. Bagley has missed the past 19 games after having surgery on his right hand.

Stephen Curry To Be Reevaluated In One Week

February 22nd, 2023 at 4:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry is making “good progress” in his recovery from a left leg injury and will be reevaluated in a week, the Warriors announced (via Twitter).

The team added that Curry’s condition was recently checked by the medical staff, and he was able to begin some on-court workouts. Those will continue as he prepares for his next examination.

Curry suffered a partial tear of the superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane, along with a lower leg contusion in a February 4 game against Dallas. He has missed five games since then, with Golden State posting a 2-3 record.

The defending champions are seventh in the West at 29-29 and are locked in a tight race for playoff seeding. Curry has played just 38 games so far, but has been putting up typically excellent numbers, averaging 29.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists per night while shooting 42.7% on three-pointers.

Suns Notes: Durant, Okogie, Craig, Ross, Sarver

February 22nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kevin Durant is nearing a return from his MCL sprain, but it may not happen on Friday in his new team’s first game after the All-Star break, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link).

According to Windhorst, the tentative plan is to have Durant take part in a 5-on-5 contact workout on Thursday in Phoenix and to see how his knee reacts to that session. If all goes well, it’s possible Durant could make his Suns debut on Friday, but Windhorst believes that Sunday afternoon’s game in Milwaukee or Wednesday’s contest in Charlotte are more likely target dates for Durant and the team.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Once Durant is healthy, he’ll be one of four players locked into the starting lineup, along with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. With the fifth spot in the Suns’ starting group still up for grabs, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports considers whether Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig, or Terrence Ross would be the most logical fit in that role.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic views Craig as the best candidate to fill out the starting five, but suggests Ross might be a better fit in the club’s closing lineup. Rankin also identifies a few other five-man groups that the Suns might utilize once Durant is available, including the club’s best “small” and “big” lineups.
Although Robert Sarver no longer owns the Suns or the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, his one-year suspension from the NBA remains in effect, sources tell Rankin. Certain terms of that suspension – such as a ban from attending the league’s Board of Governors meetings – are no longer relevant, but the suspension also barred Sarver from attending any NBA or WNBA games.

Jazz Sign Frank Jackson, Kris Dunn To 10-Day Contracts

February 22nd, 2023 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 22: The Jazz have officially signed both Jackson and Dunn to 10-day contracts, the team confirmed today in a press release. The deals will run through next Friday (March 3), covering Utah’s next four games.

FEBRUARY 21: The Jazz have reached an agreement to sign guard Frank Jackson to a 10-day contract, agents Troy Payne and Mike Silverman tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 31st overall pick in the 2017 draft, Jackson missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, then appeared in 213 regular season games over the next four seasons with the Pelicans and Pistons. In 2021/22, he averaged a career-high 10.6 points per game on .402/.308/.827 shooting in 53 contests (22.0 MPG) for Detroit.

Jackson, a former high school star in Utah, signed non-guaranteed contracts with the Suns and Jazz last fall, but didn’t make a regular season roster and has spent the season playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate.

He averaged 19.5 PPG on .441/.410/.733 shooting in 12 Showcase Cup appearances (31.1 MPG) and has increased his production since the NBAGL regular season began, registering 22.2 PPG with a .487/.438/.837 shooting line in 17 games (33.8 MPG). Jackson’s strong play earned him a spot in the G League’s Next Up Game in Salt Lake City over the weekend.

The Jazz are also signing former lottery pick Kris Dunn to a 10-day deal, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Dunn, 28, was drafted fifth overall in 2016 and has appeared in 245 regular season games since then for the Timberwolves, Bulls, Hawks, and Trail Blazers. Like Jackson though, he hasn’t played in the NBA so far this season, having spent the year in the G League.

Through 20 NBAGL regular season games (29.7 MPG) with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s affiliate, Dunn is averaging 16.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.3 APG and 2.6 SPG on .522/.412/.755 shooting, to go along with his usual strong defense.

The Jazz had just 12 players on their standard roster after buying out Leandro Bolmaro and Russell Westbrook, so they needed to start refilling those spots soon, as we noted this morning. Even after signing Jackson and Dunn, Utah will still have one opening left on its 15-man squad.

Hawks’ Fields Discusses McMillan’s Dismissal, Coaching Search

February 22nd, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing reporters in a press conference a day after dismissing head coach Nate McMillan, Hawks general manager Landry Fields framed the decision as a difficult but necessary one, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to Fields, the possibility of a coaching change had been on his radar for “the last month or so,” and he finalized the decision to make the move over the All-Star break after the Hawks closed the first half with losses to Charlotte and New York.

Asked about reports that McMillan considered resigning earlier in the season, Fields said that the Hawks’ coach never expressed that desire to him.

Fields also stated that Atlanta has already begun speaking to potential candidates to replace McMillan on a permanent basis, confirming that Quin Snyder is among the options the team will consider (Snyder was identified by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski as a leading candidate). The Hawks’ general manager declined to confirm any other names on Atlanta’s list of possible targets, explaining that he didn’t want to discuss anyone who’s under contract with another club.

Here are a few more highlights from Fields’ Wednesday presser, as relayed by Williams:

On whether Trae Young or any other Hawks players had input in the decision to dismiss McMillan:

“They did not have any role in this decision. I would not ever go to players on something like this. This was solely my decision at the end of the day. As far as a new candidate, to me our objectives and our values are clear. And the players fall in line with those, as well. So (I) don’t necessarily need their feedback on who that will be.”

On whether McMillan’s relationship with Young was part of the reason for his ouster:

“No, I think that at the end of the day, it came down to how all players were responding to his voice, and I just didn’t see it. I didn’t see the trajectory going anywhere that was going to be beneficial for us.”

On what qualities the Hawks are looking for in their next permanent head coach:

“Well, it always starts with a shared vision. And I always simplify that as being a championship-caliber franchise. And that’s not just with our goals, that’s our day-in-and-day-out approach.

“Character is something that is going to be high on our list, and I think it’s a big broad word but for us, having a great degree of emotional intelligence being able to connect not just with staff members, but also with players, is gonna be high on the list. Somebody that is able and willing to hold the line, accountability is huge for us. And then at the end of the day has a strong emphasis on development. That is something that we will be making sure is part of our priorities here with Atlanta. So, those would be some to start.”

On his expectations for the Hawks going forward:

“I believe we can get a lot better. I think that this is a very talented roster. And looking at our record, like it’s not acceptable with what I believe this roster can be. So that’s why we’re trying to make a change and level up.”

Trade Breakdown: Jakob Poeltl To The Raptors

February 22nd, 2023 at 1:42pm CST by Rory Maher

This is the third entry in our series breaking down the significant tr ades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a deal between the Raptors and Spurs…

On February 9, the Raptors acquired Jakob Poeltl from the Spurs in exchange for Khem Birch, the Raptors’ 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected), and Toronto’s second-round picks in 2023 and 2025.

The Raptors’ Perspective:

I found this to be one of the more fascinating trades of the deadline. The most obvious reason for that is many around the league thought the Raptors would – and should – be sellers.

Instead, the Raptors doubled down on their core group and made a win-now move to re-acquire Poeltl, whom the team drafted ninth overall back in 2016.

Toronto did not trade away a top-six protected first-rounder and two seconds for a rental player – the team plans to re-sign the center in free agency. Poeltl publicly said he could see it being a long-term fit.

Reports have indicated he could land a contract in the range of $15-20MM per year, so he will not be cheap.

The Raptors have lacked size and rebounding in the middle for multiple years, ranking 28^th, 30^th and 30^th over the past three seasons in defensive rebounds per game, according to Basketball-Reference.com. At 7’1″, Poeltl is one of the tallest players in the NBA, and he is solid on the defensive glass, ranking 21^st in the league with a 24.9% defensive rebounding percentage (Chris Boucher previously led the team at 21.4%, which ranks 39^th).

Poeltl also enhances a team strength on the other end, as his 13.3% offensive rebounding percentage ranks seventh in the league (Boucher is 16^th at 11.3%). The Raptors have ranked second and fourth, respectively, in offensive rebounds per game over the past two seasons.

The Austrian big man was consistently one of the league’s stingiest rim protectors from 2019-22, ranking third, fourth and sixth in defensive FG% at the rim over those three seasons, per NBA.com (minimum five shots defended and 40 games played). Opponents shot between 50.3% and 54.8% in those seasons with Poeltl defending them near rim (anything close to 50% is terrific).

Poeltl is allowing 62.2% at the rim in ‘22/23, which isn’t great, but the Spurs have by far the worst defense in the league – I wouldn’t read too much into that drop-off. For context, San Antonio is allowing opponents to shoot 50.9% from the field, which is dead last in the NBA, and 39.4% from three, which is also last.

On top of his rebounding and rim protection, the 27-year-old is a solid screener, and he improved tremendously as both a scorer and a passer during his time in San Antonio. Over the past two seasons with the Spurs, Poeltl averaged 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 blocks per night in 113 games (27.8 MPG).

Poeltl, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet were all rookies in ’16/17 and spent their first two seasons together, so there is a level of familiarity not only with the organization but with Toronto’s longest-tenured players. That theoretically should help Poeltl re-acclimate quickly.

He brings a different look and dynamic to a team that had lacked a true center for a few years. The Raptors tried to play rookie Christian Koloko in a similar role to start the year, but he needs more time to develop.

The Raptors went 48-34 and made the playoffs as the East’s No. 5 seed last season. The front office hopes swapping out a non-contributor in Birch for Poeltl will not only galvanize the group amid a disappointing 28-31 season, but also enhance the team in ways that haven’t been seen since Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka left in free agency back in 2020.

However, for all of Poeltl’s strengths, he is a non-shooter who is hard to rely on at the end of games due to his abysmal free throw shooting – he’s at 53.1% for his career. He might help others get better looks due to his screening and complementary play-making, but he doesn’t directly address the team’s 27th-ranked 3-point percentage (33.6%).

I also have yet to mention the contractual issues the team will be facing in the offseason, as Poeltl, VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are all about to hit unrestricted free agency, barring unforeseen circumstances (VanVleet and Trent are expected to decline their player options for ‘23/24). This roster could get very expensive very quickly, and it’s hard to see any short-term championship upside unless Scottie Barnes develops into a star sooner rather than later.

Shortly after the deal, president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri implied that the Raptors were less than thrilled with some of the trade offers they were getting for their players.

“The way I look at the deadline (is) it’s really not a great place to make long-term decisions,” Ujiri said, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “In the summer, there are 29 losers and one winner. There are 29 teams looking to do more.”

There’s nothing wrong with that statement from a philosophical standpoint. But what he said and what the Raptors actually did at the deadline don’t align.

Toronto traded away a fairly lightly protected 2024 first-round pick (it’s top-six protected through 2026) and a couple second-rounders to bolster the team this season and have Poeltl’s Bird rights in free agency to give him a long-term contract. Everything about this deal involved long-term decisions and consequences.

Ujiri also gave some insight into how the Raptors’ front office views the team’s three potential free agents, according to Smith.

“We are always focused on trying to retain our players,” Ujiri said. “That’s always the focus for us, and we’ll be focused on that with these guys and see how we perform the rest of the season and make that assessment.”

Obviously, part of the reason why VanVleet and Trent were retained is that the Raptors value them more than what other teams offered. There hasn’t been any solid reporting regarding exactly what Toronto was offered, so there’s no way to evaluate that stance from an outside perspective, but it’s reasonable enough on the surface – the Raptors have a severe lack of backcourt depth and they are the team’s two best guards.

Adding Poeltl and trading away those picks, particularly the first-rounder, indicates that the Raptors aren’t entertaining a full-scale rebuild anytime soon. There’s no reason they would need to – all of their best players are 28 years old or younger, so they should be able to retool if necessary without completely tearing it down.

We’ll see what they do in the offseason with some of their core players, but they may have missed an opportunity to go for a “soft” rebuild by cashing in on an asset or two and improving their lottery odds in what’s supposed to be a strong draft. Acquiring Poeltl just to increase the likelihood of getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs again this season is pretty strange, even if he’s a good player that fills a need.

The Spurs’ perspective:

San Antonio’s side of the deal is relatively straightforward. My best guess is either Poeltl let the Spurs know that he wasn’t going to re-sign this summer, or the Spurs decided they didn’t want to pay him his market price on a long-term contract in free agency while they’re in the infancy stage of a rebuild.

Birch was a solid backup center with Orlando, but saw his minutes cut as the Magic pivoted to a rebuild. The two sides reached a buyout agreement in April 2021 so he could get more playing time. The Montreal native caught on with the Raptors and impressed during his 19 games (30.4 MPG) with the club at the end of that season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks.

Unfortunately, knee problems have derailed his career after he re-signed with the Raptors on a three-year, $20MM deal, with Birch averaging just 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 75 games (15.4 MPG) over the past two seasons.

Moving off Birch’s guaranteed $7MM salary for ‘23/24 will help clear the books somewhat for Toronto. It seems unlikely that the 30-year-old will have much a role with the rebuilding Spurs after he gets healthy, but they have plenty of cap room available next season so adding him isn’t burdensome beyond taking up a roster spot.

The Spurs were reportedly looking for a couple first-round picks for Poeltl. I haven’t discussed this much in the past, but not all first-round picks are of equal value. That may seem like a very obvious statement, but it’s worth keeping in mind when reading rumors or evaluating trades.

I’m paraphrasing because I don’t remember which episode it was, but ESPN’s Zach Lowe brought up on his podcast a few weeks ago that he spoke to an NBA executive who said their team breaks down the value of first-round picks into tiers. Unprotected picks from bad teams in the upcoming draft or from any team years down the line are the most valuable, followed by lightly protected picks (top-four or so), then moderately protected (roughly top-eight) and finally lottery-protected picks. Anything protected beyond the lottery doesn’t have much value because it could take a while to convey, if at all.

If the season ended today and the Raptors lost in the play-in tournament, their 2023 pick would have the ninth-best lottery odds. Are they a lock to make the playoffs next season? I would certainly say no, considering how mediocre they’ve been this season.

The Raptors have already showed their hand in that they have no intention of rebuilding. They wouldn’t have traded a solid first-round pick otherwise. Sure, they protected themselves a little bit, but they’re unlikely to be at the very bottom of the standings in 2024 — if they miss the playoffs, the pick is more likely to be in the latter half of the lottery than in the top six.

Let’s say the Raptors finish around .500 next season, miss the playoffs, and have the 12th-best lottery odds. The Spurs could very easily possess two lottery picks in 2024 in that scenario, and it’s not far-fetched.

The 2023 second-rounder the Spurs acquired from the Raptors would land No. 39 at the moment as well, which is pretty early. That certainly doesn’t have the same value as a late first-rounder, but it’s much better than, say, the No. 50 pick, which is often used on two-way players or draft-and-stash candidates.

Point being, there’s a strong case to be made that what San Antonio received in this deal is better value than getting a couple lottery-protected first-rounders from another team. That technically would have been receiving two first-round picks, even if they were conditional.

Prioritizing center minutes to Zach Collins and Charles Bassey also makes sense for the Spurs from a developmental perspective, as they’re both younger than Poeltl and less of a known commodity.

I personally think the Spurs got outstanding value for Poeltl given that he’s on an expiring $9.4MM contract and could be earning double that next season. He’s a good role player, but he isn’t the type who is going to significantly move the needle when the players around him are still in the early stages of their development.

Draft Notes: 2024 Class, Bronny, B. Miller, Wembanyama

February 22nd, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA evaluators have been underwhelmed by what they’ve seen so far from the top prospects among this year’s high school seniors, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), who says the 2024 draft class doesn’t necessarily feature any players who are viewed as “sure-fire, elite” NBA prospects.

As Givony writes, 2023’s draft class is headed by two clear-cut top prospects in Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, and other recent drafts have also had a fairly well-defined top tier. However, that’s not the case so far for the 2024 class, since many of the best players in the group haven’t developed as rapidly as NBA teams have hoped.

Givony’s first 2024 mock draft has 6’10” Lithuanian guard Matas Buzelis coming off the board first, followed by Cody Williams, the brother of 2022 Thunder lottery pick Jalen Williams. Buzelis will play for the G League Ignite next season and should get the opportunity to take the reins for the Ignite with Henderson leaving for the NBA; Williams has committed to playing his college ball at Colorado.

In a somewhat surprising development, Givony has Bronny James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, at No. 10 overall in his first ’24 mock. According to Givony, Bronny has emerged as perhaps the best perimeter defender of this year’s high school class, making major strides during the last 12-to-18 months while many of his peers have “flatlined.”

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

Alabama freshman Brandon Miller, widely considered to be a top-five prospect in the 2023 NBA draft class, allegedly brought the gun that was used in the killing of a woman on the Tuscaloosa strip last month, according to police testimony (link via Carol Robinson of AL.com). Miller’s former Alabama teammate Darius Miles and another man, Michael Davis, were arrested and charged with capital murder. While the gun belonged to Miles, Miller reportedly brought it to the scene at his ex-teammate’s request. Miller’s car, which was struck by two bullets during the shooting, was allegedly one of two vehicles blocking the victim’s car.
Miller has not faced any charges related to the shooting and Alabama head coach Nate Oats said the freshman forward is “not in any trouble,” per Mike Rodak of AL.com. However, it’s safe to assume that any NBA team that had been considering using a lottery pick on Miller in June will have to take a long, hard look at his alleged involvement in this incident.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Jonathan Givony and SI.com’s Jeremy Woo have shared excellent, in-depth profiles on super-prospect Victor Wembanyama, who is considered a virtual lock to be the first prospect drafted four months from today.
While Wembanyama has rightly received most of the hype, NBA teams have their eyes on several other rising prospects who possess a tantalizing mix of size and skill, as Seth Davis writes for The Athletic. “We’ve heard this term ‘small ball’ for a while, but what NBA teams were really trying to do was play ‘skill ball,'” broadcaster Stan Van Gundy said to Davis. “But if you can get size to go along with that skill, that’s going to make you even better. … I’m not saying they’re all going to be 7-3, but seeing guys 6-10 or bigger play like Victor are not going to be all that rare. Those guys are definitely the future of the game.”

Bucks Sign Meyers Leonard To 10-Day Deal

February 22nd, 2023 at 11:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 22: The Bucks have officially signed Leonard to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through March 3, covering Milwaukee’s next four games.

FEBRUARY 20: Veteran big man Meyers Leonard is signing a 10-day contract with the Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Leonard hasn’t played in the NBA since March 2021. The Bucks had two roster spots open and needed to fill at least one of them to abide by NBA rules.

Leonard said in a recent TV interview that he suffered nerve damage when he underwent ankle surgery in April 2021 and spent much of the last two seasons rehabbing shoulder and ankle injuries. He was also embroiled in controversy two years ago for uttering an antisemitic slur on a video game stream.

Milwaukee might get some use out of Leonard. Bobby Portis has been sidelined by a knee injury, though he’s expected to return soon. Giannis Antetokounmpo took himself out of the All-Star Game during the first minute due to a wrist injury and Jae Crowder has yet to make his team debut.

The Bucks have been monitoring Leonard’s progress for over a year, and conducted a workout with him last month, according to Wojnarowski. They were looking for a big with shooting ability and a playoff history, Woj adds.

Leonard worked out for the Lakers last month but wasn’t signed. His last stint in the league was with the Thunder, who waived him two seasons ago after they acquired him from the Heat.

He was the 11th pick of the 2012 draft by Portland. He played seven seasons with the Trail Blazers, then appeared in 51 regular season games for the Heat in 2019/20. He only saw action in three games in 2020/21.

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