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And-Ones: World Cup Qualifiers, Nike Summit, MVP Race, Rising Stars, Draft

February 17th, 2023 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

With two more qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup right around the corner, USA Basketball has officially announced the 12-man roster that will compete in February’s games. Team USA’s squad is made up primarily of G Leaguers, but features a number of players with NBA experience.

The 12 players who will represent the U.S. on February 23 vs. Uruguay and Feb. 26 vs. Brazil are Deonte Burton, Will Davis II, Abdul Gaddy, Langston Galloway, Treveon Graham, Dusty Hannahs, Nate Hinton, Jay Huff, Xavier Moon, Elijah Pemberton, Reggie Perry, and Craig Sword.

So far, Canada is the only team in the Americas field to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, having won all of its first 10 qualifying contests. However, Team USA – which has an 8-2 record so far – will clinch a World Cup berth by winning either one of its two games this month, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

Meanwhile, USA Basketball also announced the rosters for the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit, an annual showcase of U.S. high school prospects that will take place on April 8. The most notable name on the men’s roster is Bronny James, but Bronny isn’t the only son of a former Cavaliers lottery pick to be named to the event — the 13-player roster also includes Dajuan Wagner Jr.

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

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is building a strong case for his third consecutive MVP award and leads the way in the latest straw poll conducted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Bontemps’ survey asks 100 media members for their current MVP ballots — Jokic received 77 first-place votes, easily besting runners-up Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks (11 first-place votes) and Joel Embiid of the Sixers (6).
Rockets guard Jalen Green (left groin strain) and Pistons center Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain) have been forced to withdraw from Friday night’s Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend due to injuries, according to the NBA (Twitter link). They’re being replaced by Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu and Rockets forward Tari Eason.
In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie moves Alabama wing Brandon Miller up to No. 3, writing that Miller is considered the safest bet in the 2023 draft class – outside of Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson – to be a “really good player” at the NBA level. Vecenie’s top five is rounded out by Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson at No. 4 and Houston forward Jarace Walker at No. 5.

Nuggets Notes: KCP, Jackson, Murray

February 16th, 2023 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was disappointed that he wasn’t selected for the three-point contest at All-Star weekend, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscriber link).

“I really tried to get out there and show them, it’s a lot of great shooters in this league, and if we’re going to put in the work to be the best, we should be at least rewarded or have an opportunity to showcase it,” Caldwell-Pope said. “That didn’t happen. It’s all good. I’m gonna come back and bring home another trophy.”

Caldwell-Pope is shooting a career-high 45% from deep, which ranks third in the NBA. He said he thought he may have been passed over due to his lack of attempts (he averages 4.3 per game), per Singer.

Head coach Michael Malone raved about Caldwell-Pope’s professionalism and defense, Singer adds.

“The reality is, honestly, KCP could get (the Defensive Player of the Game chain) every night,” Malone said. “No, really. We should actually name it the KCP-DPOG and give it to everybody else.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Malone believes Reggie Jackson‘s playoff experience will be big for the Nuggets, according to Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “When I think about Reggie, what gives me confidence is, this guy has been there and done that,” Malone said. “(The) 2021 Western Conference finals, where he was phenomenal — just go back and look at the game logs and the productivity and the efficiency. So you’re getting a veteran who understands he’s coming to a really good team. (There’s) role acceptance, role definition.” The veteran guard, who played high school ball in Colorado Springs, was recently signed by Denver after being traded by the Clippers and bought out by the Hornets.
At his introductory press conference, Jackson explained why he chose the Nuggets over other suitors. “Great team at the right age right now. They’re playing really good ball. The backup point guard role was kind of open. I figured that, and coming home, was definitely appealing,” Jackson said, per Vinny Benedetto of Gazette.com. “It just all matched up once I sat down and thought about it. I’m just very blessed to be able to go from the sixth team in the West to the best team in the West.”
Jamal Murray missed his sixth straight game Wednesday against Dallas due to right knee inflammation, notes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (via Twitter). The team is being cautious with Murray, Malone said, adding that the guard isn’t confident enough in the knee to play yet. Malone didn’t sound overly concerned about it, but the Nuggets aren’t taking it lightly either, according to Wind. “You’re always concerned when a guy misses five-to-six games in a row,” Malone said. The Nuggets don’t play again until next Thursday, so we’ll see if another week of rest will aid Murray’s recovery. The 25-year-old missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Booth Has Case For Executive Of The Year; Cancar Enjoying Breakout Season

February 15th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com argues that Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth has a strong case for this year’s Executive of the Year award after drafting Christian Braun, trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and signing Bruce Brown as a free agent last summer. More recently, Booth addressed a pair of roster holes by acquiring Thomas Bryant at the trade deadline and signing Reggie Jackson on the buyout market.
One under-the-radar Nuggets move last offseason was the decision to sign little-used forward Vlatko Cancar to a new three-year deal. As Wind writes in another TheDNVR.story, Cancar has enjoyed a breakout season in the first year of his new contract, posting a shooting line of .506/.442/.958, making high-IQ plays, and holding his own against most assignments on the defensive end.

Reggie Jackson Signs With Nuggets

February 14th, 2023 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 14: Jackson has signed with the Nuggets, the team tweets.

FEBRUARY 11: Former Clippers guard Reggie Jackson is finalizing a buyout agreement with the Hornets and intends to sign with the Nuggets after clearing waivers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Denver had been hoping to land the 32-year-old guard, who was traded to Charlotte on Thursday, but wasn’t required to report to the team. The Nuggets have an opening in their backcourt after sending Bones Hyland to the Clippers in a four-team deal. The Suns also were reported to be heavily interested in Jackson as a buyout candidate.

Denver has an open roster spot, so Jackson can be added without making another move.

Jackson has strong ties to Colorado, notes Harrison Wind of DNVR (Twitter link). He was named Mr. Colorado Basketball as a high school player in 2008 and always has a large cheering section of family and friends whenever he plays in Denver.

Jackson spent the past four years with the Clippers and was the team’s starter at point guard last season. He was taken out of that role this year and saw his playing time cut to 25.7 minutes per night in 52 games.

Assuming Jackson winds up in Denver, other teams in need of a point guard will have to look elsewhere. Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and John Wall are among the players traded this week who are considered strong candidates to become free agents soon.

Those players – and any other buyout candidates – must be waived by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs with their new teams.

Los Angeles Notes: Hyland, Gordon, Westbrook, James

February 13th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bones Hyland believes he’s the answer at the point for the Clippers, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. The Nuggets dealt the disgruntled young guard, who fell out of their rotation, and Hyland is thrilled with opportunity.

“For me, I feel like I never had that opportunity to showcase my playmaking ability and be able to play that point guard role a lot and show that I’m just more than just a scorer,” he said. “I’m actually a point guard, you know? And I offer that at a high level and if you put me in that position, I’m going to thrive in that position as well.”

Hyland was routed to the Clippers as part of a four-team deal. He’ll battle current starter Terance Mann for minutes.

We have more from the Los Angeles teams:

In the same press conference, the Clippers also introduced two veterans they added before the trade deadline, guard Eric Gordon and center Mason Plumlee. Gordon believes he can take some of the scoring load off Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Youngmisuk relays in the same story. “I can space the floor for them. And I can create my own shot,” Gordon said. “And I see that they switch a lot on defense. I’ve been doing that the past seven, eight years. And I guard bigs, too. You got to have a two-way mindset playing offense and defense. And I think I’m able to bring that.”
While Hyland fortifies the point guard spot, George reiterated that he wouldn’t mind if his former Oklahoma City teammate, Russell Westbrook, chose to take a buyout from the Jazz and join the Clippers, according to Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I’m a big believer in him and a fan of what Russ’ work is, having had one of my best seasons in my career alongside of him,” George said. “I’ve seen what he can do, night in, night out and I think he’s still got a lot of game there.”
LeBron James hasn’t played since breaking the league’s scoring record on Tuesday. The Lakers superstar will miss his third consecutive game on Monday due to left ankle soreness, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. He was spotted icing his feet after the team’s shootaround in Portland, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. The Lakers have one more game — at home vs. New Orleans — before the All-Star break.
Speaking of Westbrook, Goon takes a deep dive on the veteran guard’s two-season stint with the Lakers.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 11th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Thursday’s trade deadline, several rosters around the NBA remain in flux. Some players will be waived or bought out in the coming days, while others will sign with new teams as free agents, either on 10-day contracts or rest-of-season deals.

With that in mind, we’re doing a Saturday afternoon check-in on open roster spots across the league. Given how much action we expect on the transaction wire in the coming days, it may not take long for this list to become outdated, but this is a snapshot of where things stand as of 1:00 pm Central time on February 11.

With the help of our roster counts page, which will continue to be updated for the rest of the season to account for each new transaction, here are the teams that currently have open roster spots:

Teams with two open roster spots:

Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks
Phoenix Suns

These three teams all sent out more players than they received in trade-deadline deals and are carrying just 13 players apiece on standard contracts.

Technically, NBA teams are required to carry a minimum of 14 players on standard contracts, but they’re allowed to dip to 13 for up to two weeks at a time, so these clubs will have until February 23 to fill at least one of their two openings.

Teams with one open roster spot:

Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
- Note: The Hornets are reportedly likely to buy out Reggie Jackson, which would open up a second roster spot.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
- Note: The Heat’s 14th roster spot is occupied by Jamaree Bouyea, who is on a 10-day contract, so they’ll open up a second roster spot when his deal expires during the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Note: The Thunder have a full 15-man roster, but one of their two-way contract slots is open.
Philadelphia 76ers
Utah Jazz

We’re still waiting to see which players are officially bought out, but more roster spots will open when those moves are completed. For instance, the Magic currently have a full 15-man roster, but would create two openings if they finalize buyouts for both Terrence Ross and Patrick Beverley — they’re said to be in talks with both players.

The Jazz would open up a second spot on their 15-man roster if they buy out Russell Westbrook.

The Rockets and Pacers currently have full 15-man rosters, but will create openings by officially waiving John Wall and Serge Ibaka, respectively. However, the expectation is that they’ll re-sign Boban Marjanovic and James Johnson, respectively, to fill those newly opened spots.

The Wizards are in a similar situation — they’re reportedly working on a buyout with Will Barton, but the expectation is that they’d use their 15th roster spot in that scenario to promote Jordan Goodwin from his two-way deal. That would create a two-way opening for the team.

Finally, while the Mavericks and Pistons technically have full rosters at this time, each team’s 15th man (Chris Silva for Dallas, Stanley Umude for Detroit) is in a 10-day contract, so they’re both in good position to open up a spot if they need it.

Scotto’s Latest: McDaniels, Hornets, G. Williams, Nuggets

February 11th, 2023 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels drew significant trade interest around the NBA ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports that about half of the league’s teams reached out to express interest in the 22-year-old.

However, after keeping him out of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster last summer, the Timberwolves continued to turn away inquiries on McDaniels. The front office views the third-year forward, who becomes extension-eligible during the coming offseason, as a member of the team’s core, Scotto writes.

McDaniels’ brother Jalen McDaniels was on the move this week, as the Hornets sent him to the Sixers in a four-team deal that also involved New York and Portland. According to Scotto, Charlotte was anticipating a strong free agent market for Jalen this offseason and was concerned about being outbid for the 25-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent.

After trading for him at the deadline, the Sixers are hoping to use their Bird rights on the older McDaniels brother to retain him, but they’ll face competition. League sources tell HoopsHype that the Jazz, Pacers, and Spurs are among the clubs expected to show interest in McDaniels in the summer.

Here’s more from Scotto:

With McDaniels no longer on the roster, the Hornets are prioritizing re-signing P.J. Washington this summer, as well as potentially negotiating a new deal with Miles Bridges, says Scotto.
The Celtics turned away multiple teams who expressed interest in trading for forward Grant Williams, Scotto reports. Clubs were interested in acquiring Williams ahead of his restricted free agency to secure his Bird rights, Scotto writes, adding that some executives around the NBA believe Boston will be hesitant to match an offer sheet exceeding $15MM+ per year for the forward this summer. The C’s never offered more than $50MM in guaranteed money over four years last fall when the two sides discussed an extension, Scotto notes.
Before sending him to the Clippers, the Nuggets discussed possible deals involving Bones Hyland with the Hornets (Jalen McDaniels), Timberwolves (Taurean Prince), and Knicks (Cam Reddish), according to Scotto.
In case you missed it, Scotto’s latest story for HoopsHype also included an interesting item on the Grizzlies’ offer for Mikal Bridges and some info on potential suitors for veteran wing Terrence Ross.

Northwest Notes: Payton, Blazers, Hyland, Clarkson, Conley, Gobert

February 10th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

It got a bit lost in the shuffle of Thursday’s trade deadline activity, but one of the more interesting moves at the deadline was the Trail Blazers trading away guard Gary Payton II after he had appeared in just 15 games with the team. Payton was dealt just seven months after Portland beat out rival suitors to sign him to a three-year contract as a free agent.

One source tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that one key reason for the move was that Payton had indicated he didn’t want to be in Portland anymore — he was “ecstatic” to be sent back to the Warriors, according to that source.

It’s a worrying sign that so many players the Blazers trade seem so enthusiastic about leaving Portland, Quick writes, pointing to Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Larry Nance Jr., and Josh Hart as other recent examples.

Quick also questions how Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant (who has been offered an extension) might view the Blazers’ deadline moves, which included trading Payton and Hart and acquiring flawed or unproven young players like Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle, and Kevin Knox.

Head coach Chauncey Billups had been hoping to add size and experience to the roster, but Portland’s deals this week accomplished neither and may result in the team taking a step back in the short term. As Quick writes, the Blazers will have to hope that Lillard and Grant still believe in the team’s long-term plan.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

When Bones Hyland left the Nuggets‘ bench out of frustration in the fourth quarter of a Jan. 22 game against Oklahoma City, it represented a tipping point, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who says that incident didn’t sit well with a number of Denver’s veterans and led to the team exploring Hyland’s trade market in earnest. According to Singer, Hyland’s poor fit alongside Jamal Murray, his defensive lapses, and his displeasure with his role were all factors that led to him being dealt. Still, trading the second-year guard was a difficult decision that went up to ownership, sources tell The Denver Post.
The Jazz and guard Jordan Clarkson aren’t expected to reach an agreement on an in-season extension, but sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic that Utah remains very open to continuing its relationship with Clarkson beyond this year. The 30-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer by turning down a $14.3MM player option for 2023/24.
The Timberwolves‘ acquisition of Mike Conley signals the team’s commitment to improving the fit for Rudy Gobert, who developed chemistry with Conley in Utah, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I love Mike,” Gobert said on Wednesday. “I just love the way he plays the game — the way he makes people around him better, his professionalism, the way he plays to win and his selflessness, and I love him as a person too, so obviously I’m happy.”

Nuggets Eyeing Reggie Jackson As Buyout Target

February 10th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Nuggets didn’t make a major splash at the trade deadline, they did add some frontcourt depth by sending out Bones Hyland in a deal for veteran center Thomas Bryant. As a result of that move, Denver is in the market for a backout player to fill out their 15-man roster, and according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, veteran guard Reggie Jackson is near the top of the team’s wish list.

Jackson was on the move on deadline day, having been included for salary-matching purposes in the swap that sent center Mason Plumlee from the Hornets to the Clippers. Charlotte is considered likely to buy out the veteran guard.

Jackson, 32, was the Clippers’ full-time starter at point guard last season, but fell out of the team’s starting five in 2022/23. For the season, he has averaged 10.9 PPG and 3.5 APG on .418/.350/.924 shooting in 52 games (38 minutes; 25.7 MPG).

According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter video link), the Suns, another Western Conference contender, are also viewed as a probable suitor for Jackson, who played high school basketball in Colorado.

The Nuggets have an open spot on their 15-man roster and are seeking a reliable insurance policy in their backcourt or on the wing. Jamal Murray, the team’s primary backcourt ball-handler, has missed a few games recently due to right knee inflammation, Bruce Brown isn’t a natural point guard, and veteran Ish Smith is more of an emergency option, Singer writes.

Although Jackson is at or near the top of Denver’s list of targets, there are plenty of other buyout candidates the team could consider. Russell Westbrook, John Wall, and Patrick Beverley are among the veteran point guards likely to reach free agency. Singer also points to Danny Green as a wing who might be a nice fit for the Nuggets, though there’s no indication yet that Houston will buy out Green after acquiring him from the Grizzlies.

A reunion with Will Barton, who is reportedly working on a buyout with the Wizards, won’t be possible, since NBA rules prohibit a team from re-signing a player it traded during the offseason if he’s waived by his new team during the subsequent season.

Trade Deadline Leftovers: VanVleet, Anunoby, Siakam, Bridges, Bulls, Knicks, More

February 10th, 2023 at 6:50am CST by Luke Adams

After agreeing to acquire Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio, the Raptors didn’t make any additional deadline-day moves, but it wasn’t for a lack of options.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link via The Rally), the Bucks were among the teams expressing interest in Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet in advance of the deadline. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) hears that those talks included Grayson Allen and a future first-round pick. Grange adds that the Clippers talked about Luke Kennard and Brandon Boston Jr. in their VanVleet discussions with the Raptors, but weren’t willing to include a first-rounder.

As for OG Anunoby, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast that the Grizzlies and Pacers were comfortable including three first-round picks in their offers for the Raptors forward, but Toronto was prioritizing young players over future draft picks and neither package included the kind of players they were seeking (hat tip to RealGM).

According to Lowe, the Pacers’ offer also included Houston’s 2023 second-round pick, which Indiana would control if it lands at No. 31 or 32 (it’d be at No. 31 if the season ended today). However, it’s probably safe to assume that two of the first-rounders the Pacers were willing to give up were Boston’s and Cleveland’s 2023 picks, which figure to fall pretty late in the first round.

Lowe also stated on his podcast (hat tip to RealGM) that the Nets briefly pursued Raptors forward Pascal Siakam between their Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades, in the hopes of convincing Durant to stay in Brooklyn.

“I think (the Nets) told (Durant), ‘Hey man, in the summer, we can get some big names. There are going to be some big names who might ask out. We are going to collect stuff to give ourselves a shot at it,'” Lowe said. “… They tried to get Pascal Siakam now in the intervening 96 hours because KD made it known he likes Pascal Siakam. He thought he would be a good fit.”

Here are a few more trade deadline leftovers from around the NBA:

After the Nets agreed to acquire Mikal Bridges in the Durant blockbuster, Bridges drew considerable trade interest from rival clubs, Zach Lowe stated on his Lowe Post podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “I know of one team – and I’ve confirmed this – I know of one team who offered four first-round picks for Mikal Bridges,” Lowe said. “Now, I know of at least three first round picks. I think the fourth one may have had some protections or something, but I’m pretty sure that was a thing.”
The Bulls, who didn’t make a deadline deal, received inquiries on Alex Caruso and Coby White, but never seriously considered moving Caruso and got “underwhelming” offers for White, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Johnson also talked to a source who downplayed the discussions Chicago had with the Knicks about Zach LaVine, characterizing them as “preliminary.” Another source who spoke to Johnson insisted those talks didn’t happen at all, but didn’t rule out the possibility that such a scenario could be discussed in the offseason, depending on how the rest of 2022/23 plays out.
Spurs big man Zach Collins garnered some deadline-week interest, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk, who says from a league source that the Sixers, Nuggets, and Bucks inquired on Collins. Ellis also hears that San Antonio shopped Keita Bates-Diop in search of a second-round pick, but the forward ended up staying put.
If the 2023 first-round pick the Knicks sent to the Trail Blazers as part of the Josh Hart trade lands in the lottery, New York will instead send Portland the following picks, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link): The Pistons’ 2024 second-rounder, either the Timberwolves’ or Knicks’ 2026 second-rounder (whichever is least favorable), and the Knicks’ own 2027 and 2028 second-rounders.
John Hollinger of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies acquired a minor pick swap in the Luke Kennard trade with the Clippers. Memphis now has the ability to swap a 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable of the Celtics’, Heat’s, and Pacers’ picks) for the Clippers’ 2026 second-rounder.