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NBA Announces Player Pool For Rising Stars Event

January 31st, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA officially unveiled the 28-player pool for this year’s Rising Stars event on Tuesday, making the announcement via the NBA App. The following players made the cut:

Rookies:

Sophomores:

G League players:

As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by longtime NBA guard Jason Terry. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 17 as part of All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The NBA’s full press release with more information on the event can be found right here.

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Stein’s Latest: Thybulle, Kings, Hyland, Raptors, Kyrie

January 31st, 2023 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are believed to be keeping an eye on Sixers wing Matisse Thybulle, according to Marc Stein, who reports in his latest Substack story that Sacramento is mulling the possibility of pursuing a defensive-minded player on the perimeter.

Thybulle certainly fits that bill — he has made the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his first three NBA seasons. However, his offensive game is extremely limited. He’s averaging just 2.7 points in 12.1 minutes per night (45 games) for Philadelphia this season. The 25-year-old is also on an expiring contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • Bones Hyland‘s name has popped up in an increasing number of trade rumors as of late, and Stein suggests that the Nuggets guard has emerged as one of the players most likely to be dealt on or before the February 9 deadline. League sources tell Stein that concerns about Hyland’s defensive limitations and some recent “tensions” about his playing time are factors in Denver’s decision to make him available.
  • Stein’s podcast partner Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said on the first episode of their #thisleague UNCUT podcast that he has heard rumblings all season about certain Raptors players being unhappy with their situations or roles. Stein has heard those same rumblings and says that’s why there has been some curiosity around the NBA about the status of head coach Nick Nurse going forward.
  • Some league observers believe the fact that the Nets haven’t had any substantive extension talks with Kyrie Irving is because they’re not feeling much pressure to lock him up early, according to Stein. The thinking is that Irving may need Brooklyn’s help to go to a desired location via sign-and-trade in the offseason, since the teams with significant cap room will be non-contenders.
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Trade Rumors: Guards, Centers, Hornets, Mavs, Hyland, More

January 30th, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Previous reports have indicated that the Suns and Clippers are interested in point guards, and they have been the two most active teams looking for help at the position, sources tell Matt Moore of Action Network.

At least one report indicated that the Heat aren’t actively shopping Kyle Lowry, but that hasn’t stopped rival teams from calling to check in on him, Moore writes.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote last week that the Clippers are interested in Lowry and Fred VanVleet, and their names are not a coincidence. According to Moore, Kawhi Leonard “has made it clear” that he would welcome backcourt help, and the three players were teammates when the Raptors won the championship in 2019.

Moore believes VanVleet is more likely to be on the move than Lowry due to his age and contract situation. VanVleet, who turns 29 next month, is expected to decline his player option and hit free agency in 2023. Lowry, on the other hand, turns 37 in March and is owed $29.7MM in 2023/24.

As for the Suns, they’ve been looking more at reserves than starters. His name hasn’t come up in trade talks, according to Moore, but rival executives are keeping a close eye on Chris Paul‘s situation in Phoenix in case new owner Mat Ishbia decides to go in a different direction — Paul turns 38 in May.

Moore says Bulls guard Alex Caruso might be the most difficult guard on the market to acquire, as his contract, age, and versatility hold a lot of appeal. Nearly a dozen teams are thought to have “serious interest” in Caruso, but some have already pulled out of talks with Chicago due to a high asking price.

Here are several more trade rumors from Moore:

  • If the Spurs trade Jakob Poeltl, Moore believes it will come right before the deadline. Rival executives are skeptical San Antonio will be able to get two first-rounders for the veteran center.
  • While Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is reportedly available, Moore writes that Portland will only move him for an upgrade at the position.
  • Multiple teams have inquired on Timberwolves center Naz Reid, but evidently Minnesota didn’t like the offers. Moore hears the Wolves are going to hang onto the 23-year-old and will try to sign him to a contract extension.
  • The Hornets have set a pretty high bar in talks regarding Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee. They’re looking for a first-rounder in exchange for either player, according to Moore.
  • The Mavericks are open to discussing their wing players in an effort to upgrade the roster, but they might also look to shed long-term money. Keep an eye on the Jazz, says Moore, as they could offer “short-term upgrades on expiring contracts” to fulfill both of those desires.
  • Moore classifies the Pelicans as a team “unlikely to make moves,” though they are interested in wing help. Sources tell Moore the Hawks are unlikely to trade John Collins, as the new front office regime appears to value him more than the previous one did.
  • The Nuggets are looking for a “playoff-ready wing who can defend” for guard Bones Hyland, but have only received “lowball offers” thus far. Moore believes they’re unlikely to make a deal. However, sources tell Mike Singer of The Denver Post that the Nuggets “believe they have traction on potentially acquiring a first-round pick” for the 22-year-old. Singer also reports that the Nuggets are looking for players on “cost-controlled” contracts similar to Hyland’s, who is in the second year of his rookie scale deal.
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Trade Rumors: Beasley, Vanderbilt, Pelicans, Hyland, Pacers

January 30th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz have been involved in trade talks regarding Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt and are seeking a first-round pick in return for each player, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto notes that both players were part of trade discussions earlier this season involving the Hawks‘ John Collins, and he says the Suns are also interested in dealing for them.

Beasley and Vanderbilt have been important contributors since Utah acquired them from Minnesota last summer in the Rudy Gobert trade. Beasley has bolstered the Jazz bench and is averaging 13.6 PPG, while Vanderbilt moved into the starting lineup and is posting 8.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per night.

Utah has interest in acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from the Mavericks or Jalen McDaniels from the Hornets, sources tell Scotto. He suggests that Beasley and Vanderbilt could be combined in an offer for Finney-Smith, but the Jazz may wait until the offseason to try to sign McDaniels in free agency. Scotto adds that the Suns and Raptors are also watching McDaniels and may attempt to trade for him now to acquire his Bird rights.

Scotto cites the Hawks, Cavaliers and Pelicans as teams that have reached out to Utah about Beasley. He mentions the Knicks as another potential landing spot, as New York had interest in Beasley before he signed his last contract with the Wolves. Knicks executive Gersson Rosas traded for Beasley and Vanderbilt when he ran Minnesota’s front office, and Scotto hears that he has been monitoring Beasley’s availability.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

  • League executives tell Scotto that Pelicans reserves Devonte’ Graham and Jaxson Hayes are considered to be available. Graham is under contract for $12.1MM for next season and has a $2.85MM guarantee on his $12.65MM salary for 2024/25. Hayes is headed for restricted free agency this offseason.
  • It may seem surprising that the Nuggets are gauging the value of second-year guard Bones Hyland, but trading him is the team’s best chance to improve before the deadline, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype states in the same story. Denver would like to add a defensive forward, but apart from its rotation the team doesn’t have many players who would be useful in salary matching. Sources tell Scotto the Nuggets are reluctant to part with any draft assets in a deal involving Hyland. Gozlan also points out that getting another wing player now would provide insurance in case Bruce Brown decides to turn down his $6.8MM player option for next season.
  • After reaching an extension agreement with Myles Turner, the Pacers have $10.7MM in cap space to work with on the trade market, Gozlan adds. Indiana and San Antonio are the only teams that still have cap room available for the current season.
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Northwest Notes: KAT, Kessler, MPJ, Hart

January 29th, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns has been away from the bench during the team’s recent games. According to head coach Chris Finch, that’s because the 6’11” big man is striving to follow “recovery protocols and keeping his leg in the right position,” per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Towns has not played for Minnesota since suffering a right calf strain. Though he was originally projected to miss four-to-six weeks with the injury, he has been unavailable for two months. Krawczynski added that, for now, there’s still no timeline for Towns to rejoin the 27-25 club.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

  • Jazz head coach Will Hardy indicated that rookie center Walker Kessler is likely to stay the team’s long-term starter, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Kessler had been filling in for previous incumbent five Kelly Olynyk over the past few weeks, but upon Olynyk’s return, Hardy opted to shift the vet to the starting power forward spot, meaning Jarred Vanderbilt has been moved to the bench for now. Kessler is averaging 7.7 PPG on 71.5% shooting from the floor, along with 7.3 RPG and 2.0 BPG.
  • Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr. is excited to be back with the club after missing three games due to personal reasons, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “For all players, being on the court, being with your team is a sanctuary,” head coach Michael Malone said. “That’s the one opportunity you can get away from everything going on in your life and be in your happy place. It was great for our guys to have their brother back. It was also really important for Michael to be back with his team.” Malone also told Porter it’s a blessing that he’s got the foundation he has around him.
  • Trail Blazers small forward Josh Hart is reportedly attracting the interesting of several clubs as the February trade deadline nears and is thought to be “very available,” reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports on a new edition of his podcast Please Don’t Aggregate This (hat tip to HoopsHype for the transcription). The 6’5″ swingman is averaging 9.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.1 SPG in a starting role with the 23-26 Blazers.
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Murray Wants To Be "Better Than The Bubble"

January 28th, 2023 at 1:39pm CST by Rory Maher

Naz Reid‘s role entering 2022/23 was uncertain, but the fourth-year center has once again proven to be a valuable bench piece for the Timberwolves. The 23-year-old is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and at least three teams — the Clippers, Nuggets and Nets — have reportedly inquired about him on the trade market.

  • Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has rounded into his old form after a slow start, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required). Murray, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, has averaged 20.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .471/.405/.863 shooting over his past 21 games (34.6 MPG), a stretch in which the Nuggets have gone 20-5 (2-2 without Murray). Renowned for his inspired play in the Orlando Bubble in 2020, the 25-year-old says he wants to exceed that level to quiet questions about whether he’s fully “back,” Singer writes. “I can’t control (the comparisons),” he said. “That wasn’t even the best. That’s just the best I’ve shown. I know that there are more levels to my game than that.”
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Nuggets Gauging Bones Hyland’s Value

January 27th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Rory Maher

One report leading up to the 2022 draft indicated that the Nuggets might be open to discussing Bones Hyland in trades. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports hears from sources that Denver did indeed discuss Hyland last June, and has started to check his current value on the trade market.

An All-Rookie Second Team member last year, the 22-year-old is a talented shot-maker, but he is not a great defensive player, and has at times been pulled from games by head coach Michael Malone for a lack of effort on the less glamorous end. Fischer reports that the “occasional clashes” between the second-year guard and Malone contributed to Denver’s willingness to discuss Hyland in trades.

The Nuggets are said to be looking for a “defensive-minded frontcourt player” and a first-round pick in exchange for Hyland, though they are also interested in a reserve point guard to potentially replace him. Like Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Fischer hears the Timberwolves are interested — Tim Connelly drafted Hyland.

As Fischer explains, the former first-round pick still has two more years left on his rookie scale contract, but it sounds as if the Nuggets might be reluctant to pay him in the future due to luxury tax concerns. Complicating matters further for Denver is that Bruce Brown is expected to decline his player option for 2023/24 in search of a more lucrative deal.

The Nuggets only have Brown’s Non-Bird rights, so they’ll be limited to offering him 120% of his current contract – a new deal would start at $7.8MM, only a $1MM raise on his player option. There’s nothing in Fischer’s report indicating the Nuggets are shopping Brown, but he suggests they’re afraid he might walk in free agency.

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Antetokounmpo, James Head All-Star Starters; Embiid Falls Short

January 26th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers forward LeBron James tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Thursday with his 19th NBA All-Star selection. James, who currently shares the record with Abdul-Jabbar for most All-Star Games played with 18, was chosen as a starter, according to a league press release.

All of the starters were revealed on Thursday night.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were the other starters chosen out of the Western Conference. James will serve as a team captain for the sixth straight year, since he received the most votes.

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, named a team captain for the third time, heads the list of starters out of the Eastern Conference. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Nets forward Kevin Durant, Nets guard Kyrie Irving, and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will join him, but the league’s second-leading scorer, Sixers center Joel Embiid (33.4 PPG), didn’t garner enough votes.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

Embiid finished third in the player and media voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players but fourth in the fan voting. All voting results can be found here.

The game will be played Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City. James and Antetokounmpo will choose their teams shortly before the game begins. James will set the league record for most All-Star appearances if he plays, since Abdul-Jabbar did not play in the 1973 game after being chosen.

The reserves, which are chosen by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 2.

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Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Porter, Murray, Schedule

January 26th, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic returned to action on Tuesday after missing two games due to left hamstring tightness and looked like his usual self, posting a 25-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple double in a one-point win in New Orleans. However, the Nuggets star was sidelined again on Wednesday in Milwaukee, ruled out due to hamstring tightness.

According to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Jokic’s absence on Wednesday appeared to be simply precautionary on the second night of a back-to-back set. The two-time MVP took part in pregame warmups prior to tip-off on Wednesday, and there was no indication that he aggravated his hamstring injury in his return on Tuesday.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

  • Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. missed a third consecutive game on Wednesday for personal reasons. He has been out since word broke on Sunday that his younger brother, University of Denver sophomore guard Coban Porter, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide and reckless driving, as Shelly Bradbury of The Denver Post details. Coban Porter crashed into another car around 2:00 am on Sunday morning and the driver of the other vehicle died at the scene. Police alleged the 21-year-old ran a red light before the collision and smelled like alcohol and was slurring his words following the incident.
  • Jamal Murray has averaged 21.6 PPG on .477/.449/.905 shooting over his last 16 games, but there are still moments when he doesn’t feel all the way back from the ACL tear that cost him all of last season, he admits to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Examining Murray’s journey back from that injury and the Nuggets’ chances of winning a championship, Amick suggests that the 25-year-old guard may represent the key to Denver’s title hopes.
  • What should have been a showdown between two recent MVPs on Wednesday turned into a bit of a dud when the Nuggets sat Jokic, Murray, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back. Head coach Michael Malone expressed some disappointment that the NBA didn’t “set this game up to be a little bit more of a marquee matchup,” but added that he sympathizes with the schedule-makers, according to Singer of The Denver Post. “The league has an impossible job,” Malone said.
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Scotto’s Latest: Reid, Allen, Reddish, Poeltl, Anunoby

January 23rd, 2023 at 12:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers and Nuggets are among the teams that have expressed interest in Timberwolves center Naz Reid, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype writes in his latest roundup of trade rumors.

Reid will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Scotto says there’s a belief around the league that he could land a contract worth the full taxpayer or non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Although he’s primarily a backup, Reid has been effective amid injuries to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, averaging 15.4 PPG in seven games as a starter this season.

The Wolves are also exploring offers for D’Angelo Russell, and Scotto suggests that both Minnesota players might be moved in deals involving L.A.’s Terance Mann or Denver’s Bones Hyland, whom Connelly drafted during his time with the Nuggets.

Scotto offers more insight into the trade market with the deadline nearing:

  • The Knicks would like to acquire Grayson Allen from the Bucks as part of a deal involving Cam Reddish, although Scotto notes that might not be realistic given Allen’s inclusion in other trade rumors. Allen is a starter in Milwaukee and is a valuable shooter, connecting at 39.5% from three-point range, while Reddish has been benched in New York for the past 25 games. Allen has been mentioned in deals involving the Suns’ Jae Crowder and the Rockets’ Eric Gordon, which Scotto sees as more likely. However, he adds that the Bucks and Knicks have talked about a Reddish deal that doesn’t involve Allen, so the fourth-year forward could still wind up in Milwaukee.
  • The Spurs may be able to land a first-round pick and a young player in exchange for center Jakob Poeltl. That’s probably the limit, Scotto adds, because Poeltl will be a free agent this summer and will likely get a new contract starting around $20MM per season. If they don’t trade him by the deadline, Scotto expects the Spurs to give him that deal so they don’t lose him without getting something in return.
  • Two other Spurs are also in demand, with Scotto viewing one or two second-round picks as the price for Doug McDermott and one second-rounder enough to land Josh Richardson. McDermott is under contract for $13.75MM in 2023/24, while Richardson is headed toward free agency.
  • The Grizzlies are an interesting team to watch if the Raptors decide to part with OG Anunoby, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype adds in the same piece. Memphis owns all its first-round picks, along with a Warriors first-rounder in 2024 that’s top-four protected. Gozlan believes the Grizzlies might offer Danny Green and a young asset like Ziaire Williams in addition to draft capital, although Toronto might insist on Dillon Brooks. Other teams that could get involved in the Anunoby bidding, according to Gozlan, include the Trail Blazers, who reportedly offered the No. 7 pick to Toronto for Anunoby before last year’s draft, along with the Knicks, Kings and Suns.
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