- Whenever Draymond Green resumes playing, he hopes to cut out the antics that have already led to two extended suspensions this season, relays Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Green addressed his behavior Tuesday at a news conference that marked his return to Warriors practice. “I’ve cost my team enough. I’ve cost this organization enough,” he said. Green will accompany the team on its upcoming trip and may return to action in one of the road games, Andrews tweets.
The Pacers are viewed by some rival executives as the leader in the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Indiana has long been in the market for a power forward who can match up with bigger wings and forwards, and reportedly made an effort to land OG Anunoby before the Raptors sent him to New York. The Pacers also control all their own future first-round picks and have some intriguing youngsters whom they could be willing to discuss in a deal for an impact player.
However, during a Q&A session on Threads today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said that he believes the Pacers are “very, very determined” not to include their 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker in a trade. Walker hasn’t played much so far this season, logging just 100 total minutes across 12 NBA appearances, but Indiana is “very high” on the rookie forward, per Wojnarowski.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Siakam doesn’t view Sacramento as a good long-term fit for him, according to Amick, who hears from a pair of league sources that the Kings should have “very little, if any, optimism” about re-signing the Raptors forward if he’s traded there. No matter where he eventually ends up, Siakam will be seeking a long-term, maximum-salary contract, Amick adds.
- Elsewhere in his Q&A on Threads, Wojnarowski says that he believes the Hawks are open to “almost anything” at the trade deadline and suggests that the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt pairing appears to have run its course. Atlanta continues to discuss Murray trade possibilities with teams around the NBA, according to Wojnarowski.
- The Pistons haven’t made any roster moves since team owner Tom Gores promised that changes were coming, but it’s not for lack of trying, Wojnarowski writes on Threads. Woj suggests that potential trade partners may not be ready to deal yet and says he expects Detroit to make trades by next month’s deadline that change the make-up of the roster. Exploring that subject, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic took a look at some possible trade targets for the Pistons, discussing Nets forward Royce O’Neale and Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins, among others.
JANUARY 9: The Warriors have issued a formal update on Paul, announcing (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on the second metacarpal in his left hand on Monday and that he’ll be reevaluated in three weeks.
JANUARY 7: Warriors point guard Chris Paul, who is undergoing surgery to repair a fractured bone in his left hand, is expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
A four-week absence would put Paul on track to return during the first few days of February, just ahead of this season’s Feb. 8 trade deadline.
A six-week timeline would land in the middle of the All-Star break, so if Golden State takes a more conservative approach to CP3’s return, the team could get him eight extra days of rest and rehab — the team plays on Feb. 14, then not again until Feb. 22.
Paul, who sustained the injury in Friday’s win over Detroit, has now undergone surgery on his left hand five times in addition to six procedures on his right hand, per Wojnarowski.
While Paul remains on the shelf, guards Brandin Podziemski, Cory Joseph, and Moses Moody are expected to see an uptick in minutes, head coach Steve Kerr indicated this week. Another backcourt regular, Gary Payton II, will be sidelined for multiple weeks due to an injury of his own – a hamstring strain – which will create additional opportunities for those guards further down on the depth chart.
While there’s “zero indication” that the Warriors would consider trading a longtime franchise cornerstone such as Klay Thompson or Draymond Green at next month’s deadline, there’s a “rising belief” among rival front offices that the team is open to the idea of moving Andrew Wiggins, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.
The Warriors are believed to be averse to the idea of moving young forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is reportedly viewed as a potential star who can help them win both now and in the future. But, as has been well documented, the team hasn’t been effective when Kuminga and Wiggins have shared the floor together this season.
As Stein writes, it’s not clear what sort of value Wiggins would have on the trade market at this point. The former No. 1 overall pick was integral in helping Golden State win a title in 2022, and his four-year, $109MM contract was viewed as team-friendly when it was signed. But he’s having the worst year of his NBA career in 2023/24 — his 11.9 points per game would be a career low, as would his 29.7% three-point mark.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Based on what he has heard, Stein says things would likely have to get significantly worse for the Lakers for Darvin Ham‘s job to be in any serious danger. Ham said last week that he was “aligned” with team owner Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, and Stein hears the same things from his sources, writing that the head coach has “very strong support” from those organizational leaders.
- Despite the Lakers‘ struggles this season and some speculation from a few media members, there’s no indication that star forward LeBron James has “a shred of interest” in trying to force a trade out of Los Angeles, Stein says. One source tells Stein that the Lakers – who will play eight of their next nine games in L.A. – hope to “ride out this storm” and right the ship during a home-heavy stretch of the schedule.
- Revisiting the Kings‘ recent trade talks for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back (Twitter video link) that Sacramento had hoped to get a deal done “sooner rather than later” and that the Kings had a specific package they were willing to give up for Siakam. With Toronto unwilling to accept that offer at this point, the Kings ended those discussions, which will likely only resume if the Raptors come back to the table to reengage, says Charania.
- Charania adds that the Kings‘ offer for Siakam “revolved around” Harrison Barnes. Presumably Charania means it centered around Barnes from a salary-matching perspective rather than a value perspective, since Barnes’ trade value compared to Siakam’s is extremely low.
Draymond Green considered retirement around the time he was suspended last month, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver convinced him to keep playing, relays ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Warriors star explained the situation on the latest edition of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”
“I told him, ‘Adam this is too much for me. … This is too much,” Green said. “It’s all becoming too much for me — and I’m going to retire.’ And Adam said, ‘You’re making a very rash decision and I won’t let you do that.’
“We had a long, great conversation — very helpful to me. Very thankful to play in a league with a commissioner like Adam who’s more about helping you than hurting you; helping you than punishing you. He’s more about the players.”
The podcast marks Green’s first public comments since Silver handed down an indefinite suspension on December 14 after Green was thrown out of a game for striking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. It was the second suspension of the season for Green, who was also docked five games for putting Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in a choke hold in November.
Green’s latest suspension was lifted on Saturday, but he still hasn’t returned to action. He’s currently working on his conditioning and could be back on the court by the end of the week.
During his time away from the game, Green underwent counseling with representatives from the league office, the team and the players association, as well as his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. Green was reported to be “open and engaged” during the counseling sessions, which are expected to continue for the rest of the season.
The Warriors have publicly expressed support for Green throughout the process, but coach Steve Kerr said after the incident with Nurkic that Green “has to change and he knows that.”
The Warriors haven’t been effective with Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on the court together, but their athletic potential is so tantalizing that coach Steve Kerr tried the combination again Sunday night, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Kerr employed his 13th different starting lineup of the season, using Wiggins and Kuminga as the forwards, but the results were disappointing again as Toronto jumped to an early 24-12 lead that Golden State was never able to overcome.
“We’ve talked about trying to get (Wiggins and Kuminga) together,” Kerr said. “Theoretically our two longest, most athletic players. We have not been a good defensive team this year, so we wanted to try it. It hasn’t connected, really. But we’re experimenting. We’re trying to find a two-way lineup that can help us. But obviously that lineup didn’t click.”
Kerr pulled the plug on the experiment by intermission, as the Raptors scored 76 first-half points and held a 27-point lead. He replaced Wiggins, Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis with Brandin Podziemski, Dario Saric and Kevon Looney to start the third quarter.
“I didn’t want to go back to the same lineup,” Kerr said. “The only thing I was interested in in the second half was just competing. What that means — you can say compete, but what does that mean? It means talking on defense. I didn’t hear anything. It was silent in the first half. We needed to have some talk, some chatter. So I went with that lineup because I felt they would give us that.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Kerr will have to juggle his rotation even more when Draymond Green returns, Slater adds. Green, whose suspension was lifted Saturday after 12 games, was in the arena with his teammates Sunday night. Green is expected to miss at least one more game while working on his conditioning, according to Slater, but he should be back on the court by the end of the week.
- With the trade deadline now just a month away, the front office is facing a crucial decision on Kuminga, who likely has the highest value of any of the Warriors’ available players, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga’s athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect for rival teams, and he’s only 21 with another year remaining on his rookie contract. There are no signs that management will consider breaking up the long-standing trio of Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Poole adds.
- The NFL’s Washington Commanders have hired former Warriors general manager Bob Myers as part of their search team for a new head of football operations and head coach, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Adam Schefter of ESPN. Myers, who left Golden State when his contract expired last summer, will be part of an advisory committee that also includes former NBA star Magic Johnson. Myers will continue his studio work with ESPN on NBA games.
Since last weekend’s trade of OG Anunoby, multiple reporters have stated that their league sources expect the Raptors to also move Pascal Siakam ahead of next month’s deadline. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca has heard similar rumblings, but one of his sources warned him to not “be so sure.” That source suggested that while some closure on the situation is expected, it may not come in the form of a trade.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered an extension,” the source told Lewenberg.
Still, a trade is widely considered the more likely outcome for Siakam, prompting Lewenberg and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca to take another look at the 29-year-old’s potential market. Within his story, Lewenberg adds the Grizzlies to the list of teams that have shown some level of interest in the two-time All-Star.
Grange, meanwhile, explores the Kings and Warriors as possible trade partners in a Siakam deal, but says Sacramento – in addition to being unwilling to part with Keegan Murray – doesn’t seem enthusiastic about offering Siakam a maximum-salary contact to retain him beyond this season. With both of those factors in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Kings’ pursuit of the star forward has reportedly stalled.
As for Golden State, Grange hears from multiple sources that the Dubs aren’t inclined to trade Jonathan Kuminga, since he’s viewed as a potential star who can help the team win in both the present and the future.
A report this week indicated that Kuminga had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, but the two men reportedly had a good conversation in the wake of that story, and the former lottery pick played a season-high 36 minutes on Friday. If Kuminga isn’t on the table, the Raptors may not have much interest in making a Siakam deal with the Warriors.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- After a slow start to the season, Julius Randle has played his way into the All-Star conversation, which could be a financial boon for the Knicks forward. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Randle will earn a bonus of almost $1.3MM if he’s named an All-Star. However, the 29-year-old said he’s not thinking about that at all and doesn’t know exactly how much that bonus is worth. “I knew I got a bonus, something north of a million. But you think I’m focusing on that? I’m making pretty good money,” said Randle, whose base salary this season is approximately $25.7MM.
- Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is happy that his good friend Immanuel Quickley was traded from the Knicks to the Raptors, who will give his former Kentucky teammate “a little bit more of an opportunity,” as he tells Bondy of The New York Post. “He did a good job with the Knicks. But we know that’s Julius’ team, that’s (Jalen) Brunson’s team,” Maxey said. “This gives him opportunities to spread his wings, kind of fly a little bit. I think he’s done a great job so far.”
- Is Mikal Bridges‘ recent drop in production merely a slump, or is the increased attention that comes with being the focal point of the Nets‘ offense – as well as a long summer with Team USA – affecting him? Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post explores that question, with input from head coach Jacque Vaughn.
Warriors forward Draymond Green has been reinstated after missing 12 games during his suspension, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars announced (Twitter link).
In a statement, Dumars says Green has made progress in counseling sessions since an indefinite suspension was imposed on December 14.
“Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players,” the statement reads. “He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.”
Green is expected to need about a week of preparation before he can start playing again, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Green will likely be with the Warriors for Sunday night’s game against Toronto, Wojnarowski adds, marking his first public appearance with the team since the suspension was announced.
Golden State travels to Chicago on January 12, Milwaukee on January 13, and Memphis on January 15, so it appears Green’s return will happen in one of those games.
Green lost $1,847,291 in salary while missing 12 games, which results in an $8.8MM savings for the team, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Golden State’s projected tax bill will be reduced from $192.5MM to $183.7MM.
Green was suspended after striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head during a December 12 game. He claimed the act was unintentional, but the league cited a “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” in announcing the suspension.
The Warriors managed to post a 7-5 record during Green’s suspension, but they remain under .500 and are just a half-game ahead of the Lakers for the 10th spot in the West.
While Jonathan Kuminga‘s frustration with his fluctuating role was the bigger news this week, it sounds like he’s not the only Warriors youngster who has sought clarity on his place in the team’s rotation. According to Jason Dumas of KRON4 News (Twitter link), general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has been “directly asked” about the team’s plan for Moses Moody, who would also like a more consistent role.
“The people around Moses, they’re frustrated with the lack of having a role and the lack of consistency,” Dumas said during a subsequent radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter video link). “He’s in the rotation one day, he’s out of the rotation one day. For lack of a better term, he almost seems like the sacrificial lamb, so to speak. Whenever there’s a logjam, he’s gonna be the guy that falls out.
“From what I’ve been told, Moses loves the Bay Area and he loves playing for the Warriors, but I think it’s understandable that someone in his position with a lot of talent, young, would be frustrated and would want a clearer path to playing time, whether it be here or somewhere else.”
Moody was a DNP-CD for three consecutive games leading up to Friday’s contest vs. the Pistons. The third-year shooting guard received a standing ovation when he checked into that game in the fourth quarter, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), though he ultimately went scoreless in six minutes of action.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Chris Paul‘s hand injury will help create more regular minutes in the rotation for Moody, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Friday (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Kerr said that rookie Brandin Podziemski and veteran Cory Joseph will also get some additional ball-handling reps during Paul’s absence.
- Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic doesn’t expect Paul’s hand injury to have much of an impact on his trade value, even if it sidelines him beyond the February 8 deadline. As Thompson explains, if the Warriors decide to move CP3, they’d likely be sending him to a team that wants him more for his large expiring salary than for what he can provide on the court.
- Appearing on a Bleacher Report live stream on Friday (Twitter video link), veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes said that rival executives view Golden State as a potential “dark horse” suitor in the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes.
- Prior to Friday’s victory over Detroit, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer questioned some of the Warriors’ rotation decisions and took a deep dive into the club’s recent struggles, while Marcus Thompson II covered similar ground in a story for The Athletic.
Prior to the Warriors‘ Friday game against the Pistons, The Athletic reported Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr due to the latter’s decision to bench the third-year forward for the final 17:48 against the Nuggets on Thursday. Kerr responded to Kuminga’s reported frustration before Golden State’s Friday victory, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
“I’ve got to get him out there for longer, but these are really difficult decisions,” Kerr said. “Because it’s not just as simple as how many minutes a guy plays. It’s who’s playing, what’s the combination, what’s happening in the game.”
According to Andrews, Kuminga and Kerr met in the 20 hours between Golden State’s back-to-back games to address the 21-year-old’s frustration.
“I think it went really well,” Kuminga said. “I think it was just all about better understanding of each other. More communication. We don’t really get to sit together as much and communicate about pretty much non-basketball things, basketball things. We don’t get to do that as much. Just us having that conversation today made me more comfortable that any time I have something to ask, I should just go up to his office. His door is open. Go up there and chill and wait for him to come back whenever. I think that’s what it’s all about, communication every single time if something is going wrong. Communication is the key.”
Kuminga wound up playing a season-high 36 minutes against the Pistons and didn’t come off the floor for the entire fourth quarter. He finished the game, his 12th consecutive start, with 11 points and six rebounds. However, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater observes Kuminga has yet to post back-to-back games with 30 or more minutes this season, so it will be interesting to monitor the trend moving forward.
“I never complained about playing time [during the meeting],” Kuminga said. “We were just talking about if I do great at something, just go back and remind him, ‘Yo, coach, what do I need to do to get better at this? What do I need to do to gain more trust or more minutes?’ Like I said, it’s more about communication and better understanding from both of us.”
Kuminga emphasized the fact the conversation was centered around gaining a “better understanding” of things, including what Kerr expects of him.
“It’s a difficult situation because every player naturally has his own goals, his own dreams,” Kerr said. “Everybody wants to flourish. Everybody wants to blossom. … I have very difficult decisions to make each and every night. JK is a young player who is growing. He’s getting better. It’s why he’s in the starting lineup.”
Kerr wasn’t the only person to speak with Kuminga before Golden State’s Friday matchup, according to Slater, who writes that Stephen Curry met with the 6’8″ forward too.
“He’s not wrong for being upset and pissed off, wanting to play,” Curry said. “Probably should’ve played. Not probably. … But the ultimate challenge for anybody in this league is to not let the narrative be told for you and you not be able to address that with your own voice or directly with Coach or whatever the case is. … There are ways to express it, ways to voice your opinion but protect the team. I’m just proud of the way he — we talked about it before the game. Go out and play. Go hoop. Be a professional. And that’s what he did.”
Slater writes a big source of the problem is the Warriors’ inability to fit Kuminga and forward Andrew Wiggins together on the floor. Kerr says he doesn’t play the two together because of their similar skill sets. Kuminga made it clear he doesn’t want it to seem like the two are fighting for minutes and is trying to make sure the pair can coexist and remain crucial parts of the team, Andrews writes.
“I love it here,” Kuminga said. “I got drafted here. There’s always ups and downs. I feel like when you look at all the ups and downs, that will confuse a lot of people. But I know Steve believes in me. I know he trusts me at this point. It was just more about communication and better understanding. It wasn’t no beef. None of that. Scratch whatever happens. It’s the past. Move on with better understanding and hoping we all can work with each other and help this team and leave everything in the past.“