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And-Ones: All-Star Voting, NBAGL Standouts, Diamond Sports, Rookies

January 3rd, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

MVP candidates Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets are the leading vote-getters in their respective conferences in the first All-Star fan voting results announced by the NBA on Thursday (Twitter link).

Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James are the other stars who rank among the top three frontcourt players in their respective conferences. In the backcourt, LaMelo Ball and Donovan Mitchell lead the way in the East, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are the top vote-getters in the West.

Fan voting counts for 50% of the total to determine All-Star starters, with players and the media each getting 25%. The fan vote will close on January 20.

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

  • What do Trey Burke, T.J. Warren, and Jaylen Nowell have in common? They’re NBA veterans who are thriving this season in the G League and making strong cases for call-ups as the 10-day contract window for 2025 opens on Sunday, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes. Smith and Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) also identify some other G League players who deserve to be considered for NBA promotions, with Valley Suns guard Jaden Shackelford topping Murphy’s list.
  • Diamond Sports Group announced on Thursday that it has exited bankruptcy and will be known as Main Street Sports Group going forward, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The company that was once $9 billion in debt has reduced that figure to $200MM, Vorkunov adds. Diamond Sports Group’s regional sports networks – once known as Bally Sports and now branded as FanDuel Sports Network – broadcast games locally for 13 NBA teams.
  • Kelly Iko and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic discuss their impressions of some of the notable members of the 2024 rookie class from the Southwest Division, including Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Grizzlies teammates Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, and Rockets guard Reed Sheppard. Vecenie explains that he’s not worried about Sheppard’s slow start because it’s rare for one-and-done rookies to make an impact for a team like Houston, the West’s No. 3 seed.
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Rockets’ Jabari Smith Fractures Hand In Practice

January 3rd, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. fractured his left hand during Friday’s shootaround, the team announced today (Twitter link via Shams Charania of ESPN).

Jabari Smith Jr horizontal

The 6’11” big is expected to be sidelined for four-to-eight weeks, according to the Rockets.

The 21-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game this season across 33 contests, all starts. He has registered .435/.354/.867 shooting splits.

Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle reports that Smith will have to undergo surgery to address the break in his non-shooting hand. The timing of that procedure hinges on the club getting another opinion on the injury, which will help Houston determine the severity.

With Smith sidelined during a critical part of the 2024/25 season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka may look to replace the Auburn product with a defensive-oriented reserve forward like Tari Eason or Amen Thompson.

At 22-11 on the year, the Rockets currently occupy the Western Conference’s No. 3 overall seed, and are just a half-game behind the second-seeded Grizzlies.

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Latest On Jimmy Butler

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Both sides are angry in the Jimmy Butler standoff, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be traded by the February 6 deadline, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Butler’s comments after Thursday’s game about hoping to “get my joy back from playing basketball” came after a conversation earlier in the day between his representatives and Heat officials, sources tell the authors. Butler was upset because he and his agent believed the team was implying he didn’t play hard in Wednesday’s game against New Orleans, which he finished with nine points and four rebounds in 25 minutes as he returned to the lineup after missing five games with an illness.

Team representatives contend Thursday’s meeting was a “macro level discussion” that addressed concerns over Butler’s behavior as trade rumors have intensified over the last few weeks.

Butler and his agent are claiming that the team threatened to suspend him after the Pelicans game, Jackson tweets, but Heat officials deny that ever happened.

With Butler’s future in Miami almost guaranteed to end following this season, if not earlier, Jackson and Chiang see three potential resolutions. The most immediate is a trade before next month’s deadline, but the authors point out problems with each of Butler’s preferred destinations.

If he’s sent to the Warriors, Miami would almost certainly have to take back Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, paying him $28.2MM and $30.2MM over the next two years. Jackson and Chiang note that the Heat’s projected tax bill of more than $15MM comes in part from giving large salaries to Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier. Another big contract for a non-All Star would worsen the team’s financial position, with Bam Adebayo on a max deal and Tyler Herro averaging $30MM per season.

The same issue exists with the Suns, as the authors state that Miami has “no interest” in taking on Bradley Beal, who is still owed $160MM. However, they believe the equation could change if Kevin Durant decides to ask out of Phoenix amid a disappointing start to the season.

Butler has also reportedly expressed a desire to join the Rockets or Mavericks, but Jackson and Chiang note that Houston has denied interest in taking on older players, while Dallas doesn’t have enough trade assets to interest Miami.

The Nuggets could emerge as another possibility by offering Michael Porter Jr., the authors state. However, they caution that he has also never been an All-Star and is owed $38.3MM and $40.8MM over the next two seasons. A third team would be necessary to complete most of these deals, but Detroit at $14MM is currently the only option with cap space.

Butler could also be traded this summer, either by picking up his $52.4MM player option or declining it and working with the team on a sign-and-trade. The issue there would be that most teams aren’t in position to absorb Butler’s salary outright and would have to send out contracts in order to accommodate him.

If Miami isn’t interested in what Butler’s suitors have to offer, a third or fourth team might be necessary to take on that unwanted salary. Jackson and Chiang project that up to 11 teams are in position to create cap room during the offseason to help facilitate a trade.

If Miami could trade Butler without taking back salary in return, it would leave the team with a trade exception equal to whatever Butler will be making in the first season of his new contract, along with a non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $14.1MM and the $5.1MM bi-annual exception. They would have 10 players under contract — possibly 11 if Keshad Johnson exercises his $1.9MM player option — at a total cost of about $141MM, roughly $13.6MM below the projected salary cap.

The final option is for Butler to sign elsewhere in free agency, but the authors consider that less likely because only Brooklyn currently projects to have enough cap room to offer a deal in his desired salary range without the Heat’s help.

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Western Notes: Nurkic, Fox, Davis, Blazers, Harden

January 2nd, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a report to the contrary, the Suns aren’t actively shopping Jusuf Nurkic, a source tells Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).

While the distinction may matter to Nurkic himself, the question of whether or not the veteran center is being “actively shopped” likely comes down to semantics, since it’s clear Phoenix would move him if the right opportunity arises.

However, it won’t be easy to find that right opportunity. Nurkic, who has one more guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, will have limited value on the trade market and may be easier to trade in the offseason, Bourguet notes. The Suns also can’t aggregate salaries in a trade since they’re operating over the second tax apron, meaning Nurkic can’t be dealt for a player earning more than he is ($18.13MM).

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Weighing in on the De’Aaron Fox situation in Sacramento, Marc Stein (Substack link) covers many of the same bases that Sam Amick of The Athletic did earlier today, writing that teams are keeping a close eye on the situation even though the Kings aren’t yet willing to entertain the idea of trading their star point guard. Discussing the possibility of the Rockets pursuing Fox, Stein cautions not to assume Houston will be in the mix, even though the 27-year-old fits the team’s timeline better than previously rumored targets like Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant. Rockets officials like how the current roster looks and may not zero in on Fox as the player they want to sacrifice several valuable assets to acquire, Stein writes.
  • The Lakers held Anthony Davis out of action on Thursday vs. Portland due to a left ankle sprain. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays (via Twitter), head coach JJ Redick said before the game that the Lakers want to “be smart” about Davis’ lingering ankle soreness and pointed out that the team faces a challenging January schedule, with 17 games in the next 30 days.
  • In a preview of what 2025 holds for the Trail Blazers, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) reiterates a point he has made before, writing that it’s “hard to picture” a scenario in which Chauncey Billups is still coaching the Blazers by the time the 2025/26 season tips off. Highkin also explores where things stand with Portland’s top trade candidates and the Blazers’ ownership situation, among other topics.
  • Clippers star James Harden was downgraded to questionable and then ruled out for the team’s Thursday game vs. Oklahoma City due to groin soreness. As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, Harden also missed one game last month due to a groin issue — if the ailment isn’t any more serious this time around, it shouldn’t cause him to miss much – if any – additional time.
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And-Ones: 2025, Balance, Expansion, Neto, MVP

January 2nd, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Rory Maher

In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Tim Bontemps lists seven storylines people around the NBA will be monitoring in 2025. Due to their combination of young players, draft assets and a coach (Ime Udoka) that players want to play for, the Rockets are widely viewed as the team to watch the next time a star becomes available on the trade market.

“The whole landscape of the league,” an Eastern Conference scout said, “could change based off what they do.”

Although no one actually expects anything to change, since it would require certain teams to vote against their best interests, league sources tell Bontemps that the imbalance of power between the two conferences may see more calls for playoff seedings to be ranked 1-to-16 instead of the traditional format of 1-to-8 in each conference.

League insiders are also keeping a close eye on the Celtics‘ impending sale — specifically how much the team sells for — as a potential bellwether for expansion, according to Bontemps. The cities of Seattle and Las Vegas continue to be mentioned in league circles as possible expansion spots.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

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Kings Rumors: Fox, Brown, Ranadivé, Johnson, Ellis

January 2nd, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Mike Brown‘s dismissal, there has been plenty of speculation that De’Aaron Fox played a role in the Kings‘ decision, given that Brown was often critical of Fox when speaking to the media, including in the final days before he was let go. The Kings star was asked by one reporter over the weekend whether he felt “pressure or guilt” about Brown losing his job.

However, Fox has adamantly denied any involvement in the move, telling ESPN that he was on good terms with Brown and liked being coached hard by him. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, team and league sources have backed up Fox’s account.

Brown himself is known to believe that Fox had nothing to do with the decision, league sources tell The Athletic. While general manager Monte McNair claimed responsibility for the coaching change, Amick writes that team owner Vivek Ranadivé was actually the “driving force” behind Brown’s ouster. Ranadivé has not spoken to the media.

Here’s more on the Kings:

  • The decision to fire a well-respected coach and then not adequately explain the decision to reporters is a textbook example of how to turn Fox into a “sympathetic figure” and perhaps make him more justified in seeking a change of scenery sooner or later, Amick observes. Fox has not asked for a trade, per league sources who spoke to The Athletic, but potential suitors are monitoring the situation closely. Among those teams, there’s a belief that the Kings point guard is more likely to become available in the offseason than prior to the February 6 trade deadline, Amick reports. Fox will be extension-eligible again next summer after passing on a new deal this past offseason.
  • According to Amick, the Spurs, Heat, and Lakers are atop the list of teams most frequently discussed as possible suitors for Fox if he becomes available via trade. The Magic and Rockets are among the other clubs thought to be considering the idea of pursuing Fox, though “the Spurs noise is the loudest,” Amick says.
  • For the time being, the Kings are focused on upgrading their current roster and don’t intend to entertain inquiries on Fox, according to Amick, who confirms that Nets forward Cameron Johnson is high on the team’s wish list, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported. Sacramento has had “extensive” discussions with Brooklyn about Johnson, Amick writes.
  • The Kings moved to 2-1 under interim head coach Doug Christie with a 113-107 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday. Defensive ace Keon Ellis earned a start and played a season-high 38 minutes, with Sacramento outscoring the Sixers by 17 points during Ellis’ time on the court. “He’s amazing,” Kings center Domantas Sabonis said of Ellis, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “He’s a professional. He stays ready, and he’s always there when we need him, especially on defense.”
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NBA Suspends Amen Thompson Two Games, Terry Rozier One Game

December 31st, 2024 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets swingman Amen Thompson has been suspended for two games, while Heat guard Terry Rozier has received a one-game suspension, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Thompson and Rozier are being suspended for the roles they played in the on-court altercation that occurred during the final minute of the Heat/Rockets game in Houston on Sunday. In addition to the suspensions, the league announced that Rockets guard Jalen Green has been fined $35K and Heat guard Tyler Herro has been fined $25K for their involvement in the fracas.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has received a $50K fine for verbal abuse of a referee and not leaving the court in a timely manner after being ejected.

Additionally, Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet has been fined $35K for making “reckless” contact with official Marc Davis. That incident occurred moments before the altercation that led to the other penalties.

With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in Sunday’s game, Herro and Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link). Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Rozier tackling Thompson as Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.

Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Udoka and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Sullivan is the only one of those ejected who wasn’t fined or suspended today.

Tensions were already running high leading up to the melee, as VanVleet was tossed from the game after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).

VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.

The suspension will keep Thompson out of action for Wednesday’s game vs. Dallas and Friday’s contest vs. Boston. It will also cost him $127,586, which is 2/145ths of his $9,249,960 full-season salary, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Rozier, who will have to sit out Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans, will forfeit $143,242, which is 1/174th of his $24,924,126 salary.

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Kings Notes: Trade Talks, Brown, Fox, Carter

December 30th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Rory Maher

As the Kings began to slide down the Western Conference standings over the past several weeks, the front office contemplated making smaller trades “just to change things up,” and also discussed larger deals involving Bulls wing Zach LaVine, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nets guard Cam Thomas, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

According to Shelburne, the Kings consulted with former head coach Mike Brown on whether to make roster or coaching staff changes prior to parting ways with the 2023 Coach of the Year.

“Nobody wanted to fire Mike,” one Kings source told Shelburne. “He’s a good coach. People here really care about him. Until the very last moment we were trying to make it work.”

Sources tell Shelburne that general manager Monte McNair, assistant GM Wes Wilcox, team president Matina Kolokotronis and owner Vivek Ranadive had “several calls and meetings” to discuss Brown’s future with the organization during Sacramento’s recent 0-5 homestand. McNair ultimately called Brown to inform him of the decision as Brown was driving to the airport to board a team flight to L.A. — the timing and execution of the move drew criticism from around the NBA.

After speaking to Brown, McNair and Wilcox called De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis to let them know, but none were consulted beforehand, Shelburne reports.

Shelburne also confirms a report from The Athletic stating that Kings players had grown weary of Brown publicly bashing the team in post-game press conferences.

For what it’s worth, Marc Stein writes that it’s a “struggle to find anyone around the league” who thinks the firing of Brown was justified (Substack link).

Here’s more on the Kings:

  • There has been some speculation that Fox may have been unhappy with Brown, in part because of the way the veteran coach criticized him for committing a disastrous foul in the closing seconds of Thursday’s loss to Detroit, but the former All-Star tells Shelburne he enjoys being coached hard and was on good terms with Brown. “I feel like there’s this perception that people thought that we were at odds,” Fox says. “You can ask anybody in this organization: me and Mike have never even had an argument. We could disagree with something. We talked about it and it was gone.”
  • According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there have been “grumblings in NBA circles” suggesting that Fox will ask to be traded before the February 6 deadline. With that in mind, Pincus comes up with a hypothetical deal that sees Fox land with the Rockets.
  • Rookie guard Devin Carter made his NBA G League debut with the Stockton Kings on Saturday and was recalled prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Lakers, though he didn’t end up playing in what would have been a back-to-back (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento). Still, it’s obviously a positive development, as Carter is inching closer to making his NBA regular season debut following offseason shoulder surgery.
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Heat/Rockets Altercation Likely To Result In Suspensions, Fines

December 30th, 2024 at 7:03am CST by Luke Adams

An on-court altercation broke out during the final minute of Sunday’s Heat/Rockets game, resulting in several ejections that will likely to lead to suspensions and/or fines for the players involved.

With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in the game, Heat guard Tyler Herro and Rockets guard Amen Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link).

Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Heat guard Terry Rozier tackling Thompson as Rockets guard Jalen Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.

Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Crew chief Marc Davis explained the decision after the game to pool reporter Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

“During the dead ball, Thompsons grabs the jersey and body slams Herro,” Davis said. “Herro responds and they are both ejected for fighting fouls. Green is ejected as his actions escalated the altercation. Rozier as well is ejected as his actions were escalators to the altercation. Coach Sullivan is assessed a technical foul and ejected for his unsportsmanlike comments directed at me as I was attempting to redirect (Alperen) Sengun.”

Tensions were already running high leading up to the play, as Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was tossed from the game moments earlier after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).

VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.

Naji Marshall (four games), Jusuf Nurkic (three games), and P.J. Washington (one game) received suspensions on Saturday for their roles in an incident involving the Mavericks and Suns in Friday’s game, so it would be a surprise if similar penalties aren’t handed out in response to this latest skirmish.

Thompson seems likely to face the most significant punishment from the league, with Rozier and Green at risk of possible suspensions as well. It’s unclear how the NBA will view Herro’s role, given that he didn’t reenter the fray after initially being thrown to the floor.

Although it took the NBA less than 24 hours to make its ruling after the Mavs/Suns altercation, that was at least partly because both teams were in the middle of back-to-back sets and the league wanted to announce suspensions prior to Saturday’s games. Neither the Heat nor the Rockets play until Wednesday, so the NBA may take a little more time to review this case.

Thompson didn’t speak to reporters after Sunday’s game, but Herro suggested with a smile during his post-game media session that his own big night (27 points, nine assists, six rebounds) led to Thompson’s frustration.

“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said (Twitter video link). “I’d get mad, too.”

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Sengun Shines Vs. Gobert, Wolves Despite Loss

December 29th, 2024 at 3:24pm CST by Rory Maher
  • Rockets center Alperen Sengun has been regularly double- and even triple-teamed this season, and he showed why when Minnesota tried to stop him one-on-one on Friday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link). Despite Houston losing the game by one point, Sengun was largely excellent, recording 38 points on 16-of-25 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds in 41 minutes. “We just go game by game,” Sengun said. “When they’re doubling me, I’m just reading the right game, passing. And today they were just letting me play one-on-one so it was my day to go. And then I was aggressive start of the game. I kept that in all game.”
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