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Timberwolves Notes: Beverley, Nowell, Reid, Edwards

October 30th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Patrick Beverley‘s appearance in Minnesota Friday as a member of the Lakers was a reminder that the Timberwolves miss their vocal leader from last season, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Wolves coach Chris Finch called Beverley a “tone setter” who held teammates accountable and brought a winning attitude to a franchise with little history of playoff success.

Beverley, who was traded to Utah and then L.A. during the offseason, hasn’t been able to transfer those qualities to his new team, which already has a hierarchy in place. The Lakers remain winless and Beverley is averaging 5.4 PPG while shooting a miserable 26.1% from the field and 17.6% from three-point range.

“We had a blast this past year,” Beverley said of his time in Minnesota. “A lot of good memories. Coming in from a halfway empty house at the beginning of the season and full crowd every time we step on the floor. The fans have been great. It’s a second home for me, for sure.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

The Wolves’ trade for Rudy Gobert created an opportunity for Jaylen Nowell, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Nowell has taken over the backup shooting guard role formerly occupied by Malik Beasley and is averaging 14.5 PPG through the team’s first six games. “[There was] doubt, frustration, irritation,” Nowell said of his first three NBA seasons. “All type of things. But when you stick with it, and you just continue to work, good things will happen to those who work and continue to stay positive-minded.”
The Wolves aren’t close to signing Nowell to an extension, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News confirmed on his latest podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). A report this week indicated that the team had extension talks with Nowell and Naz Reid, but Wolfson believes Reid is more likely to receive an extension at this point. Both players will be extension-eligible through the end of June.
Anthony Edwards should concentrate more on driving to the basket in late-game situations than firing up three-pointers, contends Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune. Edwards is shooting 35.3% from long distance, but Reusse notes that his success rate with the game on the line hasn’t been good.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Davis, Ham, LeBron

October 29th, 2022 at 5:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers were encouraged by Russell Westbrook‘s performance off the bench Friday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It’s a role that new head coach Darvin Ham talked to Westbrook about during the offseason, and he decided to make the move after the team’s sluggish start.

Westbrook turned in his best game of the season, delivering 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. However, his shooting woes continued as he hit just 6-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from the foul line and he turned the ball over five times.

“From Day 1, I mentioned I’m the guy that’s willing to do whatever for the team,” said Westbrook, who hadn’t been used as a reserve since his rookie season. “I’ll sacrifice whatever it is that needs to be sacrificed — parts of my game that I’ve done for years to accommodate whatever it is that the coach needs me to do, and I’ll continue to do that.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Anthony Davis sat out his first game of the season Friday due to lower back tightness, McMenamin adds. While it doesn’t sound like a serious injury, there are always concerns with any physical ailment involving Davis, who has played just 40 and 36 games the past two seasons. “He has to do what’s best for his body,” LeBron James said. “He has to do what’s best for his body and his mind. If his mind is gone, then everything else will fall to the wayside. So he has to trust himself. Yes, he wants to play every game. Yes, he wants to be out there for our team. But he’s had a lot of bumps and bruises over the last few years, so he has to trust himself, trust his staff and not put his body in harm’s way.”
After L.A. dropped to 0-5, Ham joked with reporters about the team’s lack of offense, per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Asked if Lonnie Walker can become the “third scorer” in the starting lineup, Ham responded, “I mean, we welcome any and all scorers, whether they’re third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh. If you can score, we’ll work you out tomorrow.”
The Lakers ended Friday’s game with James at center, trying to create a mismatch with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, Goon notes. James indicated that he doesn’t expect to see much time in the middle, explaining that Ham is experimenting with different combinations. “We’re just trying to find what works right now, to be honest,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who is on the floor. We’re just trying to find what works, who can give us the best chance to win a ballgame.”

Lakers’ Anthony Davis Out Friday With Back Tightness

October 28th, 2022 at 5:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers big man Anthony Davis will miss Friday’s game at Minnesota with lower back tightness, the team announced (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).

Davis was considered a game-time decision leading up to the contest. He was able to participate in the team’s Friday shootaround, but he has now been ruled out.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said back issues are “tricky” because Davis felt fine Friday morning, but Ham implied he may have slept on it wrong and tweaked it. However, Ham is hopeful that it will be a one-game absence.

“We feel good about him being available the next game,” Ham said. The Lakers’ next game is Sunday vs. Denver, followed by Wednesday vs. New Orleans.

As Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets, the Lakers also announced that Russell Westbrook (left hamstring) and LeBron James (left foot soreness) are available for Friday’s game against the Wolves.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier today that Ham planned to bring Westbrook off the bench against Minnesota, but that was contingent upon Davis playing. However, Wojnarowski tweets that the Lakers still plan to transition Westbrook to a reserve play-making role — it just might be temporarily postponed due to Davis’ absence.

For his part, Ham said he was undecided on whether Westbrook would start tonight, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (via Twitter).

Davis, an eight-time All-Star, has struggled with various injuries throughout his career, but particularly the past two seasons. From 2020-22, Davis only appeared in 76 of a possible 154 games.

The Lakers are still looking for their first win of the season, and now they’ll be without the former No. 1 overall pick for at least one game. Davis is averaging 24.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.3 blocks on .527/.182/.762 shooting through four games (35.0 minutes per contest).

Lakers Expected To Bring Russell Westbrook Off Bench

October 28th, 2022 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are expected to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench when he returns to action following a hamstring-related absence, allowing him to be the primary play-maker for the team’s second unit, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Westbrook, who missed Wednesday’s game in Denver, was originally listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Minnesota, but has since been upgraded to probable, tweets Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group.

Anthony Davis continues to be listed as questionable for Friday due to low back tightness and is considered a game-time decision. If Davis misses the game, that could keep Westbrook in the starting lineup, Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter).

However, Davis did participate in the Lakers’ Friday shootaround. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), the team used a starting five of Davis, LeBron James, Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker, and Damian Jones during that shootaround.

The Lakers attempted to bring Westbrook off the bench in their preseason finale two weeks ago, but the experiment lasted just five minutes before he left the game due to a hamstring injury. The former MVP later said that he thought not being in the starting lineup was a factor in his injury, since he didn’t have the same pregame routine he has grown accustomed to.

Still, it sounds like the Lakers and head coach Darvin Ham still believe the idea of Westbrook joining the second unit has merit. Even if it doesn’t happen on Friday, it appears L.A. will try it again sooner or later — if it works, the team intends to stick with it for the foreseeable future, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

2023 NBA Draft Pick Swaps To Monitor

October 28th, 2022 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s far too early in the 2022/23 NBA season to look at the standings and draw sweeping conclusions about which teams are headed for the postseason and which are lottery-bound.

Still, Victor Wembanyama‘s impending arrival casts a long shadow over this season — having even an outside shot at landing the best NBA prospect since LeBron James may prompt some struggling teams to pivot to tank mode midway through the year rather than pushing for a play-in spot.

Since any prolonged slump could make a team’s fans wonder if tanking for Wembanyama is the smart play, it’s worth noting up front which clubs would and wouldn’t realistically have a shot at him if they finish in the lottery. A team could go 0-82 and still have a 0% chance of drafting Wembanyama if that team has already traded away its unprotected 2023 first-round pick.

Here are a few of the unprotected draft-pick swaps and trades worth keeping in mind as the 2022/23 season progresses:

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have faced a challenging set of opponents during their 0-4 start and seem likely to bounce back sooner or later, at least to some extent. But if you’ve watched the team look inconsistent and out of sorts on offense while making three-pointers at a record-low rate, you can’t be blamed for wondering if it might be in the franchise’s best interest to tank for a shot at Wembanyama and reload for next season, when Russell Westbrook‘s $47MM cap hit comes off the books.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, that’s not an option. As part of the Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers gave the Pelicans the ability to swap first-round picks in 2023. So if the Lakers miss the postseason and win the draft lottery, that No. 1 overall pick would go to New Orleans, not L.A.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets haven’t looked much better than the Lakers so far this season. They’re off to a 1-4 start and have the NBA’s worst defense (120.2 defensive rating), with new addition Ben Simmons looking uncomfortable on the court. Again, it’s unlikely they’ll play this poorly all season, but if things continue to go downhill, would tanking be an option for the Nets?

Brooklyn’s draft-pick situation is an unusual one. Theoretically, the Nets could secure the No. 1 pick in 2023, but only if Philadelphia misses the playoffs and wins the draft lottery, since Brooklyn controls the Sixers‘ pick.

The Rockets have the ability to swap their own first-rounder with the Nets’ pick, so if Brooklyn finishes in the lottery and the Sixers don’t, the highest pick the Nets could get would be No. 2 overall (if they and the Rockets earned the top two spots via the lottery).

Given that the Rockets are a good bet to be at or near the bottom of the NBA’s standings, a poor season from the Nets would still probably ensure a strong draft pick, even if they have to swap picks — but it wouldn’t give them a shot at Wembanyama.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 1-4 Sixers haven’t looked right so far this season, especially defensively. There’s too much talent on the roster for them to continue losing games at this rate, but it’s worth noting that they won’t have their first-round pick at all in 2023. That first-rounder will be sent to the Nets, unless it’s worse than Brooklyn’s and Houston’s picks, in which case it will be rerouted to the Jazz.

Los Angeles Clippers

Like their Crypto.com Arena cohabitants, the Clippers have a first-round pick in 2023, but it’s not guaranteed to be their own. As part of the Paul George trade, L.A. gave the Thunder the ability to swap first-rounders in 2023.

The odds of the Thunder finishing ahead of the Clippers in this year’s standings are virtually nil, but this swap is still worth mentioning on the heels of Oklahoma City defeating L.A. in consecutive games this week. Both teams are currently 2-3.

Minnesota Timberwolves/Milwaukee Bucks

The Timberwolves and Bucks have both traded away their 2023 first-round picks without protections. Minnesota’s pick is headed to the Jazz, while Milwaukee’s will be sent to the Rockets.

If the Wolves and Bucks live up to their expectations this year, those picks should land somewhere in the 20s and be well removed from the Wembanyama sweepstakes.

The rest

Several more 2023 first-round picks will likely change hands next spring, but all of the rest of the traded picks for ’23 have some form of protection on them. For instance, Chicago’s 2023 first-rounder will likely be sent to the Magic, but it has top-four protection, so if they were to win the draft lottery, the Bulls would keep that pick.

A full list of the traded 2023 first-round picks can be found right here.

Forbes Releases 2022 NBA Franchise Valuations

October 27th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since Forbes began issuing annual valuations of NBA teams over two decades ago, a team other than the Knicks or Lakers ranks atop the publication’s list of 2022’s most valuable franchises.

According to Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum of Forbes, the Warriors are now considered the NBA’s most valuable club, with a record-setting valuation of $7 billion following a championship season.

Forbes’ duo explains that the Warriors generated more revenue and operating income in 2021/22 than any other team in NBA history, buoyed by $150MM in arena sponsorships and advertising, along with $250MM from premium seating.

While the Warriors enjoyed the biggest bump in value since Forbes’ most recent round of valuations, every other NBA team saw its valuation rise during that time as well, according to Ozanian and Teitelbaum, who say the average franchise is now valued at $2.86 billion. That’s 15% more than a year ago, despite the fact that the stock market is down 15% over the same time period.

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, only one – the Nets – lost money last season, per Forbes’ report, which states that record-setting sponsorship and advertising revenue ($1.35 billion last season) has put the league back on its “pre-Covid growth trajectory.” Further growth is anticipated going forward, with a new television and media deal to be negotiated in the coming years — it will take effect in 2025.

Although Forbes’ figures are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands, they’re still useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Forbes’ full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2022:

Golden State Warriors: $7 billion
New York Knicks: $6.1 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $5.9 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.1 billion
Boston Celtics: $4.0 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $3.9 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.5 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $3.3 billion
Houston Rockets: $3.2 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $3.15 billion
Toronto Raptors: $3.1 billion
Miami Heat: $3 billion
Phoenix Suns: $2.7 billion
Washington Wizards: $2.5 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $2.3 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $2.1 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $2.05 billion
Sacramento Kings: $2.03 billion
Utah Jazz: $2.025 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $2 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $1.975 billion
Denver Nuggets: $1.93 billion
Detroit Pistons: $1.9 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.875 billion
Orlando Magic: $1.85 billion
Indiana Pacers: $1.8 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $1.7 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.67 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $1.65 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $1.6 billion

Do The Lakers Need To Get Rid Of Russell Westbrook Right Away?

October 26th, 2022 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are already at a critical point in their season and need to make a move with Russell Westbrook, argues Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix recommends calling the Pacers and completing the rumored deal that would send Westbrook and unprotected first-rounders in 2027 and 2029 to Indiana in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Reaves, Westbrook, Trade Talks

October 26th, 2022 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis admits there’s a “sense of urgency” surrounding the Lakers after their 0-3 start, but he adds that it’s important not to overreact to the first week of the season, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. was hoping for some early wins to change the narrative about the team after missing the playoffs last season. But the Lakers have played a strong schedule so far — losing to the Warriors, Clippers and Trail Blazers — and are facing a tough two-game road trip against the Nuggets and Timberwolves.

“You don’t want to dig yourself too big of a hole,” Davis said. “But we’ve got to stay even-keeled. We can’t get rattled or flustered and things like that. Just like if we win 12 in a row. We don’t want to get too high.”

Offense is the main issue in L.A. as the Lakers are last in the league in three-point shooting at 21.2% and Davis called their shot selection late in the Portland loss “very poor.” However, there has been improvement on defense as the team leads the league with 11.3 steals per game and ranks third in points per possession.

“We’re continuously learning each other,” Davis said. “The good thing about it is we’re playing defense, ranked third in the league in defense. In all the statistical categories, we’re top-10. We just got to keep pushing. Keep our head down and move forward with the mindset we’re going into Denver (tonight) to get a win.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Embattled guard Russell Westbrook is expected to miss tonight’s game with a hamstring injury and Austin Reaves will take his place in the starting lineup in a move that may become permanent, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link). Reaves saw time with the starting unit during the preseason, and his future in that role may depend on how the team looks against the Nuggets. Sources tell Charania that coach Darvin Ham has been working with Westbrook to figure out the best way to utilize him going forward. Westbrook hopes to be able to return Friday, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Woj stated that the Lakers haven’t discussed deals with the Pacers or Jazz – viewed as perhaps their two most likely trade partners – since the season began (video link). He adds that the only trades currently available are the ones L.A. refused to do during the offseason.
The Lakers have put themselves in an impossible situation by holding onto Westbrook for a second season, contends Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. He points out that not only is Westbrook in decline, but he doesn’t have chemistry with Davis and LeBron James, as the trio is just 11-13 in the 24 games they have all played together.

Injury Notes: Westbrook, Kawhi, D. Wright, Thompson

October 26th, 2022 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

After struggling during the Lakers‘ 0-3 start, point guard Russell Westbrook is unlikely to play in the team’s fourth game of the season on Wednesday in Denver. As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, Westbrook has been listed as doubtful to play vs. the Nuggets due to a hamstring injury, which he sustained during the team’s preseason finale on October 14.

The injury didn’t stop Westbrook from suiting up for the last three games, but if it’s lingering at all, it makes sense for the Lakers to hold him out for a game or two, not only to ensure he gets 100% healthy but also to give him a respite from the criticism he has faced in the early part of the 2022/23 season.

Here are a few more health-related notes from around the NBA:

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard experienced some stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee and was held out of the team’s loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, who adds that Leonard has also been ruled out for the rematch between the two teams on Thursday. Head coach Tyronn Lue didn’t classify it as a setback for Leonard. “We want to be cautious, make sure we’re doing the right thing by him, even though he wanted to play,” Lue said. We just thought it wasn’t smart. He can be mad at us if he wants to but just not smart right now.”
Wizards guard Delon Wright left Tuesday’s game with what head coach Wes Unseld Jr. referred to as hamstring tightness, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Unseld wasn’t sure after the game about the severity of the injury or if it would require Wright to miss any additional time.
After tearing his ACL in 2019 and his Achilles in 2020, Warriors star Klay Thompson entered this season coming off a healthy summer, but he has still required a ramp-up process and a minutes restriction in the early going as he improves his conditioning, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I’m such a perfectionist, I want to be great right now,” Thompson said. “But I got to realize, man, it’s a long season. I’d rather peak come playoff time rather than early November or into January.”

Pacific Notes: Murray, Wall, Westbrook, Crowder

October 25th, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings head coach Mike Brown has indicated that 6’8″ rookie forward Keegan Murray, the No. 4 pick out of Iowa, could be moved into the team’s starting lineup soon, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

“Yeah, he started the second half [of the team’s Sunday loss against the Warriors], so there’s a chance he could start going forward,” Brown said.

The 0-3 Kings will next have the opportunity to start Murray against the 2-1 Grizzlies on Thursday. As Anderson writes, current starting power forward KZ Okpala seems most likely to be moved to the bench in such a scenario.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Clippers reserve guard John Wall is hoping for a larger role with Los Angeles, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The 6’4″ vet has been limited by his team to 25 or fewer minutes a night as a backup. Across 23 MPG in two contests thus far, Wall is averaging 16 PPG on .519/.250/.250 shooting splits, plus 3.5 APG, 2.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG. “There’s no recovery process for me,” Wall said. “It’s just a program, a plan [the Clippers have] for me… I was fully healthy last year; I just didn’t play because of the situation [with the Rockets]. So, I’m not on like on a recovery process.”
The 0-3 Lakers are struggling to start the season, and still seem to be considering offloading the expiring $47.1MM contract of current starting point guard Russell Westbrook. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report identifies six potential outcomes for the team’s future with Westbrook, including standing pat and not executing a trade.
Estranged Suns power forward Jae Crowder remains in limbo as both he and Phoenix hope to work out a deal to send Crowder away from the Suns for a hopefully larger role elsewhere, per Chris Haynes of Turner Sports (Twitter video link). “Both sides, his agent and the Suns, they though they were going to come to an agreement on a trade before the season started, and things have been prolonged,” Haynes said. “He’s in the best shape possible of his career and he’s just ready to get back out there on the court.”