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Bucks’ Connaughton To Miss Time With Broken Bone In Right Hand

February 11th, 2022 at 6:58am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks wing Pat Connaughton has sustained a fracture to the fourth metacarpal (ring finger) of his right hand, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The injury occurred during the third quarter of Thursday’s loss to Phoenix as Connaughton defended a Chris Paul drive (video link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).

The Bucks haven’t set a timeline for how much time Connaughton might need to recover from the injury, but postgame comments from head coach Mike Budenholzer and teammate Khris Middleton suggested the club is preparing to be without the 29-year-old for the foreseeable future.

“We’re trying to figure out kind of who will see him next, what the next step is,” Budenholzer said, per Owczarski. “Unfortunate, but I think we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to return. When that is, not exactly sure. But, so, we’ll see.”

“Very unfortunate, man,” Middleton said. “He’s one of our bigger guys, especially off the bench. He plays a huge and key role for us, coming in the starting lineup every now and then, just being that glue guy for us on both sides of the ball. It’s going to be tough without him for a while, but hopefully he can get back sooner than later.”

Connaughton had been in the midst of a career year, having averaged 10.1 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .467/.407/.811 shooting in 54 games (27.0 MPG) this season for the defending champions.

The timing of the injury is especially unfortunate for the Bucks, who traded away some of their wing depth on Thursday, sending Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento and Rodney Hood to the Clippers in a four-team deal that brought Serge Ibaka to Milwaukee.

With DiVincenzo and Hood no longer options, reserves like Wesley Matthews and Jordan Nwora could be in line for increased roles until Connaughton is able to return. The Bucks also have two open spots on their 15-man roster (three once Greg Monroe‘s 10-day contract expires) and will likely be active on the buyout market.

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DiVincenzo To Kings, Bagley To Pistons In Four-Team Trade

February 10th, 2022 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

7:14pm: The four-team deal is official, according to a Kings press release.

A press release from the Clippers notes that L.A. also received the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic from Sacramento in the deal, sending the draft rights to David Michineau to the Kings. The cash going to Milwaukee in the trade comes from the Clippers.

As we previously relayed, the Kings waived Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard to complete the move.

10:47am: The Kings are trading former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III to the Pistons, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), that move will be part of a four-team trade that sends Bucks wing Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento.

The Clippers will be the fourth club involved in the deal, as Charania reports (via Twitter) that big man Serge Ibaka is headed to Milwaukee. Los Angeles is acquiring swingman Rodney Hood and forward Semi Ojeleye from the Bucks, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Sacramento is receiving Pistons forwards Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles along with DiVincenzo, per Charania (via Twitter), while Detroit is also sending out multiple second-round picks, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Woj (via Twitter) breaks the deal down as follows:

  • Kings acquire DiVincenzo, Jackson, and Lyles.
  • Pistons acquire Bagley.
  • Clippers acquire Hood and Ojeleye.
  • Bucks acquire Ibaka, two second-round picks, and cash.

The Kings continue to reshape their roster after acquiring Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, and Jeremy Lamb in a trade with the Pacers Tuesday. DiVincenzo ($4.7MM this season) is eligible for restricted free agency in 2022 if Sacramento chooses to give him a qualifying offer, while Jackson ($3MM) is on an expiring deal. Lyles, however, earns $2.5MM this season and has a club option for next season at $2.6MM, giving the Kings some added flexibility.

DiVincenzo has been a solid defender, rebounder, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He’s had a slow start to this season after recovering from ankle surgery and then entering the health and safety protocols, but he’s a young, controllable asset who likely won’t be too expensive going forward. Sacramento tried to acquire him prior to last season in the botched sign-and-trade that would have sent Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Bucks, but the deal was nullified due to “gun-jumping.” The Bucks ended up forfeiting a second-rounder in the process.

The Kings had reportedly been shopping Bagley for well over a year, as he was drafted by the previous front office regime and was publicly unhappy with the franchise. As a three-for-one trade, the Kings will have to waive two players, unless they make subsequent moves prior to the deal becoming official.

The Pistons are taking a gamble on Bagley, a good athlete who failed to develop in his time in Sacramento. Still just 22, Bagley could have untapped upside and figures to see more minutes on a rebuilding Pistons team. Like DiVincenzo, Bagley will be a restricted free agent in 2022. He’s earning $11.3MM in the final year of his rookie contract this season.

James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) reports that the Pistons will be sending Sacramento’s 2024 second-round pick and either Cleveland’s or Golden State’s 2023 second-rounder (whichever is less favorable) to the Bucks.

For the Clippers, it’s a cost-cutting move that will save them approximately $30MM in luxury tax payments, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). In order for the deal to work, Ibaka will need to amend a portion of his 15% trade bonus, Marks tweets, which Los Angeles will be responsible for.

Greif reports (Twitter link) that the Clips have been interested in Hood and Ojeleye in the past. Both players are on veteran minimum deals that expire this summer. Moving Ibaka gives more clarity to a crowded center rotation featuring Ivica Zubac, Isaiah Hartenstein, and newly-acquired Robert Covington (in small-ball looks).

By adding Ibaka’s $9.7MM contract and sending out three players, the defending champion Bucks will have three open roster spots (not including Greg Monroe, who’s on a 10-day deal) and add $6MM towards the luxury tax, Marks tweets. The cash they’re receiving will help offset the additional luxury tax payment. The Bucks had been searching for a center for a few months due to Brook Lopez‘s back injury; their starting center has suited for just one game this season.

Ibaka is having a down year after undergoing back surgery himself last summer, but he’s a smart, proven veteran who can space the floor and protect the paint when healthy. The two-second round picks will be key assets for a Bucks team that could be facing the repeater tax for multiple seasons as they contend for more titles.

Rory Maher contributed to this story.

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Raptors, Spurs Swap Thaddeus Young, Goran Dragic

February 10th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

2:22pm: The Raptors have issued a press release officially announcing the trade.

10:51am: The Raptors and Spurs have agreed to a trade that will send forward Thaddeus Young to Toronto in exchange for point guard Goran Dragic, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (via Twitter), big man Drew Eubanks and the Pistons’ 2022 second-round pick are also headed to Toronto in the deal, with the Raptors sending San Antonio their 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected). That pick would be top-13 protected in 2023 if it doesn’t change hands this season, and would turn into two future second-rounders if it doesn’t convey in ’23.

The Raptors had been shopping Dragic and draft capital for much of the season as they looked to acquire a player who could step into their rotation. Dragic, who was part of the return in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade last summer, appeared in just five games with Toronto before leaving the team for personal reasons.

In Young, Toronto gets a tough, playoff-tested veteran who – like Dragic – was a throw-in for salary-matching purposes in an offseason sign-and-trade, having been sent from Chicago to San Antonio in the DeMar DeRozan deal. Young had a nice year in Chicago in 2020/21, averaging 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG in 68 games (24.3 MPG), but wasn’t part of the Spurs’ plans and hasn’t played much this season.

Eubanks, 25, could also compete for minutes in Toronto after spending the first four years of his NBA career in San Antonio. He has averaged 4.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 49 games (12.1 MPG) this season.

[UPDATE: Raptors to waive Eubanks]

Young has an expiring $14.2MM contract, while Eubanks is earning the minimum this season, with a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2022/23 before he becomes eligible for free agency. The Raptors will create some extra breathing room below the luxury tax line by swapping Dragic’s $19.4MM expiring deal for those two players.

Meanwhile, the Spurs – who have historically been quiet at the trade deadline – have now completed three in-season deals in 2021/22. Their goal in this deal was to continue stockpiling draft assets, so Dragic almost certainly won’t remain on the roster.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter) reports that Dragic and the Spurs are expected to negotiate a buyout, with the Mavericks, Bucks, Bulls, and Clippers among his potential suitors. Dallas is believed to be the frontrunner, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links).

The Raptors have an opening on their 15-man roster, so they won’t have to waive a player to officially finalize the trade. They’ll also create a trade exception worth the difference between Dragic’s and Young’s salaries ($5.25MM).

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Central Notes: Hield, Dosunmu, Bulls, Lopez, LeVert

February 9th, 2022 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

A report on Wednesday morning indicated that the Pacers could flip veteran wing Buddy Hield to a new team today or tomorrow after acquiring him from Sacramento on Tuesday. However, Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link) isn’t expecting that to happen, reporting that Indiana doesn’t plan to move Hield before Thursday’s deadline, despite some interest from other teams.

Lowe cautions that things could change in the next 24+ hours, but as I noted when we relayed the initial Hield rumor, his $23MM cap hit and the $40MM he’s owed for the two seasons after this one will probably make it tricky for the club to get anything of real value for him, especially since he’s in the midst of a down year — his .368 3PT% is the worst mark of his career.

Here are a few more items from around the Central:

  • The Bulls‘ injury woes continued on Tuesday, as rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Dosunmu has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Charlotte, but it’s unclear how much more time he might miss beyond that.
  • Star forward DeMar DeRozan doesn’t believe the Bulls needs to make any trades at the deadline, suggesting that getting healthy is the top priority for the club. “We’re missing Lonzo Ball, one of the top point guards in this league,” DeRozan said, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Alex Caruso, one of the best defenders in this league. Patrick Williams, one of the young stars in this league. We haven’t had those guys. And we have them; they’ll be back. We don’t need to worry or stress about having nobody else.
  • Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said on Tuesday that the team continues to get positive news about Brook Lopez‘s recovery from back surgery and remains hopeful that the veteran center will be back before the end of the regular season, says Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link).
  • New Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert is excited to be back in the thick of a playoff race after spending the first half of the season with a lottery-bound Indiana squad, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. “Here, we’re playing for a championship,” LeVert said.
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Celtics Rumors: Trade Deadline, Schröder, Stevens

February 9th, 2022 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics‘ recent hot streak appears to have shifted the team’s perspective heading into the trade deadline, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who hears from sources that Boston has gone from being a possible seller to a potential buyer.

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka likes what he has seen from his team lately and doesn’t sound particularly eager to break up the current group, but he acknowledged that Boston’s eight wins in its last nine games, including six victories in a row, may change the deadline equation for the front office — especially since the Celtics’ strong recent play may boost the trade value of some of their players.

“We’re happy with how we’re playing, happy with what the guys are doing and seeing our full group together now,” Udoka said, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.“I’m sure it changed some of the [trade] conversation based on what we’re doing lately.”

Here are a few more Celtics-related notes and rumors:

  • According to Mannix, Boston continues to shop Dennis Schröder in trade talks, but teams that have talked to the Celtics say they’re asking for a player and draft capital in any deal involving the guard. The C’s seem unlikely to part with Schröder unless they get a rotation player in return, says Mannix, adding that the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Mavericks remain in the mix. We wrote on Tuesday about what a Milwaukee or Cleveland deal for Schröder might look like.
  • Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com has also heard that the Celtics want something of value back for Schröder and aren’t just looking for a deal that gets them under the luxury tax line. “He’s been playing well, and he’s been a good part of what they’re doing lately,” one league exec said to Bulpett. “I still think they might prefer to move him, but now they’re looking for an asset in return. They don’t feel like they HAVE to trade him now, and they’d like to turn him into an asset for next year.”
  • Some people in the organization would like to keep Schröder for depth purposes, while others would be comfortable using Josh Richardson and Payton Pritchard to replace his minutes, says Bulpett. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), Boston also expects veteran point guards to be available on the buyout market, which could be an option if the team trades Schröder without receiving a point guard in return.
  • Rival teams seem to enjoy talking trades with new Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens more than they did with Danny Ainge, Smith adds (via Twitter). “It’s less like you’re giving up rights to your first-born,” one opposing executive said. Another said Ainge had a tendency to try to “get blood from a stone and squeeze for ‘one more thing.'”
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Pacers Rumors: Brogdon, Hield, Warren, Craig, Turner, Korkmaz

February 9th, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

There are rival executives around the NBA who believe the Pacers will trade Malcolm Brogdon this offseason following their acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Brogdon isn’t eligible to be traded this season due to the contract extension he signed in the fall, but could be moved in the summer

The Pacers shouldn’t feel any urgency to deal Brogdon, since he and Haliburton are both solid ball-handlers, defenders, and shooters who could complement one another in the backcourt. But the presence of Haliburton certainly will give Indiana more options if the team wants to try to use Brogdon in a trade to address another area of the roster.

According to Scotto, the Pacers are also open to flipping newly-acquired shooting guard Buddy Hield prior to Thursday’s trade deadline. Hield’s $23MM cap hit and the $40MM he’s owed for the two seasons after this one will probably make it tricky for the club to get much of value for him, especially since he has had a down year — his .368 3PT% is the worst mark of his career.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

  • Veteran forwards T.J. Warren and Torrey Craig are among the other players the Pacers have made available in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources tell Scotto. Warren, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, hasn’t played since December 2020 due to a foot injury, so teams may be reluctant to take a flier on him.
  • Myles Turner is expected to remain with the Pacers beyond the deadline, a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix and Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com have both heard that the Pistons and Pacers discussed a swap centered around Turner and Jerami Grant, but Bulpett says Indiana rejected it. According to Bulpett, the Bucks have also shown some interest in Turner to fill the Brook Lopez role on their roster, with Lopez’s availability for the rest of the season up in the air.
  • The Pacers have some interest in Sixers wing Furkan Korkmaz, believing that he could benefit from a change of scenery, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A career 37.7% three-point shooter entering this season, Korkmaz has made just 28.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2021/22.
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NBA Announces Slam Dunk, Three-Point, Skills Challenge Contestants

February 8th, 2022 at 6:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has announced a full list of the participants for its three-point, slam dunk and skills challenge competitions ahead of the upcoming 2022 All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

Per the NBA (Twitter link), the following players will partake in the Mountain Dew Three-Point Contest, which appears to have outpaced the dunk contest as the premiere event for established stars at All-Star Weekend. Four 2022 All-Stars will compete:

According to the league (via Twitter), these are the contestants in the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest:

Below are the NBA’s announced players for the newly revamped Taco Bell Skills Challenge (Twitter link). This year, the Skills Challenge will be divvied up into three teams: Antetokounmpo brothers (“Antetokounmpos”), Cavaliers players (“Cavs”), and rookies (“Rooks”).

These three events will take place on All-Star Saturday on February 19.

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Bucks, Celtics Have Discussed DiVincenzo, Schröder

February 8th, 2022 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks and Celtics have discussed the idea of a trade involving Boston guard Dennis Schröder, according to reports from Brian Windhorst of ESPN and Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Windhorst hears from sources that the Celtics have some interest in Bucks wing Donte DiVincenzo, and Fischer confirms that DiVincenzo has been discussed in the talks between the two teams. According to Fischer, Milwaukee has also expressed interest in acquiring Celtics forward Grant Williams in a deal involving Schröder and DiVincenzo.

Jared Weiss of The Athletic provides some additional context, reporting that the Celtics initially offered Schröder for DiVincenzo, with the Bucks countering by asking for Williams. The two teams continue to explore possible frameworks, says Weiss.

According to Windhorst, the Bucks have recently been gauging the value of DiVincenzo, who was a key part of Milwaukee’s starting lineup in 2020/21 but sustained an ankle injury in the first round of the postseason and wasn’t part of rest of the Bucks’ title run. He has played in just 16 games since returning from ankle surgery and hasn’t looked like his old self, shooting just 32.4% from the floor (28.6% on threes). He’s also a free agent at season’s end.

Still, DiVincenzo will be eligible for restricted free agency, so he’ll be relatively controllable going forward. And he had a strong season in ’20/21, averaging 10.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.1 APG with a .379 3PT%. Acquiring a player like that in exchange for Schröder, whose days in Boston appear numbered, would likely appeal to the Celtics.

The Bucks, meanwhile, could be in the market for a backup point guard, with George Hill having a down year, and they could afford to part with a wing, given how well Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton have played. However, they probably have a greater need in the frontcourt, where Semi Ojeleye has been ineffective and Brook Lopez has been sidelined since opening night, which explains why they’re after Williams.

While DiVincenzo ($4.7MM) could be traded straight-up for Schröder ($5.9MM) from a salary-matching perspective, adding Williams to any deal would complicate matters. Trading a minimum-salary player along with DiVincenzo wouldn’t be quite enough for Milwaukee to take back both Schröder and Williams ($2.6MM), and the Celtics will likely be uninterested in making any deal that adds salary to their books rather than taking them below the luxury tax line.

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Cavs Notes: LeVert, Trade Talks, Okoro, Draft Pick

February 7th, 2022 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Pacers began to engage in exploratory discussions about Caris LeVert shortly after Ricky Rubio tore his ACL, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes that the Cavs’ deadline priorities likely would’ve looked different if Rubio’s injury hadn’t occurred.

Before officially acquiring LeVert, the Cavaliers looked into a series of other options, per Fedor, inquiring on Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo, Rockets guard Eric Gordon, Spurs guard Derrick White, Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield, and Magic wings Terrence Ross and Gary Harris.

Cleveland didn’t move forward on any of those players for a variety of reasons. For instance, the Bucks didn’t want to help a team they might have to face in the playoffs, while the Cavs didn’t want to part with a first-round pick for Gordon or with a combination of picks and young players for White, says Fedor.

Ultimately, the Cavs decided LeVert was the right fit at the right price, satisfying their goal of improving in the short term without losing sight of their long-term goals. LeVert is only under contract through 2022/23 for now, but if things go well in Cleveland, he could become the next piece of the team’s core, Fedor writes.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

  • Sources tell Fedor that the Cavaliers will continue to seek upgrades around the margins in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline. Cleveland controls San Antonio’s 2022 second-rounder and would prefer to keep it, but that pick has drawn plenty of interest, says Fedor.
  • The Pacers expressed interest in Isaac Okoro during their negotiations with the Cavaliers, but Cleveland didn’t want to part with the former lottery pick, sources tell Fedor. The Cavs’ willingness to include Houston’s 2022 second-rounder in their package helped bring the deal across the finish line, since that pick was viewed as something close to a first-rounder.
  • Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised head of basketball operations Koby Altman for the moves he has made to help turn the Cavs around, as Fedor relays. “When you look at the deals that he’s made, he has made us much better basketball team through his aggressiveness and seeking value where others may not see, but having the idea of how this one impacts the next,” Bickerstaff said. “The proof is there. You look at guys like Jarrett (Allen) and what he’s been able to do for this team and that’s a credit to Koby for making sure we got involved in what Brooklyn was trying to do. It wasn’t just Koby being singularly focused on something. He put himself in position with other teams as well and that speaks to the communication, his reputation, and being able to have those conversations with other teams.”
  • Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and John Hollinger of The Athletic view the LeVert trade as a win-win for the Cavaliers and Pacers, since Cleveland looks like an ideal fit for the swingman and Indiana got a good return for him.
  • The first-round pick the Cavaliers traded to Indiana in the deal is top-14 protected in 2022 and again in 2023, per RealGM. In the unlikely event that the pick lands in the lottery both years, the Pacers would instead receive Cleveland’s 2025 second-round pick and the Lakers’ 2026 second-rounder.
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Greg Monroe Signs 10-Day Contract With Bucks

February 5th, 2022 at 12:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

12:27pm: Milwaukee has officially signed Monroe to a 10-day deal, the team announced in a press release.

8:10am: The Bucks have agreed to a 10-day contract with veteran center Greg Monroe, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Milwaukee has an open roster and don’t have anyone in protocols, so it appears it’ll be a standard 10-day deal.

According to Scotto, Monroe had multiple 10-day offers before choosing the defending champions. Monroe signed 10-day contracts with the Timberwolves and Wizards under the hardship exception earlier this season and appeared in five games. He averaged 5.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 2.4 APG in 16.2 MPG.

Prior to this season, Monroe hadn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2018/19 campaign. In 637 career games, Monroe has averaged 13.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 2.1 APG. Monroe began his career with Detroit after being drafted in the 2010 lottery.

This is his second stint with Milwaukee. He appeared in 165 games with the Bucks from 2015-17.

Brook Lopez hasn’t played since the season opener and underwent back surgery in early December. Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo have played out of position in his absence.

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