Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

DiVincenzo Replacing Grimes In Knicks’ Starting Lineup

December 8th, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau played coy ahead of Friday’s matchup in Boston, saying there “could be” lineup changes in store (Twitter link via Steve Popper of Newsday).

However, Fred Katz of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Donte DiVincenzo will start at shooting guard in place of Quentin Grimes. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post confirms the news (Twitter link).

It’s a noteworthy development for multiple reasons. Grimes has been struggling lately, scoring just 16 points on 5-of-28 shooting over his last seven games, and he expressed frustration with his limited role in the team’s offense following Tuesday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal loss to Milwaukee.

“It’s just hard when you go the whole quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it,” Grimes said. “So it’s tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game. Then you got to make the shot when you shoot the ball one or two times per game. It is what it is.”

DiVincenzo, on the other hand, has been on a heater of late, averaging 11.4 points while shooting 51.8% from three-point range over his past nine contests, including a pair of starts when Grimes was injured. DiVincenzo was New York’s primary offseason addition, signing a four-year, $47MM contract to join the Knicks in free agency.

Grimes, 23, was the 25th pick of the 2021 draft. Known as a solid defender, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists on .468/.386/.796 shooting in 71 games last season (66 starts, 29.9 minutes). In ’23/24, his numbers are down across the board — he has posted 5.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.2 APG on .359/.345/.667 shooting in 18 games, all starts (22.9 MPG).

Part of the reason Grimes is playing fewer minutes is due to the team’s crowded wing rotation, with RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart also in the mix. And he’s not the only player who has shown a level of frustration with a reduced role — Hart made similar comments last week, though he made a point to say he wasn’t a “disgruntled player.”

It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds. Perhaps Grimes will have more on-ball opportunities with the second unit, with Katz recently suggesting the third-year guard could look to be more active off the ball too.

Zion Williamson Faces Questions About Conditioning, Effort

December 8th, 2023 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Zion Williamson scored just 13 points and grabbed a season-low two rebounds in 26 minutes of action during the Pelicans‘ blowout loss to the Lakers in Thursday’s in-season tournament semifinal. New Orleans was outscored by 33 points when he was on the court and ended up losing the game by 44.

After the game, TNT’s panel of analysts called out Williamson’s conditioning and effort level, with former star center Shaquille O’Neal suggesting he was “just like” Zion during his early years in the NBA in the 1990s.

“(He) does not run hard,” O’Neal said (Twitter video link). “It’s not a diss. It’s going to be a lesson from one great big man to another guy that can be a great big. Does not run hard. I had the same problem my first, second year. I thought I was running hard.”

Williamson’s poor conditioning was “painfully apparent” in Thursday’s loss, according to Christian Clark of The Times-Picayune, who suggests that the former No. 1 overall pick was carrying too much weight at the start of the season and hasn’t played himself into better shape. If anything, Clark says, Williamson’s conditioning has gotten worse since the season began.

As Clark details, Williamson’s poor work ethic has frustrated the Pelicans for years, with the club repeatedly encouraging the forward to improve his diet and his conditioning. Zion “doesn’t listen,” multiple team sources tell the Times-Picayune.

Williamson’s conditioning level this fall is particularly disappointing because Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin suggested multiple times ahead of the season that the former Duke star had made a concerted effort to improve in that area.

“The thing I think is important is CJ (McCollum) and Brandon (Ingram), throughout their careers, have always employed people to take care of their body, to take care of their nutrition,” Griffin told reporters at the team’s media day in October. “They are really invested in their profession. This was the first summer where we’ve seen Zion take his profession seriously like that and invest in it off the court on his own in a way that I think is meaningful.”

Griffin also said in September that Williamson had spent more time in the Pelicans’ gym this summer than he ever had before.

Williamson’s 22.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game certainly aren’t bad numbers, but they would be career lows for him. He spoke on Thursday night about wanting to give the team more and needing to bring more energy to the floor.

“I gotta be more aggressive finding my shot. I gotta do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid back tonight, and I can’t do that,” Williamson said, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “… I have a problem where I literally just try to hunt the best shot possible every time. But I just gotta trust my game.”

Ron Harper Jr. Out For Season, Waived By Raptors

December 8th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have waived swingman Ron Harper Jr., who was on a two-way contract with the team, the club announced today in a press release.

Harper, who also spent the 2022/23 season on a two-way deal with Toronto, suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder during a G League game on Thursday. He’ll undergo season-ending surgery to address the injury, according to the Raptors.

The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, Ron Jr. appeared in just 10 total NBA games for the Raptors, including one this season, scoring 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in 52 total minutes of action. He spent the majority of his time since going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 playing for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate.

In 49 total Showcase Cup and regular season games with the 905, Harper averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 32.3 minutes per night. His shooting line at the G League level was .486/.327/.773.

As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca confirms (via Twitter), Harper will receive his full two-way salary of $559,782, even though he was waived prior to the salary guarantee date. A player who is injured while on a non-guaranteed contract (that doesn’t feature an Exhibit 9 clause) continues to be paid until he’s healthy or until the end of the season, whichever comes first.

The Raptors will now have an open two-way slot — Markquis Nowell and Javon Freeman-Liberty are their other two-way players.

Hornets To Reevaluate LaMelo Ball In One Week

December 8th, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have issued an update on LaMelo Ball ‘s right ankle sprain, announcing today (via Twitter) that he has resumed individual work and will be reevaluated in one week.

Ball, who injured his ankle on November 26, reportedly suffered a severe sprain, with reports at the time indicating he was expected to be out for a while. It sounds like he’s making good progress in his recovery, having shed his walking boot and crutches earlier this week, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to return when he’s evaluated again at the end of next week.

According to Boone, Ball has yet to take part in a practice with the Hornets, but has been spotted after practices taking some jump shots and putting his full weight on the injured ankle.

An All-Star in 2022, Ball was off to a hot start this season, averaging career highs in points per game (24.7) and field goal percentage (44.3%), among other categories, through his first 15 games.

The Hornets are 1-3 in his absence, with veteran guard Terry Rozier taking on more ball-handling responsibilities. Rozier has averaged 24.0 points and 8.0 assists per night in the four games since Ball went down.

Wizards Sign Jules Bernard To Two-Way Contract

December 8th, 2023 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

10:08am: The Wizards have officially signed Bernard to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

8:30am: The Wizards, who are opening up a two-way contract slot by waiving big man John Butler Jr., intend to use that open spot to sign guard Jules Bernard to a two-way deal, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

An undrafted rookie out of UCLA in 2022, Bernard played for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate, in his first professional season. In 49 games for the Go-Go in 2022/23, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 26.1 minutes per night, posting a shooting line of .425/.324/.805.

The 6’7″ shooting guard, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards prior to training camp and then returned to the Go-Go to open the ’23/24 season, has taken a significant step forward in the early going. Through eight Showcase Cup contests in the NBAGL this fall, Bernard has raised his averages to 21.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 4.3 APG on .475/.422/.914 shooting, earning a call-up to Washington’s 18-man NBA roster.

A player on a full-season two-way deal in 2023/24 is eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season games and earn a salary of $559,782. However, because Bernard is signing during the season, those amounts will be prorated.

Assuming he officially finalizes a deal with Washington on Friday, Bernard will be eligible to play in up to 37 NBA games. He’ll make $415,011 if he remains under contract through the NBA’s league-wide salary guarantee date in January.

Eugene Omoruyi and Jared Butler are the other two Wizards players on two-way deals.

Pacers, Lakers Advance To Tournament Final

December 7th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pacers and Lakers advanced to the final of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament on Thursday by defeating the Bucks and Pelicans in their respective semifinal matchups.

The championship game between the two undefeated teams (both are 6-0 in the tournament) will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday at 7:30 pm CT. The final will be the lone game of the in-season tournament that does not count towards the regular season schedule.

Indiana’s win over Milwaukee was a back-and-forth affair that came down to the final minutes, with guard Tyrese Haliburton delivering another stellar performance (27 points, 15 assists, seven rebounds, zero turnovers), including clutch baskets to seal the victory. Center Myles Turner also had a strong outing, recording 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

However, the other semifinal wasn’t competitive, as Los Angeles demolished New Orleans behind a brilliant showing from LeBron James, who finished with 30 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), eight assists, five rebounds and zero turnovers in just 23 minutes. The Lakers wound up winning by 44 points.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green was understandably disappointed in his team’s effort, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic.

“Tonight was a total letdown… A lack of competitive spirit,” Green said. “Tonight, we took a step in the wrong direction.”

Players on standard contracts with the Pacers and Lakers have now secured bonuses worth at least $200K (two-way players will earn half that amount). The champs will earn $500K apiece.

The Bucks and Pelicans, meanwhile, earned bonuses of $100K per player for reaching the semifinals, but have been eliminated from contention for the first NBA Cup.

Pistons’ Duren Out At Least Two Weeks With Ankle Sprain

December 7th, 2023 at 7:30pm CST by Rory Maher

7:30pm: The Pistons announced in a press release that Duren underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed the sprained ankle. He’s out at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, per the team.

6:40pm: Pistons starting center Jalen Duren is expected to be sidelined for the next two weeks after spraining his left ankle in Wednesday’s loss to Memphis, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It’s a tough setback for Duren, who missed seven games last month due to a right ankle injury. With the 2022 lottery pick out, fellow big men like Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III and James Wiseman could receive more playing time.

Duren has been effective when healthy in his second season, averaging 12.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 blocks in 28.9 minutes per night. He has posted 10 double-doubles in his 14 appearances.

Injuries have been a major issue for the Pistons in 2023/24, with Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Livers, Monte Morris and Joe Harris among the players missing significant time. Bogdanovic recently made his season debut after dealing with a calf strain, while Morris (quad) is unlikely to suit up until 2024.

It’s been a disappointing season for Detroit, which hoped to take a step forward in its rebuild. Instead, the team has lost 18 straight games and is currently 2-19 — that’s the worst record in the NBA.

Zach LaVine To Miss 3-To-4 More Weeks

December 6th, 2023 at 10:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls guard Zach LaVine will need additional treatment for the inflammation in his right foot, causing him to be sidelined another three to four weeks, the team announced (via Twitter).

The ailment has already kept LaVine out of action since November 28, forcing him to miss the past three games. He has appeared in 18 of Chicago’s 22 games so far, averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 points and 3.4 assists in 35.3 minutes per night.

The latest complications will obviously delay any trade talks involving LaVine, which are reportedly not gaining any traction anyway. Although LaVine is believed to be on board with a potential deal, his pricey contract and history of injuries have severely limited the interest around the league.

The Bulls got off to a terrible start, but have won all three games since LaVine was forced out of the lineup by the foot issue, notes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. He points out that the team has displayed better ball movement and more balanced scoring in LaVine’s absence, posting season highs with 32 assists in wins over Milwaukee and New Orleans and having eight players with at least six points in Wednesday’s victory over Charlotte.

Players had already finished talking to the media when the announcement on LaVine was made, but several of them addressed how things have changed without him, Johnson adds.

“I think it’s given us a lot of confidence. Obviously with Zach out, being the caliber of player he is, it allows for more opportunity. But you can’t replace Zach LaVine,” Coby White said. “We try to do it collectively and try to make up for what he does on the floor.”

LaVine won’t accompany the team to San Antonio for Friday’s game, but he’s expected to speak with reporters on Thursday, according to Johnson, who states that LaVine wasn’t on the bench tonight because he was being evaluated by doctors.

LaVine will miss nine additional games if the injury keeps him sidelined for three more weeks, Johnson adds, and 13 games if he can’t return for four weeks.

Knicks’ Grimes Expresses Frustration With Role

December 6th, 2023 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks swingman Quentin Grimes has scored just 16 points in his past seven games and has gone scoreless in three of those outings, including Tuesday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal loss to Milwaukee.

Following a game in which he had four times as many personal fouls (4) as shot attempts (1), Grimes expressed some dissatisfaction with his role in the team’s offense, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“It’s just hard when you go the whole quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it,” Grimes said. “So it’s tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game. Then you got to make the shot when you shoot the ball one or two times per game. It is what it is.”

As Bondy notes, Grimes’ only field goal attempt on Tuesday came in the third quarter. Shortly after that missed three-pointer, he was removed from the lineup and – for a third consecutive game – didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter.

“It feels like if I don’t hit the shot, I’m coming out,” Grimes said. “So every shot I shoot probably weighs like 100 pounds if I don’t make it.”

Grimes started 66 games last season for the Knicks and is one of the team’s best defensive players. He was also a reliable part of the offensive attack in 2022/23, averaging 11.3 points per game with a .468/.386/.796 shooting line. This fall, he’s averaging just 5.8 PPG on .359/.345/.667 shooting and his usage rate has dipped to a career-low 11.7%.

Grimes has started all 18 games he has played this season, and head coach Tom Thibodeau has lauded the 23-year-old’s defense, indicating that he likes his fit with the starting five. But Grimes’ minutes are down and playing alongside ball-dominant players like Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett means there are limited offensive opportunities for him.

“I just know last year RJ missed a lot of games. Jalen missed some games. So I had the ball in my hands a little bit more. I knew I wasn’t coming out,” Grimes said. “I knew I was going to be in there and get more shots, play the whole first quarter, the whole third quarter. I knew I had opportunities to get the ball and get my shots up. Now it’s just a matter if the ball come my way, really.”

While Grimes’ teammates sometimes don’t find him when he’s open, the third-year wing could also benefit from being more active on offense, suggests Fred Katz of The Athletic, who notes that a player like Donte DiVincenzo constantly cuts and relocates when he doesn’t have the ball. Grimes could look to do more when his defender sags off of him, Katz writes.

Josh Hart registered some similar complaints about his own role last week and has been on a hot streak since then (13.0 PPG, .656 FG%), with his teammates ribbing him about his usage rate, according to Katz. The Knicks are hoping to get Grimes going too.

“He has a hard job, a tough role,” Randle said. “But we’ve gotta do a better job of trying to get him better looks, make him feel more included for sure.”

“He’s going to get the ball so sometimes when the confidence is low it seems like the end of the world,” Brunson added. “But as teammates we need to pick him up and make sure he gets back on track

Kings Offered De’Aaron Fox Extension Before Season

December 6th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings offered guard De’Aaron Fox a two-year, maximum-salary extension prior to the start of the 2023/24 season, according to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report. Haynes discussed the offer on the latest episode of his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein.

As Haynes outlines, since Fox had three guaranteed years left on his current contract entering this season, a two-year extension was the best offer Sacramento could make when he became eligible for a new deal over the summer. However, the Kings recognized the guard likely wouldn’t sign a new agreement at this time and weren’t bothered by the fact that he passed on their offer, Haynes adds.

Fox is one of several players who can become eligible for a super-max contract extension by making an All-NBA team in 2024. That’s one important reason why it makes sense for him to wait on his next deal, especially since an All-NBA spot is hardly a far-fetched goal for the Kings star — he made the Third Team this past spring and has increased his scoring average this fall to a career-best 30.3 points per game through 14 contests (36.6 MPG).

If Fox qualifies for a super-max extension, he would be eligible to sign a contract that begins at up to 35% of the salary cap (instead of 30%). In that scenario, he would also be permitted to sign for six total years (instead of five), which means he could add four years to the two still left on his current deal.

The exact value of the two-year extension the Kings offered is unknown, as is the value of a hypothetical super-max extension, since either deal would start in 2026/27 and would be based on a percentage of that season’s cap. However, the gap between the two would be significant. If we were to assume a $160MM cap for ’26/27, a super-max offer would be worth nearly $251MM over four years, whereas the two-year extension Sacramento proposed prior to this season would be worth about $100MM.

Fox isn’t permitted to sign a new deal between now and June 30, since he’s not on an expiring contract, but he’ll become extension-eligible again next July, regardless of whether or not he meets the super-max criteria.

While Haynes and Stein stress that Fox and the Kings are interested in a long-term partnership, it will be interesting to see if the two sides reach an extension agreement next summer if the guard doesn’t make an All-NBA team. Fox, who will turn 26 next month, would have another opportunity to qualify for a super-max contract by earning an All-NBA spot in 2025 if he doesn’t sign a new contract during the ’24 offseason.