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Warriors Bench Andrew Wiggins

December 14th, 2023 at 9:42pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors will have Andrew Wiggins come off the bench in their Thursday matchup against the Clippers, tweets The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Rookie forward Brandin Podziemski is taking over Wiggins’ spot in the starting five, with Jonathan Kuminga also starting in place of the suspended Draymond Green.

It’s unclear whether Wiggins’ move to the bench is temporary or if this is a longer-term move, but Charania’s wording makes it sound like the latter.

The Warriors entered Thursday at 10-13, 11th in the conference. It’s a disappointing start for a team with big aspirations, and it’s the culmination of suspensions, injuries and players – like Wiggins – having down seasons.

Wiggins is averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks this season while shooting just 41.3% from the field and 27.9% from beyond the arc. These are substantial drop-offs for the former No. 1 overall pick, who averaged 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks last season on .473/.396/.611 shooting.

As The Athletic’s Anthony Slater observes (Twitter link), Thursday’s game marks Wiggins’ first career regular season game off the bench. He had previously started all 656 of his NBA appearances. His only career game as a reserve came in the postseason when he was returning from a prolonged absence last year.

Wiggins and Klay Thompson are both off to slow starts, contributing to Golden State’s lackluster season thus far. If the Warriors continue to disappoint, it’s possible another rotation switch involving Thompson, who is averaging his lowest scoring output since his rookie season, is on the horizon.

In Wiggins’ place, the Warriors are starting promising rookie Podziemski, who is averaging 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season. He’s shooting a scorching 44.2% from deep and is continuing to earn a bigger role with the organization, averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds over his past five games.

As of now, Golden State is starting Stephen Curry, Thompson, Podziemski, Kuminga and Kevon Looney, with Wiggins, Chris Paul, Moses Moody and Dario Saric among the top options off the bench.

Hornets Sign Nathan Mensah To Two-Way Contract, Waive Theo Maledon

December 14th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

8:45pm: The Hornets officially announced the signing of Mensah to a two-way contract in a press release.

5:38pm: The Hornets are planning to sign center Nathan Mensah to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Mensah has been playing with Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, this season after spending training camp with the Hornets this summer on an Exhibit 10 contract. Mensah is averaging 10.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 0.8 steals in 14 Showcase Cup games with the Swarm this season.

Mensah, 25, played five seasons for San Diego State, where he averaged 6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 146 appearances with his collegiate team. In 2022/23, Mensah helped the Aztecs to an appearance in the NCAA national championship, where they ultimately fell to UConn.

To open up the two-way roster spot necessary for Mensah, the Hornets announced they officially waived guard Theo Maledon.

It’s a little surprising to see the Hornets part with Maledon, considering he’s made 57 appearances and eight starts over the past two years with the team in 18.5 minutes per night. However, he’s gotten off to a slow start to the season, shooting just 28.8% from the field. In two years with the Hornets, Maledon averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 assists after spending the first two seasons of his career with the Thunder.

With Mensah set to be signed, the Hornets will be back up to the limit of 18 players on the roster. Charlotte has 15 players on standard deals and, after Mensah’s signing is made official, will have him, Leaky Black and Amari Bailey on two-way deals.

Jazz’s John Collins Reportedly On Trade Block

December 14th, 2023 at 3:24pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are open to trading forward John Collins, a team source tells Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link).

The news is somewhat surprising, since Utah just traded for Collins in July. Still, the Jazz only gave up a second-round pick to acquire the 26-year-old, who was essentially salary dumped by the Hawks after being involved in rumors for years.

As Larsen explains, the Jazz have been “frustrated” by Collins’ “slow uptake” on learning the team’s system on both offense and defense. He also has the worst net rating differential on the team (minus-11.8), and hasn’t provided much beyond his solid shooting and rebounding, says Larsen.

However, Collins’ “iffy” performance early in 2023/24 — plus the $77MM he’s owed over the next three years — could make it difficult for the Jazz to find a trade partner, according to Larsen. Utah acquired the seven-year veteran to either have him as long-term piece or to flip him in the future for a positive return. Both of those scenarios seem unlikely at this point.

Here are a few more Jazz notes and rumors from Larsen:

Aside from Collins, guards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are also in Larsen’s “more likely to be traded” category, and he notes that a previous report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype indicated that Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk could be on the trade block too. Clarkson, Sexton and Horton-Tucker are all guards who “have had a penchant for over-dribbling, turnovers, and poor shot selection” in ’23/24, Larsen writes. Utah likes Sexton’s intensity and effort, but is looking for long-term backcourt members “who are more natural play-makers or have more defensive size.”
Scotto reported that the Jazz could be in the market for a veteran point guard, but Larsen hears they’d only be interested if the price is right. The team’s disappointing start will likely have the front office prioritizing the future over a big win-now splash unless a superstar becomes available, per Larsen.
The Jazz are unlikely to trade for Bulls guard Zach LaVine “unless it comes at a bargain-basement price,” the source tells Larsen.
As for the players the team wants to keep, that group features Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji, according to Larsen. Hendricks was selected ninth overall in June’s draft, but has spent most of the season in the G League. However, the Jazz are strong believers in his potential, and declined “an otherwise promising trade opportunity” involving Hendricks over the summer, Larsen reports.

Bucks, Pacers Have Postgame “Fracas” Over Game Ball

December 14th, 2023 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

A shootout between the Bucks and Pacers in Milwaukee on Wednesday night featured several milestones: Giannis Antetokounmpo set a new franchise record with 64 points, Damian Lillard surpassed Kyle Korver for the fifth-most total three-pointers in NBA history, and Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe scored his first career point.

After the final buzzer sounded, fans in Milwaukee were treated to another unique moment: a frantic bid to track down and claim the game ball (Twitter video link).

As Eric Nehm of The Athletic and Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star detail, although there was video showing a Bucks staffer grabbing the game ball at the end of the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo was certain that the Pacers had taken it with them to their locker room. Following a brief on-court argument, Giannis and a few of his Bucks teammates ran down the tunnel toward Indiana’s locker room in search of the ball.

“It was Oscar Tshiebwe’s first official NBA point,” Carlisle later told reporters. “We always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis’ franchise record. So we grabbed the ball and a couple of minutes later some of their players ended up in our hallway. There was a big, I don’t know what to call it, a fracas, a melee, whatever. I don’t think any punches were landed, but my general manager (Chad Buchanan) got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players. He certainly has a bruised rib and who knows if it’s anything more than that.

“Unfortunate situation. We don’t need the official game ball. There’s two game balls there. We could have taken the other one. It didn’t need to escalate to that. Really just unfortunate.”

After subsequently watching the video that shows a member of the Bucks’ security team taking the game ball from the referee, Carlisle added: “Turns out that their security guy had grabbed the real game ball used in the game initially. They already had it.”

As Carlisle notes, the Pacers did end up with one ball to commemorate Tshiebwe’s night, but they believe they have a reserve ball, rather than the game ball itself. As for Giannis, while he also ended up with a basketball once things calmed down, he’s not convinced it was the one used in the game.

“I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball. It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand new ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “I can tell, I played, what, 35 minutes today? I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I will take and I’ll give it to my mom, for sure, but I don’t know if it’s actually the game ball.”

Giannis also said that his original goal was to get the game ball for Lillard rather than for himself.

“Dame is fifth of all-time,” he said. “I scored 60. At the end of the day, the ball they gave us, I offered it to Dame. I scored 60, he’s scored multiple times 60, he’s scored 70. He should have the ball. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s fair. I understand when you score your first point in the NBA, you want to have the ball or whatever the case may be. But the end of the day, you’re talking about the guy who just jumped over Kyle Korver on the list. I feel like we should all stop what we’re doing and appreciate greatness.”

It’s hard to believe that this incident, which was essentially a misunderstanding over a piece of memorabilia, will become a source of genuine bad blood between the two teams. But the Bucks weren’t happy about their loss to the Pacers in the in-season tournament semifinal, and things got a little chippy in the fourth quarter on Wednesday following a hard foul by Aaron Nesmith on Antetokounmpo (video link).

It’s also worth noting that Antetokounmpo – who broke the team’s single-game scoring mark with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter – remained in the game until the final buzzer, despite the Bucks’ double-digit lead. He sealed the 140-126 victory with a dunk with 26 seconds remaining. Carlisle was asked after the game if he was surprised the Bucks star didn’t check out earlier.

“No point commenting on it,” Carlisle said. “I think it’s pretty obvious what the answer is.”

At the very least, the division rivalry between the Bucks and Pacers is getting more interesting than it has been in years. The two teams will face one another again on January 1 in Milwaukee and Jan. 3 in Indiana.

Warriors’ Draymond Green Suspended Indefinitely

December 13th, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has suspended Warriors forward/center Draymond Green indefinitely, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The league confirmed the news in a press release.

The suspension will begin immediately and Green “will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play,” per the NBA.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), it sounds like part of those conditions will consist of Green receiving counseling following his latest incident, which involved striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head on Tuesday (video link). He received a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game.

While Green has been unapologetic about previous incidents, he claimed hitting Nurkic was unintentional.

“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.

“… You guys have known me long enough, if I intended to do something, I am not apologizing. But I did make contact with him, so I do apologize. … It’s a hard hit.”

As was the case when he was suspended for one game during last season’s playoffs for stomping on the chest of Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and once again after he received a five-game ban for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock last month, the NBA cited Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” as a factor in his indefinite suspension.

Sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Green, his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. are expected to meet on Thursday to discuss “a path of counseling and help for Green to move forward.”

According to Wojnarowski, the NBA “didn’t want to put a specific number” on Green’s suspension, as the league wants him to “take the time he might need to deal with challenges he’s facing.”

It’s unclear what specific “challenges” Wojnarowski is referring to, but obviously Green’s behavior has become increasingly unhinged over the past year-plus. He wasn’t suspended for it, but he also punched former teammate Jordan Poole in the face during last season’s training camp, essentially torpedoing Golden State’s odds of defending its title before the 2022/23 season even began.

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT hears Green will be able to practice with the Warriors during the indefinite suspension, which is an odd wrinkle in an unusual situation (Twitter link).

A former Defensive Player of the Year who has anchored the Warriors’ defense during four championships over the past nine years, Green re-signed with Golden State as a free agent over the summer, inking a four-year, $100MM contract.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Green will be docked $153,931 per game if he’s suspended fewer than 20 games. That figure will increase to $202,922 per contest if Green’s suspension exceeds 20 games. The Warriors, meanwhile, will reduce their projected luxury tax payment by $519,555 for each game Green is suspended, according to Marks (Twitter link).

There isn’t an obvious replacement for Green’s role on the Warriors, but it could result in more playing time for young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and perhaps Trayce Jackson-Davis, as well as veterans Dario Saric and Kevon Looney.

Warriors, Knicks, Lakers Top Latest NBA Franchise Valuations

December 13th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required), who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2023 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $8.28 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $7 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $7.43 billion, while the Lakers come in at $7.34 billion, per Sportico.

As Badenhausen details, Sportico spoke to more than 30 team executives, owners, investors, bankers, consultants, and lawyers in compiling their latest NBA franchise valuations. According to Sportico, the average value of an NBA team is up 33% from a year ago and 70% from when the site first started publishing valuations three years ago.

A combination of factors are contributing to the soaring value of NBA franchises, says Baudenhausen. Those factors include national media deals, international opportunities, scarcity (ie. only 30 teams are available), and an equal 1/30th stake in the league.

In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we’re highlighting Sportico’s projections in 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But thse projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2023:

Golden State Warriors: $8.28 billion
New York Knicks: $7.43 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $7.34 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.12 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.83 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $4.56 billion
Miami Heat: $4.17 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.13 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.11 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.05 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.03 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.98 billion
Sacramento Kings: $3.46 billion
Denver Nuggets: $3.4 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $3.35 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.33 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.29 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.28 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.27 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.24 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.22 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.2 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.12 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.1 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.08 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $2.94 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $2.82 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $2.72 billion

For the most part, the most significant valuation increases (by percentage) within the last year belonged to the teams on the bottom half of this list. Besides the Bucks, whose projection rose by 32%, every franchise in the bottom 10 received at least a 50% bump from Sportico’s 2022 valuations.

The Nuggets, who cracked the top half of this list following their 2023 championship, were another big riser — their valuation increased by 60% and they moved up six spots.

It’s worth noting that the Mavericks‘ reported valuation in Mark Cuban‘s sale to the Adelson and Dumont families reportedly came in around $3.5 billion, well below Sportico’s valuation.

However, more recent reporting has suggested the final valuation will be closer to $4 billion when the transaction closes. That was also a unique situation since Cuban is retaining control of basketball operations as part of the sale agreement, despite surrendering majority control of the business. He’ll hang onto about 25% of the franchise, according to Sportico.

Warriors Reportedly Offered Klay Thompson Two-Year Extension

December 13th, 2023 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Before the regular season began, the Warriors offered Klay Thompson a two-year extension worth in the neighborhood of $48MM, Shams Charania of The Athletic said today on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link).

Thompson obviously passed on that offer, with multiple reports at the time suggesting that he and the Warriors were far apart on both years and money. He remains extension-eligible and could sign a new deal with Golden State at any time before he reaches free agency on July 1, but both Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski have indicated there’s a very real possibility he reaches the open market next summer.

Thompson is in the final season of a five-year, $190MM contract that is paying him $43.2MM in 2023/24. He missed two full seasons due to knee and Achilles injuries at the start of the contract and appeared in just 32 regular season games in 2021/22.

After a solid showing in ’22/23, Thompson’s numbers are down across the board in the first couple months of this season — he’s averaging 15.4 points per game on .397/.343/.889 shooting and has recorded roughly the same number of assists (44) and turnovers (43). His field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and turnover rate are career worsts and that scoring average is his lowest since his rookie season in 2011/12.

There has been a sense that Thompson’s contract situation may be weighing on him and factoring into his slow start to the season. Head coach Steve Kerr has been patient with the veteran sharpshooter, keeping him in the starting lineup for all 22 games he has played so far this fall. However, Kerr did hold Thompson – and fellow slumping veteran Andrew Wiggins – out of Tuesday’s closing lineup, as we detailed earlier today.

“I deserved to be benched tonight. I played like crap,” Thompson said after the game, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “If you’ve ever played basketball before, you know what you’re capable of. You always want to be out there competing. That’s just facts. Whatever though. It happens. I deserved to be benched. I’ve been playing like crap. Twenty games in. I haven’t caught a good rhythm.”

Another long-term, maximum-salary contract for Thompson was never a realistic expectation, but teammate Draymond Green – who, like Thompson, is 33 years old – received a four-year, $100MM commitment from Golden State over the summer. With that in mind, it’s perhaps not surprising that the five-time All-Star would view a two-year, $48MM offer as insufficient after averaging 21.9 PPG with a .412 3PT% last season.

Still, unless he’s able to turn things around this season and bust out of his slump, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors adding any more years or money to the preseason offer they made to Thompson.

For what it’s worth, Thompson has said he “absolutely” wants to spend the rest of his playing career in Golden State.

OKC Voters Approve Funding For New Thunder Arena

December 13th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Luke Adams

Residents of Oklahoma City overwhelmingly approved a proposal to use taxpayer dollars to fund the majority of a new arena for the Thunder, according to reports from Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman and Sean Murphy of The Associated Press.

The vote, which occurred on Tuesday, asked OKC residents whether or not to approve a 1% sales tax that would fund approximately $850MM of the arena project. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board, 71% of the respondents voted in favor of the plan.

Under the proposed deal, Thunder owner Clay Bennett will also contribute $50MM to the construction of the arena, which is expected to cost around $900MM.

An exact location for the new building has yet to be determined, though mayor David Holt said finalizing that detail will be “one of the first orders of business.” According to Mussatto, the most likely location is the land currently occupied by Prairie Surf Studios (the former home of the Cox Convention Center).

The hope is that the new arena will be ready for the 2029/30 season. The Thunder have committed to play in the building for at least 25 years, which means the franchise would remain in Oklahoma City through at least 2054.

Since moving from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder (formerly the SuperSonics) have played in the Paycom Center, which opened in 2002. OKC voters previously approved a sales tax to finance upgrades to that arena — that tax will remain in effect until April 1, 2028, which is when this newly approved tax will begin.

“A signature of the Oklahoma City Thunder, beyond the team’s success on the floor, has been their deep connection to their fans and their community,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement (Twitter link via Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman). “This vote for a new arena is another example of that bond.

“We are grateful to the people of Oklahoma City for the confidence they have shown in both the Thunder and the NBA as we embark on a new era of global sports and entertainment.”

Wizards Announce Plan To Move From D.C. To Virginia

December 13th, 2023 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

Monumental Sports, the Ted Leonsis-led company that owns the Wizards, has formally announced a plan to move the team from D.C. to Alexandria, Virginia. The NHL’s Washington Capitals, which are also controlled by Monumental Sports, would be part of the move too.

Virginia state lawmakers voted on Monday to move forward with a proposal to build a new arena and “entertainment district” in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood, according to a report from The Washington Post. The plan still requires approval from the full General Assembly and local officials.

According to today’s announcement, the goal is to have the arena completed and the Wizards and Capitals moved in for 2028.

“We are committed to providing world-class fan experiences while continuously evolving our teams, deepening community ties, and solidifying our role as leaders at the forefront of sports and technology,” Leonsis said in a statement. “The opportunity to expand to this 70-acre site in Virginia, neighboring industry-leading innovators, and a great academic partner, would enable us to further our creativity and achieve next-generation, leading work – all while keeping our fans and the community at the forefront of everything we do.”

Monumental Sports’ announcement and the Washington Post’s reporting indicates that the Virginia plan will be a public-private partnership, with money coming from both Leonsis and local taxpayers.

As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN notes, Washington, D.C. city officials have been making an effort to keep the Wizards in the downtown Capital One Arena, where the Wizards and Capitals have played since 1997. Leonsis has been seeking $600MM in public funds to renovate the arena; on Monday, mayor Muriel Bowser announced a new bill offering Monumental Sports $500MM in financing for that project.

“This proposal represents our best and final offer and is the next step in partnering with Monumental Sports to breathe new life and vibrancy into the neighborhood and to keep the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals where they belong — in Washington, DC,” Bowser said, per Wojnarowski.

However, it sounds like that bill may be in vain, as Leonsis’ priority now is to move forward with the new entertainment district in Alexandria. The proposed complex would feature a new arena, a practice facility for the Wizards, Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s corporate headquarters, a media studio for Monumental Sports Network, a performing arts venue, and an expanded esports facility.

Assuming the Virginia plan proceeds without any snags, Leonsis’ goal is to update Capital One Arena to be a flexible arena that could host between 10,000 and 20,000 people and would continue to host concerts, sports, and other events — it would also become the home arena for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

As Wojnarowski writes, Leonsis’ teams have the ability to exit their lease with Capital One Arena in 2027. The Alexandria plan calls for a Virginia stadium authority to own the proposed complex and lease it to Monumental Sports & Entertainment, according to The Washington Post’s report, which says Monumental would have a lease in excess of 30 years.

Spurs’ Charles Bassey Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury

December 12th, 2023 at 4:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs big man Charles Bassey has a torn left ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets.

Bassey suffered the injury on Sunday while playing for San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. Bassey was averaging 3.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game with the NBA club in 19 appearances this season.

Bassey had been sent to the G League to get more playing time. His last NBA outing was Dec. 1, a 19-minute stint against New Orleans.

This isn’t the first major injury he’s suffered since joining the Spurs. His 2022/23 season was cut short in mid-March due to a non-displaced patella fracture.

Bassey, who played with Philadelphia in his rookie season, signed a four-year, $10.2MM contract with San Antonio in February. However, the final two years of the contract are not guaranteed. He’s making $2.6MM this season in the second year of the deal.

Bassey’s latest injury could open up more playing time for fellow reserve center Sandro Mamukelashvili.