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Veteran NBA Wing Terrence Ross Retires

December 1st, 2023 at 10:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran wing Terrence Ross, who played 11 NBA seasons from 2012-23, officially announced his retirement on Friday evening via his podcast (YouTube link).

Ross spent the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Raptors, who selected him eighth overall in the 2012 draft. He was traded to Orlando in 2017 in the deal that sent Serge Ibaka to Toronto and spent parts of seven seasons with the Magic prior to being bought out and waived in February, ultimately signing with the Suns to finish out the 2022/23 season.

The 32-year-old was an unrestricted free agent this past offseason after his deal with Phoenix expired and didn’t end up signing another NBA contract. He confirmed a rumor back in August that he was offered a deal by a Serbian club, but obviously he didn’t accept it.

Ross, who played college ball at Washington and won the 2013 dunk contest, cited injuries and a desire to spend more time with his family as motivating factors in his decision to retire.

Overall, Ross appeared in 733 regular season games, including 187 starts, averaging 11.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 36.2% from three-point range in 24.5 minutes per night.

After the Magic won their ninth straight game on Friday night, head coach Jamahl Mosley was asked about Ross’ retirement, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (via Twitter). Ross sat courtside at the game.

“He just brought such a great joy to this group. … They look up to him, they’re still in chats together,” Mosley said. “I think he’s such a great veteran for our guys with a young group when he was here, it was great to have him.”

Lauri Markkanen (Hamstring) To Be Reevaluated Next Week

December 1st, 2023 at 7:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will miss his fifth consecutive game on Saturday vs. Portland due to a left hamstring strain.

According to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links), Markkanen is set to be reevaluated at some point next week, with Utah saying its leading scorer “continues to make progress” from his injury.

A first-time All-Star in 2022/23, Markkanen had a breakout season with the Jazz, winning the Most Improved Player award in the process. He’s off to a strong start in ’23/24 as well, averaging 23.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .484/.383/.840 shooting in 15 games (34.1 MPG).

It’s unclear when Markkanen suffered the injury, but he last played on November 22 against the Trail Blazers. The 26-year-old is on a bargain contract relative to his production, as he’ll earn about $35.3MM over the next two season until he hits free agency again in 2025.

After tomorrow’s game, Utah has multiple days off — the team doesn’t play again until next Wednesday.

Guards Jordan Clarkson (thigh) and Kris Dunn (personal reasons) will also be out on Saturday, per Larsen. It will be Clarkson’s second straight missed game, while Dunn will miss his fourth consecutive contest.

The Jazz are currently 6-13, which is the third-worst record in the Western Conference.

Trail Blazers Granted Disabled Player Exception

December 1st, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Trail Blazers have been awarded a disabled player exception worth $5.8MM for the season-ending loss of Robert Williams III, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Williams is out for the 2023/24 season after undergoing right knee surgery to reconstruct a torn ligament after he suffered a patellar dislocation. He’s expected to make a full recovery for the 2024/25 season.

As explained in our glossary, a disabled player exception allows a team some spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15 of that season. The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Williams is on track to earn $11.6MM this season, so the exception is worth half that.

The exception can be used to sign a free agent, claim a player off waivers or acquire a player in a trade. It can only be used on one single player and can only be utilized for a one-year deal. Any player being acquired via trade or waiver claim must have just one year remaining on his contract.

A disabled player exception does not open up a roster spot for any team that chooses to use one. In order to utilize its exception, Portland needs to have an open standard roster spot. At the moment, the Blazers have 15 players on standard contracts, so they’d have to make a cut or trade that brings in fewer players than they send out in order to use the exception. Portland faces a March 11 deadline to use the DPE for Williams.

As noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Blazers also have two trade exceptions (worth $8.8MM and $8.3MM) and the full $12.4MM non-tax mid-level exception at their disposal. They obtained their larger trade exceptions from the Damian Lillard-to-Milwaukee blockbuster and the Gary Payton II-to-Golden State swap, respectively. The exceptions cannot be combined. Portland is currently $3.5MM below the tax.

Williams, 26, was brought to Portland this past offseason in the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Celtics. He appeared in just six games with the Trail Blazers before suffering his injury, averaging 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks.

Williams emerged as one of the top rim protectors and defenders in the league when healthy during his time in Boston, where he spent five seasons. However, he hasn’t enjoyed luck with his health since being drafted with the 27th overall pick in the 2018 draft, playing more than 41 games just twice in his career. His most productive season came in 2021/22, when he averaged 10.0 points per game in the regular season, started in all 61 of his appearances, and became a crucial piece of Boston’s run to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Warriors.

In 215 games (97 starts) since 2018, Williams holds career averages of 7.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 72.9% from the floor.

Zach LaVine Out At Least One Week Due To Foot Issue

December 1st, 2023 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Zach LaVine will be sidelined for at least the next week due to right foot soreness, the team announced today (via Twitter).

LaVine initially sat out the Bulls’ game on November 22 due to what was listed on the injury report as right foot soreness, though he referred to it during a media session as a mid-foot sprain. The issue flared up again during Tuesday’s loss to Boston, forcing him out of action for Thursday’s contest vs. Milwaukee.

It sounds like the Bulls want to give LaVine some time to rest and recover so that the issue doesn’t become a recurring one over the course of the season. Based on the timeline announced by the club, he’ll at least miss games vs. New Orleans (on Saturday) and Charlotte (next Wednesday). The Bulls will visit San Antonio next Friday.

LaVine, 28, has averaged 21.0 points per night on .443/.336/.866 shooting in 18 appearances (35.3 MPG) so far this season. The scoring average and field goal percentage represent his lowest marks since the 2017/18 season.

LaVine is one of the NBA’s top trade candidates, so it’s safe to assume teams around the NBA will be keeping a close eye on the status of his right foot in the coming days and weeks.

NBA Waiver Order Now Based On 2023/24 Records

December 1st, 2023 at 7:19am CST by Luke Adams

As of December 1, the NBA’s waiver priority order is determined by teams’ current-year records, rather than the previous season’s results.

That means, starting today, the waiver order for this season is based on teams’ 2023/24 records, with the worst teams getting the highest priority. In other words, if two teams place a claim on the same player, the team lower in this season’s NBA standings will be awarded that player.

Up until today, the waiver claim order was based on which teams had the worst records in 2022/23.

Waiver claims are relatively rare in the NBA, but it’s still worth noting which teams will have the first crack at intriguing players who may be cut over the next few weeks or months.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Waiver Claims]

Here’s what the teams at the top of the NBA’s waiver order look like as of today:

Detroit Pistons (2-17)
San Antonio Spurs (3-15) (tie)
Washington Wizards (3-15) (tie)
Memphis Grizzlies (4-13)
Chicago Bulls (6-14)
Utah Jazz (6-13)
Portland Trail Blazers (6-12)
Charlotte Hornets (6-11)
Los Angeles Clippers (8-10)
Golden State Warriors (9-10) (tie)
Toronto Raptors (9-10) (tie)

In instances where multiple teams have identical records, head-to-head record for the current season is used to break ties — the team with the worst winning percentage in head-to-head games gets the higher priority.

If the tied teams have yet to face one another or if they’ve split their head-to-head matchups, a coin flip determines priority for those teams. That would be the case for both the Spurs and Wizards and Warriors and Raptors right now, since those two pairs have yet to go up against each other this season.

If a waived player can’t be claimed using the minimum salary exception, a team must use a trade exception, a disabled player exception, or cap room to absorb his salary. So a club with a top priority won’t be in position to nab just anyone who reaches waivers.

The Pistons, for example, have no cap space or exceptions available to place a waiver claim on any player earning more than the minimum, so despite their spot at the top of the waiver order, their ability to claim players is somewhat limited.

LaMelo Ball Likely Sidelined For Extended Period

November 30th, 2023 at 8:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 30: Ball will be reevaluated in one week after an MRI confirmed he suffered a right ankle sprain, according to a release from the team.

NOVEMBER 28: Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball has a severely sprained right ankle and will likely miss extended time, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

While the ankle isn’t fractured, a cautious approach is expected for a player who has been riddled with injuries in his young career. Ball had surgery on the same ankle last season. He’s currently in a walking boot and on crutches, per Charania.

Ball had already been ruled out Tuesday’s in-season tournament game against the Knicks. He needed assistance to leave the court on Sunday after being injured against Orlando.

Ball landed awkwardly while attempting a left-handed layup shortly before halftime of that contest when he got tangled up with Paolo Banchero.

Ball was limited to 36 games last season because of four ankle injuries. He had gotten off to a strong start this fall — 24.7 points, 8.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. He scored 30 points or more in seven of his last 10 games.

Ball signed a five-year max extension during the summer. Ball’s starting salary on the new deal will pay him at least 25% of the 2024/25 cap. There is reportedly Rose Rule language in the contract that could increase that figure to 30% of the cap if Ball earns All-NBA honors this season. A lengthy absence would almost certainly dash those hopes, given the 65-game minimum requirement for major awards this seasono.

Without Ball, Hornets guards Ish Smith, Theo Maledon and James Bouknight could all see a bump in playing time.

Gary Payton II To Be Reevaluated In One Week

November 30th, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 30: Payton will be reevaluated in one week after an MRI confirmed a right calf strain, according to a release from the team (Twitter link via Andscape’s Marc J. Spears).

However, the injury will keep him out for longer than one week, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link), who says the Warriors are expecting to have a better grasp on the severity and timeline over the next week.

NOVEMBER 29: Warriors swingman Gary Payton II tore his right calf in Tuesday’s game and will be out of action indefinitely, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The injury occurred late in the third quarter when Payton attempted to go around a screen while defending Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Payton grabbed at his right calf and hopped around in pain before limping to the team’s locker room. An MRI conducted today revealed the full extent of the damage.

Payton has been an important part of Golden State’s rotation, appearing in 14 games and playing 17.3 minutes per night. He averages 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds, but his greatest impact is on defense as he collects 1.2 steals per game.

After playing a vital role in the Warriors’ 2022 championship, Payton signed with Portland as a free agent but was reacquired in February to help Golden State fix its struggling defense. He has a $9.13MM player option for next season.

Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. Out 4-6 Weeks With Rib Fracture

November 30th, 2023 at 4:48pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after re-aggravating his right rib fracture, according to a release from the team.

Nance has been affected by health problems since he arrived in New Orleans at the trade deadline in 2022. He was dealing with an injury when he first was traded to the Pels and was limited to just nine games with the team that year. In 2022/23, Nance was healthier, but still missed 17 games. This year, he’s played in 14 games, having missed four in a row from Nov. 14-20 due to the rib injury he has now re-aggravated.

It’s a tough blow for both Nance and the Pelicans. When fully healthy, Nance can be an impact player at the forward position for a team continually dealing with injuries across the rotation. As pointed out by ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link), the Pelicans are tied for the fourth-most missed games this season due to injury. Thankfully for New Orleans, CJ McCollum just returned to the rotation and Trey Murphy is also set to make his season debut.

Nance is averaging 6.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 88 games since joining the Pelicans. In his 14 appearances this year, he’s averaging 3.5 points in 15.1 minutes per night.

Naji Marshall is the most obvious choice to take over some of the minutes left by Nance. New Orleans could also look to turn to two-way forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl if needed.

Latest On Potential Mavericks Sale

November 29th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sands Corp. president and chief operating officer Patrick Dumont, son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, will be the family’s “foremost member” if their purchase of the Mavericks is approved by the NBA, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

It’s still not fully clear how much power Mark Cuban will have once he becomes a minority owner, even though it was reported Tuesday that he will continue to run the team’s basketball operations. Stein notes that it’s an unprecedented arrangement, and the Adelson family may want some say in personnel moves once they’re writing the checks.

Stein points out that Cuban has already ceded some decision-making to Nico Harrison, who was hired as general manager in 2021, and CEO Cynthia Marshall, who has been handling business matters since 2018. Even so, Stein found it shocking that Cuban opted to sell the team, considering that he sits near the bench at most games, maintains a visible role in the war room on draft nights, and remains involved in most personnel decisions.

League sources tell Stein that Cuban plans to be “a very active partner” to the Adelsons on basketball matters while letting the family deal with television revenues, real estate ventures and similar issues.

There’s more from Dallas:

The Adelson family agreed to purchase the Mavericks with an eye toward legalizing casino gambling in Texas, according to an editorial from The Dallas Morning News. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who has since died, focused on Texas two years ago as the primary spot for expansion, the editorial states. Lobbying money from the Adelson family and other gambling interests has poured into the state, helping to soften any opposition. Cuban is perfect as a “primary stakeholder,” the paper adds, because he has been an advocate for building a casino in downtown Dallas.
The Adelson and Dumont families have issued a statement regarding their purchase of the Mavericks, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Through our commitment and additional investment in the team, we look forward to partnering with Mark Cuban to build on the team’s success and legacy in Dallas and beyond,” it reads in part. “The goal is to win and to have a team that proudly represents the greater DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) area and serves as a strong and valuable member of the local community.” The families are hoping to close the sale by the end of December.
Last year, Cuban cited the Sands Corp. as his ideal partner for a casino and resort destination, per Tim Cato of The Athletic, who notes that the Mavericks can’t leave their current home at the American Airlines Center until their lease expires in 2031.

Nuggets’ Jamal Murray Cleared To Return

November 29th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 29: Murray will return to the lineup for tonight’s game against the Rockets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

NOVEMBER 27: Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will miss tonight’s game against the Clippers, but he could be back in action later this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link). Charania called Murray’s return “imminent” and said he might be available Wednesday against Houston or Friday at Phoenix.

It will be a “day-by-day process” for Murray after tonight, Charania adds, with the medical staff monitoring how he feels each day.

Denver is just 5-5 without Murray, who suffered a right hamstring strain on November 4. The defending champions have fallen out of the top spot in the West and are currently bunched with several teams at 11-6.

Murray is the Nuggets’ second-best player and he has an on-court chemistry with Nikola Jokic that makes the team extremely hard to defend. Murray was averaging 16.3 PPG in seven games before the injury along with a career-high 7.4 assists per night while shooting a career-best 43.8% from three-point range.

Prior to the hamstring issue, Murray hadn’t experienced any significant injuries since returning from the ACL tear that forced him to miss the entire 2021/22 season.

Charania described Murray as “one of the game’s great competitors” and notes that he was shooting jumpers in street clothes during halftime of a recent game.