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NBA Reviewing Warriors/Timberwolves Altercation

November 15th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA, as expected, is taking a closer look at Tuesday’s on-court scuffle between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, weighing whether additional punishment – in the form of fines and/or suspensions – will be necessary, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

As we detailed earlier today, the confrontation began when Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter. They continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene.

Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul.

Green’s headlock on Gobert figures to be a focus of the NBA’s review, according to Wojnarowski, who notes (via Twitter) that Green’s reputation as a “repeat offender” was cited by the league in the spring when he was suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis in Golden State’s first-round playoff series vs. Sacramento.

The Warriors’ next game is on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, so the NBA figures to make a ruling by then, if not before the Wolves’ contest in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Head coach Steve Kerr defended Green after Tuesday’s game, telling reporters that the Warriors star went after Gobert because the Minnesota center “had his hands on Klay’s neck.” Gobert chuckled when informed of Kerr’s comments, according to Jon Krawczynski and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“What do you want me to say? He’s backing his guy, but I think he knows,” Gobert said. “Deep inside, he (doesn’t) want to say it but his guy is a clown.”

Krawczynski and Amick suggest that Green held onto Gobert for about nine seconds. Gobert, who held up his arms during that time to show the officials he wasn’t retaliating, believes the outcome could’ve been worse than it was.

“He’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me,” Gobert said. “(But) the choke wasn’t good enough. Yeah, it wasn’t enough for me to really have to (go to sleep). But he tried. He tried really hard, but it wasn’t good enough to where I felt like I was really in danger of falling asleep or something like that.

“… It was a long time, and if he knew how to choke it could have been way worse. He tried to. His intention was to really take me out. And I kept my hands up the whole time just to show the officials that I wasn’t trying to escalate the situation.”

Bulls, LaVine Increasingly Open To Exploring Trade

November 14th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Both the Bulls and Zach LaVine are increasingly open to the idea of exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, teams around the NBA are “probing” LaVine’s possible availability.

A number of executives, including many general managers, are in Chicago on Tuesday for the 2023 Champions Classic, the NCAA’s annual fall showcase. Conversations about LaVine could begin there, Charania explains.

LaVine is averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 35.1 minutes per game through his first 11 contests this season. The 28-year-old is off to a bit of a slow start – his .409 FG% and .309 3PT% would be career worsts – but is typically one of the NBA’s best scorers, having averaged at least 23.7 PPG for five straight seasons entering this fall.

LaVine is in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal with the Bulls. He’s earning approximately $40MM in 2023/24 and is owed a guaranteed $89MM over the following two seasons. He holds a 2026/27 player option worth just shy of $49MM.

While the plan was for LaVine to be a key part of a Bulls roster that perennially qualified for the playoffs and contended for titles, the team has struggled to compete on a consistent basis since losing Lonzo Ball to the first in a series of knee injuries midway through the 2021/22 season.

Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and was knocked out in the play-in tournament in 2023 after posting a losing record (40-42) in the regular season. The club is off to a 4-7 start this fall and there have already been reports that teams are keeping an eye on the Bulls, as well as speculation that changes could be coming. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link) says one league source predicted this week that Chicago will have a different roster in a month.

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter), the Bulls held exploratory talks on LaVine over the summer but had a high asking price at that time. It’s unclear if that price might drop at all based on how the club has started this season, but the players are “very aware” that changes could be coming if they don’t turn things around, says Johnson.

Besides LaVine, DeMar DeRozan could be another major trade chip for the Bulls. Charania says the franchise would ideally like to keep DeRozan beyond his current contract, which expires in 2024. However, there has been a gap between the two sides on both years and salary in their extension talks, and the 34-year-old would like to get a sense of the organization’s direction before committing to a new deal, Charania adds.

Kings’ De’Aaron Fox Cleared To Return

November 13th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Rory Maher

7:40pm: Fox will play on Monday night vs. Cleveland, per Charania and Amick (Twitter link). He won’t be on a minutes restriction, head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).

1:54pm: Kings star De’Aaron Fox could return to action as soon as Monday’s contest vs. Cleveland or Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Fox, who has missed the past five games due to a right ankle sprain, was a full participant during Monday’s shootaround, tweets Sean Cunningham of Fox 40.

The 25-year-old is coming off a stellar 2022/23 campaign in which he earned his first All-Star and All-NBA appearances. Sacramento broke its record-long playoff drought last season, finishing 48-34 and entering the postseason as the West’s No. 3 seed. The team ultimately lost its first-round series against Golden State in seven games.

Fox was off to an outstanding start in ’23/24, averaging 31.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.3 SPG on .486/.375/.810 shooting through three games (35.3 MPG). The Kings went 2-1 with him in the starting lineup and currently hold a 4-4 record.

Robert Williams Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

November 13th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 13: Williams underwent right knee surgery on Monday to reconstruct a torn ligament after he sustained a patellar dislocation., the team tweets. Williams is expected to make a full recovery for the 2024/25 season.

NOVEMBER 10: Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams will have to undergo season-ending right knee surgery, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He’s expected to go under the knife early next week and to be fully recovered for the 2024/25 season, Woj adds.

Wojnarowski previously reported that Williams would require surgery, but said on Monday that the center’s camp and medical professionals were still discussing what type of procedure would be necessary.

The Athletic reported on Monday that one option would be a cleanup procedure with a two- or three-month recovery timeline, while the other option would be a season-ending procedure that would repair bone and ligament damage in Williams’ right kneecap.

It appears Williams will take the latter route.

It’s a devastating blow to a promising young player who has already been significantly impacted by health problems since entering the NBA as the 27th overall pick in 2018.

Entering this season, the 26-year-old had been limited to 209 of 390 possible regular season games in his first five years in the NBA as a Celtic. He’ll appear in just six of 82 in his first year in Portland.

In his healthiest season, 2021/22, Williams nearly averaged a double-double (10.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG) to go along with 2.2 blocks per night and a 73.6% field goal percentage.

Williams was part of the package that Portland received from Boston this fall in exchange for Jrue Holiday. According to Wojnarowski, there were some teams around the NBA hoping that the Blazers would put Williams back on the trade block prior to the 2024 trade deadline — an in-season move seems extremely unlikely now.

The Trail Blazers have one open spot on their standard 15-man roster that could be used to add more frontcourt depth. They have about $5.3MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so they could comfortably sign a free agent to a minimum-salary deal without becoming a taxpayer.

As Marks observes, Portland could also apply for a disabled player exception, which wouldn’t give the team another roster spot but could provide another cap exception to make a trade, signing, or waiver claim later in the season. If granted by the NBA, that exception would be worth $5,785,715, half of Williams’ salary.

Bucks’ Jae Crowder To Undergo Surgery, Out Eight Weeks

November 13th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bucks veteran forward Jae Crowder has a left adductor and abdominal tear and will undergo surgery on Tuesday, according to a team press release relayed by Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’s expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.

Crowder was originally diagnosed with a left groin injury on Saturday during Milwaukee’s game against Orlando. Further testing and evaluation determined the extent of the injury.

Crowder has appeared in all nine of Milwaukee’s games, including two starts, and is averaging 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.

It’s a tough blow for the Bucks, whose depth was depleted by the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade. Crowder’s minutes will likely by absorbed by some combination of Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp and rookie Andre Jackson Jr.

Crowder re-signed with Milwaukee on a one-year deal in July. Milwaukee shipped out five second-round draft picks to acquire him in a three-team exchange with the Suns and Nets last February.

Hawks’ Bufkin, Gueye Will Miss Extended Time

November 12th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks will be without two of their rookies for an extended period, according to a team press release.

Guard Kobe Bufkin underwent an X-ray and medical review on his fractured left thumb on Saturday. His return to play timeline is eight-to-10 weeks from the date of injury, which occurred on Nov. 2.

Bufkin was injured during a practice with the team’s G League club, the College Park Skyhawks.

Bufkin, a guard out of Michigan, was the first player taken outside the lottery this June. The 15th overall pick has made two cameo appearances with the Hawks.

Forward Mouhamed Gueye, who has missed the last two games with a right lower back strain, underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed a right low back stress fracture. He will be reevaluated in four weeks.

Like Bufkin, Gueye made two brief NBA appearances prior to the injury.

Gueye was the 39th overall pick, which the Hawks acquired in a draft-night trade with the Celtics. Gueye signed a four-year, $7.64MM deal in July.

Jamaree Bouyea Signs Two-Way Contract With Trail Blazers

November 12th, 2023 at 2:14pm CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 12: Bouyea’s two-way contract and Mays’ promotion to the standard roster are now official, Portland has confirmed in a pair of press releases.

NOVEMBER 11: The Trail Blazers plan to sign free agent guard Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link). Portland is creating a two-way opening for Bouyea by converting Skylar Mays to a standard deal.

A 6’2″ point guard who went undrafted in 2022 out of San Francisco, Bouyea signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami last summer and was waived before the 2022/23 season started. Although he spent most of his rookie season in the G League, he did play five NBA games for the Heat and Wizards while on 10-day contracts, averaging 3.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG and 0.8 SPG in 14.2 MPG.

The 24-year-old had a major role for the Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami’s affiliate) last season, averaging 17.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .527/.321/.709 shooting across 38 Showcase Cup and regular season contests (35.0 MPG). Bouyea signed a two-way deal with the Heat this summer, but was waived a couple months later, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Portland’s 18-man roster will be full once Mays is promoted and Bouyea is signed.

Kelly Oubre Released From Hospital After Being Hit By Car

November 12th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 12, 11:08AM: A statement from the Sixers confirms Oubre’s rib injury and says his condition will be reevaluated in a week, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

NOVEMBER 12, 9:17am: Oubre suffered broken ribs in the accident, along with numerous bruises and cuts, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

NOVEMBER 11, 10:21pm: Oubre has been released from the hospital and will work with the team’s medical staff to recover from his injuries. Wojnarowski tweets.

NOVEMBER 11, 9:15pm: Sixers wing Kelly Oubre is receiving treatment at a Philadelphia-area hospital after being struck by a vehicle tonight while walking near his residence in the Center City area, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oubre is listed in stable condition.

Oubre is expected to miss “significant time” because of his injuries, but they aren’t believed to be season-ending, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Daryl Morey and other team officials are at the hospital with Oubre, he adds.

The 27-year-old signed with Philadelphia in late September after exploring his options in free agency all summer. It’s a one-year-deal worth $2.89MM, so he’ll become a free agent again in July.

Oubre has been a huge bargain so far, averaging 16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range.

He moved into the starting lineup after James Harden and P.J. Tucker were traded and has been a starter for the past five games.

Scoot Henderson To Miss 2-3 More Weeks With Ankle Injury

November 11th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 11: The Trail Blazers announced in a press release that Henderson will miss another two or three weeks while the bruising heals.

NOVEMBER 10: Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick of this year’s draft, is expected to miss a couple more weeks due to a right ankle bone bruise, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

As Charania notes, Henderson sprained his ankle on Nov. 1 against Detroit and has been sidelined ever since, missing the past three games with the injury.

If he returns in exactly two weeks, the 19-year-old will have missed 10 games — the Blazers play seven times over the next 14 days.

It’s normal for rookies — especially teenagers — to have slow starts to their NBA careers, and that certainly has been the case for Henderson.

Through five games (28.8 minutes), he’s averaging 8.8 points and 2.2 rebounds on a .346/.095/.857 shooting line, with nearly as many turnovers per game (4.0) as assists (4.6).

With guards Henderson, Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring strain) and Anfernee Simons (thumb surgery) all sidelined, head coach Chauncey Billups gave Skylar Mays extended run in Wednesday’s overtime loss to Sacramento and he played well, posting 18 points (on 8-of-15 shooting) and 11 assists in 37 minutes.

Mays, a former second-round pick, is on a two-way contract with Portland.

Maxi Kleber To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Toe Injury

November 11th, 2023 at 5:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber will have his dislocated right small toe reevaluated in two weeks, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Kleber originally suffered the injury in a November 1 game and has been trying to play through it. After sitting out a week, he was able to return Wednesday night, but he wasn’t moving normally and was limited to 15 minutes. He didn’t play Friday, and the team will see if an extended rest can make a difference.

“As much as we would like him to be at a high level coming back from injury, we’re just trying to get him going,” coach Jason Kidd told Townsend in a full story. “It starts with your health before you can be at any level. Hopefully, we can get him healthy and get him to the level that we all believe he can play.”

Kleber has been a mainstay in the Dallas frontcourt since he entered the league in 2017, but the injury has limited his production this season. He has appeared in just five of the Mavericks’ nine games and is averaging a career-low 3.4 PPG while shooting 25% from the field.

Even though the Mavs are off to a 7-2 start, Townsend points out that interior defense has been a concern. Rookie Dereck Lively II has taken over as the starting center, but Kleber remains one of the most effective rim protectors on the roster. Richaun Holmes, who was acquired from Sacramento in an offseason trade, has only appeared in one game.

Kleber will accompany the team on its eight-day road trip for rehab purposes, according to Townsend.