Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

CJ McCollum Diagnosed With Collapsed Lung

November 5th, 2023 at 4:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Medical imaging has revealed that star guard CJ McCollum recently suffered a small collapsed right lung, the Pelicans announced in a press release. The team will assess him across the ensuing two days to evaluate his recovery and will issue an update after that 48-hour period.

The 6’3″ veteran had been enjoying a prolific start for the 4-2 Pelicans. Across his five games in 2023/24 so far, he had been averaging 21.7 PPG on .440/.380/.742 shooting, along with 5.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

Injury issues sank New Orleans’ season last year. After initially emerging as one of the top clubs in the West, the team nosedived through the standings following major injuries to star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Though both those players are currently healthy, McCollum joins a growing list of rotational guards and wings who are currently sidelined.

Point guard Jose Alvarado is still recovering from a right ankle sprain that he suffered right before the start of the season. Small forward Naji Marshall is set to be reassessed in two weeks as he works his way back from a knee issue. Wing Trey Murphy III will also be out for the foreseeable future as he continues to recuperate from surgery on a torn left meniscus.

James Harden To Make Clippers Debut On Monday

November 5th, 2023 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Star guard James Harden will make his first appearance of the 2023/24 season on Monday, according to Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that Harden will make his Clippers debut in New York vs. the Knicks.

The expectation, per The Athletic’s duo, is that Harden will start alongside Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Ivica Zubac.

There had been some speculation that Westbrook might be moved to the bench to play the sort of sixth man role he did with the Lakers during the first half of last season. That would allow the Clippers to stagger their ball-dominant players a little more. However, it sounds like the team will look to make it work with a starting five that features a pair of former MVPs in the backcourt alongside star forwards George and Leonard.

Harden had yet to play this season for Philadelphia prior to Wednesday’s blockbuster trade that sent him to Los Angeles, but 76ers head coach Nick Nurse and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue both told reporters that the 34-year-old looked great in practices, so he wasn’t expected to require an extended ramp-up period.

The Clippers last played on Wednesday and are in the midst of four consecutive days off, giving them ample time to get Harden up to speed. The club’s other newcomer, P.J. Tucker, played nearly 21 minutes on Wednesday, about 12 hours after the trade was officially finalized.

Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr. Breaks Bone In Hand

November 4th, 2023 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 4: Carter will undergo surgery on his left hand and will be reevaluated in about three weeks, the Magic announced (via Twitter).

NOVEMBER 3: An injury to center Wendell Carter Jr. marred an otherwise encouraging road win in Utah for the Magic on Thursday night. According to the team (Twitter link), Carter broke the third metacarpal in his left hand during a fall in the final seconds of the victory while he was fighting for a rebound.

The Magic have yet to provide a recovery timeline for Carter, but it seems safe to assume the injury will cause him to miss time. As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel notes, the Cleveland Clinic states that most people who sustain a metacarpal fracture require the hand to be immobilized for at least three weeks. Surgery is sometimes necessary to repair the fracture.

Carter had been the Magic’s starting center for the first five games this season, averaging 9.4 points and 8.6 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per night. He was off to a cold start as a shooter (.378/.313/.571), but is a key piece in Orlando’s frontcourt and will be missed during his absence.

Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze are behind Carter on the depth chart at center and could play increased roles until Carter is ready to return.

The Magic issued two more injury updates on Thursday night, announcing (via Twitter) that Markelle Fultz missed Thursday’s game due to swelling in his left knee, while Gary Harris suffered a strained right groin in Utah. Both players will be reevaluated upon returning to Orlando, per the club.

As with Carter, there’s no clarity yet on when Fultz or Harris will be healthy enough to play, but it appears the Magic’s depth will be tested early on this season. The team is off to a 3-2 start.

Pelicans Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Two-Way Contract

November 3rd, 2023 at 2:11pm CST by Tristan Tucker

NOVEMBER 3: The Pelicans have officially signed Robinson-Earl to a two-way contract and waived Gates, the team announced today in a press release.

NOVEMBER 2: The Pelicans are signing forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Robinson-Earl, 22, was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in two seasons with the Thunder. Robinson-Earl appeared in 92 games (56 starts) with Oklahoma City. With the Thunder facing a roster crunch this season, they sent him in a trade to the Rockets, who waived him before the season.

According to Charania, the former Oklahoma City forward had standard contract offers elsewhere but chose to sign with the Pelicans for a potential better opportunity.

The Pelicans had all three of their two-way contract spots filled, with Dereon Seabron, Kaiser Gates and Matt Ryan under contract. New Orleans is waiving Gates to make room for Robinson-Earl, according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link).

Gates signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Pelicans this offseason after averaging 14.0 points per game in the G League with the Long Island Nets last season. He shot 55.4% from beyond the arc on 5.0 attempts per game last year.

While the Pelicans have an opening on their 15-man standard roster, their proximity to the tax meant they were unlikely to convert one of their two-way guys to a standard deal.

In signing Robinson-Earl, the Pelicans are adding more depth to a frontcourt that has been affected by injuries. As a player with extensive NBA experience, it’s possible Robinson-Earl gets playing time right away, much like two-way player Ryan is.

Once Robinson-Earl officially joins the team, the Pelicans will still have three players on two-way deals and 14 players signed to standard contracts.

Coaches To Receive Bonuses For In-Season Tournament Results

November 3rd, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

Like NBA players, the league’s coaches will benefit financially from advancing in the league’s new in-season tournament, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski, the head coach of the team that wins the in-season tournament will be awarded a $500K bonus, which is equivalent to the amount that each of the players on the winning team will earn.

Head coaches, like players, will also earn bonuses if they’re a tournament quarterfinalist ($50K), semifinalist ($100K), or runner-up ($200K), per Wojnarowski.

The assistant coaches on the final eight teams will share a prize pool that will be worth 75% of the head coach’s bonus, Wojnarowski adds. If I’m understanding Woj’s wording correctly, that means the assistants on the in-season tournament champion would divvy up $375K in bonus money.

The in-season tournament prize money for players was collectively bargained between the NBA and NBPA as part of the league’s newest CBA, but bonuses for coaches weren’t part of that agreement. According to Wojnarowski, a coaching leadership group met with commissioner Adam Silver in September to discuss the possibility of adding financial incentives for coaches, and the two sides ultimately agreed on this bonus structure.

Friday is the first day of group play for the first in-season tournament in NBA history. As the event’s schedule shows, 14 teams will compete in round robin games today, with Knicks vs. Bucks, Mavericks vs. Nuggets, and Warriors vs. Thunder among the marquee matchups.

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Devin Vassell To Miss Time With Groin Injury

November 3rd, 2023 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

Spurs wing Devin Vassell is expected to be out for a while due to a left groin injury, head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after Thursday’s win in Phoenix, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).

Vassell left the game late in the first half with tightness in his groin. Popovich said he told the 23-year-old to test the injury at halftime and to be honest about how it felt, and Vassell admitted he couldn’t go, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

The fourth-year swingman will undergo an MRI on Friday to assess the severity of the injury. The results of that MRI should help clarify Vassell’s recovery timeline, but it sounds like the team expects him to miss at least the next few games.

In his absence, the Spurs figure to lean more heavily on players like Cedi Osman, Doug McDermott, and Malaki Branham, who started the second half in Vassell’s place.

Vassell signed a five-year, $135MM+ rookie scale extension with the Spurs last month, securing his spot in the franchise’s long-term plans. He had gotten off to a strong start this season, averaging 19.4 points per game in his first five appearances – despite being limited to just 17 minutes on Thursday – and shooting 53.7% from the floor (40.7% on threes).

While it’s an unfortunate turn of events for the Spurs, Vassell’s injury was overshadowed on Thursday by a monster night for rookie Victor Wembanyama, who had the best game of his young career in leading San Antonio to a second consecutive road win over the Suns. Wembanyama put up 38 points and 10 rebounds, clinching the victory by scoring 10 points during a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter after Phoenix tied the game at 116.

James Harden: “I’m Not A System Player, I Am A System”

November 2nd, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Speaking in front of reporters for the first time as a member of the Clippers, James Harden opened up about his trade demand from the Sixers. Harden stated he felt the Sixers had him “on a leash” last season.

“When I mean a leash, I don’t mean just shooting the basketball every time,” Harden said via ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter link). “I think the game and I’m a creator on the court … [I need] somebody that trusts me, that believes in me, that understands me, that I’m not a system player. I am a system.”

The 10-time All-Star said he just wants to win at the highest level, which is why he took less money to stay with the Sixers last season (Twitter link via Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina). Harden signed a two-year, $68.6MM deal with Philadelphia last summer — the second year was a player option, which he exercised before demanding a trade. According to Harden, he planned to retire a Sixer, but felt the organization had other plans.

“They didn’t want me. It’s that simple,” Harden said.

The Sixers traded Harden to the Clippers after a four-month saga. Harden made public comments criticizing Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey over the summer and was in and out of training camp as he awaited a trade.

In the end, Harden was sent to Los Angeles alongside P.J. Tucker, with Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris and Kenyon Martin Jr. dealt to Philadelphia. According to Andrews (Twitter link), Harden is planning to make his Clippers debut on Monday against the Knicks.

“I can fit in with anybody and make a championship run work,” (Twitter link via Medina). “All of us are on the same page in the sense that the individual stats and all of those things are past us.“

Former Suns Star Walter Davis Passes Away

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Walter Davis, who starred in college at North Carolina, passed away on Thursday morning of natural causes, the Tar Heels announced in a press release. He was 69 years old.

Many of Davis’ top NBA accomplishments came while he was on the Suns, who selected him fifth overall in 1977. He earned an All-Star nod, was named second-team All-NBA, and won Rookie of the Year during his debut season in 1977/78. He followed that up with All-Star and second-team All-NBA honors in ’78/79.

The 6’6″ guard/forward made six All-Star teams in 11 seasons with Phoenix, and he remains the team’s all-time leading scorer. His No. 6 jersey was retired by the Suns.

Davis, who won a gold medal with the U.S. in 1976, averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the course of 15 years in the NBA, which included stints with the Nuggets and Trail Blazers at the end of his career (1033 regular season games, 27.9 minutes per night). He shot 51.1% from the field and 85.1% from the free throw line.

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Davis’ friends and family, which includes his nephew, former NBA guard Hubert Davis, who is currently head coach of the Tar Heels.

Bismack Biyombo Signs With Grizzlies

November 2nd, 2023 at 10:08am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 2: Following their fifth game of the season on Wednesday, the Grizzlies have moved Morant to the suspended list and officially signed Biyombo, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

Biyombo received a one-year, $5MM contract with a $1MM guarantee, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 28: The Grizzlies will add veteran center Bismack Biyombo, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Memphis will be able to transfer Ja Morant to the suspended list after he serves five games of his 25-game suspension, and Charania suggests the signing will occur once that happens. The Grizzlies are off to an 0-3 start with upcoming games Monday against Dallas and Wednesday at Utah.

The 31-year-old Biyombo will provide an interior presence for a team playing without starting center Steven Adams, who will undergo knee surgery and miss the entire season. The Grizzlies are also missing backup center Brandon Clarke, who is still recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered in March, and have been starting Xavier Tillman in the middle.

Biyombo is a free agent after spending the past two years in Phoenix. He got into 61 games last season, making 14 starts and averaging 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 14.3 minutes per night. He shot 57.8% from the field, but he brings a limited shooting range and hasn’t made a three-pointer in his career.

The Lakers reportedly considered signing Biyombo this summer, but opted for Christian Wood instead.

The Grizzlies have a full roster, so they can’t add Biyombo without cutting someone else until Morant is officially on the suspended list. They still have their entire $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception remaining, plus the $4.516MM bi-annual exception, if they want to offer Biyombo more than the veteran’s minimum salary, though it seems unlikely that will be necessary.

Daryl Morey Happy With Return In James Harden Trade

November 1st, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

It took more than four months, but the Sixers got the assets they were seeking when James Harden first asked for a trade in late June, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Morey said the focus was on acquiring expiring contracts and draft capital in any Harden deal. The trade with the Clippers brought back Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr., all of whom will be free agents next summer, along with a collection of draft assets that stretch through 2029.

“We set a bar in June, really, when James requested the trade and said, ‘Look, if we can get it to here, that should be what generally allows you to get out and get a player,” Morey said. “Having a player like Jrue (Holiday) go (to the Boston Celtics) for a similar package was sort of validating on that. So we set the bar, and obviously it came together where the Clippers met that price.”

What the Sixers didn’t get is Terance Mann, who was reportedly the sticking point for L.A. throughout the negotiations. According to Pompey, the Clippers initially offered one unprotected first-round pick and a pick swap along with the expiring contracts. With Morey unable to pry Mann loose, he settled for more draft capital instead.

Appearing Wednesday on the Ball Don’t Lie podcast, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports suggested that Morey was reluctant to accept the final version of the trade, but was forced to by ownership, which told him to “get a deal done now.”

Speaking with Pompey, Morey downplayed the report, saying team owners have a role in virtually every NBA trade.

“Ownership, I can only speak to my side. I don’t know how much their side was involved,” Morey said. “Our side was straightforward, the same: Always keep them abreast of our plans, making recommendations for when we make trades, and they signed off on them. It was a very standard trade, so I didn’t quite follow that reporting.”

Morey also expressed hope that his long relationship with Harden, which fell apart in spectacular fashion this summer, can eventually be repaired.

“Look, I think time heals,” Morey said. “He wanted to be traded and we did follow through on what he wanted. … Honestly, I think he chose to handle things certain ways that I wouldn’t have. He might feel the same about us, that we should have moved quicker or whatever. Look, he’s a great player and he’s going to do great things for the Clippers. P.J. (Tucker) as well. I’m glad they’re in the West.”