Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draymond Green Out 4-To-6 Weeks With Sprained Ankle

September 30th, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green has suffered a left ankle sprain that could sideline him for up to six weeks, tweets Jason Dumas of KRON4 News. It’s not a high ankle sprain, Dumas adds, and more information is expected to be revealed Monday at the Warriors‘ media day.

The injury happened during a pickup game this week at Chase Center, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

“I dodged a bullet and learned that today by the way it’s (positively) reacting,” Green told Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). “Even with an MRI you don’t see the trend of it immediately. The swelling is down.”

Green added that he expects to be sidelined for four to six weeks. That means he’ll miss all of training camp and the preseason and he’s not likely to be available when Golden State hosts the Suns to open the regular season on October 24.

It’s a tough break for a Warriors team that relies heavily on the defense and play-making that Green provides. His absence could mean a greater early-season role for Jonathan Kuminga, as well as offseason addition Dario Saric.

Injuries have become more common for the 33-year-old Green, who is preparing for his 12th NBA season. He battled through a series of physical issues while playing 73 games last season and was limited to 46 games in 2021/22 because of a back ailment.

Hornets’ Kai Jones Away From Team Indefinitely

September 30th, 2023 at 1:55pm CST by Rory Maher

While it isn’t described as a suspension, the Hornets will have center Kai Jones away from the team indefinitely with no timetable for a return, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jones will be absent for training camp due to personal reasons, Charania adds, and Charlotte is in “constant” contact with the former first-round pick.

The Hornets released a statement (via Twitter) confirming that Jones is indefinitely away from the team for personal reasons.

Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer reported a few days ago that there were indications that Jones might not play for the Hornets this season. The 22-year-old made a series of strange social media posts — including calling out some of his teammates — and has been absent during optional sessions for players in recent weeks.

Jones will earn a guaranteed $3.05MM this season after the Hornets picked up their third-year team option on his rookie scale contract last fall. However, based on recent events and his limited role during his first two seasons, it’s looking extremely unlikely that they will pick up his $4.69MM option for 2024/25.

A native of the Bahamas, Jones played two years at Texas before being selected No. 19 overall in the 2021 draft. During his two seasons with Charlotte, he has averaged a 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 67 total games (9.1 minutes per night).

Jones has had a much bigger role at the G League level, averaging 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks in 38 regular season games with the Greensboro Swarm — Charlotte’s affiliate — from 2021-23. However, he was still projected to be the Hornets’ third-string center entering ’23/24, behind Mark Williams and Nick Richards.

More Details On The Three-Team Lillard Blockbuster

September 30th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks were interested in acquiring Damian Lillard immediately after he made his trade request on July 1, but the deal didn’t start to come together until this past Sunday.

As Adrian Wojnarowski writes in an in-depth story for ESPN (Insider link), Bucks general manager Jon Horst told Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin from the outset that their talks had to remain a secret or Milwaukee would withdraw from negotiations.

According to Wojnarowski, Horst didn’t want Jrue Holiday to be involved in any trade rumors, or used as leverage by Cronin with other teams to increase offers for Lillard. The Bucks didn’t want to disrupt their chemistry and hold Holiday in very high regard. That meant Cronin was unable to gauge Holiday’s market value before agreeing to the trade.

As Wojnarowski details, Horst told Cronin that the only way a deal would work is if the Blazers took their time fielding offers and eventually circled back to Milwaukee for one-on-one talks. That started Sunday evening, with both sides feeling like they had reached a breakthrough.

Cronin was determined to say patient and accept the best possible offer, per Woj, and kept details of Lillard negotiations hidden from prying eyes. Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, was determined to steer him to Miami, but Lillard didn’t have much leverage. Wojnarowski strongly suggests Cronin felt the need to keep things private from Goodwin in case he tried to tank trade talks with non-Heat teams.

One of the most fascinating and “delicate” parts of the deal was Phoenix’s involvement. According to Wojnarowski, the Blazers and Suns had the outline of a trade together for months — Deandre Ayton to Portland for Jusuf Nurkic. Cronin wanted to tie that agreement into any Lillard trade, so throughout the offseason he kept circling back to the Suns.

However, as Wojnarowski writes, due to Milwaukee’s insistence on secrecy, Cronin was unable to tell Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein the final details until the last minute. According to Woj, Phoenix knew it was getting Nurkic, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson from the Blazers in a three-team deal, but the Suns wanted another asset in return.

Cronin was unable to tell the Suns who that player was — or who he played for. Cronin did tell the Suns the mystery player’s position and gave an approximation of his salary, and Phoenix was able to deduce it was either Thunder guard Victor Oladipo or Bucks guard Grayson Allen.

Only on Wednesday afternoon — just before the trade was made public — did Cronin confirm that it was Allen, whom the Suns had reportedly been interested in for several months. According to Wojnarowski, Bartelstein, GM James Jones and owner Mat Ishbia quickly discussed and then agreed to the deal.

The Blazers were happy and relieved to have completed the deal, per Woj, and believed they did right by Lillard by sending him to a contender, even if it wasn’t his preferred destination. Shortly thereafter, Cronin was bombarded by calls inquiring about Holiday, who is now the hottest name on the trade block.

Wojnarowki’s full story is definitely worth reading in full if you subscribe to ESPN+.

Clippers Sign Joshua Primo To Two-Way Contract

September 29th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Luke Adams

6:16pm: Primo’s two-way deal is official, the Clippers announced (via Twitter).

3:23pm: The Clippers have reached an agreement to sign free agent guard Joshua Primo to a two-way contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The news comes on the heels of the NBA’s announcement that Primo will be suspended for four games for conduct detrimental to the league. An investigation into the circumstances that led to Primo’s release from the Spurs nearly a year ago found that he “engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women,” per a statement from the NBA.

One of those women, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, was a sports psychologist who was employed by the Spurs at the time. She filed a lawsuit against Primo and the Spurs that accused the team of being “willing to tolerate abhorrent conduct” by prized athletes.

While that lawsuit was settled a few weeks later, a spokesperson from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office tells Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News that it filed an indecent exposure case against Primo with the district attorney’s office in May after having interviewed Cauthen. Indecent exposure is a misdemeanor that is punishable by a maximum of 180 days in a state prison and a maximum fine of up to $2,000, per Orsborn.

According to Wojnarowski, Primo has been undergoing therapy since being cut by the Spurs and that treatment will continue in Los Angeles. Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the Clippers organization was comfortable giving the 20-year-old this opportunity after he was evaluated by specialists who consult with the team.

Primo, the 12th overall pick in 2021, was the youngest player drafted in his class. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 50 games (16 starts; 19.3 minutes per night) as a rookie, but struggled with efficiency, posting a .374/.307/.746 shooting slash line.

He will be ineligible to play in the first four games of the Clippers’ regular season while he serves his suspension.

Hornets Sign Edmond Sumner, R.J. Hunter To One-Year Contracts

September 29th, 2023 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

5:18pm: Sumner and R.J. Hunter, whose deal was previously reported, are officially members of the Hornets, according to a press release.

As we previously noted, the team waived three players to create roster space for Sumner, Hunter and Theo Maledon, who is back with Charlotte on a two-way deal. The Hornets are still at 21 players under contract — the offseason maximum — following the transactions.

4:12pm: The Hornets are signing free agent guard Edmond Sumner to a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Sumner will be vying for a roster spot in training camp, Wojnarowski adds.

According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Sumner’s contract will be non-guaranteed (Twitter link).

Sumner, 27, is a 6’4″ combo guard who played college ball at Xavier. He holds six years of NBA experience — five with Indiana and one with Brooklyn.

The 2022/23 season represented a comeback year for Sumner, who missed all of ’21/22 with a torn Achilles tendon. He appeared in 53 games (13.9 MPG) for the Nets last season, averaging 7.1 PPG on .461/.356/.917 shooting.

The Nets waived Sumner in July before his salary for ’23/24 became fully guaranteed. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto previously reported that the Hornets were interested in adding Sumner to their roster.

The Hornets’ roster is currently full, and Theo Maledon is returning to the team on a two-way deal. That means Charlotte will have to release two players to make room for Sumner and Maledon.

Hornets Sign Theo Maledon To Two-Way Deal, Waive Three Players

September 29th, 2023 at 4:58pm CST by Rory Maher

4:58pm: Maledon’s contract is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

In order to make room for Maledon and Edmond Sumner, who is signing a non-guaranteed one-year deal, Charlotte released Angelo Allegri, Tre Scott and Jaylen Sims. All three players were on Exhibit 10 contracts and will likely be heading to the G League.

4:17 pm: Free agent guard Theo Maledon is returning to the Hornets on a two-way contract, sources tell Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the news (via Twitter).

The Hornets gave Maledon a two-way qualifying offer at the end of June, making him a restricted free agent. He was the last restricted free agent left on the board this offseason, and likely just accepted his QO ahead of training camp.

The French point guard was the 34th overall pick of the 2020 draft. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Thunder, but was traded to Houston prior to last season. The Rockets waived Maledon, and he signed a two-way deal with Charlotte a few days later.

Maledon averaged 6.7 PPG, 3.5 APG and 2.8 RPG in 44 games for the Hornets in 2022/23 (19.4 MPG), posting a .402/.297/.851 shooting slash line. Overall, he has appeared in 160 NBA games.

The Hornets will have to release someone to make room for Maledon, as their roster is currently at the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract. The 22-year-old will fill the team’s final two-way spot.

NBA Announces Four-Game Suspension For Joshua Primo

September 29th, 2023 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

Former Spurs guard and current free agent Joshua Primo has been suspended for four games for conduct detrimental to the league, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Primo was waived by San Antonio last October due to allegations that he had exposed himself to women, including a sports psychologist who was employed by the Spurs. That employee filed suit against Primo and the Spurs last fall and settled a few weeks later.

The NBA’s announcement on Primo on Friday said that the league conducted its own investigation into the allegations against the former lottery pick.

“Following that process, the league found that Primo engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women,” the league’s statement reads. “Primo maintains that his conduct was not intentional, and the league did not find evidence that he engaged in any sexual or other misconduct apart from these brief exposures. Nevertheless, this behavior does not conform to league standards and warrants discipline.”

Primo, who appeared in four games at the start of last season before being cut, didn’t catch on with another team following his release from the Spurs. However, unlike when the NBA suspended Miles Bridges, the league didn’t announce a longer suspension and rule that it would be reduced based on “time served” — Primo’s ban is simply for four games. Unlike Bridges, Primo earned a salary last season after being cut by San Antonio.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a new rule that allows players to serve their suspensions even when they’re not under contract with a team. That rule states that every one-and-a-half regular season games played by his most recent team is equivalent to one game served on the player’s suspension.

In this case, for example, three Spurs regular season games would count as two games toward Primo’s suspension. As such, even if Primo doesn’t sign a contract before the regular season begins, his suspension would be considered served after San Antonio’s sixth game of the season (on November 5) and he would be able to play immediately if he signed with any team after that point.

Under the previous CBA, Primo wouldn’t have been able to serve his four-game ban until he signed with a new team. As Marks explains (Twitter link), this rule change was made so that free agents facing multi-game suspensions wouldn’t be passed over indefinitely by NBA teams seeking players with immediate availability.

Primo, 20, was the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 50 games (16 starts; 19.3 minutes per night) as a rookie, but struggled with efficiency, posting a .374/.307/.746 shooting slash line. He was the youngest player drafted in his class.

Details On Damian Lillard’s “Messy” Exit From Portland

September 28th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Multiple reporters have cited sources who said the Trail Blazers hadn’t discussed a Damian Lillard trade with the Heat — Lillard’s preferred landing spot — since July.

According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the last dialogue the two sides had was a phone call at Summer League between Blazers GM Joe Cronin and Heat GM Andy Elisburg. Miami wanted to set up an in-person meeting in Las Vegas to have further discussions, but it never transpired, per Haynes.

“How this summer played out behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth,” Lillard told Haynes. “But it doesn’t change the amazing experiences I’ve had with the Trail Blazers and this city. I’ll always cherish this place. This is my home. I’ll always live here regardless.”

The situation became acrimonious almost immediately, as the Blazers felt Lillard’s trade request had put them at a negotiating disadvantage, while Miami believed Portland was acting out of emotion instead of understanding the league is a business, Haynes writes.

Following a lengthy period of inactivity, Aaron Goodwin, Lillard’s agent, suggested that Cronin meet with Lillard in the event that the longtime star returned to the team.

As Haynes details, at the meeting on September 5, Lillard expressed his disappointment with the situation and wondered why there hadn’t been any communication between Portland and Miami. He didn’t want to be traded anywhere else and noted that he’d been willing to sacrifice for the team.

Specifically, Haynes cites sources who say the Blazers asked Lillard to sit out the final 10 games of last season to boost Portland’s lottery odds. Lillard was told a top pick would improve the front office’s chances of trading it for a win-now veteran. Lillard reluctantly agreed, with the team citing a “calf injury.” Portland ultimately kept the pick and selected Scoot Henderson No. 3 overall.

According to Haynes, Cronin told Lillard at the September 5 meeting that he planned to extract every possible asset from the Heat if he had to deal with them. Realizing that was unrealistic, Lillard responded by saying if he couldn’t land in Miami, he’d prefer to rescind his trade request and return to Portland.

Cronin told Lillard he couldn’t come back, which “shocked” the 33-year-old, sources tell Haynes. Lillard was “discouraged” that he couldn’t return to the Blazers, but he also didn’t want to be somewhere he wasn’t wanted, so he ended the meeting.

Shortly thereafter, the Blazers — who were frustrated with their offers at that point — refused to communicate with Lillard and Goodwin for almost three weeks. Portland didn’t want Goodwin meddling in trade talks, which is how the team rationalized the decision, per Haynes.

With Cronin refusing to talk, Goodwin came up with a contingency plan, letting both Milwaukee and Brooklyn know Lillard would be interested in joining those two teams. Haynes is now the third to report that information regarding the Bucks and Nets.

The NBA actually got involved on September 23 because of the contentious communication breakdown, Haynes writes. Cronin agreed to have dialogue with Goodwin at that point, and a few days later Lillard was traded to the Bucks.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted he has mixed emotions about the trade, he told Haynes.

“It’s a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee,” Antetkounmpo said. “You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great guy. Jrue (Holiday) took us to the promised land. I’m 10 years in now. I know it’s a business. At the end of the day, Jrue will alway be be my brother for life. He’s one of the best human beings I’ve been around. But we’ve got to focus on the goal to win the championship. Dame wants this. He’s hungry to win, and he’s going to push us. I’m very happy to have him on our team.”

Haynes’ story for Bleacher Report has more details and quotes and is worth reading in full.

Here are some more notes related to the three-team blockbuster:

In a series of Twitter posts, Lillard sent a heartfelt thank you and goodbye to Blazers fans, teammates, coaches, employees, the media, and more. In conclusion, he wrote, “As this chapter of my life ends, I look back and realize how special it was. Even in this moment I feel sad that we never accomplished what I so badly wanted to. I don’t cry much, but I know my love for you is real because I am for sure dropping some tears right now. Rip City you know my heart and where I stand because I’ve stood there for over a decade so to have to move off my square hurts my heart. … I do believe a day will come where I put on a Blazers uniform on again, and hopefully by then I’ll be forgiven for breaking your hearts along with my own.”
Center Deandre Ayton, who was sent to Portland in the deal, also sent a thank you message to the Suns (via Twitter).
Only Lillard and Holiday will be required to report and pass physicals as part of the deal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links), who adds that Holiday can’t be traded until both players pass their physicals. The Blazers owe the Bulls a top-14 protected first-rounder through 2028, and if it conveys that summer, Portland’s ’28 first-round pick swap with Milwaukee will be voided, Marks reports.
The Blazers generated an $8.8MM traded player exception in the deal, while the Suns got a $1.1MM TPE, per Marks.
In another tweet, Marks notes that Holiday can’t be aggregated with other salaries for two months, though he can be traded on his own (or with one or more players if his salary isn’t aggregated with theirs).
While multiple reports have now said Goodwin reached out to Brooklyn, NetsDaily.com hears the Nets were never interested and only discussed Lillard with Portland one time, in July. The Nets simply didn’t believe Lillard could turn them into a contender and were wary of his age and long-term contract, per NetsDaily.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype explores what’s next following the deal, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic evaluates the trade for the Bucks, Blazers and Suns.

Warriors Sign Six Players, Including Rudy Gay

September 28th, 2023 at 8:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors have signed free agents Rudy Gay, Rodney McGruder, Donovan Williams, Kendric Davis, Javan Johnson and Jayce Johnson ahead of training camp, the team announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

All of the deals had previously been reported except for Davis’. The 5’11” guard went undrafted in June and worked out for Golden State the month prior.

Davis averaged 21.9 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.7 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 34 games (34.9 MPG) as a “super senior” with Memphis in 2022/23. He likely received a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, which would put him in line for a $75K bonus if he’s waived before ’23/24 starts and spends at least 60 days with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s NBA G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted into two-way contracts, and the Warriors have one two-way opening.

A 17-year veteran forward who regularly averaged in the neighborhood of 20 points per game during stints in Memphis, Toronto, and Sacramento earlier in his career, Gay is the most noteworthy signing of the group. However, his playing time and production have declined in recent seasons, and he’s 37 years old. Like all the other additions, he’ll be competing for a roster spot in training camp.

McGruder, 32, is a seven-year NBA veteran, appearing in 317 regular season games with the Heat, Clippers and Pistons since 2016. The guard/forward averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.1 RPG on a .441/.412/.768 shooting line over the past three seasons with Detroit (99 games, 14.9 MPG).

Williams reportedly impressed the Warriors during scrimmages at their facility earlier this month. The former UNLV wing spent part of last season on a two-way contract with the Hawks after going undrafted in 2022.

Javan Johnson, a former DePaul forward, went undrafted in June. The 24-year-old started 33 games for the Blue Demons last season, averaging 14.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.4 APG while making 41.2% of his 3-point attempts.

Jayce Johnson, a 7’0″ center, led the NBA G League in rebounds per game last season while playing for Santa Cruz. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal and will be vying for the team’s final two-way slot.

The Warriors now have a full 21-man training camp roster, with 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts.

Jrue Holiday Rumors: Heat, Pacers, Knicks, Celtics, More

September 28th, 2023 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Celtics, Bulls and Sixers are among the teams Jrue Holiday would be interested in joining, a league source tells Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

That said, unless the Trail Blazers are willing to hold onto Holiday for at least a few months, you can scratch the Lakers from the list of possible suitors. They obviously aren’t trading LeBron James for Holiday, and the other players they could theoretically use to match salaries aren’t trade-eligible until December or January.

The Blazers are expected to prioritize young players and draft assets in exchange for Holiday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (YouTube link).

Holiday is expected to draw interest from a variety of teams, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link). The Heat could be among that group, but Portland “had no major interest in any individual Miami player or draft asset, and limited interest in whatever combination Miami might cobble” during negotiations for Damian Lillard, Lowe reports.

According to Chiang and Jackson, the Heat haven’t ruled out making an aggressive push for Holiday, but they didn’t do it immediately on Thursday. Miami isn’t expected to pursue James Harden, and has yet to express interest in Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who is reportedly on the trading block after failing to reach an extension, a source tells Chiang and Jackson. Free agent guard Goran Dragic is interested in returning to the Heat, but that interest doesn’t appear to be mutual, per The Herald’s duo.

Sources tell Lowe the Pacers and Knicks are expected to have a level of interest in Holiday, though it’s unclear how seriously they’ll pursue the defensive stalwart. While Lowe believes Holiday could be a good fit with both clubs, he wonders if Indiana will decide it’s too early to make a win-now move.

Boston was previously cited as a possible suitor, but multiple sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive that the Celtics will likely be outbid and aren’t expected to land Holiday. Still, the team has long been interested in the veteran guard — Boston tried to acquire Holiday a few years ago before he was traded to Milwaukee, a source tells Robb.

Here are a few more notes related to Holiday, who was sent to the Blazers from the Bucks as part of yesterday’s Lillard blockbuster:

Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t have a direct impact on the Lillard deal, Wojnarowski noted in the same segment. “Directly, (Antetokounmpo) literally played no role,” Wojnarowski said. “In fact, (GM) Jon Horst did not bring this trade idea or sign off on it to Giannis Antetokounmpo because Jrue Holiday was involved. And the relationship there and the reverence that this organization and these players have for Holiday. He did not want to put that to Giannis Antetokounmpo and have him have that on his conscience necessarily that he might sign off or not sign off on it.” However, as Wojnarowski observes, Antetokounmpo putting pressure on the organization by saying winning more championships was the most important thing in his career certainly played a significant indirect factor in Milwaukee trading for Lillard.
In addition to the previously mentioned teams that might pursue Holiday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link) believes the Pelicans, Kings and Warriors would also benefit from the All-Star guard’s services. Over at The Athletic, John Hollinger lists the Heat, Clippers and Celtics as logical destinations for Holiday.
Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star considers the pros and cons of the Pacers pursuing Holiday. As Dopirak writes, head coach Rick Carlisle heaped praise on the five-time All-Defensive member during the 2022/23 season. “I’d like to somebody to name five other basketball players that are better than Jrue Holiday at the entire game,” Carlisle said. “Guy’s an amazing player, both sides of the ball. His scoring tonight was at another level obviously, but defensively, he can guard anybody. Just a nod of respect to him. He’s a guy that too often is overlooked as a truly, truly great player.” Still, Dopirak thinks it’s probably too early for Indiana to go after a 33-year-old veteran like Holiday, who can be a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option.