Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyrie Irving Expected To Miss At Least 1-2 Weeks With Back Injury

January 6th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back, according to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who report that the veteran guard is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks.

There’s optimism that treatment in the coming days will help provide clarity on a return timeline for Irving, sources tell Charania and MacMahon.

While Irving’s injury doesn’t sound serious, it will leave the Mavericks extra short-handed for their next few games. The team is already expected to be without superstar guard Luka Doncic until at least late January due to a left calf strain. With Irving also sidelined, Dallas will be missing a combined 52.4 points per game from its two backcourt stars.

Since Doncic went down in the Christmas Day game, the Mavs are 1-4, having defeated the Suns in Phoenix on December 27 before losing their next four games. Irving missed two of those contests.

The Mavs will be in Memphis on Monday before returning to Dallas for a four-game home stand that features matchups with the Lakers (Tuesday), Trail Blazers (Thursday), and Nuggets (twice, on Jan. 12 and 14). If Irving is out for two weeks, he’ll miss all of those games as well as contests vs. the Pelicans and Thunder before potentially having a chance to return on Jan. 20 in Charlotte.

With guards Doncic, Irving, and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all unavailable, the Mavs figure to lean more heavily on Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy, and Quentin Grimes. Two-way guard Brandon Williams also played 20 minutes in each of the two games Irving missed in the past week and could reenter the rotation.

Heat Expect Jimmy Butler To Play If He Isn’t Traded

January 6th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat expect Jimmy Butler to resume playing after his seven-game suspension is over if he hasn’t been traded by then, a source close to the situation tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Management isn’t willing to let Butler stay away from the team and collect the remainder of his $48.8MM salary, Chiang adds.

Chiang’s source also says Miami has engaged in trade talks about Butler with numerous teams over the past several days, but hasn’t received an offer worth pursuing. He confirms that the Suns are among those expressing interest, but the Heat have no interest in taking on Bradley Beal because of the no-trade clause in his contract. That means a third team would have to be willing to absorb Beal’s $50.2MM salary and he would have to OK the deal.

Even though he’s suspended, Butler is able to work out at the team’s Kaseya Center facilities while the Heat are on a six-game road trip, Chiang adds. He’ll be eligible to return to the court for a January 17 home game against Denver.

Efforts to find a taker for Butler have been complicated by Miami’s desire to take back the lowest possible amount of guaranteed salary beyond this season, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). That has led to pessimism about finding a deal quickly, especially with the Warriors reportedly no longer interested.

Stein also points out that missing the playoffs would be “legitimately disastrous” for the Heat, which may explain the motivation to keep playing Butler if no trade materializes. If Miami doesn’t reach the postseason, its 2026 first-round pick would be sent to Oklahoma City without any protections.

That pick was originally shipped to the Clippers in the four-team sign-and-trade deal that brought Butler to the Heat in 2019, Stein explains, and the Thunder acquired it in 2022. If the Heat reach the playoffs this season, OKC will get Miami’s 2025 first-rounder, which would fall outside the top 14. If the Heat are in the lottery, the unprotected first-rounder would convey in 2026.

Stein also points out that Miami owes a first-round pick to Charlotte from last season’s trade for Terry Rozier. Because of the Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading their first-rounders in back-to-back years, if the Oklahoma City pick conveys in 2026, the pick to the Hornets will be tied up until 2028, reducing the Heat’s flexibility moving forward.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also offers an update on Butler trade talks (video link), saying the Heat “don’t like their hand at all right now.” Sources tell Windhorst that Pat Riley‘s declaration last month that the team wasn’t interested in trading Butler came after several offers were received that were unsatisfactory. Windhorst adds that rival clubs seem to be testing Miami to see how low it is willing to sell Butler.

He notes that the only exception has been the Suns, whom he cites as the “best fit and most aggressive team” in the Butler pursuit. However, the Heat’s lack of interest in Beal is a major roadblock, and it’s very difficult to put together a three- or four-team deal under current CBA restrictions.

Windhorst still expects Butler to be traded somewhere before the deadline, but he states that Miami is operating from a position of weakness.

Suns Making Major Changes To Starting Lineup

January 6th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns will remove Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic from their starting lineup, beginning with tonight’s game at Philadelphia, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). Rookie Ryan Dunn and backup big man Mason Plumlee will take their spots.

The move comes amid a four-game losing streak that has seen Phoenix drop into the 12th spot in the Western Conference at 15-18. The veteran roster has been vastly underperforming since starting the season at 9-2.

The downturn has led to dissension behind the scenes, according to Haynes.

“There is also tension in that locker room,” he said. “I’m told certain players are unsure of their roles and frustrated with how they’re being used. The coaching staff, they’re still trying to figure things out.”

Beal, 31, is averaging 17.8 points per game in his second season in Phoenix, but his shooting numbers have declined from .513/.430/.813 last year to .480/.392/.760 through 23 games. He has missed time with various physical ailments and hasn’t turned into the dependable scorer the Suns were hoping when they acquired him in a trade with Washington during the summer of 2023.

It’s possible the demotion might make Beal more likely to waive his no-trade clause for a fresh start somewhere else. His $50.2MM salary could theoretically be useful in bringing Jimmy Butler to Phoenix if he’s willing to change teams again, but the Heat reportedly aren’t interested in taking on Beal’s contract, which will pay him $53.6MM next season with a $57.1MM player option for 2026/27.

Nurkic, 30, has started all 23 games he has played this season, but he’s averaging just 8.8 points per night — his lowest mark in eight years — along with 9.5 rebounds. He’s making $18.1MM and has one more year left on his contract at $19.4MM.

The Suns may prefer to part with both players before the February 6 trade deadline in hopes of creating a younger roster, but their options are limited because of second-apron restrictions. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate contracts in a potential deal.

Jonathan Kuminga Out Multiple Weeks With Ankle Sprain

January 5th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has suffered a significant ankle sprain and will be out multiple weeks, the team’s PR department announced (via Twitter).

Kuminga exited Saturday’s game against Memphis with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter due to a sprained right ankle. He underwent an MRI Sunday which confirmed that he suffered a significant lateral ankle sprain. He will be reevaluated in three weeks, per the club.

It’s a huge blow to the Warriors, as Kuminga has come on strong in recent weeks. He posted back-to-back 34 point games late last month. For the season, Kuminga has averaged 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Kuminga and the club failed to agree on a rookie scale extension before the October deadline, so he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season.

For now, the team will have to scramble to replace Kuminga’s production and might be more inclined to make a significant move before next month’s trade deadline. Kyle Anderson and former starter Kevon Looney figure to play more prominent roles in his absence.

Bulls To Retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 Jersey In 2025/26

January 4th, 2025 at 12:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls will retire Derrick Rose‘s No. 1 jersey during the 2025/26 season, the team announced in a press release. The news came ahead of Saturday’s “Derrick Rose Night” in Chicago.

“Derrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball,” said chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “Retiring a jersey recognizes a player’s impact beyond on-court achievements. It honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization and forged deep, lasting connections with fans. It recognizes that emotional bond and the great influence a player has had on the team and organization’s identity.”

Rose, who retired as a player in late September, spent eight seasons with Chicago, his hometown team. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune noted in October, no Bulls player has worn No. 1 since Rose departed the team in 2016. Starting next season, his jersey will hang in the rafters of the United Center.

Rose told ESPN’s Shams Charania in an interview on Thursday that he “would love” to have his jersey retired by the organization.

Chicago selected Rose with the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and was named an All-Star in each of his next three seasons, winning the MVP award in 2011. Over the course of that season, his third in the NBA at age 22, he averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game across 81 starts, leading the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record.

The fact that Rose won the MVP award while still on his rookie scale contract resulted in an NBA rule being unofficially named after him. As we’ve outlined in a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry, the “Derrick Rose rule” allows players coming off their rookie deals to sign maximum-salary contracts worth up to 30% of the salary cap instead of the typical 25% if they’ve earned a major award such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA.

However, Rose’s career hit a snag following his first four seasons in Chicago, as he missed the entire 2012/13 season due to an ACL tear and only played in 10 games in ’13/14 as he continued to recover from that injury.

Overall, Rose averaged 19.7 PPG, 6.2 APG and 3.7 APG in 406 regular season games with the Bulls. His shooting slash line was .448/.302/.813.

Rose, 36, will be the fifth former Bull to have his jersey retired, joining Jerry Sloan (No. 4), Bob Love (No. 10), Michael Jordan (No. 23) and Scottie Pippen (No. 33). Chicago also has banners honoring former head coach Phil Jackson and former GM Jerry Krause.

Warriors Unlikely To Pursue Jimmy Butler Before Deadline

January 4th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Warriors would love to find a second star to pair with Stephen Curry, that player is unlikely to be Jimmy Butler, team and league sources tell Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The Warriors were previously identified as a team high on Butler’s list of preferred destinations, though ESPN recently reported that the 35-year-old is open to joining any team after requesting a trade from the Heat. Miami subsequently suspended Butler for seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Miami prefers to trade Butler “as soon as possible,” and his time with the Heat has almost certainly come to an end.

However, Golden State is not currently viewed as a viable landing spot for the five-time All-Defensive forward, and there have been “no substantive talks or traction” on a possible trade between the Warriors and Heat, a source close to Butler tells The Athletic.

As The Athletic’s authors explain, there are several complicating factors in a potential deal. For starters, Butler’s rift with the Heat centered on his desire to receive a maximum-salary extension, which Miami showed no interest in offering. A Butler extension is also unappealing to the Warriors, according to The Athletic.

Butler’s age, injury history, and another messy impending divorce with his current club are more reasons a trade is unlikely. But his contract makes a deal an “untenable option,” per The Athletic’s trio.

To match Butler’s incoming $48.8MM cap hit, Golden State would have to combine multiple salaries, starting with either Draymond Green ($24.1MM) or Andrew Wiggins ($26.3MM), with the latter considered more likely. However, Wiggins has had a bounce-back season and is popular within the organization. The Warriors prefer to keep him alongside Curry and Green.

Jonathan Kuminga has been floated as a possible candidate to be moved alongside Wiggins for Butler. While the impending restricted free agent isn’t untouchable in trade talks ahead of the February 6 deadline, the Warriors aren’t interested in moving their two best wings for Butler, according to The Athletic.

Here are a few more Warriors rumors from Slater, Thompson and Amick:

A deal for a maximum-salary player like Butler seems unlikely, but the Warriors have expressed interest in players on mid-sized contracts. They already pulled off a trade for such a player in Dennis Schröder, whose $13MM expiring contract could be aggregated in another deal starting on Feb. 5.
Cameron Johnson would seem to be a good fit for Golden State, but the Nets have a high asking price for the sharpshooting forward. The Kings and Thunder are believed to be showing more interest in Johnson than the Warriors at the moment, per The Athletic.
Team and league sources tell The Athletic that Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is viewed as an attractive trade option due to his ability to space the floor and the fact that he likely won’t cost as much to acquire. As the authors note, Golden State has multiple ways to match Vucevic’s $20MM cap hit without exceeding the first tax apron, which is the team’s hard cap. One example provided is Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters and unknown draft capital.

Shams: Heat Want To Trade Jimmy Butler “As Soon As Possible”

January 4th, 2025 at 9:35am CST by Rory Maher

In an appearance on SportsCenter late Friday night (YouTube link), Shams Charania of ESPN gave the latest update on Jimmy Butler‘s situation in Miami, stating that the Heat would prefer to trade the six-time All-Star “as soon as possible.”

The Heat recently suspended Butler for seven games, but the duration was largely irrelevant, as no one actually expects him to play another game for Miami, according to Charania.

“This is a clear-cut end to the Butler-Heat relationship,” Charania said. “And as stunning as the seven-game suspension was around the league, more than anything this was an avenue for the Heat to keep Jimmy Butler away from the team over these next couple of weeks. The situation around the Heat with Jimmy Butler there had become unmanageable.

“ … From my understanding, the goal right now is to move Butler as soon as possible. And I’m told the Heat have spoken with teams as of Friday about Butler trades and they will continue to engage with teams. … Just eight days ago, (president) Pat Riley came out and said ‘we are not trading Jimmy Butler.’ Now, the Heat are fully open for business, and the writing is officially on the wall for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.”

One trade package that might appeal to the Heat would be a “relatively inexpensive good player” — whether on an expiring or multiyear contract — plus other expiring deals to match salaries with Butler’s $48.8MM outgoing cap hit, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Getting another star player in return for Butler would be “very appealing” to the Heat, but Jackson acknowledges that will be a challenge.

Although Charania reported that Miami would like to move the five-time All-NBA forward as soon it can, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald hears a potential trade will be determined by the types of offers the team receives, and the Heat aren’t necessarily in a rush to deal Butler (Twitter link).

Butler, 35, has averaged 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 22 appearances this season (30.8 MPG). His shooting slash line is .552/.375/.788.

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Expected To Return Saturday

January 3rd, 2025 at 10:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is expected to play his first game of the season on Saturday against the Hawks, sources inform NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).

ESPN’s Shams Charania confirms (via Twitter) that Leonard intends to play. Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets that L.A. will appraise Leonard’s health on Saturday morning before making a final decision.

For their part, the Clippers officially upgraded Leonard’s status against Atlanta to questionable.

Last week, it was reported that the two-time Finals MVP and the Clippers were targeting this January 4 tilt for Leonard’s return to action. It appears that remains very much the plan, and his ramp-up from an offseason procedure to address right knee inflammation is still on track.

Leonard took part in a 5-on-5 Clippers scrimmage last week, and practiced with the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the San Diego Clippers, during L.A.’s recently concluded three-game road trip.

L.A. went 1-2 on that road trip. But the Clippers have had a surprisingly robust start to their 2024/25 season sans Leonard, thanks in large part to the prolific scoring of guards James Harden and Norman Powell. The club is currently 19-15 on the season. That record is good for the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed, a solid finish without the team’s highest-paid player.

In 2023/24, Leonard enjoyed his healthiest season yet while playing for his hometown team. Across 68 contests, the San Diego State alum averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per night. He was named to his sixth All-Star and All-NBA teams for his efforts.

Sadly, the 33-year-old’s luck ran out in the postseason, as he survived just two playoff games for the Clippers before being sidelined due to the knee issue. Leonard has not made it through the playoffs healthy since his first season with L.A. in 2020.

Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler Seven Games

January 3rd, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

9:19PM: The NBPA has issued a statement (Twitter link) criticizing Butler’s suspension, and confirming that it intends to file a grievance.

“The seven-game suspension imposed tonight by the Miami Heat on Jimmy Butler is excessive and inappropriate, and we intend to file a grievance challenging the discipline,” the NBPA declared.

7:20 pm: The National Basketball Players Association intends to file a grievance to contest the Heat’s decision to suspend Butler for seven games, sources inform Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN (via Twitter).

Due to how long it takes for the grievance process to play out, it will likely not prevent Butler from missing any of these games, but there’s a chance he could retroactively recoup some salary.

6:11 pm: The Heat have announced that they have suspended six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler for seven games as he continues to agitate for a trade (Twitter link).

“We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks,” the team said in its statement.

“Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”

On Thursday, word broke that Butler had let Miami know he wants to be traded and that he’s open to being sent to any team. This news arrived on the heels of an initial report on Christmas that Butler preferred a trade but hadn’t explicitly asked for one.

Team president Pat Riley announced just eight days ago that the Heat had zero intention of trading Butler this season. After Butler submitted a pair of passive, disengaged performances this week vs. New Orleans and Indiana and then asked to be dealt, the team appears to have changed its tune, indicating that it is very much open for business.

Butler has a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 and has reportedly conveyed that he plans to decline that option to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. That and his $48.8MM salary for 2024/25, along with his age (35) and injury history, may make him difficult to trade.

The Warriors, Suns, Mavericks, and his hometown Rockets had been floated as Butler’s preferred landing spots in a deal, but the Heat figure to listen to any team that expresses interest.

The suspension will cost Butler $336,543 per game in salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/145th of his overall salary and will work out to a total of $2,355,798 over seven games.

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Fractures Hand In Practice

January 3rd, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. fractured his left hand during Friday’s shootaround, the team announced today (Twitter link via Shams Charania of ESPN).

The 6’11” big is expected to be sidelined for four-to-eight weeks, according to the Rockets.

The 21-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game this season across 33 contests, all starts. He has registered .435/.354/.867 shooting splits.

Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle reports that Smith will have to undergo surgery to address the break in his non-shooting hand. The timing of that procedure hinges on the club getting another opinion on the injury, which will help Houston determine the severity.

With Smith sidelined during a critical part of the 2024/25 season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka may look to replace the Auburn product with a defensive-oriented reserve forward like Tari Eason or Amen Thompson.

At 22-11 on the year, the Rockets currently occupy the Western Conference’s No. 3 overall seed, and are just a half-game behind the second-seeded Grizzlies.