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Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups Headline 2024 Hall Of Fame Class

April 3rd, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups will be part of the 2024 Hall of Fame class, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the former NBA stars are being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The full class of 2024 will be formally announced on Saturday at the NCAA Men’s Final Four, but it’s safe to assume that Carter and Billups will be the headliners of this year’s inductees.

Carter, an eight-time All-Star, was named Rookie of the Year in 1999, made a pair of All-NBA teams, and is one of the league’s most memorable Slam Dunk Contest champions. The veteran swingman is also the only player in NBA history to play 22 seasons (1998-2020) and ranks 24th in career points (25,728).

Carter began his NBA career with the Raptors and then spent several seasons with the Nets before also playing for the Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Kings, and Hawks.

Billups, meanwhile, made five All-Star games and three All-NBA teams, along with a pair of All-Defensive squads. The point guard won a championship with the Pistons in 2004, earning NBA Finals MVP honors.

Billups, who is now the head coach of the Trail Blazers, was in the NBA for 17 seasons from 1997-2014, spending time with the Celtics, Raptors, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Clippers in addition to the Nuggets and Pistons, for whom he had his best years. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game in 1,043 regular season appearances.

The full list of 2024 Hall of Fame finalists, several of whom may join Carter and Billups in this year’s class, can be found right here.

Steve Clifford To Step Down As Hornets’ Head Coach After Season

April 3rd, 2024 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

10:32am: The Hornets have put out a press release officially confirming the news.

“This is the appropriate time for me to step down,” Clifford said in a statement. “I believe this is best for me and the organization. I’m excited about the future of the Hornets – our young core of players, Jeff’s leadership of our basketball operations and Rick and Gabe’s vision for the organization. I want to thank all the Hornets players and staff for their work the past two seasons and our Hornets fans for their continued support of our team.”

In a statement of his own, Peterson thanked Clifford for his contributions to the franchise and said the search process for a new head coach will begin immediately.

“We will look to hire someone that shares our values and vision in developing our young core and creating a culture and identity based on teamwork, accountability and competitiveness,” Peterson said. “We will conduct a thorough search process to select the best head coach for the Hornets moving forward.”

9:48am: Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will step down from his current position with the franchise at the conclusion of the 2023/24 regular season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Clifford informed his players and assistants of the plan on Wednesday morning and will coach the team’s final seven games.

According to Wojnarowski, Clifford will likely remain with the organization in a front office role. He and the team are working to finalize the details of that potential transition — Woj suggests there’s a desire from management and ownership to have the 62-year-old serve in an advisory role that would allow him to “impact all parts of the organization.”

With the Hornets under new ownership heading into the 2024 offseason, there was a sense that a head coaching change was possible. Charlotte has already undergone an in-season front office overhaul after head of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak moved into an advisory position. He was replaced by former Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson, who was named Charlotte’s executive VP of basketball operations.

However, Wojnarowski says that co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin were open to the idea of bringing back Clifford. The veteran coach decided that he didn’t want to commit to the “year-round grind” of the job for another year and conveyed his intentions early so that the Hornets can immediately begin searching for his successor.

Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Celtics assistant Charles Lee, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, and Suns assistant Kevin Young are among the candidates expected to receive consideration for the permanent job in Charlotte, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) singles out Lee as a candidate to watch, noting that there’s been “a lot of chatter in coaching circles” indicating that he’ll be a strong contender to replace Clifford.

Clifford, who also coached Charlotte from 2013-18, had less success in his second stint with the club, posting a 45-112 (.287) record over the past two seasons. Multiple injuries to star point guard LaMelo Ball hamstrung Clifford and the Hornets, as did the domestic violence charges against Miles Bridges, which cost the forward the entire 2022/23 season.

The team entered ’23/24 with postseason aspirations, but essentially threw in the towel following an injury-plagued first half, trading away veterans Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, and P.J. Washington prior to February’s deadline.

The next Hornets’ head coach will take over a retooling club that has a few promising building blocks, including Ball, rookie wing Brandon Miller, and young center Mark Williams. Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent, though the team hopes to re-sign him. Charlotte also currently has the NBA’s fourth-worst record, putting the franchise in position to land a draft pick in the top half of this year’s lottery and add another core piece.

The Wizards and Nets, who have made in-season coaching changes and currently employ interim replacements, are expected to join the Hornets in seeking new head coaches this spring. It’s possible other clubs will join that list in the coming weeks.

Raptors Sign Malik Williams To 10-Day Deal

April 3rd, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

9:38am: The Raptors have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Williams to a 10-day contract.

8:47am: The Raptors have agreed to sign G League center Malik Williams to a 10-day contract, agent Brian Jungreis tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Williams, 25, went undrafted out of Louisville in 2022, then spent his first professional season in Poland before joining the Sioux Falls Skyforce – Miami’s NBAGL affiliate – for the 2023/24 campaign.

In 42 total Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Skyforce, Williams has averaged 10.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in just 21.5 minutes per contest. Sioux Falls is scheduled to face the Oklahoma City Blue in the Western Conference semifinals of the G League playoffs this week, but will be down a key piece of its frontcourt for that matchup, with Williams headed to Toronto.

The Raptors opened up a spot on their standard 15-man roster on Tuesday night when Kobi Simmons‘ 10-day contract expired. It appears that Simmons, who averaged 5.0 PPG and 3.0 APG in four appearances (16.8 MPG) with Toronto, won’t be getting another contract from the club — unless he’s brought back at the end of the season after Williams’ 10-day deal expires.

As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca points out (via Twitter), with point guard Immanuel Quickley back in the lineup, it makes more sense for the Raptors to use their final roster spot on a big man, given that Kelly Olynyk is the only center who is healthy and available.

Williams will earn $64,343 over the course of his 10 days with the Raptors. Assuming he officially signs on Wednesday, the deal will run through next Friday, April 12, covering six of Toronto’s seven remaining games.

Pistons Sign Jaylen Nowell To 10-Day Contract

April 3rd, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 3: The Pistons have officially announced their 10-day deal with Nowell, confirming the move in a press release (Twitter link). The contract will run through next Friday, April 12, paying Nowell a salary of $124,425.

APRIL 2: The Pistons intend to sign free agent swingman Jaylen Nowell to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After showing promise as a scorer across four seasons with the Timberwolves, Nowell was unable to find a full-season spot on an NBA roster last fall. He signed a non-guaranteed deal with Sacramento, but was waived by the team before the regular season tipped off and ended up spending much of the season with the Stockton Kings in the G League.

In 28 regular season NBAGL games for Stockton, Nowell averaged 17.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .441/.385/.868. He also had a brief stint in Memphis earlier in the season, appearing in nine games for the Grizzlies over the course of two 10-day contracts.

Both of Nowell’s 10-day deals in Memphis were completed via hardship exceptions and it appears that will be the case in Detroit as well. A hardship exception, which allows a team to carry one or more extra players beyond its standard 15, is granted when the team has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and are expected to remain sidelined for two more weeks.

Quentin Grimes, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, and Stanley Umude all meet that criteria for the Pistons, so the club will be able to add Nowell to their roster as a 16th man.

Since all four of those players have been ruled out for the season, Detroit will continue to qualify for a hardship exception beyond the expiration of Nowell’s 10-day contract, so he could be re-signed to a second deal — or the team could sign another player on a hardship contract to close out the season.

Joel Embiid Returns To Action After Two-Month Absence

April 2nd, 2024 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:05pm: Embiid is in the starting lineup, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

5:02pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid is expected to return tonight against the Thunder, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Embiid will be making his first appearance since Jan. 30 after undergoing knee surgery.

He was originally ruled out for Tuesday’s game but was upgraded to questionable earlier today. Embiid has been able to participate in numerous five-on-five scrimmages during the past week without any ill effects to his left knee.

The reigning MVP has been sidelined since January 30 when Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg in a game at Golden State. He underwent surgery on February 6 and was given a one- to two-month prognosis to return.

Prior to the injury, Embiid was posting big stats across the board — 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. His return, barring a setback, gives Philadelphia renewed hope for a postseason run.

Without him, the Sixers have slipped to eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 2.5 games behind Indiana for the sixth spot, which would allow the Sixers to avoid the play-in tournament.

Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of The Month

April 2nd, 2024 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month, while one of his former teammates – Knicks guard Jalen Brunson – has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

It’s the second consecutive Player of the Month award for Doncic, who has strengthened his case for MVP consideration in recent weeks as the driving force of a streaking Mavs team that has moved into fifth place in the West. Doncic is the second player to earn Player of the Month honors twice this season, joining Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

Doncic won the award for March by averaging a triple-double – 32.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.1 assists – through 14 games, with a .470/.381/.781 shooting line. The Mavericks lost the first three of those games but have won each of the last 11 contests in which Doncic has been active.

Brunson has earned Player of the Week honors three times in 2023/24, but this is his first Player of the Month award of the season. He helped the banged-up Knicks hang onto a top-four seed in the East in March by putting up 28.8 PPG and 5.8 APG in 13 games (30.9 MPG) on .481/.376/.813 shooting.

Those per-game averages include a March 3 contest in Cleveland that Brunson exited due to a knee injury after just 47 seconds. Not including that game, the Knicks’ point guard averaged over 31 points per contest for the month.

The other Player of the Month nominees in the Western Conference were Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Green, Nikola Jokic, and Domantas Sabonis, according to the NBA (Twitter link). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Tatum, DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, and Pascal Siakam were also nominated in the East.

Rajon Rondo Confirms Retirement From NBA

April 2nd, 2024 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA point guard Rajon Rondo confirmed during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (YouTube link) that he has retired as an NBA player.

Asked by Barnes if his NBA career is over, Rondo replied, “Absolutely,” adding that he wants to focus on spending time with his kids.

Rondo, 38, last played in the league during the 2021/22 season when he appeared in 39 total games for the Lakers and Cavaliers. He played in 957 regular season games and 134 additional postseason contests over the course of 16 years in the NBA, winning titles in 2008 with the Celtics and 2020 with the Lakers.

Rondo was never an elite scorer, but was a talented play-maker and defender who led the league in assists per game three times and made four All-Defensive teams. He also earned All-Star nods in four consecutive seasons in Boston from 2010-13 and was named to the All-NBA third team in 2012.

After spending the first eight-and-a-half years of his career with the Celtics, the former 21st overall out of Kentucky was traded to the Mavericks and spent the next several years bouncing around the NBA. In addition to Boston, Dallas, Cleveland and the Lakers, Rondo also suited up for the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans, Hawks, and Clippers.

The veteran point guard finished his career with regular season averages of 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 29.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .456/.324/.611. He earned approximately $118MM in salary over the course of his career, per Basketball-Reference.

While his playing time and production declined in his later seasons, Rondo’s exit from the NBA may have been expedited by a series of legal issues in recent years. Most recently, he was arrested in Indiana this January for unlawful possession of a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.

Spurs’ Vassell, Sochan To Miss Remainder Of Season

April 1st, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs guard Devin Vassell and forward Jeremy Sochan will miss the remainder of the season, according to a team press release.

Vassell underwent an MRI Monday morning in San Antonio. The exam revealed a stress reaction to the third metatarsal head in his right foot.

Sochan has been diagnosed with a left ankle impingement and he’ll undergo arthroscopic surgery. That determination was made after the Spurs medical team consulted with outside experts.

Vassell signed a five-year rookie scale extension with $135MM in guaranteed money last October. That extension kicks in next season. He finished this season with averages of 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game. He appeared in 68 games, including 62 starts.

Sochan completes his second NBA season with averages of 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 29.6 minutes per game. The No. 9 pick of the 2022 draft appeared in 74 games, including 73 starts.

Kevin Porter Jr. Signs With Team In Greece

April 1st, 2024 at 7:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has signed with PAOK in Greece, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal will cover the rest of the season and Porter is expected to report to the team soon, sources tell Charania.

Porter’s career has been on hold since being arrested in September following an altercation with his former girlfriend, ex-WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. Originally charged with felony counts of assault and strangulation, he reached a plea deal in January, agreeing to plead guilty to reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, as well as harassment in the second degree.

Porter was ordered to complete a 26-week counseling program. If he does that and abides by a restraining order regarding Gondrezick, he can withdraw his plea to the assault charge next January. A second-degree assault charge against Porter was dropped after it was determined that Gondrezick’s vertebra fracture was a congenital defect and not caused by Porter.

In the wake of the charges, Houston traded Porter to Oklahoma City in October, shortly before the start of the regular season. The Thunder waived him the day after the deal was completed. OKC received two second-round picks for taking on Porter’s $15.86MM contract for this season, along with a $1MM partial guarantee for 2024/25. The rest of his four-year, $63MM+ contract was non-guaranteed.

Porter, 23, averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 59 games with the Rockets last season while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range. He joins a PAOK team that is battling for a playoff spot in the Greek Basket League, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.

Malik Monk To Miss Four-To-Six Weeks With MCL Sprain

March 30th, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:02pm: The Kings will reevaluate Monk’s condition in four weeks, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.

5:16pm: Kings guard Malik Monk suffered a sprained right MCL in Friday’s game and is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The injury occurred shortly after Monk entered the game in the first quarter against Dallas, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Monk was defending Luka Doncic on a drive to the basket when their legs got tangled up, and Doncic landed on Monk’s right leg with much of his weight. Monk was able to walk to the locker room for treatment, but the Kings announced that he wouldn’t return to the game.

Monk is among the favorites for Sixth Man of the Year honors, averaging career highs of 15.6 points and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc. He’s also an indispensable piece for a Sacramento team that’s locked in a tight race to avoid the play-in tournament.

A four-week absence would have Monk returning in late April. That would keep him out of action past the play-in games, which start April 16, but it could allow him to return late in a first-round matchup that lasts six or seven games.

A six-week absence means Monk wouldn’t be back until mid-May, which would be well into the middle of the second round.