Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Brandon Ingram To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Knee Contusion

March 22nd, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Ingram has been diagnosed with a left knee bone contusion, the Pelicans announced (via Twitter). The injury was revealed in an MRI conducted this morning after Ingram hyperextended his knee during Thursday’s game against Orlando. He will be reevaluated in two weeks, according to the team.

Ingram suffered the injury while planting his left foot early in the third quarter, per Christian Clark of NOLA. He fell to the court in pain and could only put minimal pressure on the knee as he was helped to the locker room.

With just three and a half weeks remaining, there’s no guarantee that New Orleans will have Ingram back before the end of the regular season. If the reevaluation takes place in exactly two weeks, that would be April 5, leaving the team with just five games remaining before the season wraps up April 14.

The Pelicans are currently fifth in the West at 42-27, but they’re only two games ahead in the loss column of the Mavericks, Suns and Kings in a tight race to avoid the play-in tournament. New Orleans will travel to Phoenix on April 7 and Sacramento on April 11, so it would be beneficial to have Ingram back on the court by then.

Ingram is the Pelicans’ second-leading scorer at 20.9 PPG, along with 5.1 rebounds and a team-high 5.8 assists per night. Trey Murphy is expected to take on a bigger role until Ingram can return.

Lakers’ Jalen Hood-Schifino Undergoes Successful Back Surgery

March 21st, 2024 at 6:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

6:29pm: Hood-Schifino’s procedure involved a bulging disc in his back being shaved, according to McMenamin (Twitter link). He’s expected to make a full recovery in the offseason.

6:05pm: Lakers rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino underwent successful back surgery on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

Hood-Schifino underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin adds that no timetable for recovery was provided (Twitter link).

While nothing is confirmed, it would be surprising if Hood-Schifino played again this regular season. For what it’s worth, Dwight Howard was given a two-to-three month recovery timeline in 2018 with the Wizards when he suffered a similar injury.

Hood-Schifino hasn’t received much playing time in his rookie season after being selected with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He has also dealt with a handful of injury issues this season. He’s averaging 1.6 points in 5.2 minutes per game across 21 appearances this season.

The first-year guard has played much more at the G League level. In 15 regular season NBAGL games, he averaged 22.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 35.4 minutes per contest and shot 43.2% from three.

It was an uphill battle for Hood-Schifino, still just 20 years old, to claim a rotation spot on a Lakers team fresh off the Western Conference Finals. Fellow youngster Max Christie slightly increased his role with the team in his second season and both players should have an opportunity to keep developing in L.A.’s system this offseason, assuming Christie returns as a restricted free agent.

Kings’ Kevin Huerter Suffers Labral Tear, No Timetable For Return

March 21st, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Kings announced guard Kevin Huerter suffered a left shoulder dislocation and a labral tear in Monday’s game against the Grizzlies, as The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson relays (Twitter link). Treatment options are still being evaluated but there is no timetable for Huerter’s return.

As FOX40 Sacramento’s Sean Cunningham observes (Twitter link), Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is out for the rest of the season with a labral tear. While that might not be the case for Huerter, time is running out for him to make a return with the regular season set to end on April 14. Regardless, it’s a tough blow for the Kings.

Huerter is averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season while shooting 36.1% on three-pointers. He’s a key piece for the 40-28 Kings, having started 59 of his 64 appearances, with an average of 24.4 minutes per contest.

The Kings are in sixth in the Western Conference, just a half-game ahead of the Mavericks and the Suns to avoid the play-in. They’re also 2.0 games behind the Pelicans for fifth in the West. Keon Ellis started in Huerter’s place on Wednesday, recording six points and four steals in a 34-point win over the Raptors.

NBA To Eliminate G League Ignite After 2023/24 Season

March 21st, 2024 at 3:39pm CST by Rory Maher

3:39pm: The league confirmed in a press release that it’s eliminating the G League Ignite at the conclusion of the season, which is March 28.

3:16pm: The NBA plans to shut down the G League Ignite — a team for developmental prospects that was launched in 2020 — after the 2023/24 season concludes, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The news isn’t surprising. Commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA was “in the process of reassessing” the viability of the Ignite at All-Star Weekend last month.

“I’m not sure what the future of Team Ignite will be because before I felt there was a hole in the marketplace we were filling,” Silver said. “Now my focus is turning to earlier development of those players.”

As Charania writes, the program was created as an alternative to college for top pre-draft-eligible prospects at a time when college players were not allowed to be compensated. However, changes to the way the NCAA operates — most notably the name, image and likeness (NIL) policy and the transfer portal — have made the Ignite more or less redundant.

According to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), several NBA teams had questions about why the league was spending money on the Ignite, as well as the end goal for the program.

The Ignite produced four top-10 picks — Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels and Scoot Henderson — and had 10 players drafted over the past three seasons. A pair of current Ignite players, Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis, are projected lottery picks in the upcoming draft, according to ESPN’s big board.

After going just 11-21 last regular season, the Ignite are the worst team in the NBAGL in ’23/24, with a 2-28 regular-season record.

J.B. Bickerstaff Says He Was Threatened By Gamblers

March 20th, 2024 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Meeting with reporters before Wednesday’s game, Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff talked about receiving threats from gamblers last season, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. After Bickerstaff reported the threats to the NBA, one of the people responsible was tracked down, but no charges were filed.

“They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff,” he said. “So it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we’re walking for sure.”

With sports betting now legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia, gambling has never had a more prominent role in the NBA. Withers notes that a sportsbook operates inside the Cavs’ arena, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and fans are able to place bets on their phones during games.

“It brings added pressure,” Bickerstaff said. “It brings a distraction to the game that can be difficult for players, coaches, referees, everybody that’s involved in it. And I think that we really have to be careful with how close we let it get to the game and the security of the people who are involved in it.

“Because again, it does carry a weight. A lot of times the people who are gambling like this money pays their light bill or pay their rent, and then the emotions that come from that. So I do think we’re walking a very fine line and we have to be extremely careful in protecting everybody who’s involved.”

The question of whether gambling has become too pervasive in the NBA crops up occasionally, most recently when Minnesota center Rudy Gobert received a technical for making a “money” gesture at officials after fouling out of a game at Cleveland earlier this month. Gobert accused the referees of letting gambling concerns influence their calls and was fined $100K for his comments.

Bickerstaff didn’t pursue that route, but he said the influence of betting has “crossed the line.”

“The amount of times where I’m standing up there and we may have a 10-point lead and the spread is 11 and people are yelling at me to leave the guys in so that we can cover the spread, it’s ridiculous,” he said. “But again, I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it. But I mean, it is something that I believe has gone too far.”

Lore, Rodriguez Move Closer To Finalizing Purchase Of Wolves

March 20th, 2024 at 5:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have submitted the financial documentation necessary to complete the purchase of a majority stake in the Timberwolves, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The move comes after a report this morning that sale proceedings were disrupted when the Carlyle Group chose to withdraw. Lore and Rodriguez were able to replace the firm with Dyal Capital Partners, according to Charania’s sources.

Lore and Rodriguez have a March 27 deadline to make the final payment for a 40% share of equity that will enable them to replace Glen Taylor as lead owners of the franchise as well as the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Taylor will retain a minority share in both teams, while the group led by Lore and Rodriguez controls 80% of the franchises.

The NBA still must give its approval to the new ownership structure, and Charania says it’s uncertain how long that might take.

Since 2021, Lore and Rodriguez have been involved in the purchase of the Wolves for $1.5 billion on a multi-phase payment plan. They have made two payments so far — giving them a 20% stake each time, for a total of 40%.

They exercised their option in December for the final 40% of the purchase, Charania adds. That began a 90-day window to submit the required documents and commitment letters to finalize the deal.

The Carlyle Group had planned to commit $300MM before pulling out of the sale, per Charania’s sources. The private equity firm couldn’t adhere to some NBA requirements for investors, so there was a mutual agreement for Carlyle to withdraw.

Lore and Rodriguez were quickly able to reach out to Dyal to take the firm’s place, notes Charania, who adds that the company’s ownership group includes Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Charania points out that Lore and Rodriguez have already made an impact on the Wolves during their time as minority owners and played a significant role in recruiting Tim Connelly away from Denver to serve as Minnesota’s president of basketball operations.

Pistons Rule Out Thompson, Stewart For Remainder Of Season

March 20th, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons will go without their starting forwards the remainder of the season, according to a team press release.

Lottery pick Ausar Thompson is being treated for a blood clot. He has been cleared to resume conditioning and will begin non-contact basketball activities at the conclusion of the regular season with a gradual ramp-up over the summer months. He’s expected to be fully healthy for the start of next season.

Isaiah Stewart suffered a right hamstring strain during the third quarter of Monday’s contest at Boston. He won’t recover in time for the season finale, per the team.

Thompson hasn’t played since March 9. The team had listed him as out due to an unspecified illness in recent contests. The No. 5 pick of last year’s draft was in and out of Monty Williams’ rotation but had received steady playing time since the trade deadline.

Noted for his defensive prowess and athleticism, Thompson averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a team-high 1.1 steals in 25.1 minutes per contest. He appeared in 63 games, including 38 starts. Thompson’s main issue was his perimeter shooting — he made just 18.6% of his 3-point attempts.

Stewart’s season was marred by a three-game league suspension for striking Phoenix’s Drew Eubanks during a pregame altercation prior to the All-Star break. He also missed a chunk of games due to toe and ankle ailments.

Stewart, who received a four-year extension last offseason, started all but one of the 46 games he played this season. He averaged 10.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.9 minutes per night. He also displayed a much-improved 3-point shot (38.3%).

Isaiah Thomas Signs 10-Day Deal With Suns

March 20th, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 20: The signing is official, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.

MARCH 16: The Suns will add former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas on a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 35-year-old guard recently joined the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League in hopes of landing another NBA opportunity. He showed he still has his scoring touch, averaging 32.5 points in four games while shooting 45% from three-point range.

Thomas will provide another veteran scorer with playoff experience for a Phoenix team that’s locked in a tight race to avoid the play-in tournament. The Suns entered tonight percentage points behind Sacramento for the sixth spot and one game ahead of eighth-place Dallas.

The 11-year veteran has been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, when he made brief appearances with the Lakers and Mavericks before ending the year with the Hornets.

Thomas was an All-Star with Boston in 2015/16 and ’16/17 before suffering a right hip injury that derailed his career. He bounced around the league after that, and most of his recent stops have been on 10-day contracts.

Phoenix plays in Milwaukee at noon Central time on Sunday and has a three-day break before its next game, so it’s unclear whether or not Thomas will sign his new deal right away. If his contract begins when the team returns home on Wednesday, he would be eligible for six games over the following 10 days. A second 10-day deal would take him close to the end of the season, but the Suns would have to give him a standard contract to make him eligible for the playoffs.

Phoenix has a roster opening, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary to make room for Thomas, who will earn $183,704 over the course of his 10 days with the team. The Suns will take on a cap hit of $116,075.

Pistons Sign Chimezie Metu To 10-Day Contract

March 20th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have signed big man Chimezie Metu to a 10-day contract, according to a team press release.

Metu, who will turn 27 on Friday, appeared in 37 games (five starts) for the Suns this season and averaged 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 12.1 minutes per contest. He signed with Phoenix last offseason on a one-year, minimum-salary deal after spending the previous three seasons with the Kings.

Phoenix dealt him to the Grizzlies just before the trade deadline and Memphis quickly waived him.

The Pistons have an open roster spot, so they didn’t need to make a corresponding move to create room for Metu, who has appeared in 246 career games (31 starts) for San Antonio, Sacramento and Phoenix. The No. 49 overall pick in the 2018 draft, the sixth-year forward/center holds career averages of 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

Metu will earn a salary of $134,863 over the course of his 10 days with the Pistons, who will take on a cap hit of $116,075.

Groups Announced For 2024 Paris Olympics

March 19th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

A group draw was held on Tuesday for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, per Maggie Hendricks of Olympics.com. Eight teams have already secured spots in the 12-team tournament, while four others will need to advance via Olympic qualifying tournaments in early July. The Olympics will open in late July.

Each team’s world ranking is in parentheses (courtesy of FIBA.basketball).

Group A

Australia (5)
Canada (7)
Winner of OQT in Spain
- Note: Spain (2), Poland (15), Finland (20), Lebanon (28), Angola (34), or Bahamas (57).
Winner of OQT in Greece
- Note: Slovenia (11), Greece (14), Dominican Republic (19), New Zealand (21), Croatia (30), or Egypt (40).

Group B

Germany (3)
France (9)
Japan (26)
Winner of OQT in Latvia
- Note: Latvia (6), Brazil (12), Montenegro (17), Georgia (23), Philippines (37), or Cameroon (68).

Group C

United States (1)
Serbia (4)
South Sudan (33)
Winner of OQT in Puerto Rico
- Note: Lithuania (10), Italy (13), Puerto Rico (16), Mexico (25), Ivory Coast (31), or Bahrain (67).

Each team plays three games during the group stage (once vs. every group opponent), and the top-two finishers from each group — plus the two best third-place finishers — will qualify to the quarterfinals, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, Team USA will be seeking its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball, though the Americans failed to medal at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. Several marquee names have already committed to playing, but the roster has yet to be finalized or officially announced.

Serbia (Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, more) won the silver medal at last summer’s World Cup without Nikola Jokic and could have the MVP frontrunner on its roster at the Olympics. Germany (Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, more) went undefeated in winning the 2023 World Cup and will face host country France (Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, more), which won silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, in Group B.

Group A should be extremely competitive. Australia (Patty Mills, Josh Giddey, more) claimed the bronze medal in Tokyo and Canada (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, more) won bronze at the last World Cup. The two qualifying tournaments in that group will be interesting to monitor as well, with a handful of star players potentially suiting up for several different countries, most notably Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece).