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Kuminga Says He Hopes To Be “Warrior For Life”

March 15th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Less than two-and-a-half months after a report stated that he had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga said this week during the latest episode of the Dubs Talk podcast that he wants to remain in Golden State for the rest of his career, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“I would love to just be one of the Warriors for life – and just never change,” Kuminga said, indicating that he’d like to follow in the footsteps of teammates Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, as well as his all-time favorite player, Kobe Bryant.

“When I look at those three people – Steph and Klay and Draymond – and I look at their pictures in the practice facility every day, I’m like, ‘This is where I want to be.’ I want to be right there.” Kuminga said, according to Poole. “I want to play here my whole life.

“You don’t choose and control where you want to be, but that’s the goal. That’s where I want to be. I want my name hanging next to those guys one day. And, you know, anywhere you get drafted, you always have love for the places you get drafted. And, obviously, I got drafted here. The people are great. They always take care of me. They’re always helping me grow as a person.

“… Obviously, my favorite player (Bryant) was a Laker for life,” he added. “So, obviously, I would love to be a Warrior for life.”

It’s a fascinating turnaround from earlier in the year for Kuminga, whose future with the Warriors appeared to be in doubt when that report about his frustration with his role surfaced in early January. He and Kerr subsequently had a one-on-one meeting to talk things out, and the 21-year-old has played a bigger role in the months since then.

In his past 28 games, Kuminga has averaged 20.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 30.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .551/.393/.793. Looking back on where things stood before his recent breakout, the 2021 lottery pick explained during his Dubs Talk appearance that he never wanted to leave the Warriors but that he believed he had earned a chance to play more consistent minutes.

“I did not lose faith of being here; it’s not what I said,” Kuminga said. “It was just definitely to a point where I felt like I need to be (on the court). I felt like I could help. I felt like there was just so much left on the table where I felt like me and the young guys could go out there and help Steph, Klay and Draymond.

“… It was just me trying to go out there and just find a way to play. Find a way to be on the floor. Find a way to help every young guy get their chance. And as you see every young guy getting a chance, including me, we are doing the things that we were supposed to be doing. We’re not going to help every day. We’re not going to win every day. But as you gain that experience, you’re going out there and just helping as much as we can.”

Besides Kuminga, rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis have seen regular playing time for the Warriors this season, while fellow ’21 lottery pick Moses Moody is also averaging a career high in minutes per game.

Kuminga is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract, so he’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension in July. Two or three months ago, it was unclear whether Golden State would pursue a new deal with the young forward this offseason, but it seems relatively safe to assume now that the team will make a strong effort to lock him up long-term.

If he and the Warriors don’t agree to an extension by the start of the 2024/25 season, Kuminga will be eligible for restricted free agency during the summer of 2025.

RJ Barrett Away From Raptors Due To Death Of Brother

March 14th, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Tristan Tucker

RJ Barrett is presently away from the Raptors as he deals with the death of his younger brother, Nathan Tyler Barrett, Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reports (Twitter link). He had been listed as out for Wednesday’s game against Detroit due to personal reasons.

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the loss of our beloved son and brother, Nathan Tyler Barrett, who passed away on Tuesday, March 12, surrounded by his family, church and friends,” a statement from the Barrett family reads. “While our family is devastated by this great loss, we will continue to cherish the memories and time spent together. Nathan was a God-fearing young man of strong character. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, compassionate, creative, admirable, and driven.

“During this difficult time, our family would like to ask for privacy but greatly appreciates the outpouring of love, support, and prayers that we have been receiving. Though his time with us was brief, he will live forever in our hearts.”

RJ Barrett, who was traded from New York to Toronto in the OG Anunoby deal in December, has played very well for his hometown team, averaging 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 33.7 minutes per game across 27 appearances, with a shooting line of .553/.417/.592. It’s unclear how long he might be away from the Raptors.

Our best wishes and condolences go out to the Barrett family.

Ben Simmons Undergoes Second Back Surgery

March 14th, 2024 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons underwent a successful microscopic partial discectomy on Thursday to alleviate the nerve impingement in his lower left back, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

The former No. 1 overall pick is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp in the fall, the club added.

This is the second time Simmons has undergone back surgery in the past two years. His first surgery, a microdiscectomy back in May 2022, was to alleviate the pain and symptoms from a herniated disc on the right side of his spine.

A former three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive team member who also made the All-NBA Third Team in 2019/20, Simmons’ career has been derailed by injuries the past few seasons. After a lengthy holdout with Philadelphia, he was traded to Brooklyn in February 2022, but never played for the Nets in 2021/22.

Last season, Simmons averaged 6.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.3 SPG in 42 games (26.3 MPG), later admitting he hadn’t fully recovered from his first back surgery. Entering the ’23/24 campaign, the 27-year-old was far more optimistic, but was limited to just 15 games (23.9 MPG) after sustaining the nerve impingement in early November. He averaged 6.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 5.7 APG in those appearances.

Simmons was officially shut down for the season a week ago, as he was consulting with specialists and considering treatment options for the nerve impingement in his lower back. Obviously, it was decided that undergoing another surgery was the best course of action.

Simmons will be entering the final year of his current maximum-salary contract in ’24/25. He’s on track to earn $40,338,144 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Knicks Sign Diakite To 10-Day Deal, Officially Re-Sign Jeffries

March 14th, 2024 at 10:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have signed forward Mamadi Diakite to a 10-day contract, the team’s PR department tweets. New York also officially signed DaQuan Jeffries to a second 10-day deal, the club announced in a separate tweet.

Diakite became a free agent after the Spurs waived him on March 2. San Antonio had signed Diakite to a two-way deal on New Year’s Day.

Diakite is back in the Knicks’ organization after participating in their training camp last fall and playing for their G League team in Westchester earlier this season. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 30.3 minutes while playing six games for the G League club.

Diakite, 27, went undrafted in 2020 out of Virginia after winning the national championship with the Cavaliers in 2018/19. This is his fourth NBA season — he has played a total of 52 games with Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and San Antonio. He holds career averages of 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.

The Knicks have a roster opening to accommodate Diakite.

New York’s intention to re-sign Jeffries was reported on Wednesday. This is the third separate time Jeffries has been on the Knicks’ roster in 2023/24. He was initially on a standard non-guaranteed contract, but was waived as part of a trade back in late December. Jeffries signed his first 10-day deal with New York this season on February 22.

Draft-And-Stash Prospect Tristan Vukcevic Signs With Wizards

March 13th, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Luke Adams

7:50pm: Vukcevic’s contract with the Wizards is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

9:00am: Vukcevic is on track to sign a multiyear contract with the Wizards, confirms Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’ll be a two-year deal, adds Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

7:55am: Seven-foot center Tristan Vukcevic has agreed to a buyout with KK Partizan, his team in Serbia, according to an announcement from team president Ostoja Mijailovic (Twitter link).

The buyout, which will be split between Partizan and Vukcevic’s former team Real Madrid as a result of a prior arrangement, is reportedly worth in the seven figures and will free up the big man to make the move to the NBA.

Vukcevic, who turned 21 on Monday, was the 42nd overall pick in the 2023 draft. He was selected by the Wizards, with general manager Will Dawkins expressing excitement about the youngster’s upside and lauding his shooting and passing abilities.

Although Vukcevic conveyed a desire last summer to join the team right away, Washington opted to have him spend another season overseas, where he played a very limited role for Partizan in 12 EuroLeague games. However, he impressed in 14 ABA League appearances, averaging 10.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .544/.440/.805.

It’s unclear whether Vukcevic has an NBA deal lined up with the Wizards or whether he’ll take a route similar to the one fellow draft-and-stash prospect Karlo Matkovic took last month with the Pelicans and finish the season with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League. Given the price of Vukcevic’s buyout, signing with the Wizards seems more likely.

Washington has only used a small portion of its mid-level exception so far in 2023/24, so the club could utilize it to sign Vukcevic to a deal that covers up to four years (including the rest of this season). The Wizards opened up a spot on their 15-man roster when R.J. Hampton‘s 10-day contract expired on Tuesday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns Undergoes Knee Surgery

March 12th, 2024 at 4:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a left knee lateral meniscus tear, the team announced in press release. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, the statement adds.

Towns obviously won’t return for the regular season. The reevaluation timeline leaves the door open for Towns to make it back sometime during the postseason, depending on how his rehab goes and how deep a run Minnesota makes.

Towns was diagnosed with the injury after his most recent outing on March 4 against Portland. The Timberwolves have gone 1-2 since Towns was sidelined, sliding to third place in the Western Conference standings.

Towns, whose career has been marred by long-term injuries in recent seasons, averaged 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 60 games this season.

A Grade 3 calf strain limited him to 29 regular season games last season. However, Towns bounced back strongly this season, sitting out only two games until he experienced soreness in his knee.

Naz Reid has averaged 24 points and six rebounds the past three games. The team signed T.J. Warren to a 10-day contract, which expires on Friday, and he’s gotten rotation minutes off the bench with Reid sliding into the starting lineup. Warren is averaging 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per night over the past three games.

Darius Bazley Signs With Jazz

March 12th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 12: Bazley has officially signed with the Jazz and they’ve terminated the 10-day contract of guard Kinsey, according to a team press release.

As we relayed in a separate story, Lofton officially signed his contract with Utah on Monday when the team waived Porter.

MARCH 11: The Jazz will sign Darius Bazley to a three-year, non-guaranteed contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Utah will also add Kenneth Lofton Jr. under the same terms, Wojnarowski tweets.

Bazley, a 23-year-old center/power forward, made a brief NBA appearance last month when he signed a 10-day contract with the Sixers. He saw limited playing time in three games and didn’t receive a second 10-day deal.

Bazley returned to the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, where’s he’s averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in 22 regular season games.

The Jazz will be third team this season for Lofton, a 21-year-old power forward. He began the season in Memphis, where he played on a two-way contract in 2022/23, but he was waived in mid-December after appearing in 15 games.

The Sixers signed him to a two-way contract five days later, but released him at the beginning of March. He’s averaging 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 17 total games this season.

Utah currently has a full roster, but that includes Taevion Kinsey, whose 10-day contract began on Saturday. Kinsey may be released early from that deal, or the Jazz could wait a few days to make the Bazley or Lofton signings official.

Veteran forward Otto Porter, who hasn’t played since being acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, seems likely to be waived to open another roster spot.

Latest On Stephen Curry

March 12th, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

After announcing on Saturday that Stephen Curry would miss at least two games due to his sprained right ankle, the Warriors provided an update on their two-time MVP on Tuesday, issuing a press release (via Twitter) stating that he has been cleared for on-court workouts.

Curry, who injured his ankle last Thursday vs. Chicago, was unavailable for a pair of games vs. the Spurs on Saturday and Monday and has been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Mavericks. According to Golden State, he’s expected to join the team in Los Angeles for practice on Friday and will be reevaluated again following that practice.

After Wednesday’s contest in Dallas, Golden State will be in action on Saturday vs. the Lakers, and it sounds as if Curry might be able to return for that game, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. If that’s the case, it would be great news for the Warriors, who are battling for play-in positioning and currently trail L.A. by one game for the No. 9 seed in the West.

Curry hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks, making just 37.0% of his shots from the field, including 32.8% of his threes, over his past 10 games. However, his season-long numbers remain strong — he has averaged 26.9 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game across 59 starts, with a .449/.407/.920 shooting line.

The 15-year veteran, who will turn 36 this Thursday, needs to play in six more games to be eligible for end-of-season awards, including All-NBA. If he doesn’t return on Saturday in Los Angeles, his next opportunity to play would be in the Bay Area next Monday as the Warriors open a three-game home stand by hosting the Knicks.

Rockets’ Sengun Has Severe Ankle Sprain, Bone Bruise On Knee

March 12th, 2024 at 3:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 12: It’s a Grade 3 right ankle sprain for Sengun, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), who confirms that the big man will be out for several weeks and is unlikely to return this season. The bone bruise isn’t considered as serious as shouldn’t take as long as the ankle to heal, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

MARCH 11: Rockets center Alperen Sengun has a severely sprained ankle and a bone bruise on his right knee, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

All things considered, the news isn’t as bad as it could have been. Sengun escaped a major injury to his knee, though he’s likely done for the season. While that hasn’t been officially determined yet, “significant healing” would have to occur for him to be cleared to play before the end of the season, sources tell Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The Rockets’ regular season finale is April 14 and they’re 4.5 games behind the Warriors for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Sengun underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.

The breakout star big man was taken off the court in a wheelchair with 39.1 seconds remaining the Rockets’ 112-104 victory over Kings Sunday night. Sengun landed awkwardly after contesting a shot in transition by Domantas Sabonis. He immediately grabbed his right knee in agony and put his hands over his face as he was wheeled off the court.

Sengun is averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his third season with the Rockets and is a prime candidate for the Most Improved Player award, even though he fell short of the 65-game minimum required for award eligibility. A player who appears in at least 62 games and then suffers a season-ending injury can retain his eligibility if he appeared in at least 85% of his team’s games and is deemed more likely than not to be sidelined through May 31.

Sengun will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.

With the Rockets’ starting center out, Jock Landale, Jeff Green and Boban Marjanovic could all see a jump in playing time.

Magic, Jamahl Mosley Agree To Four-Year Extension

March 12th, 2024 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

8:35am: The Magic have officially announced Mosley’s contract extension, confirming in a press release that it runs through 2027/28.

“Jamahl and his staff have done a tremendous job not only this season, but since we hired him back in 2021,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “His preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players, and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off. We are very happy to have Jamahl lead the Magic for years to come.”

8:14am: The Magic have agreed to a new long-term contract with Jamahl Mosley, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that Orlando’s head coach is set to sign a four-year extension that will take him through the 2027/28 season.

Mosley, who was hired by the Magic to replace Steve Clifford in 2021, got off to a slow start with a rebuilding Orlando club, leading the team to a 22-60 record in ’21/22. However, he has improved upon that mark in each of the two subsequent seasons.

The Magic went 34-48 last season and are 37-28 so far in ’23/24. Overall, Mosley has a modest 93-136 (.406) record, but he has Orlando on pace to post its highest winning percentage since 2010/11 and well positioned to earn its first playoff berth since 2020.

As Wojnarowski notes, the Magic’s defensive turnaround under Mosley has been impressive. After ranking 26th in defensive rating during Clifford’s final season, the team improved each year under Mosley and is currently fifth in the NBA with a 111.3 defensive rating this season.

Prior to being hired by the Magic, Mosley spent seven years as a Mavericks assistant under Rick Carlisle. He transitioned from playing to coaching in 2005 and began his coaching career with stints in Denver (2005-10) and Cleveland (2010-14).

Mosley’s initial contract with the Magic was reported at the time to be a four-year deal, but it’s possible that fourth year (2024/25) was a team option. Based on Wojnarowski’s reporting, it sounds like the new four-year extension will begin in ’24/25, perhaps replacing that option year.