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NBA Announces Player Pool For 2024 Rising Stars Event

January 30th, 2024 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially revealed the 11 rookies, 10 sophomores, and seven G League players who will take part in the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis next month.

The following players, as voted on by NBA coaching staffs, made the cut:

Rookies

Sophomores

G League Players

As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by former NBA forward Detlef Schrempf. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA and WNBA stars Pau Gasol, Jalen Rose, and Tamika Catchings.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 16 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night.

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NBA Updates Salary Cap Projection For 2024/25

January 30th, 2024 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has informed its teams of a new salary cap estimate for the 2024/25 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the league’s latest projection is for a $141MM cap.

That figure is still tentative, as the actual salary cap for ’24/25 won’t be finalized until the very end of the current league year this summer. Still, the NBA hadn’t issued a projection since last June, so teams now have a more up-to-date estimate to work with.

The salary cap can increase by a maximum of 10% each season and has risen by that amount in each of the past two years. Player agents have been optimistic about another sizable increase for 2024/25 — many of the reported figures for maximum-salary extensions that will go into effect next season have been based on a projected 10% jump.

However, the NBA hasn’t been nearly as bullish in its own formal projections. The league initially forecast a $142MM cap, which would have been about a 4.4% increase over this season’s $136,021,000 cap. A $141MM cap would represent an even more modest increase of 3.66%.

Here’s one example of how the projection will impact the extensions that begin in 2024/25: Jaylen Brown‘s five-year, super-max contract with the Celtics was reported at the time of its signing by many outlets to be worth $304MM, but that estimate was based on a projected 10% increase. If the cap comes in at $141MM, Brown’s deal would actually be worth just over $286MM — still a gigantic payday, obviously, but not the NBA’s first ever $300MM deal, as was suggested by some reporters last July.

If the cap comes in at $141MM, the minimum salary floor would be $126.9MM and the luxury tax line would be approximately $171.3MM. The first apron would come in around $178.7MM and the second apron would be just shy of $189.5MM.

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Knicks Re-Sign Taj Gibson To 10-Day Contract

January 30th, 2024 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

12:17pm: The Knicks have officially confirmed Gibson’s new 10-day contract with the team (Twitter link).

10:17am: Just over three weeks after he was waived by the Knicks, veteran big man Taj Gibson has agreed to return to Tom Thibodeau‘s club. Gibson will sign a 10-day contract with New York, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

A Thibodeau favorite who played for the Knicks from 2019-22, Gibson signed a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract with the team on December 15 and appeared in 10 games, averaging 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per night.

Initially expected to merely provide some frontcourt depth and locker room leadership, the 38-year-old saw more playing time than anticipated due to injuries to centers Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims. However, when Sims got healthy and the Knicks traded for Precious Achiuwa, Gibson once again found himself pushed down the depth chart and was waived on January 7, just before his full-season salary could become guaranteed.

The Knicks have held that 15th roster spot open in recent weeks and once again have a need for frontcourt depth following Julius Randle‘s shoulder injury. Gibson likely won’t immediately step into New York’s rotation, but he’s a veteran whom the coaching staff trusts and can turn to if needed.

Assuming his deal is finalized today, Gibson will be under contract through next Thursday, February 8. He’ll earn a $183,704 salary over the course of his 10-day deal, while New York will carry a $116,075 cap hit.

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Grizzlies Sign Tosan Evbuomwan, Trey Jemison Via Hardship Exceptions

January 30th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

10:15am: The signings are official, the Grizzlies confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

9:52am: The Grizzlies are signing forward Tosan Evbuomwan and center Trey Jemison to 10-day contracts, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

Memphis has a full 15-man standard roster and is actually carrying a 16th man – Matthew Hurt – after having been granted a hardship exception. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the Grizzlies have been granted two additional hardship exceptions, so no cuts will be necessary to accommodate the new additions to the roster.

As we explain in our glossary, an NBA team qualifies for a hardship exception when it has four players unavailable due to injury or illness, assuming those players have missed at least three consecutive games and are expected to remain sidelined for two or more weeks. The Grizzlies have been granted three hardship spots because they have a total of six injured players who meet the criteria: Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia.

Evbuomwan, a rookie, went undrafted out of Princeton in 2023 and spent training camp with the Pistons before being designated as an affiliate player for Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. In 29 games for the Cruise this season, he has averaged 15.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 34.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .559/.347/.731. He’ll get a chance to make his regular season NBA debut in Memphis.

Jemison, meanwhile, had been on a 10-day contract with the Wizards after spending most of the season with the Birmingham Squadron. The rookie big man, who went undrafted out of UAB last June, very briefly saw the floor in two games with Washington before his 10-day deal expired last night.

Well out of the play-in race in the Western Conference and with two of their most important players – Morant and Adams – sidelined for the rest of the season, the Grizzlies are using their hardship exceptions to take a look at some younger players rather than focusing on adding win-now veterans to a depleted roster.

If their deals are finalized today, Evbuomwan and Jemison will remain under contract through next Thursday (February 8). They’ll earn $64,343 apiece during their 10 days with the Grizzlies.

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Cavs’ Darius Garland Plans To Return On Wednesday

January 30th, 2024 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland plans to return to action on Wednesday from the jaw injury that has sidelined him since December 14, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Cleveland will host the Pistons on Wednesday night.

Garland fractured his jaw in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis and was on an all-liquid diet with his jaw wired shut for several weeks as he recovered. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said earlier this month that the star guard was aiming to return before the end of January and was the first to report (subscriber link) that Wednesday was a target date.

Fedor wrote on Monday that “no decisions have been made and there are a few conversations that must take place first” before Garland is cleared to play on Wednesday, but Charania’s reporting suggests the 24-year-old is on track to play vs. Detroit as long as there are no setbacks.

It’s great news for the Cavaliers, who haven’t just been treading water since losing Garland and Evan Mobley to major injuries in mid-December — they’ve been thriving, putting up a 14-4 record without those two starters and then winning Mobley’s first game back on Monday vs. the Clippers.

After an up-and-down start to the season, the Cavs are now 28-16, putting them just a half-game back of the 29-16 Sixers for No. 3 in the East. With Mobley back in action and Garland set to return this week, the club is well positioned to make a push for a top playoff seed in the second half.

Prior to his injury, Garland was averaging 20.7 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in 34.0 minutes per night across 20 appearances (all starts). He was also shooting a career-best 47.0% from the floor.

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Anthony Edwards Rips Officiating After Win Over Thunder

January 30th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves picked up a big victory on Monday in a battle between two of the top teams in the Western Conference, defeating the Thunder in Oklahoma City by a score of 107-101. According to Wolves star Anthony Edwards, Minnesota got the win despite a “terrible” performance from the game’s referees.

“I’m going to take the fine, because the refs did not give us no calls tonight,” Edwards said on the Timberwolves’ television broadcast after the game, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Edwards continued to criticize the officiating after heading to the locker room, bringing it up without prompting during a conversation with MacMahon.

“The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible. We was playing 8-on-5,” said Edwards, who felt he deserved far more than the four free throws he received. “The cat got their tongue tonight, so it’s all good. It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”

Following a January 20 home loss to Oklahoma City, Edwards griped about the whistle that All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was getting, telling reporters at the time that “you can’t touch him any time of the game” and adding that it was difficult to beat the Thunder “when they’re getting calls like that.”

As MacMahon notes, Gilgeous-Alexander went to the foul line 16 times on Monday, shooting one more free throw than the 15 Minnesota attempted as a team. Edwards referred to the Thunder star as “super good,” but suggested that he was benefiting from fouls that weren’t being called both ways.

“I haven’t earned (referees’ respect) yet, so it’s OK,” Edwards said. “But I think tonight was bad from the refs. It was terrible. We didn’t get no calls as a team. I got fouled multiple times, and I’m walking up to the ref telling him, ‘Hey, can you watch this?’ They just shaking their head. Yeah. And then soon somebody come down from their team and get bumped, it’s a foul. So I just feel like it wasn’t a fair game tonight from the jump. And so that’s why I’m super happy we won the game.”

While Edwards was willing to risk a fine from the NBA league office by expressing his frustration after the game, he didn’t let that frustration affect his performance on the court. The Wolves guard scored a team-high 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting in his 40 minutes of action.

“He was poised,” teammate Rudy Gobert said, per MacMahon. “He didn’t get the calls but kept his poise, trusted his teammates and made the right play I think 95% of the time, which is amazing.”

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Dariq Whitehead Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

January 29th, 2024 at 4:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 29: Whitehead underwent surgery on Monday for his stress reaction in his left shin, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. With an expected recovery period of approximately three months, he’ll miss the season but should be a full participant in the offseason development program, Lewis adds.

JANUARY 27: Nets first-round pick Dariq Whitehead will undergo surgery for a stress reaction in his left shin and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, coach Jacque Vaughn announced on Saturday (video link from The New York Post). Vaughn provided an update on Whitehead’s condition in a meeting with reporters before tonight’s game.

“He’s actually going to have season-ending surgery on Monday to address the stress reaction,” Vaughn said, “but all signs and diagnosis and consultation: He’ll miss the rest of this season. And then, gear towards finishing and being ready to complete his career and with us, playing. Meaning that he’s just gonna get through these months of rehab, and look forward to him being back on the floor.”

Whitehead, the 22nd pick in last year’s draft, appeared in just two NBA games this season. He got into 17 combined regular season and Showcase Cup games with the G League’s Long Island Nets, averaging 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per night.

Whitehead underwent foot surgery last offseason that forced him to miss Summer League and training camp. Vaughn refused to speculate on his chances to be healthy enough to play in Las Vegas this summer.

“After the surgery on Monday, we’ll probably have an update on how the surgery went and have some more details for you,” he said.

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James Johnson Signs Second 10-Day Contract With Pacers

January 29th, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Arthur Hill

11:30am: Johnson’s new 10-day contract is official, the Pacers announced (via Twitter).

9:26am: The Pacers will sign veteran forward James Johnson to another 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The signing was confirmed to Wojnarowski by Johnson’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports.

Johnson didn’t see any game action during his first 10-day deal, which expired on Sunday, but he has appeared in five games for Indiana this season with four points, four rebounds and five assists in limited playing time. He signed a standard contract with the Pacers in mid-December after they reached a buyout agreement with Daniel Theis, but was waived on January 17 when the team needed to open a roster spot to complete the Pascal Siakam trade. Johnson rejoined the team two days later upon clearing waivers.

A 15-year NBA veteran, Johnson first came to Indiana before the start of last season. He has appeared in 23 total games during that time, but has mostly served as a veteran leader in the locker room.

Once Johnson’s second 10-day contract becomes official, the Pacers will be back to a 14-man roster, giving them one opening heading into the trade deadline. Teams are limited to two 10-day deals with a player during a season, so Indiana would have to sign Johnson to another standard contract to keep him for the rest of the season.

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Will Barton Signing With CSKA Moscow

January 29th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA guard Will Barton will sign with CSKA Moscow for the rest of the season, according to Eurohoops.

The 33-year-old has been a free agent since finishing last season in Toronto. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 56 total games with the Wizards and Raptors. Barton auditioned for the Warriors and Pelicans in September, but didn’t land a job with either team.

Barton will become the most prominent player to sign in Russia since the beginning of the war with Ukraine in February of 2022, the Eurohoops report notes. He will be limited to VTB League competition because Russian teams are currently sanctioned from the EuroLeague.

“First of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to play for this team,” Barton wrote on the CSKA Moscow website. “I’ve only heard good things about the club and the fans. I’m very glad to have the chance to meet my teammates, coaches, fans, organization and wonderful people from Moscow. I am willing to invest the time and effort to compete and win at a high level. I can’t wait to come and start working.”

The 40th pick in the 2012 draft, Barton played for four teams in 11 NBA seasons, spending most of his time in Denver. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 679 games.

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Julius Randle Expected To Miss Several Weeks, But MRI Reveals No Significant Damage

January 29th, 2024 at 9:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Julius Randle continues to undergo testing for his dislocated right shoulder, but Knicks officials are optimistic that his absence will be “measured in weeks and not months,” sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Initial reviews of an MRI he had this weekend indicate no significant damage, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

A source confirms to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) that there’s hope Randle will be back before the end of the season, but cautions that the diagnosis is “not conclusive” yet, noting that more tests were performed after the MRI. Steve Popper of Newsday tweets that there was an upbeat feeling about Randle at this morning’s shootaround and notes that next month’s All-Star break will give him an additional week to recover without affecting the season.

Surgery hasn’t been ruled out, but the testing so far provides a reason to believe that Randle can recover without it, adds Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Randle suffered the injury on a drive to the basket late in Saturday’s game against Miami. As Jaime Jaquez attempted to draw a change, Randle landed awkwardly with his right arm extended. He headed toward the training staff and was taken to the locker room for X-rays.

Randle has been one of the on-court leaders for the Knicks, who have won 12 of their last 14 games to surge into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Through 46 games, he’s averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per night.

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