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Bucks Dismiss Head Coach Adrian Griffin

January 23rd, 2024 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

2:46pm: The Bucks have made it official, announcing in a press release that Griffin has been dismissed from his position with the team and that Prunty will serve as the interim head coach.

“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”

1:43pm: The Bucks are making a head coaching change, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is dismissing Adrian Griffin.

It’s a shocking turn of events for a Bucks team whose 30-13 record is tied for second-best in the NBA, and for Griffin, who was in his first year as a head coach, having been hired by Milwaukee last June. The former Raptors assistant reportedly had the support of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo at the time of his hiring.

Still, while the Bucks have an excellent record and the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (120.6), the club’s defensive performance has fallen off sharply under Griffin. Milwaukee’s 116.8 defensive rating ranks 22nd in the league; last season, the team had the NBA’s fourth-best defense.

Setting aside the Bucks’ defensive struggles – which can be partly attributed to personnel changes, including losing perimeter stopper Jrue Holiday – it hasn’t all been smooth sailing in Milwaukee so far this season.

Griffin’s top assistant coach, Terry Stotts, unexpectedly and abruptly stepped down from his position just before the regular season began; Antetokounmpo and Griffin had a heated on-court disagreement in November; and Bobby Portis reportedly challenged the head coach during a locker-room meeting following December’s in-season tournament semifinal loss to Indiana.

According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), there have been “steady rumblings” in NBA circles in recent weeks that multiple Bucks veterans, including Giannis, had been losing faith in the first-time head coach.

We’ll likely hear more details in the coming hours or days about why the Bucks felt the need to make a change, but the move feels reminiscent of the 30-11 Cavaliers replacing David Blatt during the 2015/16 season. In that instance, the team recognized that things weren’t quite right with Blatt at the helm and made a move in the hopes of increasing its championship upside — Cleveland won the title a few months later.

Griffin will exit his first head coaching job with the fourth-best winning percentage (.698) in NBA history, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (via Twitter). Bucks assistant Joe Prunty is expected to take over as Milwaukee’s head coach on an interim basis, reports Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), this will be the third time that Prunty has taken over as an interim head coach during a season. He also did so in Milwaukee following the firing of Jason Kidd in 2018 and last season in Atlanta after Nate McMillan was let go.

Prunty likely won’t be the long-term answer on the Bucks’ bench though. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links) both say that Doc Rivers is a strong contender for the permanent job, while Wojnarowski tweets that Milwaukee is expected to look at a pool of “accomplished and available” veteran coaches, including Rivers.

The Bucks’ next game is on Wednesday at home vs. the Cavaliers.

Hornets Trade Rozier To Heat For Lowry, First-Round Pick

January 23rd, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

1:30pm: The trade is official, according to announcements from both the Hornets and Heat.

“I want to thank Terry for all his efforts since coming to Charlotte,” Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “On the court, he was a true professional and a great competitor who set a positive example for our young players. He also made himself a staple of the Charlotte community with his commitment to giving back. We wish him all the best in the future.

“The acquisition of a future first-round pick provides us an asset as we look to build long-term sustainable success around our young core of talented players. We believe adding this future pick and the additional financial flexibility from this trade will be beneficial as we continue to build our team moving forward.”

9:13am: The Hornets are trading guard Terry Rozier to the Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and Miami’s 2027 first-round pick, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) that the two teams were closing in on a deal.

The 2027 first-rounder will be lottery protected, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). If it lands in the top 14 of the ’27 draft, the Heat would keep it and would instead send the Hornets their unprotected 2028 first-round pick, Fischer adds.

Rozier is in the midst of a career year. His 23.2 points and 6.6 assists per game through 30 appearances (35.5 MPG) are both career highs, as is his 45.9% field goal percentage.

While the 29-year-old has played a key role in Charlotte in recent years – starting all 298 games he has played for the team since 2019 – the 10-31 Hornets are far from contention, so it makes sense for the team to move on from him and recoup future assets.

Fischer reported last week that Rozier had a “known preference” to end up in Miami if he were to be traded this season. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Rozier’s favorite player growing up was Heat star Dwyane Wade.

The Heat have had a solid first half despite dealing with injuries to several starters and rotation players — they currently sit in a tie for the sixth seed in the East, with a 24-19 record. Still, the club could use the sort of offensive punch that Rozier will provide. Miami’s 113.4 offensive rating ranks just 20th in the NBA and 10th among Eastern teams.

Rozier is earning approximately $23.2MM this season, while Lowry is on a $29.7MM expiring contract, so the deal will save the Heat a substantial chunk of money in the short term. In addition to trimming its 2023/24 team salary, Miami will reduce its projected luxury tax bill by approximately $15MM and will move well below the second tax apron, as cap experts Yossi Gozlan and Bobby Marks observe (Twitter links).

The move will add some money to the Heat’s books in future seasons, however. Whereas Lowry will reach free agency this offseason, Rozier is owed $24.9MM in 2024/25, and his $26.6MM cap hit for ’25/26 features a significant partial guarantee ($24.9MM).

The Hornets, meanwhile, will create some cap flexibility for future seasons by moving Rozier’s multiyear deal for Lowry’s expiring contract. As Gozlan points out (via Twitter), the team could generate approximately $45MM in cap room this summer.

However, Charlotte likely isn’t done dealing and remains in asset accumulation mode, as Wojnarowski tweets. Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington, and Gordon Hayward are among the other veteran candidates on the Hornets’ roster. Additionally, the front office is expected to see if it can flip Lowry in another trade before the February 8 deadline, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Lowry won’t have positive trade value on his own, but his expiring money may appeal to a team looking to move off a player on a multiyear deal. The Hornets could potentially extract an asset or two if they’re willing to take back an unwanted contract.

If no trade emerges for Lowry, he’d be a buyout candidate after the trade deadline. Because his salary is above the mid-level exception, the 37-year-old wouldn’t be permitted to sign with a team whose salary is above either tax apron. He’d also be ineligible to return to Miami.

It’s worth noting that the Heat owe a lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City and can’t leave themselves without first-rounders in consecutive drafts, due to the Stepien rule. So if that ’25 pick lands in the lottery, Miami would owe the Thunder an unprotected 2026 first-round selection and would send Charlotte its unprotected 2028 first-rounder.

The Heat will create a $6,477,319 trade exception in the swap — that’s the difference between Lowry’s outgoing salary and Rozier’s incoming cap charge.

Former Rocket Kevin Porter Jr. Reaches Plea Deal

January 23rd, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was arrested in September following an altercation with his then-girlfriend, ex-WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, reached a plea deal in a Manhattan court on Tuesday, according to reports from ESPN and Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle.

Accused of assaulting Gondrezick in a New York hotel, Porter was originally charged with felony counts of assault and strangulation. He ultimately agreed to reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, as well as harassment in the second degree, which is considered a violation.

If Porter completes a court-ordered 26-week counseling session program and abides by a restraining order, he’ll be able to withdraw his plea to the assault charge in one year.

“The resolution will allow Mr. Porter to put this incident, which involved false felony allegations and false facts, behind him with no criminal record and move forward,” Porter’s lawyers said in a statement.

Several weeks after Porter’s arrest in September, Gondrezick disputed Manhattan prosecutors’ characterization of the incident that took place on September 11, telling Priscilla DeGregory and Emily Crane of The New York Post that Porter “never balled his fists up and hit me” and “definitely didn’t punch me in the face numerous times.”

A second-degree assault charge against Porter was dropped at that time after it was determined that Gondrezick’s vertebra fracture was a congenital defect and not caused by the former Rocket.

“It happened very fast, not to the degree of what was reported,” Gondrezick said of the altercation. “And it was an argument that occurred in the room for not even 10 seconds.”

Porter was asked not to report to the Rockets for training camp following his arrest and was eventually traded to the Thunder, who waived him. He has been an unrestricted free agent since then.

In cases like these, the NBA typically waits for the legal process to play out before conducting its own investigation and making a decision on a potential suspension for the player, so Porter can probably expect to hear from the league at some point.

The 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Porter was Houston’s starting point guard last season, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game across 59 appearances. He posted a shooting line of .442/.366/.784.

While I wouldn’t expect NBA teams to aggressively pursue the 23-year-old now that his case has been resolved, he’s a candidate to land a new contract later in 2024 due to his performance on the court. Still, it’s worth noting that Porter’s tenure with the Cavaliers – his first NBA team – also came to an end due to concerns about his off-court behavior, so it’s safe to assume any potential suitor will do plenty of background work before deciding whether to offer him a deal.

Cavs’ Tristan Thompson Suspended For 25 Games

January 23rd, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson has been suspended for 25 games by the NBA, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

According to the NBA, Thompson violated the terms of the league’s anti-drug program by testing positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033. Both drugs are on the list of prohibited substances in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, under the “steroids and performance enhancing drugs” section.

Under the current CBA, a 25-game ban is the standard for a player who tests positive for a SPED and hasn’t been suspended for a past violation.

Thompson, 32, spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Cleveland from 2011-20, winning a championship with the franchise in 2016. After bouncing around the league in recent years, he rejoined the Cavaliers as a free agent this past September, signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

Thompson has played regular minutes as Cleveland’s backup center behind Jarrett Allen this season, averaging 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game across 36 appearances.

With Thompson unavailable and Evan Mobley still sidelined due to a knee injury, the Cavs may turn to center Damian Jones for rotation minutes. Jones has seen some action in recent weeks, albeit almost exclusively in garbage time. Two-way player Isaiah Mobley – Evan’s brother – is another frontcourt option, but he has only appeared in three NBA games this season.

The suspension will cost Thompson more than $726K of his $3,196,448 salary — he’ll forfeit 1/110th of his salary per game. Cleveland will be able to move him to the suspended list after five games, opening up another spot on the 15-man roster until he’s eligible to be reinstated.

Pacers’ Haliburton Out For At Least Three More Games

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers will be without their star point guard for at least three more games, according to the team, which announced this morning (via Twitter) that Tyrese Haliburton will be unavailable vs. Denver (on Tuesday), Philadelphia (Thursday), and Phoenix (Friday) before being reevaluated on Saturday.

Haliburton missed five games due to a left hamstring strain earlier this month. He beat his projected recovery timeline by returning to action on Friday in Portland, but was ruled out for Sunday’s contest in Phoenix and will now remain on the shelf for a few more games due to what the club is calling left hamstring injury management.

It’s an unfortunate setback for the Pacers, who are in the midst of the Eastern Conference playoff race (they’re tied for sixth at 24-19) and are looking to establish chemistry with a revamped lineup that features newly acquired forward Pascal Siakam.

It’s also a potentially significant financial development for Haliburton, whose five-year, maximum-salary extension would increase in value by a projected $41MM if he makes an All-NBA team this season. As we outlined over the weekend, Haliburton would receive a starting salary worth 30% of next season’s cap – instead of 25% – if he earns All-NBA honors, but he’ll have to appear in at least 65 games to qualify.

By the time he’s reevaluated on Saturday, Haliburton will have missed 12 games this season. Additionally, he logged just 13 minutes in a 13th game, so it won’t count toward his 65-game minimum. That means he’d become ineligible for All-NBA consideration if he misses five more games after this Friday’s contest.

With Haliburton unavailable, the Pacers figure to continue leaning more heavily on T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin for ball-handling and play-making responsibilities.

Heat Exploring Kyle Lowry Trades

January 22nd, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Accomplished veteran Kyle Lowry is a natural trade candidate for the Heat due to his declining production and $29.7MM expiring contract. While he has been involved in countless rumors over the years, including the past year-plus with Miami, Lowry’s name hasn’t popped up in many reports during the 2023/24 season to this point.

However, Miami “continues” to discuss the 37-year-old point guard in potential trades, sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. That implies the Heat either restarted or perhaps never stopped exploring Lowry deals.

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) goes a step further, suggesting that Lowry’s time in Miami “appears to be” nearing its end. Winderman says a resolution to Lowry’s situation is “not only expected” by next month’s trade deadline, it could occur as early as this week.

Lowry started his first 35 games this season, but he was moved to the bench for Friday’s loss vs. Atlanta and that continued for Sunday’s defeat to Orlando. Miami has dropped three straight games and is currently the No. 6 seed in the East with a 24-19 record.

According to Winderman, Lowry was granted permission to travel away from the team after Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors in Toronto. Lowry played nine seasons with the Raptors, making six All-Star teams and helping Toronto win its first title in 2019. But he got caught in bad weather and was late returning to Miami on Friday, leaving his status against the Hawks uncertain — and opening the door for a lineup change. Head coach Erik Spoelstra started Caleb Martin in Lowry’s place.

“We are not where we want to be,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “That’s not an indictment on one player. Kyle has been great as a starter and really impactful last year off the bench. So this really isn’t about him. This is about us trying to get to a higher level on both ends of the court, but also offensively. Combinations do matter, rotations do matter, lineups that bring out the best in each other do matter. And I’m still in the process of trying to help the team figure that out.”

Lowry’s overall numbers are solid, if unspectacular. He has averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.1 SPG on .426/.385/.833 shooting in 28.0 MPG through 37 games, but his usage rate is a career low 13.3% and his counting stats have all dropped considerably, Chiang notes. Lowry is 0-for-17 from three-point range over the past five games, averaging just 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 3.6 APG in 25.7 MPG over that span.

For his part, Lowry didn’t exactly sound thrilled with the demotion, but said he was trying to make the best of it.

“For me as a professional, of course I’m disappointed to have to adjust,” Lowry said after going 1-for-9 in 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday. “But I haven’t played well in the last couple weeks and I understand that coach has made a decision to try to move and shake some things and get in a different flow. So as a professional, of course it’s an adjustment. But I have to make it and figure out how to help the team win.”

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes (via Twitter), the big question is whether the Heat will be willing to take on a multiyear contract in exchange for Lowry’s expiring deal. Doing so would likely put them deep into luxury tax territory in the coming years, which would hurt their roster flexibility due to restrictions from the second tax apron. Still, the Heat could make future trades to shed salary in that scenario, Jackson notes.

Zach LaVine To Miss At Least 1-2 Weeks With Ankle Sprain

January 19th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls guard Zach LaVine is expected to be sidelined for at least one-to-two weeks after sustaining a right ankle sprain on Thursday vs. Toronto, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Bulls officially confirmed that LaVine will miss at least a week, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

After exiting to the locker room when he initially suffered the injury in the third quarter, LaVine returned to the bench and tried to play through it for a few minutes in the fourth, but was hampered. Further testing on Friday revealed the sprain, says Charania.

It’s an unfortunate setback for the two-time All-Star, who missed 17 games earlier this season with a right foot injury and only returned to action two weeks ago. Now, he’ll be out at least another week or two with an injury on the same foot.

LaVine has been one of the more prominent players mentioned in trade rumors this season, though the three years and $138MM remaining on his contract beyond this season have reportedly suppressed his market value. The fact that he’s injured again just a few weeks before the February 8 deadline almost certainly won’t help matters on that front, either.

When Chicago was struggling early in the season, LaVine faced criticism for his perceived selfish play and that only intensified when the Bulls played pretty well without him (they were 10-7).

However, they’re 5-2 since LaVine returned to the lineup on January 5, with the 28-year-old playing far more of a complementary offensive role in averaging 15.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 5.3 APG on .487/.390/.810 shooting in that span. For context, LaVine has averaged 25.1 points on 18.6 field goal attempts per game over the past five seasons, compared to 15.6 points on 11.1 shots over the past seven games.

With LaVine out, players like Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter and Patrick Williams could receive more minutes. It’s worth noting, however, that Williams is dealing with a right ankle issue himself and head coach Billy Donovan said it could be an injury that lingers for the rest of the season, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Pacers Sign James Johnson To 10-Day Contract

January 19th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pacers have re-signed veteran forward James Johnson, but this time he’ll receive a 10-day contract instead of a rest-of-season deal, the team announced in a press release.

Indiana waived Johnson a couple days ago in order to create roster space to acquire fourth-year guard Kira Lewis, who was immediately flipped to Toronto as a salary-matching piece for two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam.

The Pacers had two open 15-man roster spots after sending out three players (Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora were the others) for Siakam — one of those spots will be going to Johnson.

The move was expected, as Tony East of SI.com reported shortly after Johnson was released that the team planned to bring him back if he cleared waivers.

Inking Johnson to a 10-day contract will give Indiana roster flexibility in the event of more trades ahead of the February 8 deadline. As our tracker shows, the 15-year veteran is the sixth player to sign a 10-day deal this season.

Technically, the Pacers are paying Johnson twice right now, as his previous contract was guaranteed after he remained on the roster through the cut-down deadline earlier this month. The dead money cap hit for that deal is about $1.4MM.

Johnson, who has played for 10 different NBA teams, averaged 4.8 minutes per game across five appearances in 2023/24. The 36-year-old played 18 games for the Pacers last season.

His on-court contributions have been modest the past two seasons, but clearly the Pacers value Johnson’s leadership and professionalism, which is why they keep bringing him back.

Christian Koloko Facing Career-Threatening Blood Clot Issue

January 18th, 2024 at 6:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Raptors center Christian Koloko has a blood clot issue that is threatening his basketball career, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

According to Charania, the NBA told teams today that Koloko was referred to the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel, which means he is unable to play or practice in the league until he is cleared.

Koloko was waived by the Raptors yesterday following the Pascal Siakam trade and Charania says there is no shortage of teams who were interested in acquiring him before learning of this development.

The NBA’s Fitness-to-Play panel helps deal with and determine options for players with potentially life-threatening injuries or conditions.

Koloko had a promising rookie season in 2022/23 after being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 draft. Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri spoke highly of Koloko on Thursday and said he saw the former Arizona center as part of Toronto’s future.

Recurring issues with blood clots forced former NBA players like Chris Bosh and Mirza Teletovic into early retirement in the past. Other players – including Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram – have been able to resume their careers following a single occurrence of a blood clot.

Our best wishes go out to Koloko and we hope he is able to enjoy a happy, healthy and fulfilling life and career.

Raptors’ Ujiri: More Trades “Definitely” Possible

January 18th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors have made a pair of blockbuster trades in the past few weeks, dealing away longtime veteran forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam for packages centered on young players and draft picks, respectively. They also acquired a valuable role player in swingman Bruce Brown, who is on a pseudo-expiring $22MM contract (2024/25 is a team option for $23MM).

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Raptors vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri said more trades are “definitely” a possibility ahead of the February 8 deadline, as Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca relays (via Twitter). In particular, Ujiri highlighted shooting and flexibility as areas of emphasis, Murphy adds.

In a Twitter thread, Murphy passes along several noteworthy comments from Ujiri’s press conference addressing the trades, his close relationship with Siakam, the team’s plans for the future, and much more.

According to Murphy, Ujiri was “clearly quite emotional” when discussing the moves, which he called “incredibly difficult.”

“These things happen but that one is close to me,” he said. “I hate to go on this little rant, but what I think of the world globally, and what these guys represent, and where I come from, where they come from, it’s meant a lot to me. … Trust me, we’ve analyzed this in every single way.”

“Two African guys that won a championship, I share that with him,” Ujiri said of Siakam (Twitter video link via The Shift). “ … Again, I say to you guys, that guy’s success is my success no matter where he is.”

Ujiri wanted to give the previous roster as much time as it could, but it was trending in the wrong direction. He also cited free agency — both Anunoby and Siakam can be unrestricted free agents this summer — and a desire to get younger around Scottie Barnes as key factors in the moves, per Murphy.

Here’s more from Ujiri’s lengthy press conference:

Ujiri had nothing but praise for how Siakam carried himself and performed over the past year while dealing with trade rumors, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “He handled it perfectly,” Ujiri said of Siakam. “I give him 100 out of 100. It has to be difficult, and I said that to him. … Nothing stopped him from coming to work everyday and trying to be the best he could be while he performed. We truly respect that.” However, Ujiri says he regrets how he handled things on his end during the offseason, Lewenberg adds (via Twitter). “I think the lines of communication in the summer were not that great. That part I’m not particularly proud of,” Ujiri said, adding that he apologized to Siakam.
When asked if he regretted not making more trades last season, Ujiri said he didn’t, citing a desire to give the 2022/23 team more chances to succeed. He also doesn’t second-guess himself about last year’s trade for Jakob Poeltl. “When you trade a first-round pick for a starting center in the NBA, in our business and for us, it’s good — for now and for the future,” Ujiri said, per Lewenberg (Twitter link). “I’m not going to sit here and cry over spilled milk. If it was a mistake, it was a mistake, but it was good value for us.”
Regarding Christian Koloko, whom the Raptors waived to create roster space for the latest deal, Ujiri said his medical status was in the hands of the NBA. Koloko has yet to play this season due to a respiratory issue. “We’ve exhausted all our options there,” Ujiri said (Twitter link via Murphy) “I can’t comment on particulars. It’s really unfortunate. … He was someone we really believed in. Incredible talent. We saw as the future of this team.“
The Raptors could have four picks in the 2024 draft, depending on what happens with their own first-rounder (it will be sent to San Antonio as part of the Poeltl deal if it lands outside the top six). They acquired the Pistons’ second-round pick in the Anunoby deal, plus two more 2024 first-rounders from Indiana that are projected to be in the latter portion of what’s considered a weak draft class. Ujiri “strongly doubts” that the Raptors will actually keep all of those picks, tweets Murphy.

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