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Wizards’ Wes Unseld Jr. Transitioning To Front Office Role

January 25th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

8:44am: Top assistant Brian Keefe will serve as the Wizards’ interim coach for the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). As noted below, the team will conduct a full search for a permanent head coach during the offseason.

7:08am: Wes Unseld Jr. will no longer serve as the head coach of the Wizards, according to the team, which announced in a press release today that Unseld will transition to a front office advisory role.

“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” Wizards president Michael Winger said in a statement. “Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organization, and his vast basketball experience will be an asset to the front office as we progress toward our long-term goals. We are thankful that he will continue his contributions to our organization and community.”

“I am grateful to have served as head coach of the Washington Wizards,” Unseld said. “I look forward to this new opportunity to work toward our organization’s continued progress.”

According to the Wizards, an interim head coach will be named shortly, with the club launching a “comprehensive” search for a new permanent head coach in the offseason.

The son of former Wizards star Wes Unseld Sr., Wes Jr. was hired as the Wizards’ head coach in 2021 after having served as an assistant in Washington, Golden State, Orlando, and Denver from 2005-21. He led the club to a 35-47 record in each of his first two seasons and was off to a 7-36 start in 2023/24, for an overall record of 77-130 (.372). Washington didn’t make the playoffs or the play-in tournament during his tenure.

The Wizards conducted an overhaul of their front office during the 2023 offseason, dismissing former president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard and hiring Winger and general manager Will Dawkins to run the show. With a retooling of the roster also underway, there was a sense that the new executives may want to bring in their own coach and that Unseld’s days on the Wizards’ bench might be numbered.

After losing at home to Minnesota on Wednesday, the Wizards will host the Jazz in the second end of a back-to-back set on Thursday night, so they’ll name an interim coach at some point today.

Unseld is the second head coach to be replaced this season — and this week. The Bucks parted ways with Adrian Griffin on Tuesday.

Lakers Exploring Trades For Murray, Numerous Other Players

January 23rd, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are exploring a number of avenues on the trade market with the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray arguably the biggest name on the wish list, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

Murray would give the club some much-needed playmaking and speed out of the backcourt. The fact that Murray is making $18.2MM this season before his four-year, $114MM extension kicks in could provide an additional bonus. The Lakers could engineer a two-for-one swap and shave some money off their luxury tax bill in the process.

However, the Lakers continue to resist including Austin Reaves in a potential deal. The Hawks recently inquired about Reaves, according to McMenamin’s sources, who speculates that the Lakers would have to give up some combination of Rui Hachimura, a future first-round pick, Reaves or other young players to land Murray.

The Lakers don’t plan to pivot to the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, per McMenamin, due to his hefty contract, injury issues and declining production. They could aim lower and pick up some bench pieces instead.

They’d like to add a quality backup guard with Gabe Vincent sidelined by a knee injury. The Jazz’s Collin Sexton and Wizards’ Tyus Jones have been discussed internally as potential targets. They also have the Raptors’ Dennis Schröder and Bruce Brown on their radar.

Schröder, who started 50 games for the Lakers last season, has seen his role diminish with the acquisition of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Brown, a defensive ace who was instrumental in Denver’s championship run, was acquired by Toronto in the Pascal Siakam deal.

Brown was the Lakers’ top target with their mid-level exception last summer, according to McMenamin, but Indiana blew them out of the water with a two-year, $45MM offer.

The Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith and Bulls’ Andre Drummond are two other players the Lakers are considering to fill key postseason roles. Finney-Smith could guard elite wings, while Drummond would give them more size to combat an opponent such as Denver. They’re not particularly interested in the Hornets’ Miles Bridges, a potential alternative to Finney-Smith, because they wouldn’t hold his Bird Rights and Bridges would likely sign a more lucrative contract elsewhere in the summer.

If the Lakers choose not to make a trade or do only minor tinkering before the deadline, they could have more flexibility to acquire another star in the offseason such as the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell or Hawks’ Trae Young, McMenamin writes.

On the day of the draft, the Lakers pool of available first-rounders would grow to their picks in 2029, 2031 and either this year or 2025, depending on whether New Orleans chooses to use the pick L.A. owes it this June or the following summer.

The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging those three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue that type of blockbuster, says McMenamin.

Team USA Announces 41-Player Pool For 2024 Olympics

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced a pool of 41 players who are in the mix for the 12 spots on the 2024 Olympic men’s basketball team.

While the pool is subject to change, Team USA’s 12-man roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics will, in all likelihood, be made up of players from this group.

The list figures to shrink as the summer nears due to players suffering injuries or opting not to participate for other reasons, but at some point prior to the July event the U.S. decision-makers will have to choose a final roster from the remaining candidates.

Here’s the full list of 41 players, 28 of whom have represented Team USA in a previous World Cup or Olympics:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
Paolo Banchero (Magic)
Desmond Bane (Grizzlies)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Mikal Bridges (Nets)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Alex Caruso (Bulls)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Kevin Durant (Suns)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
Paul George (Clippers)
Aaron Gordon (Nuggets)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
James Harden (Clippers)
Josh Hart (Knicks)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Jrue Holiday (Celtics)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Mavericks)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Cameron Johnson (Nets)
Walker Kessler (Jazz)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
Chris Paul (Warriors)
Bobby Portis (Bucks)
Austin Reaves (Lakers)
Duncan Robinson (Heat)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Derrick White (Celtics)
Trae Young (Hawks)

Adebayo, Booker, Durant, Holiday, Lillard, and Tatum were part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo in 2021. Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, Keldon Johnson, Zach LaVine, JaVale McGee, and Khris Middleton were also on that roster, but aren’t part of the preliminary pool this time around. It’s possible some of them turned down invitations.

“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” national team managing director Grant Hill said in a statement. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity.”

USA Basketball also announced today that Team USA will face Team Canada in Las Vegas on July 10 in an exhibition game. It sounds like that contest will take place during the NBA’s 2024 Summer League.

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.