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NBA Announces Schedule Adjustments After Warriors Postponements

January 26th, 2024 at 5:22pm CST by Rory Maher

After the Warriors had two games postponed last week due to the sudden and tragic passing of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, the NBA announced on Friday that it has rescheduled four games, including the two Golden State contests (Twitter link).

Originally scheduled for January 17, the Warriors will now play at the Jazz on February 15 at 8:00 p.m. CT. Golden State’s other game, a home contest vs. the Mavericks originally scheduled for Jan. 19, has been rescheduled to April 2 at 9:00 p.m. CT.

To accommodate for those schedule changes, the league moved two other games around. The Hawks were originally going to play at the Mavericks on April 5, but it has been moved to April 4 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Warriors and Mavericks game that had been set for April 2 has also been rescheduled to April 5 at 7:30 p.m. CT.

On Monday, when the Warriors returned to practice, head coach Steve Kerr said the team had been too devastated to play in the immediate aftermath of Milojevic suffering a heart attack at a team dinner last Tuesday.

“It’s the saddest thing I have ever been a part of in the NBA,” Kerr said. “… The last five days have been full of the shock. The emotion, the extreme outpouring of love from all over the world.”

Counseling has been offered to the players and staff, particularly to those who witnessed the event.

Milojevic, 46, was beloved in his native Serbia and throughout the NBA. The Warriors will wear a “DM” patch for the rest of the season to honor Milojevic. The team also paid tribute to Milojevic with a ceremony before Wednesday’s game, the team’s first since the incident (video link from Kendra Andrews of ESPN).

Jazz, Suns, Pistons Among Possible Miles Bridges Suitors

January 26th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz, Suns, and Pistons are among the teams that have called the Hornets to inquire on forward Miles Bridges, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Bridges, 25, is considered a potential trade candidate for a Hornets team that appears lottery-bound and already moved one key player (Terry Rozier) this week in exchange for a first-round pick. Bridges has been productive in his return to the court this season, averaging 20.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 37.0 minutes per game across 31 appearances, with a shooting line of .455/.355/.866.

However, Bridges’ trade value is complicated by a couple factors. One is his contract situation. Having accepted his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He also has the ability to veto a trade and would lose his Bird rights if he’s dealt this season, which could affect what a team is willing to give up to acquire him.

The other factor limiting Bridges’ trade value is his legal situation off the court. The Hornets forward sat out the entire 2022/23 season following accusations of domestic violence and has faced new allegations following the resolution of that case. While the former Michigan State star would be an ideal fit on the court for many teams seeking another wing or forward with size, there may be teams unwilling to pursue him due to the off-court allegations.

According to Fischer, the Jazz are viewed as both a buyer and seller at this season’s trade deadline. While players like Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Talen Horton-Tucker are considered available, Utah is also keeping an eye out for possible additions who could help the team win now. One item on the Jazz’s wish list is a veteran who could handle point guard duties while rookie Keyonte George continues to learn the ropes. Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is one player Utah has expressed interest in, says Fischer.

The Suns’ interest in Bridges was reported earlier this week and has since been confirmed by Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Unlike Utah and Detroit, Phoenix isn’t in position to open up cap room this summer to potentially re-sign Bridges and would likely have to view him as a rental. However, if the cost is modest enough due to Bridges’ expiring contract and legal issues – perhaps Nassir Little and a couple second-round picks – the Suns would still be interested.

According to Fischer, the Suns are eyeing potential rotation players at various positions who could be acquired using Little as the primary outgoing salary-matching piece. That group includes guards Delon Wright and Monte Morris, forwards Jae’Sean Tate and Royce O’Neale, and center Nick Richards.

As for the Pistons, they project to have significant cap room this summer and appear to be attempting to get a head-start on free agency by acquiring a player to whom they could dedicate a chunk of that room. They were linked to Pascal Siakam before he was sent to Indiana and have reportedly discussed Zach LaVine as well.

In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein says that those talks with the Bulls about LaVine have “by no means gone dormant,” noting that the Pistons maintain interest in the two-time All-Star.

Latest On Zach LaVine

January 26th, 2024 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

The right ankle sprain that has sidelined Zach LaVine since January 18 is expected to keep the Bulls star on the shelf for at least a few more games, according to head coach Billy Donovan, who said on Thursday that LaVine will likely be reevaluated in a week or so (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).

Asked whether LaVine will be out through the February 8 trade deadline and whether it’s possible he has played his last game as a Bull, Donovan couldn’t offer any guarantees either way.

“I have no idea. I really don’t,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “There’s been nothing that I’ve had communicated as it leads into this trade deadline where it’s been, ‘Hey, he’s staying here’ [or] ‘We’re moving him.’ There’s been nothing like that. I’d hate to even speculate.

“I’ve always taken the approach that this is our team — taken the approach that he’s going to be with us the whole entire year, and I hope he can get healthy. . . . I go into it [believing] he’s going to be here for the rest of the season. That’s how I view it.”

While LaVine has been mentioned as a trade candidate for much of the season, reports have indicated that there hasn’t been any real market for him so far due to his oversized contract, his injury history, and his dip in production this season.

A report on Thursday suggested that the Pistons and Bulls have discussed LaVine, but Cowley and Johnson hear that those talks didn’t get serious. In fact, while the Bulls have had conversations with multiple teams about what it would take for them to trade LaVine, per Johnson, it doesn’t sound as if any of those discussions have moved beyond the exploratory stage.

While league-wide interest in LaVine could certainly increase if Chicago lowers its asking price, that hasn’t happened so far, according to Johnson, who says the team continues to seek a “strong return” for the two-time All-Star and isn’t looking to move him in order to cut costs or in an “addition by subtraction”-type move.

The Bulls, who got off to a 5-14 start this season, looked at one point like a candidate to hold a fire sale, but they’ve righted the ship since by going 16-11 since that poor start. With no market developing for LaVine, no indication Chicago wants to discuss Alex Caruso, and no recent rumors surrounding DeMar DeRozan, it’s unclear how active the club will actually be on the trade market in the next couple weeks.

Blazers Won’t File Protest Following Tuesday’s Loss To Thunder

January 25th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 25: The Trail Blazers are reversing course and are letting the 48-hour deadline to file the protest pass, Wojnarowski tweets.

According to Wojnarowski, the Blazers feel as if they communicated their frustration to the league office about the controversial closing moments of the contest. As noted below, the odds of the protest being upheld were slim, so filing one would have been more about Portland expressing its displeasure than a legitimate hope to replay the final seconds of the game.

JANUARY 24: The Trail Blazers are filing a protest with the NBA following a two-point loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

As Wojnarowski explains, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was signaling for a timeout with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Portland holding a 109-108 lead. However, he wasn’t awarded that timeout — instead, guard Malcolm Brogdon was called for a double-dribble, giving the Thunder possession of the ball.

Billups came onto the court to angrily contest the call and confront the game officials, who hit him with a pair of technical fouls and ejected him from the game (Twitter video link). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted one of the two technical free throws, then Jalen Williams made a game-winning jumper with two seconds left to secure a 111-109 Thunder victory (video link).

“We’ve got timeouts,” Billups said after the game. “Referees usually are prepared for that, you know, that instance, that situation. I’m at half court, trying to call a timeout. It’s just frustrating. My guys played too hard for that. It’s a frustrating play.”

As Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian relays (via Twitter), referee crew chief Bill Kennedy said after the game that the official who typically would’ve responded to Billups’ timeout call was focused on Brogdon and the play right in front of him, and didn’t hear or see the Blazers’ coach asking for time.

As Wojnarowski details, a team that wants to file a protest must do so within 48 hours and must provide accompanying evidence within five days. The league then has five days to make a decision.

If the protest is upheld, the end of the game would be replayed at a later date, but that’s extremely rare and hasn’t happened since 2007, per Wojnarowski. As Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report notes (via Twitter), the Blazers likely don’t expect the outcome of the game to be altered, instead viewing the protest as a way to express their displeasure with the ruling.

2024 All-Star Starters Revealed; LeBron Sets Selection Record

January 25th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA revealed the 2024 All-Star Game starters on Thursday night, with Lakers forward LeBron James leading the pack with his record-breaking 20th straight selection. James has been a starter since 2005, his second season in the league, and broke his tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history (Twitter link via NBA PR).

James and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as captains. Joining James as Western Conference starters are Suns forward Kevin Durant, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. James is a captain for a seventh straight year.

Joining Antetokounmpo as Eastern Conference All-Star starters are Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, Sixers center Joel Embiid and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

Thursday’s selections represent milestones for several players. Antetokounmpo is making his eighth career start and was the top vote-getter. Lillard is making his first career All-Star start. Haliburton is the fourth player in Pacers history to be named an All-Star starter, joining Paul George, Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal (Twitter link). Embiid is a starter after not being named one in his MVP season a year ago. Tatum is making his fifth All-Star Game.

In the West, Doncic set the Mavs’ franchise record with four All-Star Game starts. Jokic was first in player and media voting en route to his sixth straight selection. Gilgeous-Alexander is making his first start. Durant is making his 14th All-Star appearance.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes there was little drama in the selections for the starting positions. The voting totals from fans didn’t vary much from week to week, with Embiid, Haliburton, Tatum, Antetokounmpo, James, Jokic and Durant well ahead in their respective positions. The second guard spot in the East was more competitive, with Lillard and Hawks guard Trae Young going back and forth in fan voting. The guard spots in the West were also tight, with Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Warriors guard Stephen Curry close in voting. Bontemps points out Lillard finished well ahead of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in fan voting to earn the starting nod.

Full voting results can be found here.

The coaches for each All-Star team will be determined via the standings on Feb. 4, with the top-seeded coach taking the reins for each conference. However, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Denver’s Michael Malone are ineligible by virtue of the fact that they coached the two teams last season. Entering Thursday, the Thunder and Timberwolves are tied atop the West while the Bucks are next up behind the Celtics in the East, with the Sixers one game behind Milwaukee.

This year, the league is returning to the East vs. West format, so these players are suiting up for their respective conferences in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18.

The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 1.

Nets’ Ben Simmons Could Return Monday

January 25th, 2024 at 5:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nets guard Ben Simmons could return to action as soon as Monday, when Brooklyn takes on Utah, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Simmons hasn’t appeared in a game with the Nets since suffering a lower back nerve impingement on Nov. 6. The ailment has limited him to just six games so far this season.

According to Wojnarowski, Simmons is set to practice with the Nets’ G League team in Long Island over the weekend and there’s “optimism” his return could happen as early as Monday. According to The New York Post’s Brian Lewis, coach Jacque Vaughn said Simmons is expected to be back next week (Twitter link).

While his injuries over the past few seasons have hindered his career, Simmons has been effective when he’s been able to get on the court with Brooklyn. In his six games this year, he averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 31.8 minutes per game across six starts. It’s a small sample size, but it’s worth noting the Nets went 3-3 with Simmons in the lineup and have gone 14-23 since. In 48 career games (39 starts) in Brooklyn, Simmons holds averages of 6.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals.

It will be interesting to see how Simmons’ return ultimately impacts the rotation, especially ahead of the trade deadline. Vaughn began the year starting Simmons alongside Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton and Mikal Bridges. Then, after some experimentation and injuries, Vaughn landed on using Dorian Finney-Smith in the starting five alongside those four after Simmons went down.

Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith have seen their names involved in trade rumors, for what it’s worth. Players like Dennis Smith Jr., Royce O’Neale, Lonnie Walker and Day’Ron Sharpe are among those battling for bench minutes.

In whatever form it takes, the currently 11th-seeded Nets could use the boost from getting Simmons back into form. Brooklyn acquired the former No. 1 overall pick from Philadelphia in a trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to the Sixers in 2022, but he never played that season. At one point, Simmons – a three-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Team member – was one of the best defenders in the NBA. His agent recently said his injuries were “freakish” and not something that will be a recurring problem in the future.

If Simmons isn’t able to return to action Monday against the Jazz, his next opportunity to suit up would be Wednesday versus the Suns. After that, the Nets don’t play again until Saturday, Feb. 3 in Philadelphia.

Doc Rivers Reportedly Signing With Bucks Through 2026/27 Season

January 25th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Doc Rivers’ new contract with the Bucks runs through the end of the 2026/27 season and will pay him approximately $40MM, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Rivers quickly emerged as the favorite for the Milwaukee job after Adrian Griffin was fired as head coach on Tuesday. A report yesterday indicated that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle for Rivers to take over. Assistant Joe Prunty is serving as interim coach until a replacement is finalized, and he picked up his first victory last night as the Bucks defeated Cleveland.

General manager Jon Horst refused to comment about Rivers during a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, but he said the team hopes to fill the position quickly. He also expressed confidence that the new coach can repair the defensive issues that led to Griffin’s dismissal.

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s game, Giannis Antetokounmpo said he was caught off guard by the coaching change, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“I’ve got to trust the front office, I’ve got to trust the ownership group that they consider the bigger picture,” Antetokounmpo said. “My job is to be the best version of myself, to lead this team out there and help win games. Their job is to create the best team possible and the best atmosphere around the team possible that they believe gives us a better chance to win a championship. But yeah, I do think [firing coach Griffin] was a surprise.”

Some observers have suggested Antetokounmpo might have played a role in the move because he was among the veterans who were unhappy about the new defensive philosophy that Griffin was trying to implement. Antetokounmpo denied that rumor, saying he and Griffin have a good relationship.

“I loved the guy. I invited him to my wedding,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was coached by him and we did very, very, very well. When somebody is being hired, the GM might come and ask, ‘What do you think about that? What do you think about this?’ or whatever and not just me — players, people that he trusts their advice. But at times, they make it seem like it’s the players that are making the decision.”

Damian Lillard also told reporters that the firing was unexpected, but he admitted the team hadn’t played as well as it could under Griffin. Among the criticisms of Griffin is that he didn’t do enough to maximize the Lillard-Antetokounmpo combination on offense.

“There’s been a lot of expectations on our team,” Lillard said. “Things have been expected to look a certain way. We’ve had a bumpy road to our success, which is sometimes a part of the process. I was surprised. But it’s part of the game. People get traded, people get waived, people get fired, and that’s never something you want to see.”

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.