- Michael Pina of The Ringer talks to Jalen Suggs about how he has helped the Magic improve by taking on a non-glamorous role.
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., who underwent surgery to address a broken bone in his left hand in early November, appears set to return to action on Wednesday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who notes that Carter doesn’t show up on the injury report for the team’s game vs. Miami.
Carter has started 139 of 146 games for the Magic since joining the team in 2021, including the first five contests of the 2023/24 season. However, the team has been thriving in recent weeks with center Goga Bitadze in the starting five, posting a 13-7 record since Carter last played, so it’s unclear if the former lottery pick will immediately reclaim his starting job.
The Magic will soon face a similar dilemma with Markelle Fultz, who started five games early in the season but hasn’t played since November 9 due to a knee issue. As Beede writes, Fultz is nearing a return too, though he has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game and head coach Jamahl Mosley said this week that he’ll “probably a little bit longer” than Carter.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Magic‘s home arena has a new name, as Beede details in a separate Orlando Sentinel story. Known as the Amway Center for the past 13 years, the building will henceforth be known as the Kia Center. According to Beede, the Magic’s original deal with Amway Global in 2010 was worth $40MM over 10 years; this new agreement with Kia is likely more lucrative.
- The Heat are getting Kyle Lowry back in their lineup on Wednesday after Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo returned on Monday, but the team isn’t quite fully healthy yet, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jimmy Butler (left calf strain) has been ruled out for the game in Orlando, as has Kevin Love (stomach illness).
- Teo Armus of The Washington Post answers some frequently answered questions about the Wizards‘ tentative plan to move from D.C. to Alexandria, Virgina, noting that an unfavorable lease at Capital One Arena is the primary impetus for the move. The proposed “entertainment district” in Alexandria would cost taxpayers an estimated $1.35 billion, with Monumental Sports contributing $819MM, Armus notes.
Oshae Brissett has mostly been out of the rotation since signing with the Celtics this summer, but he took advantage of an opportunity to play on Friday night, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. With Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all sidelined by injuries, the 6’7″ Brissett was called on to help protect the rim in small-ball lineups. He responded by making all four of his shots and scoring 11 points in nearly 16 minutes. He had just 14 points all season before Friday’s game.
“It’s tough, wanting to win and wanting to do so well and trying to play perfect,” Brissett said. “You can’t really do that as a basketball player, especially in limited minutes. You’ve just got to be yourself and play a little free. It’s tough, again, because you want to do the right thing so bad. But, at the end of the day, it’s basketball and I’ve been playing basketball for a long time.”
Himmelsbach adds that Brissett has remained focused while he’s been out of the lineup, studying the game from the bench to identify ways he can help the team. Brissett also receives regular guidance from coach Joe Mazzulla, who reminded him that his shooting in a game two years ago with Indiana sparked the Celtics’ interest.
“I know what I can bring to the table, and that’s energy and being excited to be out there with these guys,” Brissett added. “And any given night I can get out there, I’m just going to do that.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Jaylen Brown was dealing with hypertension in his right knee, but he was determined to play in what is becoming an intense rivalry with Orlando, per Brian Robb of MassLive. The Magic had won their previous four games against the Celtics, including an in-season tournament contest in which they ran up the score in the final minutes to help with point differential. “In my opinion, for us, I think one we had a bunch of guys out and were on a back-to-back versus a team that’s been kicking our ass the last four or five times we played,” Brown said. “I think this was the biggest game to me so far.”
- Payton Pritchard is showing the Celtics that they’re better off keeping him than using him as a trade chip, Robb observes in a separate story. Pritchard, who scored 21 points in 28 minutes on Friday, and Sam Hauser have become the leaders of a bench unit that is exceeding expectations. “Like I said, those guys since day one,” Mazzulla said. “I coached them both in Summer League, so I’ve always known they were going to be great rotation players, and I had full confidence in them last year, and full confidence in them this year.”
- Brown, a member of the NBPA’s executive committee, endorsed Andre Iguodala‘s recent ascension to interim executive director, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, who notes that Brown indicated he may also have interest in leading the players union after he retires from basketball.
After being upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Boston, Magic guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendinitis) was ultimately ruled out for a 16th consecutive contest. As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Fultz has only gone through portions of practice this week, so the club wasn’t quite ready to clear him for game action.
Asked what went into the decision to rule out Fultz on Friday, head coach Jamahl Mosley explained: “Just being able to check to make sure he’s fully back to what we need him to do and getting full practices in with full contact. That’s going to be very important.”
Although his return didn’t happen on Friday and he didn’t take contact in Saturday’s practice, Fultz told reporters on Thursday that he thinks he’ll be back sooner rather than later, per Beede (subscription required). The former No. 1 overall pick said that he’s been “progressing great,” though he’s also on board with the team’s cautious approach to the injury.
“I’m thinking the long game here,” Fultz said. “I don’t want to come back in, play a few games and have to sit back out. When I’m back, I want to stay back for the long run.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- After announcing on December 8 that they’d reevaluate LaMelo Ball (right ankle sprain) in a week, the Hornets offered a very minor update on Friday, tweeting that the star guard has “continued progressing” in his conditioning and individual activities. Updates on his status will be provided “as appropriate,” the Hornets added. It doesn’t sound as if Ball has resumed practicing with the team or that his return is imminent.
- After signing a two-way contract with the Hornets on Thursday, center Nathan Mensah was immediately thrust into a rotation role for the injury-plagued club, backing up Nick Richards at the five in Friday’s loss to New Orleans. Mensah fouled out in just 13 minutes of action but he grabbed seven rebounds and made a solid first impression, per Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer. “He did a great job,” Brandon Miller said. “His presence down there, I felt like he did a great job on the defensive side, just getting boards, some blocks. He’s gonna be great for us.”
- Following this week’s announcement stating that the Wizards plan to move from the District of Columbia to Virginia, David Aldridge of The Athletic and Candace Buckner of The Washington Post published columns criticizing team owner Ted Leonsis for his handling of the situation and his treatment of the franchise’s long-time D.C. market.
- In a pair of stories focusing on the Wizards‘ rebuilding process, Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic take a look at how the new front office is emphasizing “small wins” as part of its culture-building efforts and explore how the organization is attempting to improve its off-court infrastructure.
Injured Magic starters Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. were partial practice participants on Wednesday, head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required).
“It was a great day for them,” Mosley said.
Fultz has been sidelined since November 9 with left knee tendinitis, having missed the past 15 games. Carter has been out even longer, as he sustained his injury — a broken left hand — on November 4.
According to Beede, Carter said his left hand isn’t quite full strength yet, calling it “85-90%.”
“It’s like right at the last bit of my recovery. … I just kind of look at each day as an opportunity to allow it get better,” he said.
It’s unclear when Fultz, a guard, and Carter, a center, might return to action, but it’s certainly encouraging that they seem to be getting close. Fultz will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, while Carter is under contract through 2025/26.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- No firm timetable was given, but Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel hears the Heat could be getting a couple key contributors back in the next couple weeks. Guard Tyler Herro (ankle sprain) and center Bam Adebayo (hip contusion) are expected to return prior to Miami’s West Coast trip that begins on December 28, according to Winderman. Herro has been out since November 8, while Adebayo has missed the past four games.
- Hawks guard Trae Young was ejected during Monday’s loss against Denver for continually complaining about a non-foul call, which Jeff Schultz of The Athletic views as a sign of his immaturity. Young is the team’s best offensive player, but he doesn’t lead in the locker room or by example on the court, according to Schultz. At 9-13, Atlanta is off to a disappointing start, and Schultz says if things don’t turn around, the “unproven” front office and Young will be under the microscope, as head coach Quin Snyder was just hired at the end of last season.
- At one point in the first quarter on Monday, Atlanta led Denver by 11 points. That lead turned into a 20-point deficit in the third quarter, when Young was ejected. Despite the loss, the Hawks mounted a furious comeback to make it competitive late, led by a huge performance by wing Bogdan Bogdanovic (a career-high 40 points, including 10 three-pointers), who could be trending toward a career year, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). “Insane,” Clint Capela said. “I love it. Especially for Bogi. Because he’s the guy that I always see it in the weight room with me after games. He’s always the guy that I see after practice get more reps than everyone. … He’s doing everything right. And he deserved that.”
The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required), who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2023 on Wednesday.
Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $8.28 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $7 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $7.43 billion, while the Lakers come in at $7.34 billion, per Sportico.
As Badenhausen details, Sportico spoke to more than 30 team executives, owners, investors, bankers, consultants, and lawyers in compiling their latest NBA franchise valuations. According to Sportico, the average value of an NBA team is up 33% from a year ago and 70% from when the site first started publishing valuations three years ago.
A combination of factors are contributing to the soaring value of NBA franchises, says Baudenhausen. Those factors include national media deals, international opportunities, scarcity (ie. only 30 teams are available), and an equal 1/30th stake in the league.
In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we’re highlighting Sportico’s projections in 2023.
Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But thse projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.
Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2023:
- Golden State Warriors: $8.28 billion
- New York Knicks: $7.43 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers: $7.34 billion
- Boston Celtics: $5.12 billion
- Chicago Bulls: $4.83 billion
- Los Angeles Clippers: $4.56 billion
- Miami Heat: $4.17 billion
- Philadelphia 76ers: $4.13 billion
- Toronto Raptors: $4.11 billion
- Houston Rockets: $4.05 billion
- Dallas Mavericks: $4.03 billion
- Phoenix Suns: $4 billion
- Brooklyn Nets: $3.98 billion
- Sacramento Kings: $3.46 billion
- Denver Nuggets: $3.4 billion
- Atlanta Hawks: $3.35 billion
- Washington Wizards: $3.33 billion
- San Antonio Spurs: $3.29 billion
- Portland Trail Blazers: $3.28 billion
- Indiana Pacers: $3.27 billion
- Utah Jazz: $3.24 billion
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.22 billion
- Milwaukee Bucks: $3.2 billion
- Orlando Magic: $3.12 billion
- Detroit Pistons: $3.1 billion
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.08 billion
- Charlotte Hornets: $3 billion
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $2.94 billion
- Memphis Grizzlies: $2.82 billion
- New Orleans Pelicans: $2.72 billion
For the most part, the most significant valuation increases (by percentage) within the last year belonged to the teams on the bottom half of this list. Besides the Bucks, whose projection rose by 32%, every franchise in the bottom 10 received at least a 50% bump from Sportico’s 2022 valuations.
The Nuggets, who cracked the top half of this list following their 2023 championship, were another big riser — their valuation increased by 60% and they moved up six spots.
It’s worth noting that the Mavericks‘ reported valuation in Mark Cuban‘s sale to the Adelson and Dumont families reportedly came in around $3.5 billion, well below Sportico’s valuation.
However, more recent reporting has suggested the final valuation will be closer to $4 billion when the transaction closes. That was also a unique situation since Cuban is retaining control of basketball operations as part of the sale agreement, despite surrendering majority control of the business. He’ll hang onto about 25% of the franchise, according to Sportico.
Following the Bucks’ loss to Indiana in the in-season tournament semifinals, forward Bobby Portis passionately challenged head coach Adrian Griffin and teammates to get better, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. Portis spoke about the need to improve their rebounding and also stressed to Griffin the importance of structuring the offense down the stretch of games.
Asked about it on Sunday, Portis didn’t deny he spoke up in the Bucks’ locker room, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “Don’t know how it got reported; but at the same time, I’m just a competitor. I love to compete. I think I’m a leader. I lead by voice and I lead by example as well. … The guys know who I am. They know I wear my heart on my sleeve.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Griffin is optimistic Pat Connaughton can return this week, indicating on Sunday that he’s hopeful the Bucks wing will suit up in the next “four, five, six, seven days,” Nehm tweets. Connaughton, who is nursing an ankle injury, hasn’t played since Nov. 28.
- Kevin Love reached a buyout agreement last season with the Cavaliers to join Miami, but he told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that he’s receptive to the idea of finishing out his career in Cleveland. “‘I’m never ruling that out,” he said. “I have so many great relationships there and people that I love. I’m not done with Cleveland. I am definitely open to coming back and retiring there.’”
- The Pistons got blown out by the Magic on Friday for their 19th straight loss. Those two franchises seemed to be on parallel trajectories last season but now, while Orlando has taken off, Detroit is endlessly stuck in the rebuild, James Edwards III of The Athletic notes. “You can see right away that everyone (on the Magic) knows who they are — their roles, what they’re supposed to do when they come in, and they’re connected,” Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart said. “They’re connected. You hear them talking. You can just tell they’re connected.”
Three starters and another rotation player sat out Friday’s game with injuries, but the Magic barely missed them in a 32-point win over Detroit, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. With Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. and Jonathan Isaac all unavailable, Orlando got production from Caleb Houstan, Chuma Okeke, Anthony Black and Goga Bitadze, who made his 17th straight start since Carter fractured the third metacarpal in left hand.
“We’ve said it from training camp and on, it’s a ‘we.’ No matter who it is, no matter who steps on that floor, they’re ready to go,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s what it says about our coaching staff, about these guys taking ownership of who we are.”
The Magic have shown tremendous depth and resilience in response to the bad injury luck, posting a 15-7 record that has them tied for second in the Eastern Conference. Mosley has been particularly impressed with Black, a rookie guard who was moved into the starting lineup when Fultz began experiencing left knee tendinitis in early November.
“He’s a kid that wants to take on every challenge,” Mosley said. “He does things that I haven’t seen certain guys do in a while with his length and size. That’s where his confidence comes from.”
Mosley didn’t provide many details about Suggs’ right ankle sprain, Beede tweets, saying team doctors are going to monitor how much he improves from game to game.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Injuries have also been an issue for the Heat, who were missing three starters in Friday’s loss to Cleveland, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami has dropped five of its last seven games, but Caleb Martin doesn’t believe being short-handed should be used as an excuse. “It doesn’t matter who’s out there and who’s playing, who’s not,” Martin said. “We know what we should be doing, we just got to be better.”
- Hawks guard Trae Young has been fined $25K for “confronting and directing inappropriate language toward a game official,” the league announced (via Twitter). The incident took place after Wednesday’s one-point loss to Brooklyn as Young thought he was fouled by Dennis Smith Jr. while trying to get off a potential game-winning shot (Twitter video link). The league’s last-two-minute review confirmed that Smith’s play was legal, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.
- Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly studies a lot of game film to see where he can improve, and he concentrates on Kyle Kuzma as much as himself, according to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports. “I watch the whole game to see how he plays. There’s a lot to take,” Coulibaly said of his teammate. “He’s been talking to me a lot about eventually going through the guy when going up for the layup. He’s got some great advice for me.”
In an interview with James Herbert of CBS Sports, Joe Ingles said he doesn’t mind being the elder statesman on a surprising young Magic squad.
Orlando gave Ingles a two-year, $22MM contract this summer to serve as a veteran leader, and he’s embraced that role both on and off the court. The 36-year-old has brought a winning mentality to a team with only one other player older than 26, and he’s become an important part of the rotation, averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 assists in 18.9 minutes per night while shooting 39.2% from three-point range.
“I’ve loved the role that I’ve got here,” Ingles said. “I’ve loved every minute of living here and the organization and the players and the coaches.”
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley understands the importance having a seasoned veteran on the roster, especially one who has been part of successful organizations. Mosley notes that Ingles is eager to speak up and share his perspectives with teammates.
“He’s absolutely great for this group,” Mosley said. “He keeps it real with these guys about the things that we’re doing, the things that they’re seeing, what he’s seen throughout the league. And, all jokes aside, he is all about winning. And whatever that means, if he plays eight minutes or he plays 18 minutes, he’s preached the same message to this group about what we need to do to become successful.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Magic players learned from last year’s slow start and were determined not to repeat it, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While Paolo Banchero was establishing himself as the top rookie in the league last fall, Orlando stumbled out of the gate, posting a 5-20 record that left the team out of the playoff race by early December. “I remember clearly, in the summertime having dinners with [Mosley] and other players and talking about this exact situation,” Banchero said. “Start off well and try and get as many wins as you can in the first month or two just because you know how important those are later in the year.”
- Terry Rozier is taking on more point guard duties for the Hornets while LaMelo Ball is sidelined with a right ankle strain, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Rozier is averaging a career-high 6.6 assists per game and recorded 13 last Thursday at Brooklyn. “Definitely just getting guys involved early, making sure they feel good,” Rozier said. “Finding guys in their spots, knowing fourth-quarter plays, having a meeting going into the game. So, it just changed in that aspect. But the main thing is winning, so that’s what we are trying to do.”
- Johnny Davis has a strained left calf and his condition will be reevaluated weekly, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).
Suns guard Bradley Beal has been limited to just three games for his new team so far this season and hasn’t played since November 12 due to back problems. However, the hope is that he won’t be sidelined for too much longer, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link).
“I’m told Beal has started his ramp-up process and he’s continuing to progress in that ramp-up,” Charania said. “The goal is to track toward a return soon, potentially over the next 10 days, as long as the progress continues. But we know it’s been a fluid process with this back (issue). The back can be something that you have to be cautious with.”
As Charania notes, the Suns are willing to be patient with Beal since their priority is to be healthy when the postseason begins in the spring — they’d rather hold him out for a few extra games now if it means having him available in April.
Phoenix has also been playing relatively well without its third star, lessening the need to get Beal back on the court as soon as possible. Since Devin Booker returned on Nov. 15, the Suns are 8-3 — and Booker sat out one of those three losses.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who injured his right ankle in his first game back from a hamstring injury last Wednesday, is considered questionable to return to action tonight vs. the Clippers, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Hamstring’s fine. I’ve worked enough to get it back to strength,” Murray said. “Now it’s just another thing.” As Durando points out, Murray would become eligible for a super-max extension if he earns All-NBA honors this season, but he’ll fall short of the 65-game minimum required for All-NBA consideration if he misses five more contests.
- Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson will miss a third straight game on Wednesday in Dallas due to a right thigh contusion, the team announced (via Twitter). Kelly Olynyk (right shoulder strain) has been ruled out for a second consecutive game, while Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring strain) will remain unavailable for a sixth game in a row. The expectation is that Markkanen will be reevaluated at some point this week, at which time we may get a better sense of his recovery timeline.
- Magic guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendinitis), who has been ruled out for a 13th straight game, is “progressing slowly” and still isn’t doing full contact work in practices, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Jonathan Isaac, who has logged just seven minutes in Orlando’s past four games due to ankle issues, is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game in Cleveland, Beede adds.