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Sixers Issue Injury Updates On Melton, Covington

January 24th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers will be without a pair of rotation players for the foreseeable future, according to the team, which issued injury updates today on guard De’Anthony Melton and wing Robert Covington, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays (Twitter links).

Melton (lumbar spine stress response) – who has missed Philadelphia’s past five games, and eight of the past 10 – has completed an “offloading” period and will begin ramping up to return. Although Melton will accompany the team on the five-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Indiana, he remains sidelined for the time being and will be reevaluated in approximately one week.

That recovery timeline suggests Melton will miss at least four more games, since the 76ers are also in action on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday before concluding their trip in Utah next Thursday.

Covington hasn’t played at all this month due to left knee inflammation and a bone bruise in that knee, having sat out Philadelphia’s past 10 games. He has continued to receive treatment and will remain on the shelf for a while. According to the club, he’ll be reevaluated in three or four weeks.

Melton has started all 33 games he has appeared in this season, while Covington was averaging 16.1 minutes per night in his first 26 games back with the 76ers.

Nicolas Batum, Danuel House, and Patrick Beverley are among the players whose minutes have increased with Melton and Covington unavailable as of late. Beverley has missed the past two games with an illness, resulting in rotation minutes for Furkan Korkmaz.

Grizzlies Awarded Second Disabled Player Exception

January 24th, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has granted the Grizzlies‘ request for a second disabled player exception following Ja Morant‘s season-ending shoulder surgery, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The exception will be worth $12,405,000.

A disabled player exception gives an over-the-cap team some extra spending power – but not an additional 15-man roster spot – when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15. As we explain in our glossary entry, the exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade.

The disabled player exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.

The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Since Morant is earning $34MM+ this season, the Grizzlies’ DPE is worth the amount of the non-taxpayer MLE.

Memphis had already been granted one disabled player exception this season — the team was awarded a $6.3MM exception following Steven Adams‘ season-ending knee surgery, as our DPE tracker shows. The Grizzlies will have until March 11 to make use of one or both exceptions.

Disabled player exceptions often expire without being used, but the Grizzlies have some breathing room below the luxury tax line and appear lottery-bound, so they could be a candidate to take on an unwanted contract along with an asset (such as a future draft pick or cash) to help another team trim payroll. They also have one available trade exception worth approximately $7.5MM.

Hornets Notes: Rozier Trade, Ball, Miller, Lowry, Hayward

January 24th, 2024 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

After trading Terry Rozier to Miami on Tuesday in exchange for Kyle Lowry‘s expiring contract and a future first-round pick, president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said that the financial flexibility the deal affords the Hornets going forward was important. However, getting that first-rounder was the key part of the trade from Charlotte’s perspective, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes.

“The pick itself has potential for incredible upside,” Kupchak said. “We don’t know who that player may be several years down the road. But an asset that valuable can also become something that you can put in a trade and make a deal. So. yeah, the financial part of it was a part of it. But getting the pick was probably the most important part.”

According to Boone, one factor in the Hornets’ decision to move on from Rozier at this time is the fact that it will give the team’s backcourt of the future – LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller – more opportunities to play alongside one another. Kupchak singled out those two players on Tuesday when he discussed Charlotte’s core pieces.

“We think we’ve got a foundation of players in place,” he said. “I’m not going to mention all of our players, but I’m going to mention our two highest picks — LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. But there are other players that we’ve pegged that would be very difficult to trade.”

A report last week suggested that Ball, Miller, and center Mark Williams are likely the only players on the Hornets’ roster who are off-limits in trade talks.

Here’s more out of Charlotte:

Kupchak indicated on Tuesday that the Rozier trade doesn’t signal the beginning of an all-out rebuild, per Boone. “I wouldn’t call it a rebuild,” Kupchak said. “A rebuild is, in my opinion, something where you start from scratch and you convert everything you have into draft capital, and you create gobs of cap room, and you start taking in contracts to get picks and it could drag out years. That’s not the case. I think it’s more of a case of recognizing where we are this year.”
Still, Kupchak suggested the Hornets will remain very open to making additional trades on or before February 8, as Steve Reed of The Associated Press relays. “I can’t discount the fact that we’re a team that is trying to build something that can sustain something going forward, and … we will look for opportunities,” Kupchak said when asked about the possibility of more deals. “And if there is something out there we will look to do it. It’s as simple as that.”
The Hornets are expected to explore the possibility of flipping Lowry to a new team, though two league sources who spoke to Boone believe he’ll ultimately become a buyout candidate instead. Either way, it doesn’t sound like Charlotte is intent on actually playing the veteran point guard. “He’s got to report, he’s got to pass a physical,” Kupchak said of Lowry. “It’s going to take a couple of days. I can’t say that that’s something we look to accomplish right away. We may wait to see what happens out of respect to him and what he’s accomplished in this league. Maybe we wait to see and have the trade deadline pass, rather than have him relocate and start something that may or may not take place. I think that’s probably what we will do. Don’t know for sure, but that seems to make the most sense.”
Veteran forward Gordon Hayward is another player on a sizable veteran contract who is available in trade talks. Boone hears from league sources that Hayward is “at the very top” of Charlotte’s list of trade candidates. However, the 33-year-old has been out since December due to a left calf strain and there’s no timeline for his return, so it’s unclear whether the Hornets will be able to acquire anything of value for him. He’s another possible buyout candidate if no trade arises, Boone notes.
While it’s typically difficult to determine right away which teams won and lost a trade, there’s one clear winner in the deal between the Heat and Hornets, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer: Rozier. As Fowler details, Rozier appeared in 50 postseason contests with Boston during his first four NBA seasons, but didn’t get to play a single playoff game during his time in Charlotte — that figures to change in Miami.

Latest On Bucks’ Coaching Situation

January 23rd, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks have reached out to Doc Rivers to discuss having him take over their head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms.

As reported earlier in the day, Rivers is the top choice to replace first-year coach Adrian Griffin, who was abruptly fired on Tuesday.

CNN Sports, as relayed by the NBA on TNT, reported on Tuesday night that Rivers had accepted the position (video link). However, that report has yet to be corroborated by other media outlets.

Rivers already has a connection to the Bucks, having informally served as a consultant for Griffin this season at the behest of the club.

Here’s more on the Bucks’ coaching situation:

Griffin offered a diplomatic answer to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report regarding his dismissal: “I appreciate the opportunity the Bucks gave me. You can’t control everything,” Griffin said in a phone interview. “I feel good about the job we did. I appreciate my coaching staff for all their hard work. I always wanted to be a head coach in this league. I couldn’t have asked for a better roster. I got to coach Giannis (Antetokounpo), Dame (Lillard), Khris (Middleton), Brook (Lopez). Dream come true. Hopefully, I get another shot at it, but overall, I’m just thankful.”
Bucks general manager Jon Horst and assistant GM Milt Newton began closely observing practices and shootarounds in the last 10 days or so, Haynes reports in the same story. That began raising the eyebrows of the coaching staff and players. If they don’t land Rivers, the Bucks also have Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMillan on their short list of candidates, Haynes adds.
Griffin met with his top four players after the team’s loss to Indiana during the in-season tournament last month and they all spoke about what was working, what wasn’t working and how they could best be utilized. Griffin told the players that sacrifices were required, but bickering in the locker room continued shortly thereafter.
Griffin was hired at the endorsement of Antetokounmpo, but that endorsement had more to do with whom the two-time MVP didn’t want as head coach, writes Marc Stein at Substack. Nick Nurse was high on the Bucks’ list of candidates before he was hired by the Sixers, according to Stein, who says Antetokounmpo wanted the franchise to go in a different direction and chose to back Griffin. Moving on from Griffin now was a far easier move than finding a difference-making trade, given Milwaukee’s limited assets, Stein adds.
When Lillard’s former head coach, Terry Stotts, chose to resign from the Bucks’ staff just prior to the season opener, the reason was that Griffin felt that he was being undermined by Stotts, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Stotts was brought in to mentor Griffin but they clashed on scheme and philosophy.

Pistons’ Cunningham, Morris Probable To Play Wednesday

January 23rd, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons could have their full complement of players for the first time this season when they face the Hornets on Wednesday.

Cade Cunningham and Monte Morris are listed as probable to play, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

Cunningham hasn’t played since departing Detroit’s Jan. 7 game at Denver after 11 minutes with a left knee strain. The Pistons’ franchise player, who is extension-eligible after the season, has missed the past seven games. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per contest this season.

Morris would be making his season – and Pistons – debut if he checks into the game. Morris has been sidelined due to a right quad strain. He was affected during the preseason by lower back soreness, then hurt his quad while rehabbing his back injury.

Morris was acquired from Washington in July and was expected to back up Jaden Ivey and Cunningham. He has an expiring $9.8MM contract, which could come in handy as the four-win Pistons explore trades to build a better future.

Central Notes: Bates, LaVine, Walker, Williams

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers rookie second-rounder Emoni Bates and Gabe Osabuohien were each suspended for two games without pay for entering the spectator stands while playing for the G League Cleveland Charge, according to an NBA Communications press release.

The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Charge’s 126-105 loss to the Birmingham Squadron on Saturday. Bates, who is on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, will lose over $7,700 in pay during the G League suspension, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended the actions of the two players, claiming that they were subjected to nasty and inappropriate comments from the stands, Peter Dewey of CavaliersNation.com relays.

“We talked to Emoni and I want to be clear about the circumstances of that and I don’t think it’s been clear. It was an ugly incident from the fan standpoint,” the Cavaliers coach said. “Emoni and Gabe , they draw the attention and I understand the league’s hard and fast rule on approaching the stands and that type of thing, but there’s also a line that needs to be drawn between how fans believe they can interact with players, how they can interact with players’ families and the things that were said to Emoni and his family. I let him know we’ve got his back, we’re still supporting him and as a league there needs to be more done to protect those guys. They should never have to go through what they went through and be called the names they were called.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bulls revealed on Friday that Zach LaVine would miss at least a week due to a right ankle sprain. The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on FanDuel’s Run It Back program (Twitter link) that LaVine’s injury is worse than a Grade 1 (mild) sprain.
In light of the Pascal Siakam acquisition, Pacers’ rookie forward Jarace Walker would seemingly have an even smaller role. However, coach Rick Carlisle has been giving Walker more opportunities to play small forward, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. “Once we acquired Pascal, you gotta take a hard look at how this thing is shaping up,” Carlisle said. “With the realities about the importance of playing with size to being a good defensive team, it makes sense to put him in that equation somewhere. It doesn’t mean he will always play 3. The more I’m going through this, I like playing with size, size that can move and make plays and stay in front of people is even better.” Walker, the eighth overall pick of last year’s draft, has averaged 21.3 minutes of playing time over the last three games.
Patrick Williams, a restricted free agent after the season, remains a work in progress when it comes to decision-making on offense, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. Bulls coach Billy Donovan gave Williams a quick hook on Saturday when he made two passive decisions instead of being aggressive. “Guys grow and develop at different rates. It’s not like he doesn’t want to do it. I just think he’s got to be more decisive when the ball comes,” Donovan said.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Finch, Ayton, Pokusevski, Sexton

January 23rd, 2024 at 6:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a franchise record 62 points on Monday but coach Chris Finch tore into Towns and his teammates for blowing a double-digit, second-half lead to the lottery bound Hornets, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“It was an absolutely disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball,” the Timberwolves coach said.

Finch believed Towns and the other regulars weren’t focused enough on playing winning basketball.

“We totally disrespected the game, ourselves, and we got exactly what we deserved,” said Finch, adding, “We’ve got a lot of basketball left to play, and that’s what our guys need to understand. We haven’t done a thing yet. We haven’t accomplished a thing yet. We’ve got to play with a better desire and a better purpose and a better readiness every single night.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Deandre Ayton is averaging a career-low 12.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in his first season with the Trail Blazers but it hasn’t impacted his high opinion of his game. Ayton told Mark Medina of BasketballIntelligence.net (subscription required) that he’s a max player. “I got nothing to prove in this league,” Ayton said. “I’m a max player, and I’ll continue to be a max player.” Ayton is in the second year of a four-year, $132.9MM contract, which Indiana offered him in restricted free agency and Phoenix matched in 2022.
Aleksej Pokusevski has only appeared in seven games for the Thunder this season. Coach Mark Daigneault said there’s nothing wrong with the big man physically — he just doesn’t have a spot in the rotation, Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire tweets. “He’s healthy,” Daigneault said. “You can only dress 15 guys and we’ve had kinda an uncommon run of health here. We’ve really had a healthy team for much of the season, which is hard to do. Some of that is luck and some of that is the work these guys have put in. Some combination of the two. You have to make three guys inactive and we usually just put out the 15 in uniform that we think are most relevant for that game that night.”
Collin Sexton has been a major part of the Jazz’s surge up the standings. The guard said his trust in his surgically repaired knee is a big reason why, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “Confidence is everything,” he says. “Not worrying about pushing off or not trying to change your game just because you are nervous or scared. I feel like that’s something that people have to get over that hump. Now, I’m back at full swing.” Sexton received a four-year, $72MM contract in a sign-and-trade between Cleveland and Utah in 2o22.

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 Rumors: Rivers, Atkinson, Griffin, Lillard

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the dismissal of Adrian Griffin just 43 games into his head coaching career, the Bucks have opened discussions with Doc Rivers to become the team’s new permanent head coach, league sources tell Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Eric Nehm of The Athletic. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), however, hears that the two sides have yet to talk.

Either way, it sounds like Rivers is the leading candidate to supplant Griffin as the head coach in Milwaukee. Wojnarowski acknowledges that Rivers is a “top target” and says the team is expected to reach out soon to gauge his interest.

Rivers already has a connection to the Bucks, having informally served as a consultant for Griffin this season at the behest of the club, according to The Athletic’s report. League sources tell Charania, Amick, and Nehm that the Bucks reached out to Rivers in order to organize a meeting between him and Griffin at the in-season tournament in Las Vegas last month.

The hope was that Rivers would be able to offer some advice and guidance to the first-time head coach about how to navigate the pressure of leading a team with championship expectations, per The Athletic. Following the resignation of assistant Terry Stotts ahead of the regular season, Griffin didn’t have any veteran head coaches on his staff with that sort of experience.

If Rivers and the Bucks don’t end up agreeing to a deal, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is considered another strong candidate for the job, according to Charania, Amick, and Nehm. Atkinson was a runner-up to Griffin in Milwaukee’s head coaching search last spring.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

Bucks players began questioning Griffin’s strategies and schemes on both ends of the court earlier this season, and those questions grew louder in recent weeks as the team failed to show significant growth, according to The Athletic’s report. Milwaukee has gone just 6-5 in January and there were concerns about Griffin’s ability to communicate his vision to his players.
The Bucks’ declining effectiveness on the defensive end and the use of Damian Lillard on offense are among the factors that contributed to Griffin’s exit, per Charania, Amick, and Nehm. League sources tell The Athletic that Lillard – whose usage rate is at 27.9%, his lowest mark since 2014/15 – “has spent much of this season struggling with the way the Bucks function on the offensive end.”
There wasn’t one single reason why Stotts stepped down from his position before the season began, according to The Athletic’s reporters, who say he and Griffin were never exactly on the same page about the veteran assistant’s role and responsibilities. Their disagreements came to a head and resulted in a brief verbal confrontation during an October 17 shootaround in Oklahoma City, with Stotts feeling disrespected by how he was treated.