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Five Players Ejected From Magic-Wolves Game After Scuffle

February 3rd, 2023 at 9:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Orlando’s Mohamed Bamba and Jalen Suggs, as well as Minnesota’s Austin Rivers, Taurean Prince and Jaden McDaniels, were ejected from Friday’s Magic–Timberwolves game after a scuffle broke out, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link)

It appears as though Bamba may have initiated the incident by saying something to Rivers after he missed a three-pointer, as Markelle Fultz looked absolutely shocked by whatever was said (Twitter video link via Rob Perez).

Clearly Rivers didn’t appreciate the comment, as he returned to Orlando’s bench (Bamba wasn’t in the game at the time), and then a fight broke out between Bamba and Rivers, with punches thrown, though none appeared to connect (Twitter video link via Bally Sports North).

Suggs then ran into the fray and tackled Rivers, with chaos ensuing. Prince and McDaniels were both shoving and trying to get involved, so apparently they were ejected for escalating the altercation.

According to Pierre Noujaim of Fox 9 Minneapolis (Twitter link), Bamba and Rivers tried to continue the fight in the arena hallway after being ejected, and had to be restrained, presumably by security.

All five players are likely to face suspensions and/or fines, with Bamba and Rivers almost certain to receive the most significant penalties.

Bamba is typically a backup center, but he started the game for the Magic, with Suggs a reserve guard. Losing them to suspensions would affect the team’s rotation, but not as substantially as it would the Wolves, as McDaniels is a starter and Prince and Rivers are two of Minnesota’s primary reserves.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

February 3rd, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Rory Maher

After Kyrie Irving‘s agent reached out to the Nets about an extension last week, Brooklyn offered him a deal that included an unlikely incentive based on the team winning a championship, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Haynes was told that Irving’s camp refused to negotiate after the offer, and now the All-Star guard reportedly won’t re-sign with the Nets even if he was offered a fully guaranteed maximum-salary extension, which would be worth $198.5MM over four years.

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), an unlikely incentive can be worth up to 15% of a contract’s yearly value.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Nets offered a multiyear extension, with the stipulations tied to the last year of the deal. Charania didn’t specify the years or amount that was offered.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Nets were “reluctant to rush into a long-term commitment without further evidence that Irving could stay reliable, perform at a high level and remain controversy-free.” Reading between the lines, it’s pretty clear that he wasn’t offered a four-year extension.

The market isn’t exactly brimming with teams in pursuit of Irving due to how many games he’s missed over the past handful of years, not to mention the controversy. In fact, two of his primary would-be suitors, the Lakers and Mavericks, are wary of giving up “significant trade assets” in a potential offer, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Irving, who turns 31 next month, is making $36.9MM in the final year of his contract. If he’s traded, he would be eligible for a two-year extension worth up to $78.6MM until June 30, but Woj sounds skeptical that would be available to Irving, especially right away, writing that “no teams are privately expressing a desire to make that investment.” That includes the Suns, another team expected to have interest in acquiring Irving.

The Nets are currently 31-20, the No. 4 seed in the East, but have gone just 4-7 since Kevin Durant was injured. Wojnarowski reports that many rival teams are “far more interested” in seeing how Durant reacts to Irving’s trade request and learning whether Durant may decide to follow suit, rather than pursuing Irving himself.

In an appearance on NBA TV (Twitter video link), Haynes said he “would be very surprised if Kyrie is a Net past the trade deadline,” which is February 9 at 2:00pm CT.

Dillon Brooks Suspended One Game; Donovan Mitchell Fined

February 3rd, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay after an altercation with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who received a $20K fine, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Brooks was suspended for initiating the incident by “striking Mitchell in the groin area in an unsportsmanlike manner,” per the league. Mitchell was fined for escalating after “throwing the game ball at and pushing Brooks,” with a minor scrum occurring afterward.

Both players were ejected; Brooks received a Flagrant 2 Foul, while Mitchell received a technical. The incident occurred about halfway through the third quarter of Cleveland’s victory over Memphis on Thursday.

According to the NBA, Brooks will serve his suspension on Sunday against Toronto. The one-game ban will cost him $78,621, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/145th of his salary. Brooks is making $11.4MM in the final year of his contract.

Mitchell already stated he was going to appeal his ejection. He was very unhappy with Brooks after the game, calling it a “cheap shot” and said it was something that had “been brewing for years.”

Mavs’ Doncic Out With Heel Injury, Wood Nearing Return

February 3rd, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Just days after returning from an ankle sprain that sidelined him for a game, Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Saturday’s contest in Golden State after sustaining a right heel contusion, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

The injury occurred in the third quarter of Dallas’ Thursday win over New Orleans when Doncic drove to the basket for a layup and collided awkwardly with Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas, landing hard on his right heel (video link).

Although Doncic didn’t travel with the Mavericks for the start of their five-game road trip and won’t play on Saturday, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters on Friday that the four-time All-Star wasn’t being ruled out for the entire trip.

“It’s too soon today to give an update on that,” Kidd said, per MacMahon. “As we get the MRI, we’ll be able to give an update on status.”

Like Doncic, Davis Bertans (left calf strain) has been ruled out for Saturday’s game and didn’t accompany the Mavs for the road trip, but the team did have a pair of positive health updates on Friday.

Big man Christian Wood, who has been on the shelf due to a fractured left thumb, went through a full practice on Friday for the first time since suffering the injury and said he’ll be “ready to go” after a bit more conditioning work. He won’t play on Saturday, but believes he’ll be cleared to play on Monday in Utah or in Wednesday in L.A. against the Clippers.

Meanwhile, forward Maxi Kleber has progressed to 1-on-1 workouts as of Friday, according to Kidd (link via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News). Kleber underwent surgery on December 20 to repair a torn hamstring and has expressed hope that he’ll be able to return at some point this month.

Lakers, Mavs, Suns Among Possible Kyrie Irving Suitors

February 3rd, 2023 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Mavericks are among the teams expected to talk to the Nets before next Thursday’s trade deadline about a possible deal involving Kyrie Irving, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

In addition to the Lakers and Mavs, the Suns have emerged as a potential suitor for Irving, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times tweets that there has also been some buzz in league circles about the Heat being a team to watch.

Irving has reportedly requested a trade out of Brooklyn.

There are a handful of reasons why the list of obvious matches for Irving isn’t lengthy. His history of mercurial behavior and inconsistent availability will scare many teams away, as will the fact that he’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end — some suitors will be reluctant to give up much for a player who might be a rental, while others may not welcome the idea of having to negotiate a new contract with the 30-year-old. Additionally, Irving’s $36.9MM cap hit is sizable and wouldn’t be easy for certain clubs to match.

Still, Irving remains an elite talent on the court, having averaged 27.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 5.1 RPG on a sparkling .486/.374/.883 shooting line in 40 games (37.0 MPG) for Brooklyn this season, so it’s safe to assume Sean Marks and the Nets’ front office will get some inquiries.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Irving hasn’t given the Nets a list of preferred landing spots, but his interest in the Lakers has carried over from the 2022 offseason.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have had interest in Irving in the past, though they’ve been reluctant to give up a substantial haul of assets for the All-Star guard, tweets Wojnarowski. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon observes (via Twitter) that Mavs president of basketball operations Nico Harrison (a former Nike executive) and head coach Jason Kidd have long-standing relationships with Irving, and Dallas badly wants a co-star for Luka Doncic.

As for the Suns, they’re viewed as one of the only teams capable of making a deal with the Nets that could leave both teams as contenders, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

When Irving explored the possibility of changing teams last summer, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Heat were said to be on his wish list, along with the Clippers, Knicks, and Sixers. New York and Philadelphia don’t look like logical fits for Kyrie at this point, but L.A.’s other team could be worth keeping an eye on.

There haven’t been any reports linking Irving to the Clippers so far, but they’ve reportedly expressed interest in some other point guards and have been “proactive” in gauging John Wall‘s trade market, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Trade Rumors: Anunoby, Hornets, Prince, Beasley, Crowder

February 3rd, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have told teams they’ll wait until their current road trip is over before making a decision on their direction at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an appearance on NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link). With games in Houston on Friday and Memphis on Sunday still on tap for Toronto, potential trade partners will have to wait a few more days for clarity.

However, if the Raptors do make OG Anunoby available, Windhorst expects there to be several playoff teams vying for his services.

“If the Raptors are willing to put OG Anunoby on the trade block, I believe – conservatively – there could be six or seven different teams, a lot of them contenders for the title this year, who are willing to put in a significant offer for him,” Windhorst said. “It would really depend then on whether the Raptors prioritized getting young players… or if they decided to focus on draft picks, because that would change the order of teams that you’d like for OG.”

In the same TV segment, Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Bobby Marks observed that it would help potential Anunoby suitors if they could get some clarity on whether the NBA will tweak its contract extension rules in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Based on the current rules, if he were to sign an extension, Anunoby could only get a 20% raise on next season’s $18.6MM salary (or on his $19.9MM player option for 2024/25). As such, he may be inclined to wait for free agency to sign a new contract, since he could get a bigger raise at that point. However, if the new CBA loosens restrictions on veteran extensions, a team acquiring Anunoby now would be in a better position to extend him before the end of his current contract.

CBA negotiations are ongoing, so it’s unclear if teams will have a real sense by the February 9 deadline of whether or not those rules will change.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

The Hornets are engaged in trade talks about “almost all of their veterans,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link) writes, citing league sources. While Lowe doesn’t name specific players, we’ve previously heard Mason Plumlee, Terry Rozier, and Kelly Oubre, among others, referred to as possible trade candidates.
In his Lowe Post podcast, Lowe mentions in passing that teams are calling the Timberwolves about forward Taurean Prince “a lot.” Lowe doesn’t provide any additional details, but it seems safe to assume that Minnesota isn’t eager to move one of its key role players, given the team’s playoff aspirations. The Wolves currently rank sixth in the West at 28-26.
Rival executives tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that they believe the Jazz have at least one team willing to offer a first-round pick for veteran wing Malik Beasley. It’s unclear what sort of protections that first-rounder might have or whether Utah would have to take back a multiyear contract for salary-matching purposes.
The Bucks aren’t the only team that has requested and received permission to speak to Suns forward Jae Crowder, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who says there are “others” who have done the same.

Nets’ Kyrie Irving Requests Trade

February 3rd, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets star Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, the Nets have been informed that Irving wants to be dealt prior to next Thursday’s trade deadline and intends to leave in free agency this summer if he remains in Brooklyn for the rest of the season.

Although Irving has been repeatedly at the center of off-court storylines since joining the Nets in 2019, this news still comes as a surprise. After serving a team-mandated suspension earlier in the season for promoting an antisemitic film, Irving had played some of his best basketball while the Nets had risen up the standings and Brooklyn had been relatively drama-free.

The Nets are 25-11 since a 6-9 start and hold a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference despite being without Kevin Durant since January 8 due to a knee injury. As for Irving, he has averaged 27.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on .495/.399/.870 shooting in 32 appearances since serving his suspension.

Irving’s trade request appears to be related to failed extension discussions between his camp and the Nets, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Kyrie’s stepmother and agent Shetellia Riley Irving told Haynes last week that they wanted to complete an extension with Brooklyn and said the ball was in the team’s court.

According to Charania, the Nets recently offered Irving a contract extension that featured “guarantee stipulations.” That offer, which was declined, wasn’t well received and signaled that the two sides weren’t on the same page, Charania adds.

As Marc Stein notes (via Twitter), the Nets had been comfortable playing out the season without extending Irving, since they felt he’d need their help on a sign-and-trade deal this summer to get to a preferred destination. It sounds like Kyrie didn’t appreciate the team’s lack of urgency on his future.

Irving’s trade request represents the second time in two years that a Nets star has asked to be dealt just ahead of the in-season deadline while Durant was on the shelf due to an injury — James Harden took that route a year ago and was sent to Philadelphia.

Of course, Durant himself also asked for a trade in the offseason and the Nets ultimately opted not to grant that request.

It will be interesting to see how those two situations influence the front office’s thinking this time around. Up until this point, the decision to hang onto KD (as well as Irving, who was considered an offseason trade candidate too) has worked out considerably better than the decision to send Harden to a division rival for a package headlined by Ben Simmons.

If the Nets do head to the trade market to try to find a taker for Irving, it’s probably safe to assume they’ll talk to the Lakers, who were the only team seriously linked to the All-Star guard last summer. Irving was said to be interested in reuniting with LeBron James in Los Angeles, while the Lakers were reportedly willing to offer Russell Westbrook and draft capital to Brooklyn for Kyrie (at least one other Net would have to be included to match salaries).

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Irving’s expiring $36.9MM contract includes a 15% trade kicker that would currently be worth $2.1MM. The Nets would be responsible for paying that bonus if they were to move him.

Jusuf Nurkic Out Until After All-Star Break

February 3rd, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic, who exited Wednesday’s game early in the first quarter after aggravating a left calf injury, has been diagnosed with a calf strain and ruled out for at least the next seven games. The team announced today in a press release that Nurkic is expected to return after the All-Star break.

After re-signing with Portland during the offseason on a new four-year, $70MM deal, Nurkic has averaged 13.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per night with a .524/.390/.686 shooting line in 45 games (27.3 MPG).

While Nurkic’s stats are solid and the Blazers have a positive net rating with him on the court, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer argued earlier this week that the veteran center has been a weak link for the team this season due to his inconsistent effort, as well as his lack of quickness and verticality on defense.

With Nurkic sidelined for the last two weeks before the All-Star break, the Blazers will get a chance to assess what they look like without him. Reserve center Drew Eubanks is a good bet to slide into the starting lineup, while Trendon Watford will likely see a bump in minutes backing up Eubanks at the five.

In more positive Blazers injury news, the club has announced (via Twitter) that Jerami Grant, who left Wednesday’s game early due to concussion symptoms, has been upgraded to available for Friday’s game in Washington.

Suns Notes: Booker, Payne, CP3, Lee, Washington

February 3rd, 2023 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to return to action as soon as Tuesday against the Nets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Booker hasn’t played since Christmas Day due to a left groin strain, but was reevaluated on Wednesday and was said by the Suns to be “game-to-game” at that point.

Booker has already been ruled out for Friday’s game in Boston and it sounds like he won’t be back for Saturday’s contest in Detroit, but Wojnarowski suggests the standout guard could return to the court for the third game of Phoenix’s road trip, on Tuesday in Brooklyn. Booker said on Wednesday that he felt like he was “rounding third (base),” as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic tweets.

Unfortunately for the Suns, it will still be a little longer before they get another key backcourt piece back. As Rankin writes, the club announced on Friday that Cameron Payne (right foot sprain) continues to make progress in his recovery but will be out at least one more week before being reevaluated.

Here’s more on the Suns:

The Suns have been linked to a handful of point guards in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, including Fred VanVleet and D’Angelo Russell, but that doesn’t mean they’re considering the idea of trading current starter Chris Paul, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe stated on his Lowe Post podcast. “Let me be clear, I don’t think they’re trading Chris Paul,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “I’ve heard nothing about trading Chris Paul. In fact, I’ve heard the opposite.”
Discussing the Suns’ decision to cut Duane Washington Jr. in order to bring back Saben Lee on a two-way contract after Lee’s second 10-day deal expired, head coach Monty Williams said that there will some “financial implications” in play, tweets Rankin. Phoenix has an open spot on its 15-man roster, but is well above the luxury tax line — two-way salaries don’t count against the cap or tax.
Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com shares five of his takeaways from the Lee/Washington roster swap, exploring why the Suns were willing to let Washington go and considering whether the club’s decision to retain Lee is a reason to be concerned about Payne’s status.

Lakers, Jazz Have Had Exploratory Talks About Westbrook

February 3rd, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Jazz have had some exploratory discussions about a trade involving veteran point guard Russell Westbrook, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Although Westbrook has adjusted nicely to a sixth man role this season and hasn’t been cited as trade rumors nearly as often as he was during the offseason, he has “remained available” for trade, according to Haynes.

The recent acquisition of Rui Hachimura has given the Lakers a “renewed sense of confidence,” but there’s a belief within the organization that the club needs to make at least one more roster move before the February 9 trade deadline to give itself a real shot at contention, Haynes says.

It’s possible such a move could involve Westbrook, though Patrick Beverley remains a trade candidate as well. According to Haynes, the Lakers are in communication with many teams around the NBA as they consider the most favorable trade scenarios available to them.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the Lakers and Jazz having a conversation about Westbrook. The two teams reportedly engaged in discussions last offseason, with Los Angeles exploring a deal that would’ve sent Westbrook and draft assets to Utah in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and others.

Bogdanovic was traded to Detroit instead, but the Jazz still have several veterans on eight-figure salaries who could appeal to L.A., including Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, and Jordan Clarkson. The Lakers also remain interested in Bogdanovic as they scour the market in search of outside shooting help, Haynes confirms, though there’s skepticism about whether the Pistons will actually move the veteran forward before the deadline.

Westbrook’s $47MM+ cap hit makes him a tricky player to move, but if the Lakers remain open to dealing him, there are other possibilities they could explore.

According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, one popular trade idea that has made the rounds as of late is Westbrook and the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to the Raptors for a package headlined by Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. However, Hollinger stresses that the Raptors/Westbrook proposal has been “fairly heavily trafficked in theory despite little evidence that it’s been discussed in reality.”