NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Magic’s Fultz Available For First Game In Two Months

January 7th, 2024 at 3:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic point guard Markelle Fultz has been given the green light to suit up on Sunday for his first game in nearly two months, the team has announced (Twitter link). Orlando is facing the Hawks today.

Fultz has been out since November 9 with left knee tendinitis, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) notes.

In his five healthy games for the Magic this season, Fultz has averaged 11.4 PPG on 48.2% shooting from the floor, 4.0 APG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.2 SPG.

Rookie lottery pick Anthony Black has generally been starting in Fultz’s stead, though reserve guard Cole Anthony has taken the lion’s share of minutes at the position.

Beede tweets that an activated Fultz will operate as a reserve for this first game back. Head coach Jamahl Mosley has indicated that Fultz will be working under a restriction of about 12-to-16 minutes per night, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution (via Twitter).

At 20-15, the Magic are currently the seventh seed in the East. Their record is identical to that of the No. 6 Heat, as well as the No. 8 Pacers. Every game counts for the Magic in a crowded Eastern playoff race, so this is a critical positive health development. The club is just three games behind the third-seeded Sixers and 5.5 games clear of the No. 11 Hawks.

Bucks Waive Marques Bolden, Lindell Wigginton

January 7th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

1:50pm: The two Bucks cuts are official, the team confirmed in a press release.

10:16am: The Bucks have waived a pair of two-way players, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link), who hears from a league source that big man Marques Bolden and guard Lindell Wigginton have been cut by the team.

A player on a two-way contract who remains on his team’s roster through Sunday is assured of his full-season salary of $559,782, but it seems that won’t be the case for Bolden or Wigginton, who will receive only a prorated portion of that figure.

Bolden had his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal in October, prior to the start of regular season. The 25-year-old appeared briefly in just two games for Milwaukee, having spent most of the season with the Wisconsin Herd in the G League. He averaged 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 24.6 minutes per game across 16 Showcase Cup and regular season appearances for the Herd, with an impressive shooting line of .566/.515/.722.

Like Bolden, Wigginton didn’t have a role for the NBA team during his time with the Bucks, logging eight total minutes in three appearances. The Canadian, who also spent parts of the previous two seasons with Milwaukee, averaged 19.8 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 3.3 RPG on .490/.421/.769 shooting in 10 games (30.2 MPG) for the Herd in 2023/24.

The Bucks now have a pair of two-way slots open next to TyTy Washington Jr. They’ll have nearly two months to fill those spots — the deadline to sign a player to a two-way deal is March 4.

Suns Notes: Bol, Vogel, Allen, Durant

January 7th, 2024 at 1:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns head coach Frank Vogel has applauded reserve power forward Bol Bol for his recent output with Kevin Durant absent, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). Bol’s play has been strong enough to yield meaningful rotation run even once Durant is back in the fold, Vogel suggested.

Since first entering the team’s lineup on New Year’s Day, Bol has been playing solid ball. Across just 16.4 minutes per night, the 7’3″ big man is averaging 9.7 PPG on an unsustainably excellent shooting line of .800/.750/.667, along with 5.7 RPG and 1.3 APG.

Unfortunately, Bol has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Phoenix due to a right ankle sprain.

There’s more out of Phoenix:

The impact of veteran 3-and-D Suns swingman Grayson Allen on Phoenix this season has been remarkably seamless, Bourguet writes in a separate piece. Various injuries to the Suns’ three maximum-salaried stars have compelled the team to lean on Allen, who has already impressed Vogel. “I didn’t foresee the way he’s played for us this year,” the head coach admitted. “I think he’s exceeded all of our expectations from that standpoint.” The 28-year-old sniper is posting one of the top effective field goal percentages in team history. Across 30 contests, the Duke product is averaging 13.6 PPG on elite .509/.473/.891 shooting splits.
Although Kevin Durant did partake in a pregame shootaround Friday before ultimately sitting out the Suns’ victory over the Heat, Vogel told reporters that he was still feeling discomfort in his strained right hamstring, per Bourguet (Twitter video link). Vogel was quick to point out that the ailment is not a tear. Durant is now considered questionable to play on Sunday against the Grizzlies, Bourguet tweets.
Following that shootaround, Durant did seem to be taking the next step to a comeback, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin writes that, per Vogel, Durant had a “game intensity” workout Saturday. “His individual work, individual shooting he normally goes through, which is high intensity,” Vogel said. “Some strength work. He’s doing some stuff with the medical team.”

Lakers Sign Dylan Windler To Two-Way Contract

January 7th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 7: Windler officially signed his two-way contract on Saturday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

JANUARY 6: Veteran wing Dylan Windler, who had been playing in the G League, has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Lakers, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

A first-round pick in 2019, Windler signed a two-way contract with the Knicks in July following four seasons in Cleveland, then was converted to a standard non-guaranteed contract prior to the start of the regular season. He appeared in three games for the Knicks before being waived last month, before his 2023/24 salary became fully guaranteed.

Windler continued to play for the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate, after being waived by the NBA team. He’s coming off a monster performance on Friday vs. the Delaware Blue Coats, as he put up 23 points to go along with a NBAGL-record 33 rebounds (11 offensive) in a loss.

For the season, he has averaged 13.8 PPG and 8.8 RPG on .443/.360/.714 shooting in 13 appearances for Westchester.

Players with four years of NBA service are typically ineligible for two-way contracts. However, Windler qualifies under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement due to a rule tweak that allows players who missed one of their four seasons as a result of an injury to retain their two-way eligibility — the former Belmont standout didn’t play at all as a rookie in 2019/20 due to a leg injury.

Assuming he officially signs his contract today, Windler will be eligible to appear in up to 29 games and will earn $321,714 on his two-way deal with the Lakers.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, has to waive one of its current two-way players to open up a spot for Windler. Colin Castleton, D’Moi Hodge, and Alex Fudge currently occupy those slots, and the Lakers intend to waive Fudge, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). He logged just 14 total minutes in four NBA appearances as a rookie out of Florida this season.

Northwest Notes: MPJ, Nuggets, Watson, Thunder, Reath

January 7th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in his first 16 minutes of action on Friday to help the Nuggets build an 18-point lead, Michael Porter Jr. attempted just three more field goals in his final 15 minutes as Denver’s lead slipped away and Orlando pulled out a 122-120 victory.

Asked after the game about his recent trend of disappearing from the Nuggets’ offense after getting off to hot starts, Porter suggested it’s an issue that affects the team more broadly rather than applying specifically to him, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“I think it’s something we’re collectively still trying to master. Like, continuing to find guys’ shots throughout the midst of the game,” Porter said. “Because sometimes we play different in the first quarter than we do in the fourth quarter. … And that’s a lot of teams. But Aaron (Gordon) for example: He got most of his shots probably in the first quarter. Didn’t really touch the ball in the third quarter or the fourth quarter much.

“.. It’s a tough balance. When you’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable, sometimes you go a long stretch without really touching the ball. So for me, I kind of realize if I’m gonna get some shot attempts up, it’s gonna have to come in the flow of the game, and I’m gonna have to really, at times, be aggressive and things like that.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Heading into Friday’s game, the Nuggets had the NBA’s eighth-best defensive rating, compared to the No. 25 ranking at the same time a year ago. In another story for The Denver Post, Durando explores why the team has been significantly better on that end of the court in the first half of this season, singling out second-year wing Peyton Watson as a key difference-maker. Watson wasn’t part of the rotation last season, but his 109.6 defensive rating this season is the best mark among Denver’s regulars.
Even without making any moves on the trade market, the Thunder – who rank fourth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating – already look like a legitimate contender, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who argues that the club certainly has the assets to make a deal but should be in no rush to do so before the “missing ingredient” on the roster becomes more apparent.
The Trail Blazers, who now have two openings on their 15-man roster, are a virtual lock to promote big man Duop Reath from his two-way deal to a standard contract sooner or later, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. However, it’s unclear whether that move is in Portland’s short-term plans or if it will happen sometime after the trade deadline. The Blazers will have to make at least one roster addition by January 20, but that could just be a 10-day signing.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Randle, Quickley, Bridges

January 7th, 2024 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Since last weekend’s trade of OG Anunoby, multiple reporters have stated that their league sources expect the Raptors to also move Pascal Siakam ahead of next month’s deadline. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca has heard similar rumblings, but one of his sources warned him to not “be so sure.” That source suggested that while some closure on the situation is expected, it may not come in the form of a trade.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered an extension,” the source told Lewenberg.

Still, a trade is widely considered the more likely outcome for Siakam, prompting Lewenberg and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca to take another look at the 29-year-old’s potential market. Within his story, Lewenberg adds the Grizzlies to the list of teams that have shown some level of interest in the two-time All-Star.

Grange, meanwhile, explores the Kings and Warriors as possible trade partners in a Siakam deal, but says Sacramento – in addition to being unwilling to part with Keegan Murray – doesn’t seem enthusiastic about offering Siakam a maximum-salary contact to retain him beyond this season. With both of those factors in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Kings’ pursuit of the star forward has reportedly stalled.

As for Golden State, Grange hears from multiple sources that the Dubs aren’t inclined to trade Jonathan Kuminga, since he’s viewed as a potential star who can help the team win in both the present and the future.

A report this week indicated that Kuminga had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, but the two men reportedly had a good conversation in the wake of that story, and the former lottery pick played a season-high 36 minutes on Friday. If Kuminga isn’t on the table, the Raptors may not have much interest in making a Siakam deal with the Warriors.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After a slow start to the season, Julius Randle has played his way into the All-Star conversation, which could be a financial boon for the Knicks forward. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Randle will earn a bonus of almost $1.3MM if he’s named an All-Star. However, the 29-year-old said he’s not thinking about that at all and doesn’t know exactly how much that bonus is worth. “I knew I got a bonus, something north of a million. But you think I’m focusing on that? I’m making pretty good money,” said Randle, whose base salary this season is approximately $25.7MM.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is happy that his good friend Immanuel Quickley was traded from the Knicks to the Raptors, who will give his former Kentucky teammate “a little bit more of an opportunity,” as he tells Bondy of The New York Post. “He did a good job with the Knicks. But we know that’s Julius’ team, that’s (Jalen) Brunson’s team,” Maxey said. “This gives him opportunities to spread his wings, kind of fly a little bit. I think he’s done a great job so far.”
Is Mikal Bridges‘ recent drop in production merely a slump, or is the increased attention that comes with being the focal point of the Nets‘ offense – as well as a long summer with Team USA – affecting him? Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post explores that question, with input from head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Celtics Notes: Trade Exception, Roster, Queta, Brissett

January 7th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Jay King of The Athletic and other reporters this week, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens suggested that the team’s trade options at this season’s deadline will be limited, since Boston only has six players earning north of $5MM this season and all of them are starters or key rotation pieces.

As a result, the Celtics’ $6.2MM traded player exception is “really the No. 1 tool” the club has at its disposal as it explores the trade market, according to Stevens, who cautions that the exception is “not big.”

“It’s a small number of people (who would fit into the exception),” Stevens said, per King. “A lot of the people that are in that (salary tier) were signed to minimums or smaller contracts, or are on their rookie scale deals that teams aren’t exactly excited to move on from yet. So it’s a very small group of people, but we’re going to exhaust it, we’re going to look at it.”

Players whose salaries don’t fit into that trade exception may not be realistic trade targets for the Celtics.

For instance, in the latest episode of his No Cap Room podcast (Twitter video link), Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports mentions Raptors big man Chris Boucher as a player Boston has liked for a while. But without giving up one of their top six players, the Celtics would have to send out at least five smaller salaries for matching purposes in a deal for Boucher and his $11.75MM salary, which likely isn’t viable.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

While Stevens didn’t rule out the possibility of acquiring another big man, he said he’s been happy with what the Celtics have gotten from their frontcourt players and would be more inclined to add one more big wing who could crack the rotation or simply provide depth, according to King. “And I think that could be from within,” Stevens said, “and I also think that we’ll continue to monitor free agency and trades.”
If the Celtics do add another frontcourt player, they’d want someone who would happy to accept a very limited role, according to Stevens: “What you look at is guys that can play, guys that can add value but, like I said last year, don’t need to play. They are over themselves, and I think that that’s important. That’s what we have right now, and we’ve gotten obviously good play out of … great play out of Kristaps (Porzingis), I think Al (Horford)‘s been good. I think Luke (Kornet) and (Neemias Queta), when called upon, have both added great value.”
Queta, who is on a two-way contract, has been a pleasant surprise off the bench and could be a candidate later in the season to get a promotion to the standard roster. However, he’s still eligible to play in 37 more games as a two-way player, and it doesn’t sound like the Celtics are in any rush to fill their final 15-man roster spot by converting his contract, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “We have discussions every day about how we’re going to move forward with those other spots on our roster,” Stevens said. “We have one open spot right now. You have to carry 14. I think it’s helpful to go into a trade deadline or whatever with a little bit of flexibility from a roster standpoint.”
Fifth-year wing Oshae Brissett hasn’t played a significant role off the bench for the Celtics this season, but he has gotten more opportunities as of late, including 20 minutes of action in Saturday’s victory over Indiana. Brissett had eight points and eight rebounds against his former team, notes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I was extremely happy for him, just building off of what he did (Friday) night at Utah,” Jayson Tatum said. “I know (the win over the Jazz) was a blowout, but I can only imagine a team trading you and you get to come back and you want to play good against them, you want to beat them. He was a big part of that success we had in the fourth quarter, just creating second and third chance opportunities. That was big for us.”

Pacific Notes: Siakam, Huerter, Mitchell, Clippers, Russell

January 6th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pascal Siakam was still with the Raptors for Friday’s game at Sacramento, and he said he didn’t follow a busy day on the rumor mill regarding him and the Kings, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Kings were “ramping up” their pursuit of Siakam, but he followed up that later in the day by saying trade talks between Toronto and Sacramento are on hold.

“I don’t really pay attention to anything,” Siakam said after the game. “I have people who work on that stuff. I play basketball. I’m a basketball player and that’s all I try to focus on.”

Siakam will be a popular name on the trade market leading up to the February 8 deadline. Numerous teams have already been in touch with the Raptors about the two-time All-Star, who has a $37.9MM expiring contract. Siakam complimented what general manager Monte McNair has been able to do with the Kings, but repeated that he’s focusing on how he can help Toronto rather than listening to trade rumors.

“I’m here. I don’t really think about that,” Siakam said. “I try to take it day by day, to be honest. I can’t control a lot of things, so I just continue to play basketball and come in every day and get better.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Sources have confirmed to James Ham of Kings Beat (subscription required) that the Kings have made calls around the league to gauge the trade value of Kevin Huerter and Davion Mitchell. Jake Fischer reported Friday that both players, along with Harrison Barnes, could be on the move before the deadline.
The Clippers are crediting continuity for their recent success, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. has seen several seasons short circuited by injuries, and Greif notes that the current starting five reached a milestone Friday with 265 minutes together, which marks the most of any Clippers lineup since the team acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019. “As a guy who’s been here that whole time and been a starter the whole time, it’s been very frustrating,” Ivica Zubac said. “I thought a lot about my love for the basketball in those four years and I can really tell you, I can say I like this game a lot because I was tested a lot. … It just shows when we’re healthy, we’re a great team.”
The Clippers and Lakers are rapidly heading in opposite directions as they prepare for Sunday’s showdown, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been upgraded to questionable and could return after missing the last three games with a bruised tailbone, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Jones, Osman, Wesley

January 6th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs fell just short on Thursday in a hard-fought battle with Milwaukee, dropping a 125-121 decision to the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed, but it was another big night for Victor Wembanyama. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News details, the rookie big man racked up 27 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in just 26 minutes of action, earning praise from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for his performance — and his potential.

“Everything that he dreams of, it’s going to happen for him,” Antetokounmpo said, adding that he’s “never seen anything like” Wembanyama.

Antetokounmpo also suggested that Wembanyama, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Thursday, is ahead of where Giannis was at similar points in their respective careers, telling reporters that the Spurs youngster is having a “Rookie of the Year season.” However, it was Chet Holmgren who earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for a second consecutive time earlier this week, which Wembanyama says he’ll use as motivation.

“Of course, of course,” Wembanyama said (Twitter video link via Hector Ledesma of Clutch Points). “I’m dedicated and I know at the end of the day I’m going to get what I deserve, and every game is a statement from now on.”

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Wembanyama remains on a minutes restriction for now, which head coach Gregg Popovich has said won’t be lifted until the big man’s ankle gets reevaluated. According to Popovich, that exam is “coming soon,” per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “It’s within the next week or two, I believe,” Popovich said on Thursday. “But I don’t know the exact date.”
With Malaki Branham out on Thursday due to a right ankle sprain, the Spurs moved point guard Tre Jones into the starting lineup for the first time this season. The move worked well, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, who notes that the ball flowed nicely on offense and San Antonio’s second unit held its own without Jones. Asked why San Antonio hasn’t been starting Jones all season, McDonald explained (via Twitter) that the team already knows what it has in the fourth-year veteran and has been more interested in learning what players like Branham and Jeremy Sochan can and can’t handle when tasked with the job.
Forward Cedi Osman, who has seen his role and his production fluctuate in his first season as a Spur, told Orsborn (Twitter link) on Thursday after scoring 19 total points in his previous seven appearances that he’s still working to understand “what the coaches are asking from me” from game to game. Osman expressed confidence that things “will be better” for him and followed up those comments with a nice showing on Thursday — he scored 13 points to go along with five assists and three steals vs. Milwaukee.
After not playing more than 12 minutes in any of the Spurs’ first 31 games, Blake Wesley has averaged 17.6 MPG in the past three and has earned praise from Popovich, tweets Orsborn. “He’s played freely,” Popovich said. “He doesn’t look like he is worried about making a mistake. He’s been excellent at the defensive end.”

Central Notes: Crowder, Pacers, J. Johnson, Osman

January 6th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks forward Jae Crowder is nearing his return after being sidelined since tearing his left adductor muscle in a November 11 game, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Crowder underwent surgery three days later and has been steadily increasing his activity level, with three five-on-five practice sessions upcoming this week.

“I did have a set target to get to this point,” Crowder said, “and I pushed myself to get to this point and took care of my body and tried to do the things I needed to do while I’m away from the medical staff, while I’m at home doing the little stuff that I needed to do to get myself back to where I need to be.”

Crowder had been dealing with an adductor issue since the first week of training camp, so the surgery eliminated the pain he was playing through in the early part of the season. He hopes to return soon to boost Milwaukee’s defense, which currently ranks 22nd in the league. He’ll spend some practice time with the G League Wisconsin Herd as he works his way back, and although a target date hasn’t been set, Crowder believes he’ll know when he’s ready.

“I just want to get back to feeling what I want, what I need to feel,” he said. “I think ultimately that I’ll be better. I think I’ll be better than I was before pre-injury, honestly. Just taking on the challenges of what we need to do, like helping these guys, taking on that matchup of stopping the best offensive player. I think I’ll be much better off than I was before and I felt like I was doing a decent job at it before.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers are interested in “just about every starting power forward possible,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said in an interview with The Trade Deadline (video link), adding that Indiana was pursing OG Anunoby before Toronto traded him to the Knicks. Fischer confirms that Buddy Hield is available after he failed to reach an extension with the team last summer, but says the Pacers have “pretty much rebuffed any teams’ interest in T.J. McConnell.”
The Pacers were hoping to re-sign James Johnson after last season, but they didn’t have an open roster spot until they reached a buyout agreement with Daniel Theis in mid-November, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). “We had talked about it really since the exit meetings last year,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “With the moves that were made early in July, we were gonna have 15 guaranteed contracts. Just weren’t sure about bringing him into camp and then having to cut him if it was going to be that kind of situation.”
After being traded to the Spurs last summer, Cedi Osman still has fond memories of Cleveland, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Osman will make his return to the city on Sunday as his new team takes on the Cavaliers. “They really do care about their sports teams, with the Guardians, the Browns, the Cavs,” Osman said. “I always felt their support during games, even during a bad stretch. In my second and third year when we were kind of rebuilding, they were supporting us no matter what.”