NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

And-Ones: Clingan, Knecht, Sears, Gambling

April 1st, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

UConn center Donovan Clingan is zooming up the draft boards after his dominant performances in the NCAA Tournament. In the latest ESPN mock draft, Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony list Clingan as the No. 3 overall selection to Charlotte.

Clingan is averaging 15.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in the tournament, including an overwhelming defensive effort in the Elite Eight against Illinois. Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht, who scored 37 points against Purdue on Sunday, is projected as the No. 8 pick.

We have more from around the basketball world:

On a similar topic, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor agrees that Clingan has been the biggest riser on draft boards with his tournament performances. O’Connor projects Clingan as a high-level rim protector with potential All-Defensive team ability. He is also an excellent finisher at the rim, has good hands, and makes smart decisions in the post. In fact, UConn’s entire starting five could get drafted, according to O’Connor, who also sees Alabama’s Mark Sears as a Jalen Brunson clone.
In the wake of the Jontay Porter investigation, among other gambling-related controversies in other sports, The Athletic’s Jim Trotter criticizes sports leagues for welcoming legalized gambling. Trotter argues that those leagues have sacrificed the ideal of protecting the integrity of their games in order to rake in more money.
In case you missed it, Danuel House has changed agents after failing to hook on with another NBA team. He was traded from Philadelphia to Detroit before February’s deadline, then cut loose by the Pistons.

Pacific Notes; Lue, Monk, Lyles, Vezenkov, LeBron, Davis, Vincent

April 1st, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyronn Lue called his team soft after a 3-6 stretch late last month. The Clippers got the message, reeling off three consecutive victories for the first time since early February, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. They’ve defeated Philadelphia, Orlando and Charlotte during the winning streak.

The Clippers will finish off a four-game road swing at Sacramento on Tuesday. “Getting a win however you’ve got to get it is the most important thing, but we’ve still got a lot to build on and get better with,” Lue said. “We’ll take the win. The Philly and the Orlando games were two good games that we needed – two gritty wins, tough wins on the road. And then (Sunday), just sticking with it even though we didn’t do a good job defensively.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kings coach Mike Brown said they’ll use a committee approach to replace Malik Monk, who is sidelined with an MCL sprain. “You can’t replace Malik,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “That’s tough. He did a lot for us and he could easily start for a lot of teams, but he was on the floor a lot of times down the stretch in our games, so to think that one person is going to come in and replace him, it’s not possible, so we have to do it by committee. It’s just the next guy up, and if your number is called, you have to go play within what you do and play your role as best you can.”
On the flip side, forwards Trey Lyles and Sasha Vezenkov were back in action for the Kings during Saturday’s win over Utah, Anderson notes. Lyles, who hadn’t played since March 12 due to a left knee sprain, had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot. Vezenkov, who missed 22 games with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, added five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 10 minutes. “The size just helps especially on the glass, and both those guys, whether they come up with it or not, they’re battling,” Brown said. “They’re hitting bodies. They’re guys who are both used to taking big shots. They both are really, really good 3-point shooters. You’ve got to guard them outside that line, so it opens up the floor a little bit more for everybody else. “
Anthony Davis (left knee) and LeBron James (left ankle) are listed by the Lakers as questionable to play against Toronto on Tuesday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot sprain) and Cam Reddish (personal reasons) will miss the game, as will Gabe Vincent (left knee injury recovery). Vincent returned to action on Sunday after being sidelined for over three months due to knee surgery and had two points in 14 minutes against Brooklyn.

Spurs’ Vassell, Sochan To Miss Remainder Of Season

April 1st, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs guard Devin Vassell and forward Jeremy Sochan will miss the remainder of the season, according to a team press release.

Vassell underwent an MRI Monday morning in San Antonio. The exam revealed a stress reaction to the third metatarsal head in his right foot.

Sochan has been diagnosed with a left ankle impingement and he’ll undergo arthroscopic surgery. That determination was made after the Spurs medical team consulted with outside experts.

Vassell signed a five-year rookie scale extension with $135MM in guaranteed money last October. That extension kicks in next season. He finished this season with averages of 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game. He appeared in 68 games, including 62 starts.

Sochan completes his second NBA season with averages of 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 29.6 minutes per game. The No. 9 pick of the 2022 draft appeared in 74 games, including 73 starts.

Southeast Notes: Russell, Johnson, Griffin, Gueye, Miller, George

April 1st, 2024 at 5:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic may take a run at D’Angelo Russell in free agency this summer. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, who covers the Lakers, has heard that Orlando would be the biggest threat to sign away the combo guard (hat tip to Jesse Cinquini of LakersDaily.com).

“Orlando is the team that — talking to people with the Lakers, talking to people outside the Lakers — Orlando is the team that probably gives them the most concern in terms of a potential suitor,” Buha said.

Russell would give Orlando’s backcourt an offensive boost. He’s averaging 18.1 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting a career-best 41.9% from deep this season. Russell holds an $18.7MM option on his contract for next season and can become an unrestricted free agent by turning down that option.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson will return to action on Monday night against the Bulls, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets. Johnson, who is averaging 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest, has been out since March 18 after suffering an ankle sprain against the Lakers. The Hawks currently hold the final spot for the East’s play-in tournament at No. 10 in the conference.
Several other Hawks players still require more time to come back from their injuries, the team’s PR department tweets. AJ Griffin (right high ankle sprain) has progressed to individual basketball activities and will be re-evaluated in seven-to-10 days. Mouhamed Gueye (right UCL sprain) has progressed to full contact workouts, while Onyeka Okongwu (left big toe sprain) has resumed individual basketball activities. He will also be re-evaluated in seven-to-10 days.
Hornets rookie forward Brandon Miller has labeled Clippers forward Paul George the “Greatest Player of All-Time.” Miller got a chance to match up against his idol on Sunday, contributing 22 points, six rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes during Charlotte’s 12-point loss. George paid back Miller with a compliment, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “He’s got a ton of game, and a ton of talent and I’m in his corner,” George said. “So can’t wait to see him fully blossom and be one of those guys that carried the league for a long time.”

Heat Notes: Play-In, Rotation, Jaquez, Butler, Martin

April 1st, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat are facing a “make-or-break” week if they want to avoid the play-in tournament, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang writes, the Heat have gone just 17-24 this season against teams with winning records, and they face four such opponents this week: New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Indiana.

“It will be the best to simulate how the playoffs are going to be,” guard Terry Rozier said. “This is a great four-game stretch, but we got to take it one game at a time. The Knicks we play next, we got to worry about that one and get that one at home and protect home court.”

How Miami fares this week will have a direct impact on competitive playoff races in both conferences, Chiang observes. The No. 7 Heat are currently sandwiched between the No. 6 Pacers and No. 8 Sixers in the East’s standings. If the Heat win those two games, they’ll also clinch the head-to-head tiebreakers over both clubs, but Indiana would hold the tiebreaker if it beats Miami on Sunday (if Philadelphia defeats Miami, the tiebreaker would likely be determined by conference record, Chiang notes).

Here are a few more notes out of Miami:

With Duncan Robinson and Kevin Love back from injuries, head coach Erik Spoelstra said the Heat’s rotation will likely be fluid as the postseason nears, Chiang adds in another story for The Miami Herald. “Here’s what the rotation is: whatever it takes,” Spoelstra said. “That’s where we are. We made this bed, where we are right now. Because of all the moving parts, everybody right now, it’s easy. You just be ready for your minutes, contribute in a positive way and help impact winning. That’s all it’s about right now. Everybody has signed up for that, everybody is bought into that.”
The “biggest challenge” of Jaime Jaquez‘s rookie campaign has been the NBA’s 82-game schedule, he told Chiang. While he’s having a very strong season overall, Jaquez’s production has dipped over the past few months, in part because he has been double-teamed at times when he catches the ball in the mid-post, according to Chiang. “I take it as a sign of respect,” said Jaquez, who was taken by the Heat with the 18th overall pick in last year’s draft following a four-year college career at UCLA. “Guys got to worry about me now. That’s what you want as a player. Now my next step is how do I adjust to the new coverages that I see and how I can make the right play.”
The Heat will need a more aggressive version of Jimmy Butler in order to have a shot at another deep playoff run, says Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Over his past four games, Buter is averaging just 8.3 shot attempts and 14.3 points per game, far below his season averages of 13.4 and 21.0, respectively. Still, each of those four games was lopsided, and Butler missed a game last week with an illness, Winderman notes.
In a mailbag column, Winderman wonders if Caleb Martin will be given the team’s most challenging defensive assignments in the postseason. Winderman also takes stock of which players might be pushed out of the rotation as the team gets healthier, with Patty Mills and Delon Wright likely to be on the outside looking in.

Luka Doncic, Dejounte Murray Named Players Of The Week

April 1st, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Hawks guard Dejounte Murray have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).

MVP candidate Doncic, who won for the Western Conference, averaged 32.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.8 steals on .512/.442/.712 shooting in four games last week. He helped guide Dallas to a 4-0 record to end the month of March, and the Mavs have moved up to the No. 5 seed in the West with a 45-29 record.

Doncic, the West’s Player of the Month for February, won the weekly award two out of four times last month, making him a very strong contender to win the monthly award again for March, notes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The perennial All-NBA member earned his fourth weekly award in 2023/24, which leads the NBA.

Murray, meanwhile, averaged 28.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 10.3 assists and 1.8 steals on .438/.326/.600 shooting in four appearances last week. Atlanta went 3-1 in those contests — including a pair of victories over the first-place Celtics — and is currently 34-40, the No. 10 seed in the East.

Jalen Green, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama were the other nominees in the West, per the NBA (Twitter link), while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Cam Thomas were nominated in the East.

Central Notes: Mitchell, Cavs, Wade, Pistons

April 1st, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was “angrier than he has been all season” following Sunday’s blowout loss to the Nuggets in Denver, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). The latest defeat was the culmination of a month filled with injuries and poor play, as Cleveland went just 7-10 in March.

“I told you at the beginning of the season, if we had these struggles at this point then it’s a problem,” Mitchell said, referencing an early-November conversation in Oklahoma City after Cleveland dropped to 3-5. “It can’t happen. I can say all this now. We have to find a way to figure it out. It’s not going to linger after tonight. Have to watch the film and get back to what we do. But it can’t happen. We can all point to s–t. It’s April. It’s (expletive) April. We’ve got to figure it out. And we will.”

While he refused to use his knee issue as an excuse, the 27-year-old clearly isn’t 100% physically, according to Fedor, who notes that Mitchell’s numbers are down across the board since he first started dealing with the injury. Normally one of the most explosive players in the league, Mitchell can’t beat defenders off the dribble at the moment, is having his shots blocked more often, and is taking far more threes than normal, Fedor adds.

“I’m working back into it. That’s natural. I’m not worried about it. Just continue to build the reps and build the mental confidence in it,” Mitchell said when asked if he was playing at less than full strength. “At the end of the day I’m fine. I have to play better. We all have to play better. I’m not going to sit here and point to that. Everybody else is going to look at it like that. But it’s April. Gotta be better.”

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he hasn’t discussed the possibility of resting Mitchell at times down the stretch to give the knee more time to heal, but acknowledged “it’s a conversation we will have to have.” Mitchell said the team isn’t in panic mode yet and he still believes in the group.

“I would say it’s more so of a mindset of let’s figure it out as opposed to concern,” Mitchell said, per Fedor. “I think concern breeds anxiety and stress. I don’t think we are at that point. I don’t want to go like, ‘Oh we’re panicking.’ We’re not there. I think it’s just we have to figure it out and we have the capability to do it. I have the utmost confidence in our group and everybody to do that.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Cavaliers forward Dean Wade may miss the rest of the regular season with a knee sprain, sources tell Fedor (subscriber link). One of the team’s top defenders, Wade last played on March 8. While he has been making progress in recent days, there’s no guarantee the 27-year-old will be back in time for the playoffs, according to Fedor.
In a mailbag column, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says he expects the last-place Pistons to undergo a major roster overhaul in the offseason. Edwards believes Detroit needs to prioritize shooting and defense this summer, and lists Tobias Harris, Nic Claxton, and Paul George as three potential free agents to keep an eye on, though he acknowledges George is a “long shot.”
The Pistons entered the season with high expectations, and have fallen well short of their goals on almost every level, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Considering they only won 17 games last year and may finish with the worst record in franchise history in 2023/24, it’s clear that significant changes are needed. Sankofa takes stock of the season and considers how Detroit may look to rectify some of its mistakes going forward.

Joel Embiid Making Progress, Out Tuesday

April 1st, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:48pm: Embiid has officially been listed as out for Tuesday’s game, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

9:07am: Sixers center Joel Embiid continues to make progress in his return from meniscus surgery and may be cleared to play Tuesday night against Oklahoma City, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sources tell Charania that Embiid has been able to participate in numerous five-on-five scrimmages during the past week without any ill effects to his left knee. He and the team are still working to determine his return date, Charania adds.

If Embiid doesn’t play on Tuesday, he’s likely to be back at some point later this week, according to Charania’s sources. Philadelphia will travel to Miami on Thursday, Memphis on Saturday and San Antonio on Sunday.

The reigning MVP has been sidelined since January 30 when Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg in a game at Golden State. He underwent surgery on February 6 and was given a one- to two-month prognosis to return.

Embiid was in the midst of another outstanding season, but there were concerns about his ability to reach the 65-game limit to qualify for postseason honors even before the latest injury. He was a late scratch for a January 27 game in Denver after trainers watched him in warmups and determined that knee soreness made it risky for him to play.

Embiid is averaging career-highs of 35.3 points and 5.7 assists through 34 games. He’s also contributing 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night while shooting 53.3% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range.

A healthy Embiid would provide a huge lift for the Sixers, who have fallen into play-in territory without him in the lineup. With seven games remaining, Philadelphia is eighth in the East at 40-35, a game-and-a-half behind seventh-place Miami and two games away from sixth-place Indiana.

Northwest Notes: Zanik, Sensabaugh, Gobert, Jokic

April 1st, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik underwent a physical last fall that revealed he’s suffering from kidney failure, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Doctors diagnosed Zanik with Polycystic Kidney Disease and determined that he only had 14% of his kidney left. PKD causes cysts to grow on the kidney, eventually leaving it unable to function. Zanik went through the process of finding a donor and will undergo a transplant on Tuesday.

“I’m a fixer by nature,” he said. “My job with the Jazz, my role with my family — I mean, I was a [player] agent for 15 years. I fixed a lot of s–t. I’m the one who’s supposed to help. I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of everything. I really didn’t know how to ask for help, but I had to get over it. I knew I had to get over it.”

Zanik will remain in the University of Utah’s hospital for several days once the procedure is complete, and doctors will need a few weeks to monitor how his body adjusts to the new kidney. He’ll recuperate for most of April, but he has told friends that he expects to be fully running the team again in time for draft day in June and the start of free agency in July.

The Jazz released a statement as Zanik prepares for Tuesday’s operation: “The Utah Jazz send our love and support to General Manager Justin Zanik, his wife Gina, and their family as Justin prepares for a kidney transplant to address polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disorder that affects kidney function. JZ is an instrumental part of our organization, and we look forward to his return in the coming weeks.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Jazz rookie Brice Sensabaugh had been struggling with his three-point shooting before going 5-of-10 from beyond the arc Sunday night, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Sensabaugh said it’s been an adjustment getting used to the NBA’s longer three-point line. “It’s not crazy, but during the flow of the game, it’s not even the distance, but the line can mess with your head sometimes. It’s just like kind of a mental thing a little bit,” he said.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was upset after battling for a rebound with Chicago’s Alex Caruso on Sunday, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I had a knee injury a couple years ago on the same play and missed a month because someone ran into my knee,” Gobert said. “I hope they look at this, because if they don’t hold people accountable, I’m gonna hold them accountable myself.”
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t concerned about the inflammation that’s forcing him to play with tape on his right wrist, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I don’t know if rest can help me. In my opinion, it is an injury that I can play with,” Jokic said Sunday after posting 26 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in Sunday’s win over Cleveland. “I feel it, but I can play with it. It kind of bothers me. So, I am kind of used to it.”

Knicks Notes: Randle, Anunoby, Robinson, Brunson

April 1st, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks played another game without Julius Randle and OG Anunoby on Sunday and they may be facing the prospect of heading into the playoffs short-handed, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Josh Hart sounded pessimistic about the possible return of either of his teammates, who have been sidelined for the better part of the last two months.

“I’m looking at it like this is the team we’re going to have,” Hart said. “I think that’s how we have to approach it, that those guys aren’t coming back and obviously we’ll be pleasantly surprised if they come back. I’m not in those medical conversations or anything like that … but we’ve got to approach every game and the end of this season that those guys aren’t coming back, and if they do, be pleasantly surprised.”

Randle hasn’t played since separating his shoulder while taking a charge in a January 27 game. Anunoby had a procedure performed on his right elbow and has only been available for three games since late January. Coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t provide many specifics about either player when reporters asked about their status on Sunday, Bontemps adds. He said Randle is continuing to work his way back, even though he still hasn’t been cleared for contact and his status seemingly hasn’t changed for several weeks.

“Just keep doing what he’s doing, day-to-day,” Thibodeau said. “You never know when it turns. That’s basically the approach we take. Rehab is really your game, so put everything you have into that. And eventually you’ll get there; you can’t get discouraged; just keep working at it. The other guys, they have a job to do.”

There’s more from New York:

Thibodeau said center Mitchell Robinson “tweaked” his left ankle Friday in San Antonio, which is why he was held out of Sunday’s game, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Robinson, who has played twice since returning from surgery on the ankle, talked about the difficulty of coming back to the game after such a long layoff. “Timing is off. It’s brutal,” he said. “I think I was playing really well [before the injury]. Then sitting out the four months, it throws your whole timing off. But it is what it is. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. I can be better. I’m a basketball player. I’ve been in this six years.”
Thibodeau didn’t want to risk a fine by openly questioning a non-call Sunday on a late shot by Jalen Brunson, but he told reporters four times, “Write what you see,” according to Steve Popper of Newsday. The Knicks have been frustrated recently by a lack of calls for Brunson, who scored 30 points in the paint Friday but only went to the line six times. “Yeah, we send clips (to the league office), but it doesn’t seem to be doing any good,” Thibodeau said before Sunday’s game.
Without Randle and Anunoby, the Knicks need to find someone who can carry the scoring load when Brunson isn’t on the court, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. In Friday’s overtime loss, New York was outscored by 24 points in the 9:41 that Brunson rested.