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Raptors Notes: Barrett, Schröder, Rajakovic, Barnes

January 10th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now that RJ Barrett is back home in Toronto, he wants to inspire young Canadians who dream of someday playing in the NBA. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Barrett talked about the unique position that last month’s trade put him in as one of the most prominent players on the nation’s only NBA team.

“I am trying to let kids know that you can make it being from Canada and the area I’m from,” Barrett said. “Like the guys before me, watching Tristan (Thompson), Cory (Joseph), … (Andrew Wiggins), you can make it to the NBA. For me to make it to the NBA and come back home to play is special for me. I hope that all the kids see that … I want to show everyone how happy I am to be here and to help us win. That’s the main goal.”

Barrett admitted “there’s still a lot of learning going” on as he adjusts to his new team. He was caught off guard by the December 30 deal that sent him north of the border and he’s trying to adapt quickly to help the Raptors stay in the play-in race. He also said he’s proud of his time in New York and what he was able to accomplish with the Knicks.

“I helped build something in New York,” Barrett said. “When I came there we weren’t good. I left it a lot better than when it started. Definitely bittersweet, but I’m happy for those guys over there. They are happy about the trade they made and I wish nothing but the best for them. I grew up as a player and a person over there in New York. Those 4½ years, I will never forget.”

There’s more on the Raptors:

Dennis Schröder talked to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about a variety of topics, including how the team has changed since the trade and the thrill of bringing a World Cup gold medal to Germany. Schröder also said he doesn’t mind being moved to a reserve role after starting for most of the season. “Either way, I still play 30 minutes (per game) like I did here (with the Lakers),” he said. “Wherever I can help just to impact the game and impact winning, I’ll do it. I think defensively, I’ll bring the energy. Offensively, I’ll be aggressive. I thought I could’ve been a little bit more aggressive (Tuesday against the Lakers). But at the end of the day, you watch film and have a breakfast meeting to get better. Then you move on.”
Eric Koreen of The Athletic looks at how the Raptors have evolved since the trade, noting that the roster changes have helped turn them into a higher-scoring team that’s much more fun to watch.
In tonight’s pregame session with reporters, coach Darko Rajakovic stood by his criticism of the officials following Tuesday’s loss, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Rajakovic also repeated his praise of Scottie Barnes, saying he shares traits with Hall of Famers that he’s coached in the past.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Anunoby, Robinson, Mavericks Rivalry

January 10th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was a controversial omission from the All-Star Game last season, but it’s going to be hard to keep him out again, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Brunson, who received his second Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor on Monday, is averaging career highs with 26.0 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting a career-best 43.6%% from three-point range. He’s got New York looking like a legitimate contender, with a five-game winning streak that has lifted the team into fourth place in the conference.

Before Tuesday’s game against Portland, Brunson received All-Star support from his own coach, Tom Thibodeau, and from Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups.

“I’m a huge fan of Jalen. I think he’s a winner more than anything,” Billups said. “You can talk about how crafty he is and how he can score and how he’s just a winner. He makes big plays. He makes winning plays. He’s leading the league in taking charges and he’s just a winner.”

There’s more from New York:

OG Anunoby‘s impact on the Knicks has been historically significant, per Christian Arnold of The New York Post. Anunoby’s plus-111 rating since coming to New York makes him the first player ever to have a combined plus/minus rating higher than 100 in his first five games with a new team. “The ball’s been moving a lot better,” Isaiah Hartenstein said when asked about the difference since Anunoby’s arrival. “Defensively, he’s been doing a great job playing team defense. He makes my life a lot easier, so just having him has been great.”
Thibodeau gave an indication last week that injured center Mitchell Robinson could be back before the end of the regular season, per Steve Popper of Newsday. The NBA reportedly will deny the Knicks’ request for a disabled player exception regarding Robinson because league officials aren’t convinced that he’ll be sidelined through the required date of June 15. “He will be reevaluated, so probably another four to six weeks and then we’ll have more information,” Thibodeau told reporters on Friday. “… And then whatever they feel the best course is for him, that’s what we’ll do.”
Off-court issues may be creating a rivalry between the Knicks and Mavericks, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, who notes that Thursday’s meeting in Dallas will be the first since the Mavs tanked the end of last season to keep their first-round pick from conveying to New York and the first since Mark Cuban blamed Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson for interfering with Dallas’ attempts to re-sign his son, Jalen.

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Ham, Hachimura

January 10th, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers have experienced some extreme highs and lows already this season, but they’ve been able to rely on Anthony Davis through everything, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. The talented big man has played in 36 of the team’s 38 games, avoiding the injury woes that have haunted him through most of his career. He’s making a case for Defensive Player of the Year honors while taking a larger role in L.A.’s offense, averaging 25.7 points and 3.4 assists per night.

“You could tell his body’s feeling good,” coach Darvin Ham said. “He’s in a good space. His energy is great. He’s just doing what he needs to do. He’s not trying to force anything. It’s coming. That’s why it’s so efficient. He’s just playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played, getting good hits on screens. … He’s in a really good mental space, spiritual space. And physically, he’s at a really high level right now.”

Buha notes that the biggest change in Davis’ game has been the reemergence of his mid-range jumper, which he used so effectively when the Lakers won the title in 2019/20. Davis is shooting 44.4% on mid-range attempts since December 9, adding a much-needed weapon for a team with limited outside shooting.

“I just wasn’t shooting it enough,” Davis said. “A lot of my shots were coming in the paint — post-ups and duck-ins and seals and things like that. Now, the way that teams are playing me, doubling on the catch and on the dribble, I’ve been just getting back to the mid-range. It’s an easier shot instead of fighting the double teams to get a shot up. So that’s all it is. Continuing to trust it and shoot it.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

With about four weeks left until the trade deadline, there’s still time to fix the deficiencies from a frustrating first half of the season, observes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Sources tell McMenamin that LeBron James‘ “patience has been tested” by the team’s performance, but he has decided to lead by example rather than demand changes. James talks to the coaches and front office when they solicit his opinion, but his focus is primarily on the court, according to McMenamin.
In the same story, McMenamin casts doubt on rumors that Ham’s job might be in jeopardy. A front office source tells the ESPN writer that Ham was hired for his “character, toughness and presence,” and management has confidence that he can handle the challenges that come with such a high-pressure job.
Rui Hachimura is making progress toward returning from his strained left calf, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Hachimura missed his fourth straight game Tuesday night, but Ham indicated there’s a chance he could be back within the next week.

Blazers’ Brown To Miss At Least Six Weeks After Wrist Surgery

January 10th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 10: Brown had successful surgery on Tuesday and will be reevaluated in six weeks, the Trail Blazers announced (via Twitter).

JANUARY 8: Trail Blazers center Moses Brown has been diagnosed with a non-displaced scaphoid fracture in his left wrist, which will require surgery this week, the team announced in a press release. A return timeline will be determined post-surgery, per the team.

A 7’2″ big man who played one season of collegiate ball at UCLA, Brown signed a one-year, partially guaranteed contract with Portland back in August. While it’s obviously unfortunate for Brown that he’s out indefinitely, the good news is his salary became fully guaranteed after he remained on the roster past Sunday’s deadline — he’ll earn the full veteran’s minimum ($2,165,000) for a player with his level of experience.

Brown returning to Portland in the offseason was actually a reunion, as the 24-year-old spent his rookie season with the Blazers on a two-way deal. He has bounced around a good deal during his five seasons, having also played for the Thunder, Mavericks, Cavaliers, Clippers and Nets.

In total, Brown has averaged 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per night over 137 career regular season games. He has appeared in nine games for Portland in 2023/24 and played 82 total minutes.

According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), it’s “within the realm of possibility” that Brown could still be released despite his contract becoming guaranteed, depending on how long he might be out or if the team needs to cut a player to complete a trade.

In other Blazers roster news, Highkin expects center Duop Reath to have his two-way deal converted to a standard deal at some point in the next two weeks. The Blazers have until January 20 to reach the 14-man roster limit after waiving Skylar Mays and Ish Wainright on Saturday.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Mathurin, White, LaVine, Vucevic, Lillard

January 10th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton for at least two weeks, but the diagnosis of a Grade 1 left hamstring strain was a huge relief for the team, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. In a pregame session with reporters tonight, coach Rick Carlisle said there were concerns that the star guard would be out much longer when he slipped on the court Monday night.

“The news that we got on Tyrese yesterday was the best possible news that we could’ve gotten given what everybody saw,” Carlisle said. “The way he fell, the way his legs contorted and all that.”

Haliburton underwent an MRI on Tuesday that was attended by Carlisle and Haliburton’s agent, Dave Spahn. Carlisle told reporters that hamstring injuries can be tricky and indicated that the length of the guard’s absence will depend on how he responds to treatment. Haliburton will travel with the Pacers while he’s sidelined, Carlisle added, explaining that it’s beneficial to keep him close to the team.

“There are things he can do being with our training staff full time on the road that couldn’t be done here unless we left one of our therapists here and we got a whole team,” Carlisle said. “It’s the best scenario, really, to have him travel and have him work on his body and the situation and just keep going. Twelve days is going to go by fast and we’ll see where we are then. This is a 23-year-old world class athlete.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers should consider moving Bennedict Mathurin into the starting lineup while Haliburton is sidelined, Dopirak contends in a separate story. Although the team could opt to replace him with another point guard such as Andrew Nembhard or T.J. McConnell, Dopirak notes that Mathurin is best equipped to take over Haliburton’s role as a perimeter scorer.
Bulls guard Coby White took a major step forward with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic injured, and he believes can continue to be just as successful now that they’ve returned, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Nothing’s really changed. Obviously, we’re returning Zach and Vooch. But including those guys, everybody is telling me to keep doing what I’m doing, be myself and keep playing the way I’m playing,” White said. “They told me to stay aggressive, make the right play and be who I am and who I have been. It’s not going to happen like that every night. We have so many talented players on this team. I just want to stay aggressive and in attack mode.”
Minutes restrictions for LaVine and Vucevic have been removed, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said in tonight’s pregame press conference (Twitter link from Johnson).
Bucks guard Damian Lillard will be available for Thursday’s matchup with Boston after missing Tuesday’s game for personal reasons, according to an Associated Press report.

Grizzlies Give Vince Williams Standard Contract, Waive Bismack Biyombo

January 10th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:54pm: The moves involving Williams and Biyombo are now official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).

5:18pm: The Grizzlies will convert Vince Williams‘ two-way contract to a standard deal, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The new contract will be fully guaranteed at $7.9MM over three years and carries a team option for a fourth season, adds Wojnarowski, who states that it’s believed to be the richest ever for a player coming off a two-way deal.

To open a spot for Williams on the 15-man roster, Memphis will waive veteran center Bismack Biyombo, according to Woj, who notes that Biyombo has been impressive in his time with the Grizzlies and could return to the team later in the season if he clears waivers. Wojnarowski hears that Memphis will look for another big man to fill its open two-way slot.

Williams has emerged as an outstanding perimeter defender in his second year with Memphis after being taken with the 47th pick in the 2022 draft. The 23-year-old swingman has appeared in 27 games this season, making eight starts, and is averaging 5.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per night.

Memphis will use part of the $7.4MM remaining on its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to cover Williams’ salary for the rest of the season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The team already spent $5MM of its MLE to sign Biyombo in November.

Biyombo’s contract was only partially guaranteed and the Grizzlies could have saved money by waiving him before Sunday’s deadline, but Marks notes that they’re far enough below the luxury tax that it won’t affect their financial flexibility this season.

Memphis added the 31-year-old Biyombo after losing Steven Adams with a season-ending knee injury. Biyombo quickly took over as the starting center and averaged 5.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 30 games. The Grizzlies will be responsible for the rest of his contract unless another team claims him on waivers.

Knicks’ Disabled Player Exception Request For Robinson To Be Denied

January 10th, 2024 at 4:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA will deny a request for a $7.8MM disabled player exception that the Knicks submitted after an injury to Mitchell Robinson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Sources tell Wojnarowski there’s optimism that Robinson can return from ankle surgery before the end of the regular season.

Robinson had surgery about four weeks ago after experiencing inflammation in his left ankle. A report indicated that he was expected to miss the remainder of the season, but he has apparently been showing progress in his recovery.

The Knicks’ decision to apply for the DPE was a case of “due diligence” by the front office, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday, who also hears that the team is hoping Robinson can return. Management was looking for another tool to potentially improve the team and hasn’t given up hope that Robinson will play again this season, adds Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Disabled player exceptions are in place to help teams who lose a significant player to a long-term injury. There’s no risk for teams to seek them, but the league must determine that the player will likely be sidelined until at least June 15 for the request to be approved. DPEs allow teams to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser.

New York still has trade exceptions worth $6.8MM and $5.2MM that it can use until the February 8 trade deadline, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Knicks have been able to remain competitive without Robinson because Isaiah Hartenstein has done an exceptional job as his replacement. In the 11 games he has started, Hartenstein is averaging 7.7 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 61.8% from the field, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

Stein’s Latest: Mitchell, Allen, Cavs, Heat, Knicks

January 10th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers continue to convey that they have zero interest in considering the possibility of a Donovan Mitchell trade this season, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. That stance has been reported by several NBA insiders in recent weeks and remains unchanged with the February 8 deadline just over four weeks away.

As Stein notes, the Cavaliers weren’t interested in the idea of a Mitchell trade when Darius Garland and Evan Mobley first went down with injuries, and team officials have been “emboldened” by the 8-3 run Cleveland has gone on with those two starters out. Center Jarrett Allen, in particular, has been playing some of his best basketball ever, quieting speculation that he might be an in-season trade candidate.

Stein suggests that “pessimism persists” about the Cavaliers’ chances of signing Mitchell to a new contract beyond his current deal, which expires in 2025. However, he doesn’t clarify who exactly is expressing that pessimism, which suggests it’s probably coming from sources outside of the organization and outside of Mitchell’s camp rather than from anyone directly involved in the situation.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein’s latest story:

While the Cavaliers aren’t listening to inquiries for now, the Heat continue to have legitimate interest in Mitchell and could attempt to test Cleveland’s resolve either in the coming weeks or in the 2024 offseason, Stein says. The Knicks and Nets have been frequently mentioned as suitors for Mitchell over the years, but executives from rival front offices view Miami as the top team to watch if the Cavs star becomes available, according to Stein.
With no desire to move any of their core players, the Cavaliers are more interested in being a buyer at the trade deadline. Chris Haynes mentioned during a recent episode of the #thisleague UNCUT podcast that Cleveland is in the market for a three-and-D wing, and Stein says he’s heard the same thing. The Cavs’ trade assets are limited, however, as they can’t currently move any of their future first-round picks.
The Knicks‘ success since the OG Anunoby gives the team some leverage to remain patient on the trade market in the short term, Stein says, suggesting that New York may focus on smaller moves to improve its depth this season and look to do something bigger in the summer.

Kevin Durant Disputes Claim He’s Frustrated By Suns’ Situation

January 10th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Countdown ahead of the Suns‘ Christmas Day game against Dallas, Adrian Wojnarowski said that star forward Kevin Durant had been frustrated by the situation in Phoenix, citing Bradley Beal‘s repeated injury absences and an “underwhelming” supporting cast as factors.

Speaking this week to Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports, Durant dismissed that reporting and expressed a distaste for the speculation it generated.

“I don’t want to get traded,” Durant said. “I’m not frustrated because Brad was injured. I wasn’t frustrated because of the role players on the team. That s–t really was ignorant to me, you know what I’m saying?

“It’s like, yeah, we lose a game – you think I’m supposed to be happy after we lose a game? You know what I’m saying? I’m not frustrated with the whole situation. I may be frustrated at the moment, at a bad play or a tough stretch. But nah, I enjoy the grind.”

It’s worth noting that Wojnarowski didn’t suggest that Durant’s frustration with the Suns’ slow start would lead to a trade request or that the former MVP was doubting Phoenix’s championship upside. Based on Woj’s comments, it sounded as if Durant was frustrated by the circumstances that resulted in Phoenix’s big three rarely playing together early in the season and by the team underperforming relative to its expectations.

However, that NBA Countdown segment led to speculation about Durant’s future in Phoenix, with pundits and other members of the media weighing in with their own thoughts on the subject. For instance, Rohlin notes that a tweet by former NBA guard Brandon Jennings calling for KD to leave the Suns gained plenty of traction on social media.

“The people that respond to that as if I said something, that’s really delusional to me,” Durant said. “Brandon Jennings can have his ideas and opinions, but to act like it came from me is the wildest part. I don’t talk to this guy. He’s got his own opinions on the league, which is fine. But the response to that was like I was saying it. Like, why are (people) even spending this much time worrying about … ‘Does KD deserve better? Or he doesn’t deserve better?’ Like, why are you even talking about this?”

The Suns have continued to play up-and-down ball since Christmas, with Durant missing a handful of games due to his own health issues last week. The team is currently 19-18, but Durant says he’s not discouraged by a first half showing that has Phoenix in play-in territory.

“I love that we’re struggling almost because we can learn from it and get better and move forward from it,” Durant said. “Obviously, I don’t love struggling. But I like finding good things out of winning basketball games. The more film we watch, the more pride we take. The tougher it is, the better we’ll become from it. That’s my mentality the whole time.”

After Durant and fellow stars Kyrie Irving and James Harden pushed to be traded out of Brooklyn, it’s perhaps no surprise that Durant’s feelings about his new situation are being closely monitored and being placed under a microscope. The 35-year-old tells Rohlin that he’s aware of that scrutiny and feels as though he can’t express run-of-the-mill frustration about losses since it will be blown out of proportion.

“Me talking about any frustration is going to turn into people thinking that I’m checked out or I’m trying to ask for a trade,” Durant said. “So, me saying that I’m frustrated, I don’t even want to talk like that. Like, I’m happy about everything.”

Trade Rumors: Siakam, Pacers, Walker, Kings, Hawks, Pistons

January 10th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers are viewed by some rival executives as the leader in the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Indiana has long been in the market for a power forward who can match up with bigger wings and forwards, and reportedly made an effort to land OG Anunoby before the Raptors sent him to New York. The Pacers also control all their own future first-round picks and have some intriguing youngsters whom they could be willing to discuss in a deal for an impact player.

However, during a Q&A session on Threads today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said that he believes the Pacers are “very, very determined” not to include their 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker in a trade. Walker hasn’t played much so far this season, logging just 100 total minutes across 12 NBA appearances, but Indiana is “very high” on the rookie forward, per Wojnarowski.

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

Siakam doesn’t view Sacramento as a good long-term fit for him, according to Amick, who hears from a pair of league sources that the Kings should have “very little, if any, optimism” about re-signing the Raptors forward if he’s traded there. No matter where he eventually ends up, Siakam will be seeking a long-term, maximum-salary contract, Amick adds.
Elsewhere in his Q&A on Threads, Wojnarowski says that he believes the Hawks are open to “almost anything” at the trade deadline and suggests that the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt pairing appears to have run its course. Atlanta continues to discuss Murray trade possibilities with teams around the NBA, according to Wojnarowski.
The Pistons haven’t made any roster moves since team owner Tom Gores promised that changes were coming, but it’s not for lack of trying, Wojnarowski writes on Threads. Woj suggests that potential trade partners may not be ready to deal yet and says he expects Detroit to make trades by next month’s deadline that change the make-up of the roster. Exploring that subject, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic took a look at some possible trade targets for the Pistons, discussing Nets forward Royce O’Neale and Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins, among others.