NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

LeBron, Wemby, Maxey Now Eligible For 2023/24 Awards

March 30th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey all reached the 65-game benchmark on Friday, making them eligible to win end-of-season awards, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (all Twitter links).

James has technically appeared in just 64 regular season games, but the in-season tournament final in December counts toward the 65-game requirement despite not counting toward the Lakers’ regular season record. That will also be the case for players like Anthony Davis – who surpassed the 65-game threshold earlier this month – and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is three games away.

James is no longer a perennial MVP candidate like he was earlier in his career, but he has a legitimate case for an All-NBA spot, having averaged 25.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in 35.2 minutes per game across his 64 starts, with a shooting line (.530/.401/.751) well above his career norm. If LeBron earns one of those 15 berths this season, he’d extend his record for career All-NBA nods to 20, five more than any other player in league history.

Reaching the 65-game threshold is perhaps less crucial for Wembanyama, since it’s not required to qualify for Rookie of the Year or an All-Rookie team. However, it’s necessary to earn votes for Defensive Player of the Year, and while Rudy Gobert is the frontrunner for that award, Wembanyama has a shot at it. The rookie phenom has averaged a double-double (21.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG) and led the NBA in blocks per game (3.4) at age 20.

Wembanyama fell just short of the 20-minute minimum in one of his 65 appearances this season, but he logged over 19 minutes in that contest. A player is permitted to count up to two sub-20 minute games toward his 65-game total if he played at least 15 minutes in those games.

As for Maxey, he’s a leading contender for this season’s Most Improved Player award, having increased his averages to 25.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 3.7 RPG in his fourth NBA season. His shooting percentages (.445 FG%, .374 3PT%) are down from last year, but he has been tasked with more offensive responsibilities in Philadelphia following James Harden‘s departure and Joel Embiid‘s knee injury.

Maxey also has a case for All-NBA honors, which could have an impact on his restricted free agency this summer. As Marks notes (via Twitter), claiming an All-NBA spot would make the Sixers guard eligible for a Rose Rule contract starting at up to 30% of the cap (instead of 25%). Such a deal would be worth up to a projected $245.3MM over five years instead of $204.5MM.

Suns Sign Isaiah Thomas To Second 10-Day Deal

March 30th, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 30: The Suns have officially signed Thomas to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). The deal will run through April 8.

MARCH 29: The Suns intend to bring back veteran guard Isaiah Thomas on a second 10-day contract, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

As our Luke Adams wrote this morning, Thomas’ first 10-day deal is set to expire at midnight ET. The 35-year-old has only played two garbage-time minutes with Phoenix thus far, but he has received praise from his coaches and teammates for his performances in practices and pickup games.

Prior to his stint with the Suns, the 12-year veteran had been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, when he made brief appearances with the Lakers and Mavericks before ending the year with the Hornets.

Thomas was an All-Star with Boston in ’15/16 and ’16/17 before suffering a right hip injury that derailed his career. He bounced around the league after that, and most of his recent stops have been on 10-day contracts.

Once Thomas’ second 10-day contract expires, the Suns will have to decide whether or not they want to sign him for the rest of the season in order to make him eligible for the postseason. Phoenix is in a very tight playoff race, currently sitting with a 43-30 record, which is good for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

New York Notes: Thomas, Walker, Hartenstein, Brunson

March 30th, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Tristan Tucker

Nets guard Cam Thomas has transformed his game this season, becoming increasingly potent as a scorer, but also adding play-making to his bag of tricks, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“I’d say I’ve grown as a passer because I’m playing more. If anybody doesn’t really play much, then they get in for a few spurts — I mean, let’s be real — nobody’s looking to pass when they first get in, they’re looking to get some buckets,” Thomas said. “I’d probably say really just me playing more and knowing I have more opportunity to find the guys.”

Thomas, averaging 21.9 points while shooting 44.5% from the floor and 36.2% from three, has more than doubled his assist average from last season. In his past nine games, he’s averaging 4.3 assists while contributing 26.0 points per game. Because of his play, his teammates have been giving him rave reviews.

“It’s been beautiful watching him grow and everybody is reaping the benefits,” Nic Claxton said. “He’s got to keep going and we’re gonna follow him.”

Thomas is heading into the last year of his rookie deal next season, so the Nets will soon face a significant decision on him. As Lewis writes, Brooklyn will need to determine whether to extend him, let the market determine his value when he hits restricted free agency, or see if they can package him in a trade for a star. For what it’s worth, teammate Dennis Schröder believes Thomas is deserving of a big payday. Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.

“That’s a max player right there,” Schröder said, per SNY (Twitter link).

We have more from New York:

Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie is also a firm believer in Thomas. According to Lewis, Ollie believes Thomas should be in the conversation for the league’s Most Improved Player award. “He should be in there, definitely, just with his body of work,” Ollie said. “I know he has a lot of guys he’s competing with as well. But with his body of work, his consistency and him being able to score the ball in the capacity that he’s scoring is always great.” Thomas has seen the biggest scoring increase from last season to this one of any player in the league, jumping from 10.6 points to 21.9 points per game.
Nets guard Lonnie Walker‘s playing time has dipped while playing under Ollie, from 18.1 minutes per game to 15.2. “All the little things: playing defense rebounding, making the right plays,” Ollie said when asked how Walker could earn more minutes, per Lewis (Twitter link). “That’s just how it is. So have him understand that and when your shot’s not falling, doing the other things to make an impact on the game.” Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein blames the Nets for his fall to the middle of the second round in the 2017 draft, which potentially cost him millions, according to The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “They red-flagged me for my knee. I never had knee problems in my life,” Hartenstein said on the ‘Roommates Show’ podcast with hosts Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (Apple Podcasts link). “The only thing I had something with [was] my back. I knew that. So I’m like, maybe it’s my back.” Hartenstein said he heard he was projected between the Nos. 15-35 pick but instead fell to 43. Second-round picks are given smaller salaries and fewer guarantees than first-rounders. The Nets used pick No. 22 on Jarrett Allen in that draft. Hartenstein is set for unrestricted free agency this offseason and looks to be due for a payday after capitalizing on his opportunity with New York.
Brunson came just one point shy of tying Carmelo Anthony‘s single-game franchise scoring record when the Knicks fell to the Spurs in overtime on Friday, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Brunson dropped 61 points, a new career high, while connecting on 25 of his 47 shot attempts. He set the franchise record for field goals made and had the most field-goal attempts in a game since Kobe Bryant shot 50 in his final game. However, Victor Wembanyama‘s 40-point, 20-rebound double-double allowed the Spurs to upset the Knicks despite Brunson’s 61.
As Bondy writes in a separate story, head coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t thrilled with how the refs called Brunson, who shot just six free throws. “A foul is a foul. That’s what I do know,” Thibodeau said, noting the 32-12 free throw discrepancy in favor of San Antonio. “And what I’m hearing [from the referees], I don’t really like. I don’t know what else you could do, what else you can say. It’s clear as day. It really is that simple.“

Toumani Camara To Miss Rest Of Season After Rib Injury

March 30th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

Trail Blazers rookie Toumani Camara will miss the rest of the 2023/24 season after suffering a rib injury, according to team PR (Twitter link). Camara exited the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s matchup with the Hawks and further testing showed that he fractured his left rib and has a small laceration in his kidney, per the team.

According to the team, Camara spent time in a hospital in Atlanta for further observation but is improving and has been released. He’s expected to make a full recovery after missing the rest of this season.

Camara, 23, was the 52nd overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Suns out of Dayton. He was then re-routed to the Blazers in the three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks.

Camara made an impact right away in his rookie season, finishing the year averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 45.0% from the floor in 70 appearances (49 starts). He was one of the only constants in a tumultuous season for Portland — he led the team in games played and is one of just four Blazers to have made 60 or more appearances.

Camara might not make an All-Rookie team, but he was certainly one of the more impressive rookies this year. He ranked seventh in rebounds per game among all first-year players, as well as ranking 19th in points per game. He, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace are currently the only rookies with 70 or more appearances, though that will surely change before the season ends.

The remaining seasons of Camara’s four-year rookie deal are non-guaranteed, but his 2024/25 minimum salary will become guaranteed if he’s on the roster past July 20.

Raptors Notes: Porter, Agbaji, Size, March, Barrett

March 30th, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defended his brother — Raptors forward Jontay Porter — who is at the center of an NBA investigation regarding betting irregularities, according to ESPN. The elder Porter said his younger brother Jontay wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his NBA career.

The investigation is the result of prop bets involving Jontay on Jan. 26 and March 20, games in which he exited early and his unders were described by DraftKings as the No. 1 money-making bet in each of those games. Jontay hasn’t publicly addressed the situation and has missed the past three games for personal reasons. He’s averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 26 games (five starts) on a two-way deal with the Raptors this season.

Michael Porter Jr. said he had no more details than the media did but that he vouched for Jontay, who has been more than happy to be in Toronto on a two-way deal this season.

“Jontay loves the game of basketball… I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball, and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,” said Michael, who also discussed how betting affects players, including how they receive backlash if they don’t play up to the bettors’ standards.

“So, it’s a part of the game now. I think that it’s obviously a dangerous habit. It’s a dangerous vice for people,” he said. “You know, the love of money is the root of all evil. So, I think that even though it is a thing, we as players just have to accept that. We get paid a lot of money to play this game, and I know these people, these fans, they want to make some money, as well. It’s definitely something that has kind of taken over the sporting world — I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

We have more from the Raptors:

Ochai Agbaji had a scary fall on Wednesday against the Knicks, landing hard on his back and being down for several minutes before being helped to the locker room, The New York Post’s Peter Botte observes. Agbaji did not return with a right hip contusion. After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic said Agbaji got X-rays but they didn’t show any signs of a fracture. “For a second it was really scary because he couldn’t move at all,” Rajakovic said. Agbaji won’t play on Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen (Twitter link), but he’s all good and seems to mainly just be sore.
After trading away OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, the Raptors are lacking in size, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange writes. Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher and Scottie Barnes, as well as Agbaji and Porter, are out. That left the Raptors with just Kelly Olynyk, Jalen McDaniels and Jordan Nwora as the only players on the standard roster available on Wednesday who were 6’8″ or above — 6’9″ two-way forward Mouhamadou Gueye was available as well.
The Raptors are heading into their final game of March at 1-13 in the month, with the sole win coming in a five-point home win over the 18-55 Hornets. This month has also featured losses to the 14-60 Wizards and 13-61 Pistons, as well as the franchise’s record for biggest home loss set two different times (41 points on March 5 against the Pelicans and 44 points on Wednesday against New York). As Koreen writes, the Raptors were on pace for 31 wins at the time of Barnes’ injury and they’ve been without their four most important players. Koreen opines that even though this month has been abysmal, it shouldn’t make fans doubt the Anunoby or Pascal Siakam trades, noting that the Raptors at least have a direction after three straight middling seasons.
RJ Barrett had his first media session on Friday following the tragic passing of his brother. “Basketball is my sanctuary, so this actually brings me peace,” Barrett said. “It helps me every day to be here, and also just be on a schedule and just be around the guys. Hanging out with your teammates… they’re funny, you get to hang out with them, you get to go practice and even support the guys when I’m not playing. Whatever it is, just being around has been helping a lot.” The Raptors organization and his teammates have tried to support Barrett and were all on hand for the funeral last week in Ontario, according to Grange.

Pistons Sign Chimezie Metu For Rest Of Season

March 30th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

10:15am: The Pistons have officially signed Metu to his new contract, according to a team release.

9:26am: The Pistons are signing forward/center Chimezie Metu for the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds that Metu’s deal will feature a team option for the 2024/25 season.

Metu recently completed a 10-day contract with Detroit, appearing in six games and making two starts. He averaged 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 26.0 minutes per night.

Metu began the season in Phoenix after signing with the Suns last offseason but was traded at the deadline to the Grizzlies as part of the three-team deal that sent Royce O’Neale to Phoenix. He didn’t appear in a game in Memphis before being waived.

On the season, Metu is averaging 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 43 games (seven starts).

The USC product was selected with the 49th overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Spurs. He played there for two seasons before spending the next three with the Kings.

Metu has averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game over the course of his NBA career, with his best statistical season coming in ’21/22 when he averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG while making 20 starts for Sacramento.

Grizzlies Sign Simpson, Pereira To 10-Day Deals

March 30th, 2024 at 9:08am CST by Rory Maher

March 30: The Grizzlies officially signed Pereira to a second 10-day deal and added Simpson on a 10-day contract, the team announced (Twitter link).

March 29: The Grizzlies plan to sign free agent guard Zavier Simpson to a 10-day contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Memphis will also re-sign forward Maozinha Pereira to a second 10-day deal, Wojnarowski adds.

A 6’0″ point guard who went undrafted out of Michigan in 2020, Simpson holds one year of NBA experience, having signed a 10-day deal with Oklahoma City at the very end of the 2021/22 season. He appeared in four games and got extended playing time, averaging 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block in 43.5 minutes per contest.

Simpson has spent the majority of his four professional seasons playing in the NBA G League, suiting up for the affiliate teams of the Thunder, Magic and Pistons. He has spent the entire ’23/24 campaign with the Motor City Cruise (Detroit’s affiliate), averaging 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 48 combined regular season and Showcase Cup games (36.6 minutes).

A rookie who hails from Brazil, Pereira averaged 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 6.5 minutes during his first four games with Memphis. He had spent the ’23/24 season with the NBAGL’s Mexico City Capitanes before inking his first NBA contract with the Grizzlies.

Memphis technically has a full 18-man roster, but they’ve been shuffling through 10-day signees throughout the season via hardship exceptions, which is how they’ll be able to sign Simpson and re-sign Pereira.

Heat Notes: Play-In Territory, Cain, Jovic, Rozier

March 30th, 2024 at 8:38am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat are spending their second straight year trying to close out the season by clawing their way out of play-in territory. Sitting at seventh in the East at 40-33, this wasn’t where the team expected to be after becoming the first No. 8 seed to make the Finals in a non-lockout-shortened season in 2023, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

On their path to the NBA Finals last year, the Heat lost to the Hawks in their first play-in matchup and trailed against the Bulls in a winner-take-all game with about four minutes left. Miami would prefer to not have to endure that uphill climb again, Chiang writes, but it’s very much a possibility for a Heat team that’s a game behind the Pacers for sixth and two game back of Orlando for fifth in the conference.

“The opportunity is still there for us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what we have to continue to understand. There can be disappointments during the season, there are ups and downs. You ultimately are where your record says you are. But there’s an opportunity in front of us if we can take advantage of it and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Chiang explores the reasons why the Heat have gotten to this point, including injury woes, struggling against the league’s best teams, and more. Miami entered Thursday with the league’s fifth-highest total of games missed due to injuries (250) and has set a new franchise record with 35 different starting lineups this season. Additionally, the trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro have played just 21 games together this year.

We have more on the Heat:

While developmental prospect Orlando Robinson and two-way players Alondes Williams and Cole Swider are in the G League ahead of the playoffs, two-way wing Jamal Cain remains with the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Cain is set to finish his second straight season on a two-way deal with the Heat after seeking a standard contract in the offseason and not getting one. As Winderman notes, Miami opted to give Dru Smith a standard contract after training camp to address their point guard depth and then picked up Delon Wright and Patty Mills instead of promoting Cain when more roster spots opened up. Cain has impressed when it counts and has more appearances in the NBA than G League this season, but as part of his two-way deal, he won’t be eligible for the playoffs. He’ll be a restricted free agent again this offseason.
Second-year Heat forward Nikola Jovic exited Friday’s game against the Trail Blazers with a right knee contusion and did not return, as relayed by Winderman (Twitter link). After playing sparingly in his rookie season and beginning this year outside the rotation, Jovic has turned into a key rotation piece for the Heat. He has started in each of his last 17 games, averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while connecting on 40.6% of his 4.1 three-point attempts per game. According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Jovic’s injury isn’t considered anything serious.
Heat guard Terry Rozier always envisioned playing in Miami and the possibility of landing with the team appealed to him, Chiang writes in a separate story. Much of that comes down to his well-documented respect for franchise legend Dwyane Wade, who swapped jerseys with Rozier during his farewell season in 2019. Rozier further discussed that relationship with Chiang: “I just look back to when I was 6, 7 years old, I was just in the gym by myself. Me going to shoot the ball, going to the hole, I used to fall on purpose. I used to try to copy D-Wade, I used to think I was D-Wade all the time. Just fast forward to now, it’s kind of full circle where I can put on a Heat uniform and I can give the best version of myself.“

Kings’ Malik Monk Feared To Have Sprained MCL

March 30th, 2024 at 7:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

Kings guard Malik Monk is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee and is undergoing further testing, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Those tests will provide a better idea of a recovery timeline for the guard.

For comparison’s sake, Monk’s teammate Trey Lyles was ruled out for at least two weeks with a sprained MCL earlier in March, while Heat guard Delon Wright missed about a month-and-a-half earlier this season with a similar diagnosis.

Monk suffered the injury after Mavericks guard Luka Doncic fell onto him after a drive. According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Charania, Monk was in the locker room in “decent spirits” but was definitely in pain and left the arena with a noticeable limp.

This is another blow to an injury-riddled Kings team also dealing with the losses of Lyles and Kevin Huerter, who was recently ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgery.

“It’s unfortunate,” teammate Harrison Barnes said, per The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson. “Obviously, still trying to figure out the severity of it, but that’s part of the business. I think last year we were extremely healthy and we didn’t have to worry about that. This year, we’ve been a little bit injury plagued.”

Monk has been one of the most productive guards off the bench in the league this season and is the betting odds favorite for Sixth Man of the Year. He has averaged career highs of 15.3 points and 5.1 assists per game this season while shooting 44.3% from the field and 35.0% from three.

Without him, Davion Mitchell and Kessler Edwards saw an increase in minutes. Sasha Vezenkov, who has been out since Feb. 9, is on the verge of returning, according to Slater and Charania, and could factor into the rotation. Chris Duarte is also potentially in line for more minutes.

“Hey, we’ve got to have the next man step up,” Kings coach Mike Brown said, “Nobody’s going to fill Malik’s shoes, so we just have to do it by committee.”

The Kings have now lost back-to-back games to slip into eighth place in the West and back into the play-in tournament picture. A win against Dallas on Friday would have kept them in sixth in the standings, but instead they’re two games behind the Mavericks and are soon scheduled to play the likes of the Clippers, Knicks, Celtics and Thunder.

Latest On Clippers, Paul George

March 29th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Shortly after the Clippers announced that they had signed Kawhi Leonard to an extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported they were also discussing a new deal with fellow star wing Paul George. The next day — January 11 — George said he was “very, very optimistic” that an agreement would eventually be reached.

However, nearly three months have passed, and the 33-year-old can still become a free agent this summer if he declines his $48.8MM player option for 2024/25. He will remain extension-eligible through June 30, and would also be extension-eligible all of next season if he decides to pick up that option.

On his Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said there’s a gap between what the Clippers are offering and what George wants.

“The word in the NBA is that they’re apart,” Windhorst said. “It’s not like, let’s have a big problem. They’re apart.”

Windhorst noted that a handful of teams — including the Sixers — could have the cap room necessary to sign George to a maximum-salary deal in free agency. But he doesn’t think it’ll reach that point.

“I think the league believes that Paul George wants to remain a Clipper, and there would be concern in the league about recruiting Paul George — especially if you had to give away players to open up space,” Windhorst said (hat tip to Adam Wells of Bleacher Report). “… My informed speculation is that, eventually, Paul will agree to a deal with the Clippers. It may not be for the full max, but it may be for more than what the Clippers have been offering.”

Leonard signed a three-year extension at slightly below his maximum salary. That means he received fewer years and less money than the maximum possible under the CBA. At the time, Leonard said he felt good about the chances of George and James Harden sticking around beyond this season — Harden will be a free agent this offseason and is not extension-eligible, since his existing contract didn’t cover at least three years.

President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank also said while he wanted his star players to be “compensated fairly,” “sacrifices” would be necessary to maintain flexibility in both the short and long term.

Marc Stein reported at Substack last week that there have been rumors the Clips’ offers to George “have fallen an unknown amount shy of the numbers contained” in Leonard’s extension. Still, Stein reiterated the expectation around the NBA is a deal will get done at some point.

Load More Posts