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Dariq Whitehead Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

January 29th, 2024 at 4:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 29: Whitehead underwent surgery on Monday for his stress reaction in his left shin, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. With an expected recovery period of approximately three months, he’ll miss the season but should be a full participant in the offseason development program, Lewis adds.

JANUARY 27: Nets first-round pick Dariq Whitehead will undergo surgery for a stress reaction in his left shin and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, coach Jacque Vaughn announced on Saturday (video link from The New York Post). Vaughn provided an update on Whitehead’s condition in a meeting with reporters before tonight’s game.

“He’s actually going to have season-ending surgery on Monday to address the stress reaction,” Vaughn said, “but all signs and diagnosis and consultation: He’ll miss the rest of this season. And then, gear towards finishing and being ready to complete his career and with us, playing. Meaning that he’s just gonna get through these months of rehab, and look forward to him being back on the floor.”

Whitehead, the 22nd pick in last year’s draft, appeared in just two NBA games this season. He got into 17 combined regular season and Showcase Cup games with the G League’s Long Island Nets, averaging 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per night.

Whitehead underwent foot surgery last offseason that forced him to miss Summer League and training camp. Vaughn refused to speculate on his chances to be healthy enough to play in Las Vegas this summer.

“After the surgery on Monday, we’ll probably have an update on how the surgery went and have some more details for you,” he said.

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Grizzlies Sign Matthew Hurt To 10-Day Hardship Deal

January 29th, 2024 at 4:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:09pm: Hurt has officially signed his 10-day contract, the team tweets.

4:40pm: The injury-ravaged Grizzlies are signing forward Matthew Hurt to a 10-day contract via the hardship exception, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Hurt has been playing for their NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, averaging 22.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

The Grizzlies list eight players as out for their home game tonight against Sacramento (Twitter link). John Konchar and Ziaire Williams are listed as doubtful and Vince Williams Jr. is listed as questionable.

Starters Ja Morant and Steven Adams are out with season-ending injuries, while key rotation player Brandon Clarke has yet to play this season and Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia have been out for multiple weeks.

Yet the Grizzlies have somehow remained competitive, winning three of their last four games.

Hurt was on Memphis’ training camp roster but was waived in mid-October. He also played for the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate last season, averaging 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 45 G League Showcase and regular season games.

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Eastern Notes: Simmons, P. Williams, Sixers, Embiid, Rozier

January 29th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets swingman Ben Simmons will be active for Monday’s game vs. Utah, the team confirmed (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that Simmons was likely to play Monday.

Simmons hasn’t appeared in a game since November 6, when he sustained a nerve impingement in his lower back. He has been limited to six games thus far in 2023/24, averaging 6.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG and 6.7 APG in 31.8 MPG.

According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, Simmons’ teammates are excited to have him back.

“He definitely helps us. It’s good to see him back with the group,” starting center Nic Claxton said of Simmons. “Of course he brings this extremely high basketball IQ, being able to defend multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball, rebounding. So we are definitely happy to have him back.

“He’s been diligent, he’s been locked in on his rehab. Of course, nobody wants to go through what he’s going through with his back injury and everything but, you know, he’s happy to be back. I’m just happy to see how everything will look with him back with the group.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Bulls forward Patrick Williams is wearing a precautionary walking boot and is undergoing more testing on his injured left foot on Monday, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Williams, who has been managing right ankle and left foot injuries for much of the season, will miss his second straight game with left midfoot soreness on Tuesday vs. Toronto, Johnson tweets. “(The Los Angeles doctor) just recommended keeping his foot immobilized for right now,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “The biggest thing we’ve got to do is bring him back to Chicago and there will be a lot more imaging just to see where he’s at, but I think the pain is too great right now for him to play. Up to now I think it was something he was managing for quite some time, but it wasn’t something where the pain was so significant that he had to miss time. This is the first time it’s gotten to this place.”
  • Reigning MVP Joel Embiid was a late scratch from Saturday’s game in Denver due to left knee soreness. He was not previously on the injury report. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the NBA is expected to investigate the incident, with a source telling Pompey that a Sixers fine will likely follow for failing to follow the league’s protocol. Embiid will miss his second straight game on Monday and can miss no more than five more games over his final 37 in order to be considered for MVP, Pompey adds.
  • Heat guard Terry Rozier has struggled in his first few games with Miami but his teammates and coaches keep telling him to stay in attack mode, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We need him to be him. We want him to be him,” star forward Jimmy Butler said. “That’s the reason that he’s here. And the more comfortable that he gets, the more he realizes we’re all in his corner to shoot the ball and to be aggressive, to attack. “So as much as we are on him about it, we’ll be on him even more about it, because we want him to be him.”
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Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

January 29th, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns guard Devin Booker and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the second time this season that each player has earned the honor.

In four games last week, Booker went on a scoring spree, averaging 42.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block in 37.4 minutes per contest. The three-time All-Star posted a staggering .639/.500/.829 shooting line. Phoenix went 2-2 last week and is currently 26-20, the No. 7 seed in the West.

Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, helped lead Milwaukee to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 29.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 33.7 minutes. He posted a .603/.429/.600 shooting line.

Interestingly, Joel Embiid (70 points, 18 rebounds, five assists) and Luka Doncic (73 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) had 70-plus points in a game last week, but neither player won the weekly award. Though they obviously had extremely strong individual cases, perhaps their team records (1-2 and 1-3, respectively) worked against them.

Embiid missed Saturday’s game at Denver and will be sidelined again on Monday in Portland, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Harrison Barnes, Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kawhi Leonard, D’Angelo Russell and Anfernee Simons, while Jalen Brunson, Embiid, Donovan Mitchell, Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam were nominated in the East.

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NBA G League Announces Up Next Participants

January 29th, 2024 at 1:40pm CST by Rory Maher

A pool of 28 players has been selected for the NBA G League’s Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, the NBAGL announced in a press release.

According to the release, the event features “four teams of seven players competing in two semifinal games. The winner of each semifinal will face off in a Championship game.

“The teams will be made up of 28 NBA G League players, including 10 selected by a fan vote. The remaining 18 players will be selected by the NBA G League and will include eight members of NBA G League Ignite and at least one member of the Indiana Mad Ants, the G League affiliate of the All-Star hosting Indiana Pacers. Each team will be coached by a head coach from the NBA G League.”

Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts.

Fan vote:

Former Kentucky guard Hagans received the most votes.

NBAGL selections:

G League Ignite:

They aren’t currently on NBA teams, but it’s worth noting that Labissiere and Bazley are ineligible for two-way deals because they each hold four years of NBA experience. Weatherspoon (three years), Hagans (one) and Williams (one) also hold at least some NBA experience.

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Central Notes: Duren, Pistons, Haliburton, Mitchell, Mobley

January 29th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Duren had 22 points and 21 rebounds as the Pistons surprised Oklahoma City on Sunday, but he didn’t want anyone to think that’s all he did, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit News. “And six assists,” Duren pointed out as he spoke with reporters after the game. Cade Cunningham was a late scratch as he continues his recovery from a knee strain, so Detroit ran some of its offense through the second-year center.

“Honestly, we were able to get the win and that’s what I’m most happy about, it’s a big-time win,” Duren said. “Especially after yesterday. Just happy about that. 20 and 20 is 20 and 20, but for me I knew it was bound to happen at some time so I wasn’t really that worried about it.”

Duren has been one of the few bright spots for the Pistons, but Sankofa reports that the organization still believes it can salvage something from this season despite a 6-40 record and a historic losing streak. Duren has become much more polished that he was as a rookie, Sankofa adds, displaying better touch and footwork around the basket while being given more leeway to handle the ball and create plays under new coach Monty Williams.

“I just think he’s putting the work in,” Williams said. “I’ve told him if he’s gonna be the guy that we feel like he can be, he’s gotta own that position. Earlier, I thought that he was renting it because he would show flashes of it and then you wouldn’t see it. We just talk about the work that goes into being a solid player, then a good player, then a really good player and then a great player, on and on and on, you have to put in tons of work and just repeat those moves.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • With the trade deadline nearing, James L. Edwards of The Athletic talks with other Athletic writes about potential Pistons deals involving Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. They review proposed trades with the Lakers, Knicks and Thunder.
  • The Pacers are optimistic that Tyrese Haliburton will be available Tuesday night against Boston after missing 10 of the last 11 games with a left hamstring injury, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
  • Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell participated in today’s shootaround and is listed as probable to play tonight after undergoing a scare involving a groin injury late in the Milwaukee game, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Evan Mobley also took part in the shootaround amid reports that he’ll be able to return soon following left knee surgery (Twitter link).
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James Johnson Signs Second 10-Day Contract With Pacers

January 29th, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Arthur Hill

11:30am: Johnson’s new 10-day contract is official, the Pacers announced (via Twitter).

9:26am: The Pacers will sign veteran forward James Johnson to another 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The signing was confirmed to Wojnarowski by Johnson’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports.

Johnson didn’t see any game action during his first 10-day deal, which expired on Sunday, but he has appeared in five games for Indiana this season with four points, four rebounds and five assists in limited playing time. He signed a standard contract with the Pacers in mid-December after they reached a buyout agreement with Daniel Theis, but was waived on January 17 when the team needed to open a roster spot to complete the Pascal Siakam trade. Johnson rejoined the team two days later upon clearing waivers.

A 15-year NBA veteran, Johnson first came to Indiana before the start of last season. He has appeared in 23 total games during that time, but has mostly served as a veteran leader in the locker room.

Once Johnson’s second 10-day contract becomes official, the Pacers will be back to a 14-man roster, giving them one opening heading into the trade deadline. Teams are limited to two 10-day deals with a player during a season, so Indiana would have to sign Johnson to another standard contract to keep him for the rest of the season.

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Will Barton Signing With CSKA Moscow

January 29th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA guard Will Barton will sign with CSKA Moscow for the rest of the season, according to Eurohoops.

The 33-year-old has been a free agent since finishing last season in Toronto. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 56 total games with the Wizards and Raptors. Barton auditioned for the Warriors and Pelicans in September, but didn’t land a job with either team.

Barton will become the most prominent player to sign in Russia since the beginning of the war with Ukraine in February of 2022, the Eurohoops report notes. He will be limited to VTB League competition because Russian teams are currently sanctioned from the EuroLeague.

“First of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to play for this team,” Barton wrote on the CSKA Moscow website. “I’ve only heard good things about the club and the fans. I’m very glad to have the chance to meet my teammates, coaches, fans, organization and wonderful people from Moscow. I am willing to invest the time and effort to compete and win at a high level. I can’t wait to come and start working.”

The 40th pick in the 2012 draft, Barton played for four teams in 11 NBA seasons, spending most of his time in Denver. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 679 games.

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Julius Randle Expected To Miss Several Weeks, But MRI Reveals No Significant Damage

January 29th, 2024 at 9:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Julius Randle continues to undergo testing for his dislocated right shoulder, but Knicks officials are optimistic that his absence will be “measured in weeks and not months,” sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Initial reviews of an MRI he had this weekend indicate no significant damage, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

A source confirms to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) that there’s hope Randle will be back before the end of the season, but cautions that the diagnosis is “not conclusive” yet, noting that more tests were performed after the MRI. Steve Popper of Newsday tweets that there was an upbeat feeling about Randle at this morning’s shootaround and notes that next month’s All-Star break will give him an additional week to recover without affecting the season.

Surgery hasn’t been ruled out, but the testing so far provides a reason to believe that Randle can recover without it, adds Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Randle suffered the injury on a drive to the basket late in Saturday’s game against Miami. As Jaime Jaquez attempted to draw a change, Randle landed awkwardly with his right arm extended. He headed toward the training staff and was taken to the locker room for X-rays.

Randle has been one of the on-court leaders for the Knicks, who have won 12 of their last 14 games to surge into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Through 46 games, he’s averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per night.

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Magic Notes: Isaac, Banchero, Suggs, Black

January 29th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Magic forward Jonathan Isaac plans to be available tonight in Dallas for the second game of a back-to-back, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. It’s a significant step for Isaac, who has seen his career derailed by injuries over the past three years.

Isaac played 23 minutes Sunday against Phoenix with nine points and three rebounds, marking the second straight time he has exceeded 22 minutes. He has already missed 18 games this season, including seven in a row recently with a strained right hamstring, and he’s working with coach Jamahl Mosley and the team’s training staff to make sure he’s healthy for a potential playoff run.

“I’m getting there,” Isaac said. “Just talking with coach and figuring out how I’m coming along and what’s going to be the direction. I’m just telling them I’m ready to go. I’m going to continue to just take it one game at a time.”

Isaac was Orlando’s starting power forward early in his career, but ACL injuries cost him two full seasons and limited him to 11 games in 2022/23. He has become a valuable defensive presence off the bench, and his coach hopes to be able to use him more often as the season wears on.

“We’re able to push a little bit more of the limits of what he’s able to do and that’s going to continue to happen,” Mosley said. “We’ll just look at it on a game-to-game basis more than where we’ll fully go. Because it’s also (about) how he responds to these games and what it looks like for him.”

There’s more from Orlando:

  • Sunday’s win over the Suns was significant for a Magic team that has been sliding down the Eastern Conference standings following a hot start. Paolo Banchero tells Beede that the players need to regain their focus for the second half of the season (Twitter link). “We’ve just got to come together as much as we can, pick up the communication, pick up the intensity, and get back to being together as a group,” Banchero said. “It’s just that point in the season where it starts feeling like a grind for a lot of guys, including myself. We’ve just got to fight through it, push through it, come together as a group and be there for each other.”
  • Jalen Suggs left Friday’s game at Memphis in the first quarter due to a bruised left knee, but he was able to return on Sunday, Beede tweets. Suggs was back in his usual role, starting and posting 10 points, four rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.
  • Isaac is impressed by rookie guard Anthony Black‘s desire to match up with the NBA’s best scorers, Beede adds (Twitter link). “There was one moment where I saw he wanted to guard (Devin) Booker and coach had told him to guard somebody else,” Isaac said. “… And he was frustrated. To have a young guy that wants to guard and wants to be in the game to make plays like that speaks to who he is. He’s going to continue to get better.”
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