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Stephen Curry Set To Return On Tuesday

January 10th, 2023 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors‘ lineup will get a major upgrade on Tuesday night, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Stephen Curry will return and start as Golden State hosts the Suns.

Curry’s minutes limit is still being determined, Andrews adds.

Curry suffered a left shoulder subluxation in the Warriors’ loss to Indiana on December 14 and has missed the last 11 games as a result of the injury. President of basketball operations Bob Myers said last week that the club was hoping Curry would be able to return this Friday — the former MVP will be back on the court even earlier than that.

Golden State has had an up-and-down run since Curry went down. The team lost three of its first four games without him, including a pair of blowouts, then reeled off a five-game winning streak before losing its last two contests at home to Detroit and Orlando. The Warriors will take a 20-20 record into Tuesday’s home game vs. Phoenix before departing for a five-game road trip.

Curry is the third Warrior to return from an injury absence in the past week. Andrew Wiggins was back on Saturday after missing 15 games due to an adductor strain and illness, while Andre Iguodala made his season debut in the same game after being sidelined for most of the first half with a hip issue.

Jonathan Isaac To Play For Lakeland Magic On Wednesday

January 10th, 2023 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, who last played in an NBA game 891 days ago, is set to play in the G League for the Lakeland Magic on Wednesday, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.

Isaac tore his ACL in 2020 and suffered a setback during his rehab process last March, undergoing a minor procedure on his right hamstring. He last played in an NBA game on August 2, 2020 in the Walt Disney World bubble and has been on the shelf for two-and-a-half seasons since then. However, he has been ramping up to a return in recent weeks, having been cleared for full contact 5-on-5 scrimmages in early December.

According to Wojnarowski, Isaac will likely play two games with Lakeland before being called up to make his season debut for Orlando. After hosting the Westchester Knicks on Wednesday, Lakeland will play at home against the Greensboro Swarm on Friday and Saturday.

Isaac will be rejoining an Orlando squad that looks much different from the one he played for in 2020. At that time, Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier were among the team’s top players, while Magic youngsters like Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs had yet to reach the NBA.

Prior to his injury, Isaac was emerging as one of the league’s most talented defenders. The 6’11” forward was having his best year in his third NBA season in 2019/20, averaging 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals in 28.8 minutes per night in his first 34 games.

How Isaac performs in the second half could go a long way to determining whether he has a place in the Magic’s long-term future. He’s under contract for two more seasons beyond this one, but only $7.6MM of the remaining $34.8MM on his deal after 2022/23 is guaranteed.

Otto Porter Jr. Undergoes Season-Ending Foot Surgery

January 10th, 2023 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Otto Porter Jr. won’t play again in 2022/23, according to the Raptors, who announced today in a press release that the veteran forward has undergone surgery on his left foot and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

“This was a tough decision for Otto,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “He had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health. We look forward to his healthy recovery.”

After winning a championship ring as a key rotation player for the Warriors last season, Porter signed a two-year, $12.3MM contract with the Raptors as a free agent. However, his first year in Toronto has essentially been a write-off.

Porter’s made his Raptors debut on November 2 after recovering from a hamstring strain. Just 12 days later, on November 14, the 29-year-old exited a game early due to a left foot ailment, referred to as a dislocated toe. He hasn’t played since and appeared in just eight games in total, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 18.3 MPG.

Porter’s lost 2022/23 season makes it a virtual lock that he’ll exercise his $6.3MM player option for next year.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have until January 15 to apply for a disabled player exception, which would be another tool at their disposal as they consider possible roster moves. A DPE for Porter would be worth $3MM (half of his $6MM salary) and would give Toronto the ability to sign a player to a rest-of-season contract worth up to that amount or to acquire a player (via trade or waiver claim) on an expiring contract. It would not open up an extra roster spot, however.

Pelicans Notes: Injuries, Ingram, Marshall, Green

January 10th, 2023 at 12:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson threatened to knock the Pelicans out of the race for the top seed in the West, but the team has found a way to stay competitive, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. New Orleans improved to 6-3 without its top two players after a dominant win in Washington Monday night.

Ingram hasn’t played since November 25 because of a toe injury, and Williamson is dealing with a hamstring strain that will sideline him for at least two more weeks. The injury list got longer Monday when Herbert Jones left the game in the first half with a lower back contusion. CJ McCollum said the team has learned how to be resilient, regardless of who is available.

“We figure it out. We’ve got a lot of injuries. A lot of teams are going through it … It’s the time of year when you feel more fatigued mentally and physically,” McCollum said. “But you go through that process of having to fight through it, having to really push and trust and work. I think we’ve done that all year. For us to be in this position after the injuries we’ve had, it’s a testament to our team, our staff and our development.”

There’s more on the Pelicans:

Ingram said over the weekend that he hopes to return sometime during the team’s current road trip, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. New Orleans will be in Boston Wednesday, Detroit Friday and Cleveland next Monday, and it’s not clear which game Ingram is targeting. Coach Willie Green said Ingram hasn’t participated in a full practice since the injury, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link).
Naji Marshall became a believer in Green after watching YouTube clips of his playing career shortly after he was hired as head coach in 2021, Clark notes in a full story. Their bond grew as the Pelicans’ Summer League team posted a 5-0 record, led by Marshall and Jose Alvarado. Even though they weren’t awarded the Summer League title because of point differential, the experience convinced Marshall that Green could produce a winner in New Orleans. “It was major,” Marshall said. “He (Green) was new. He had new players. Really just wanted to show them the way. Was trying to build a foundation of defense first. Playing as hard as you can. We was the champs that year. We weren’t congratulated like we should. But I think we punched everyone in the mouth that summer.”
Clark hands out midseason grades for the Pelicans, giving A’s to Marshall, Williamson, Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels.

Remaining Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Exceptions Begin To Decline In Value

January 10th, 2023 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

Besides being the day when non-guaranteed salaries officially become fully guaranteed, January 10 represents an important date on the NBA calendar for a second reason. It’s also the day when several cap exceptions begin to prorate downward for the rest of the season.

The non-taxpayer mid-level exception, taxpayer mid-level exception, room exception, and bi-annual exception will all decline in value by 1/174th each day for the rest of the season, beginning today. Trade exceptions and disabled player exceptions will be unaffected.

Each team will be impacted slightly differently by the proration calculations. For instance, the Bulls had $7,290,000 left on their mid-level exception entering Tuesday. Their MLE value will decline by $41,897 per day (1/174th of $7,290,000) for each of the season’s remaining 90 days. By the last day of the season, even if they don’t use it to sign another player, the Bulls’ MLE would be only be worth in the neighborhood of $3.5MM.

A team like the Hornets, with their full $10,490,000 mid-level exception available, will see that exception’s value decline by over $60K per day, while the $691,731 left on the Timberwolves‘ MLE will dip by just $3,975 per day.

Teams’ mid-level and/or bi-annual exceptions will prorate downward daily by 1/174th of the amount left as of January 10, even if that club uses a portion of its exception between now and the end of the season. So if a team has $5MM left on its MLE today and uses $3MM to sign a player tomorrow, that team would still lose 1/174th of $5MM per day the rest of the way, not 1/174th of $2MM.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Proration]

These prorating exceptions shouldn’t have a major league-wide impact. However, if a team wants to offer a free agent more than the minimum salary or sign a player to a three- or four-year contract during the second half of the season, they’ll need to use some form of the MLE or BAE. As a result, teams will have to keep tabs on the ever-changing values of those exceptions.

For details on the portions of their mid-level and/or bi-annual exceptions teams have used so far this season, you can check out our trackers here and here.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Suns Among Teams Interested In Jalen McDaniels

January 10th, 2023 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels has drawn “increasing interest” around the NBA as a potential trade candidate, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link). The Suns are among the clubs monitoring McDaniels as the February 9 trade deadline nears, according to Charania.

McDaniels, who will turn 25 later this month, is enjoying a breakout season in Charlotte, averaging career highs in points (10.9), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1), and steals (1.1) per game, among other categories.

A fourth-year forward, McDaniels saw his playing time dip to a career-low 16.3 minutes per game under James Borrego last season, but has become a key rotation contributor for new head coach Steve Clifford in 2022/23, logging a career-high 26.5 MPG. He’s also one of just two Hornets to have appeared in all 41 games so far this season, along with Mason Plumlee.

McDaniels’ length, defensive versatility, and ability to make threes (.352 career 3PT%) will make him a popular trade target if the Hornets are willing to move him. Charania notes that the former second-round pick would make sense for Phoenix in a potential Jae Crowder deal, though a third team would almost certainly need to be involved, since Charlotte wouldn’t be a logical fit for Crowder.

Because McDaniels wasn’t a first-round pick, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent – rather than restricted – at the end of his fourth season this summer, and Charania suggests he’ll be “sought after” on the open market. That could make the Suns and other teams hesitant to give up too much for him — McDaniels’ club would have his Bird rights, but wouldn’t be able to control his free agency by unilaterally matching any offer he receives.

Scotto’s Latest: Burks, Reddish, Quickley, Cavs, Hardaway

January 10th, 2023 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Alec Burks is receiving interest from a number of playoff-caliber clubs, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Burks is having one of his best seasons as a pro off the bench for the Pistons, averaging 14.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.2 APG in just 22.0 minutes per contest (30 games). His 44.7% three-point rate is a career high, as is his 46.4% mark on shots from the floor.

Burks is earning approximately $10MM this season and has a $10.49MM team option on his contract for 2023/24. According to Scotto, the Pistons are a pretty safe bet to exercise that option if Burks remains with the team for the rest of the season, since it’s a team-friendly price based on his production and his veteran presence. With that in mind, Detroit could always trade Burks in the offseason or even at the 2024 trade deadline, so the club won’t have to simply settle for the best offer in the coming weeks.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Knicks‘ asking price for Cam Reddish is a pair of second-round picks, league sources tell Scotto. The Lakers and Bucks are among the teams who have inquired on the fourth-year forward, Scotto adds.
The Bucks are also one of the clubs to inquire on Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, along with the Mavericks, Wizards, and others, says Scotto. However, Quickley has been playing some of his best basketball as of late and New York’s asking price is significant (at least a first-round pick), reducing the odds that he’s moved.
Addressing the possibility of a Caris LeVert/Tim Hardaway Jr. swap between the Mavericks and Cavaliers, Scotto confirms a couple of concerns from Cleveland’s side first voiced by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs would be hesitant to take on Hardaway’s contract, which has two years left beyond this season, according to Scotto, and may be seeking extra compensation in any deal due to a belief that LeVert is a better overall player.

Hoops Rumors’ 2023 NBA 10-Day Contract Tracker

January 10th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

On January 5, NBA teams became eligible to sign players to 10-day contracts, and many of the signings that take place between now and April will be of the 10-day variety. Hoops Rumors has created a database that allows you to keep on top of those deals, tracking every 10-day signing all season long.

Besides featuring all of this year’s 10-day deals, our 10-Day Contract Tracker includes information on all 10-day contracts signed since the 2006/07 season. The search filters in the database make it easy to sort by team, player, and/or year. For instance, if you want to see all the 10-day contracts that the Hawks have signed in the last 15-plus years, you can do so here. If you want to view Greg Monroe‘s history of 10-day deals, that list is here.

You can also see whether a player and team signed a second 10-day contract, or if those short-term deals led to an agreement that covered the rest of the season. Additionally, our tracker notes which 10-day deals remain active, saving you from having to figure out whether a particular contract ends on Wednesday or Thursday.

We’ve revamped our 10-day tracker since last season, but if you prefer the old look, you can still view it here.

A link to our 10-Day Contract Tracker can be found at any time in the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site. On our mobile site, you can find it on our “Features” page. We’ll be keeping it up to date for the rest of the season, so be sure to check back to keep tabs on the latest signings as they become official.

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Southeast Notes: Robinson, Dedmon, Lowry, Clifford, Krejci

January 9th, 2023 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Two-way player Orlando Robinson may have passed Dewayne Dedmon on the depth chart as the Heat‘s backup center. Robinson finished Sunday’s one-point loss to Brooklyn with six points, nine rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes, while Dedmon didn’t play due to coach’s decision for the first time this season. The Heat outscored the Nets by 24 points with Robinson on the court, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes.

“I thought he just gave us great minutes,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Even when we had to take (Bam Adebayo) out in the fourth quarter, that could have been an emotional downer, like a real buzz kill. But O had been playing really well and when I turned to him, everybody else was like: ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’ He’s earned the minutes and I think the way he was really sprinting to the rim on some of the pick-and-rolls and creating a little bit of confusion, really helped us generate some clean looks.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Heat guard Kyle Lowry has been downgraded to out for Tuesday’s game against the Thunder, Chiang tweets. The Heat have a number of injury concerns. Rotation players Caleb Martin (left quadriceps strain) and Duncan Robinson (finger surgery) have also been ruled out, while Tyler Herro (left Achilles soreness) and Adebayo (right wrist contusion) are questionable.
Steve Clifford returned for a second stint as the Hornets’ head coach to take them to the next level. The way the season has played out, he now has the task of developing the young players during a rough season. Clifford spoke of trying to strike that balance in a Q&A with Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer in a subscriber-required story. “We need to win and develop these young guys. And definitely this is really a different roster than what we thought it would be, particularly when I first got here,” Clifford said. “But at the end of the day being adaptable as a coach is a big deal, and you want to be the right coach for the team that you are coaching.”
Vit Krejci had his contract for this season guaranteed by the Hawks over the weekend when he remained on the roster. Krejci is grateful the front office decided to keep him around, as he told Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Yeah, it’s a good feeling,” Krejci said. “You know, I worked really hard to be in this position. And I’m glad that the team trusts me and the coaches and the staff, everybody trusts me. So, I’m really happy for that.” Krejci has appeared in 17 games this season.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Niang, Trent Jr., Barnes, Young

January 9th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers star center Joel Embiid is listed as questionable for Tuesday night’s home game against the Pistons, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Embiid has missed the past three games with a sore left foot, including Philadelphia’s road win over Detroit on Sunday. P.J. Tucker is probable with a sinus infection after missing Sunday’s game.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers forward Georges Niang hopes he’ll get an invitation to participate in the 3-point contest on All-Star weekend, according to Pompey. “The three-point contest, obviously, if you’re an NBA fan, you’ve paid attention to it and watched it,” Niang said. “If you ever get a chance to be a part of that, it would be an honor.” Niang is a career 40.7% 3-point shooter and has made 42% of his attempts this season.
It’s no lock that the Raptors will deal Gary Trent Jr. before the trade deadline, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange said on “The Raptors Show.” (video link). After a rough patch, Trent has averaged 25 points per game in his last seven contests. Trent came off the bench for a stretch during a shooting slump. “He’s earned a lot of respect for how he’s handled himself as a pro and you look at his profile, his age, those guys are hard to find,” Grange said. However, Toronto will explore all options. “I don’t think it’s a certainty they’ll trade him. but I think it’s a certainty they’ll listen,” Grange added. Trent has an $18.56MM player option for next season.
Scottie Barnes and Thaddeus Young exchanged words during halftime of the Raptors’ game against Portland. They downplayed the incident, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. “It was just a little disagreement. It was nothing serious,” Barnes said. “You have some disagreements but it was nothing serious.” Young said, “We just had a disagreement. No different than brothers going back and forth, especially when we’re both passionate about the game.” (Twitter link).