NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Scottie Barnes Undergoes Surgery For Fractured Hand

March 4th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes underwent surgery on the third metacarpal bone in his left hand on Monday, the team announced in a press release. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles and while no timetable was provided in the release, the expectation is he’ll miss the remainder of the regular season, according to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link).

As Lewenberg observes, the average time lost for fractured metacarpal bones is 18 games (Twitter link). It was already expected when he was injured, but with 21 games left in Toronto’s season, there’s no sense in rushing Barnes — a staple for the future of the franchise — back from injury in a year where the Raptors will almost certainly miss the postseason.

Barnes enjoyed his first All-Star appearance in his third season with the Raptors, improving his averages across the board to 19.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game as he became the face of the franchise.

He will likely finish the year with 60 games played, which means he’s ineligible for postseason awards, since those require 65 games played as of this season.

Ochai Agbaji, acquired at the deadline, took over the majority of Barnes’ minutes. He drew a start in the team’s Sunday win over the Hornets and recorded 13 points and nine rebounds in over 32 minutes. Toronto will likely use the rest of the season to continue dedicating playing time to their young, end-of-bench pieces to determine who will be part of the long-term core.

Knicks Sign Jacob Toppin To Two-Way Contract

March 4th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks have signed Jacob Toppin to a two-way contract, according to a release from the team (Twitter link).

Toppin has spent most of the season on a two-way with New York, but was briefly promoted to the 15-man roster on a 10-day deal. Now that that’s expired, he’s back on a two-way contract.

Toppin, 23, has appeared in eight games with New York so far this season, averaging 1.6 points per contest. He’s been more productive in the G League, averaging 18.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 32 regular season and Showcase Cup appearances with the Westchester Knicks.

The 6’9″ forward went undrafted last year out of Kentucky after averaging 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in his final collegiate season. He spent training camp with the Knicks before earning a two-way deal before the season. He went on to appear in the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend this year.

With Toppin signed, the Knicks have filled all three of their two-way contract spots. He joins Duane Washington Jr. and Charlie Brown Jr. as New York’s two-way players. Once the reported Shake Milton signing is finalized, the Knicks will have 13 players on standard deals and three players on two-way contracts.

Today is the deadline for teams to sign players to two-way deals. New York was the final team left with an open two-way spot and now, all 90 available two-way slots are filled league-wide.

Suns Sign Ish Wainright To Two-Way Contract

March 4th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Rory Maher

6:40pm: The Suns have officially signed Wainright, according to a release from the team (Twitter link via PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet). As we outlined in a separate story, Theo Maledon was waived to open up a two-way slot for Wainright.

3:37pm: The Suns are signing free agent forward Ish Wainright to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Wainright, 29, played 105 regular season games and 13 playoff contests with Phoenix from 2021-23. However, his non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract was released before the 2023/24 season began due to a roster crunch, and he was claimed off the waiver wire by the Trail Blazers.

Before he was claimed by Portland, a report stated that Phoenix had interest in bringing back Wainright, and several months later, that will come to fruition.

In part due to injuries, Wainright only appeared in seven games for the Blazers. They cut him in January before his contract became fully guaranteed, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Known more for his defense than his offense, Wainright has averaged 3.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG while shooting 33.1% from deep in 112 career regular season games over the past three seasons (11.8 MPG).

As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports observes (Twitter link), the Suns currently have three players — the maximum allowed — on two-way contracts, but a report last week indicated Saben Lee was a strong candidate to be converted to a standard deal. If Lee is promoted to Phoenix’s open standard roster spot, the team wouldn’t need to release anyone to add Wainright, as he would just fill Lee’s vacated spot.

Russell Westbrook Undergoes Surgery On Fractured Hand

March 4th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Clippers guard Russell Westbrook underwent surgery on his fractured left hand on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The hope is that Westbrook will be able to return before the playoffs, Wojnarowski adds.

Westbrook suffered his broken right hand on Friday in a game against Washington. According to Wojnarowski, he’s now starting rehabilitation so he can be back before the postseason starts in April.

Westbrook, 35, has been one of the league’s top bench players after accepting the role change earlier this season. He’s averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 58 games.

Bones Hyland took over for Westbrook after he went down and played the backup point guard spot in L.A.’s win over the Timberwolves on Sunday.

It has been a roller coaster season for Hyland, who admitted the season was “challenging” and was sent home before the All-Star break. He’s averaging 5.7 points and 2.0 assists this season.

Dylan Windler Signs Two-Way Deal With Hawks

March 4th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

6:00pm: The deal is now official, according to a release from the team.

5:48pm: Free agent guard/forward Dylan Windler is signing a two-way contract with the Hawks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Hawks had an open two-way slot after converting Trent Forrest to a standard deal, so no corresponding move is required.

Windler spent most of the year on a two-way deal with the Lakers before he was waived over the weekend to make room for Harry Giles. He began the year on a two-way contract with the Knicks.

In 11 games this year between the Knicks and Lakers, Windler has averaged 1.3 points. He has been much more productive in the G League, averaging 13.3 points and 8.2 rebounds in 16 games. He turned heads earlier this season by recording a G League single-game record 33 rebounds on Jan. 5.

He’s eligible to be active in 12 of Atlanta’s 22 remaining games this season.

Windler, 27, was the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He spent the first three years of his career with the Cavaliers, averaging 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 84 games with the Cavs. Even though two-way players are limited to three or fewer years of service, Windler is eligible for a two-way contract due to the new “Harry Giles rule,” which allows players with four years of service to sign two-way deals if they missed a full season due to injury.

Because of the terms of the rule, Windler is only eligible to sign a one-year two-way deal, which means he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. He’ll have the rest of the season to make an impression on the organization and compete for a spot on the standard roster for next season.

Suns Waive Theo Maledon

March 4th, 2024 at 5:23pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Suns have waived two-way guard Theo Maledon, according to the league’s official transaction log. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto first reported the move (Twitter link).

Phoenix was reported to be signing Ish Wainright to a two-way contract earlier Monday, but all three of the team’s two-way contracts were filled. There was some speculation that Saben Lee might be earning a promotion to the 15-man roster, and while that could still happen down the line, the Suns are creating a roster space for Wainright in the short term by waiving Maledon.

The Suns originally claimed Maledon on waivers after he was cut by the Hornets in December. The 34th overall pick of the 2020 draft, he began his career with the Thunder, where he made 56 starts across two seasons. After departing Oklahoma City, he spent part of the next two years with Charlotte on a two-way deal before landing in Phoenix.

Maledon only made four appearances during his time in Phoenix, totaling five points in 13 minutes. In 177 career games (64 starts), the 22-year-old guard holds career averages of 7.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He had his most productive season when he averaged 10.1 points and 3.5 assists in his age-19 rookie year in Oklahoma City in ’20/21.

Kelly Olynyk, Raptors Finalize Two-Year Extension

March 4th, 2024 at 4:56pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Raptors center Kelly Olynyk has agreed to a two-year, $26.25MM contract extension with Toronto, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The team has officially announced the deal.

The Raptors acquired Olynyk at the trade deadline alongside Ochai Agbaji in exchange for Otto Porter, Kira Lewis and a late 2024 first-round pick.

As we relayed on Thursday, there was optimism the two sides would be able to reach an agreement on a new contract. As we noted at the time, the lottery-bound Raptors likely wouldn’t have traded first-round capital if they didn’t envision Olynyk being part of their future.

Olynyk, who was on an expiring contract, was eligible to agree to an extension with the Raptors up until June 30 to avoid free agency. The league’s extend-and-trade rules allowed the big man to sign for up to two years, with 5% annual raises, and he’ll receive that maximum amount. After earning $12,195,122 this season, Olynyk will make $12,804,878 in ’24/25 and $13,445,122 in ’25/26.

According to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link), the two sides have been working on the deal since Olynyk was acquired at the deadline.

The 32-year-old Canadian has appeared in nine games with the Raptors since the trade. He’s averaging 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per night, while shooting 46.0% from the floor and 26.3% from beyond the arc for Toronto. On the season as a whole, spanning 59 appearances with Utah and Toronto, he holds averages of 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

Because Olynyk’s new deal doesn’t exceed the extend-and-trade limitations, he’ll remain trade-eligible once the offseason begins, though it seems unlikely that the Raptors will flip him to a new team before the 2024/25 season.

As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca observes (via Twitter), addressing his contract situation now means that Olynyk won’t have to worry about it if and when he reports to Team Canada’s training camp in late June ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Raptors Sign Jahmi’us Ramsey To 10-Day Contract

March 4th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Rory Maher

4:54pm: Ramsey has officially signed his 10-day contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:48pm: The Raptors intend to sign free agent guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A former second-round pick (43rd overall in 2020) who played one season of college basketball at Texas Tech, Ramsey spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings prior to being waived in February 2022. He appeared in 32 games with Sacramento, averaging 3.1 PPG in just 7.1 MPG.

Ramsey has spent the past two seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate. In 30 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Blue in 2023/24, the 22-year-old shooting guard has averaged 20.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .531/.406/.699 shooting in 29.5 MPG.

Toronto has an opening on its standard roster and won’t need to release anyone to add Ramsey, who will earn $116,075 over the course of his 10 days with the team.

Pacers, Quenton Jackson Complete Two-Way Deal

March 4th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Rory Maher

4:52pm: Jackson’s two-way deal with the Pacers is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

2:05pm: Free agent guard Quenton Jackson is signing a two-way deal with the Pacers, agents Adie Von Gontard and Gino Littles tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jackson, 25, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022. He signed a two-way deal with the Wizards last February, playing in nine NBA games as a rookie and averaging 6.2 points and 1.7 assists in 15.0 minutes per contest.

Washington released Jackson last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He wound up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Chicago and has been playing for the G League’s Windy City Bulls during the 2023/24 campaign.

In 38 Showcase Cup and regular season games with Windy City this season, the 6’5″ point guard has averaged 16.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.3 minutes, posting a .478/.221/.768 shooting line.

Indiana had an open two-way spot after promoting Kendall Brown to a three-year standard contract, so no additional transactions are needed to sign Jackson.

Donovan Mitchell Treating Bone Bruise, Out At Least Next Three Games

March 4th, 2024 at 4:22pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday to treat a left knee bone bruise that caused him to miss Cleveland’s past two games against Detroit and New York, the team announced (Twitter link).

Mitchell will be listed as out for the Cavs’ next three games, on March 5 against Boston, on March 6 at Atlanta, and March 8 versus Minnesota, according to the release.

His status will be reevaluated over the weekend and will be updated as appropriate.

Mitchell is an integral part of a strong Cavaliers team that ranks third in the Eastern Conference at 39-21. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 47.2% from the floor and 37.1% from three.

The All-Star guard being out for games against the top-ranked teams in the East (Boston) and West (Minnesota) obviously isn’t ideal for a club that’s just a half-game behind Milwaukee for second in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are 3.5 games ahead of the fourth-seeded Knicks.

It’s also worth noting that Mitchell’s injury absence means he’s in danger of falling short of the 65-game minimum to qualify for postseason awards. He has missed 13 games so far this season — that number will increase to at least 16 in the coming days. Eighteen missed contests would render him ineligible for All-NBA consideration.