Southwest Notes: Morant, Claxton, Zeller, Luka, Washington

The Nets‘ trip to Memphis earlier this week wasn’t exactly a homecoming for Nic Claxton, but it gave him an opportunity to see some familiar faces, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who notes that Claxton played AAU ball in his native South Carolina with Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Morant’s close friend Davonte Pack.

“Playing that last year of AAU with (Morant) and seeing where he is now with his career and everything he has achieved so early, it’s definitely good to see,” Claxton said. “… I didn’t see him being the player that he is now with the athleticism. He was always talented, skilled, could always really pass the ball. When he got that athleticism, he just started to take off.”

As Cole notes, Claxton – who has worn Morant’s signature shoe this season – will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Grizzlies will be in the market for help at center after trading away Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman. A deal with Claxton may be a long shot, given that Memphis will be well over the salary cap and won’t be in position to offer the young center the type of lucrative deal the Nets can.

Still, Claxton didn’t close the door on the idea – replying, “We’ll see” when asked about the possibility – and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. didn’t sound opposed to it either, Cole writes.

“He’s good for that team,” Jackson said of Brooklyn’s starting center. “He’s doing his thing. Who knows, man. I can play alongside a lot of different types of players. Credit to what he’s doing over there.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • After beginning the 2022/23 season without an NBA home, Cody Zeller wasn’t sure if his days in the league were coming to an end. However, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays, Zeller got another shot last February with Miami, which led to a new deal with the Pelicans this past offseason. The veteran big man is happy to be serving as a veteran leader in New Orleans and grateful to still be in the NBA. “I had already had a good career (before joining the Heat last season),” Zeller said. “That gave me a different perspective that each additional game that I play or contract that I get or extra year that I get is icing on the cake. If I can be a good veteran guy even if I’m not playing, I’m totally happy with that, totally cool with that.”
  • Cautioning Mavericks fans not to take Luka Doncic‘s ongoing greatness for granted, Tim Cato of The Athletic explores the star guard’s case for this season’s MVP award.
  • Coming off a 23-point game on Wednesday in Toronto – his best performance since joining the Mavericks last month – P.J. Washington is making a case to be Dallas’ third option on offense behind Doncic and Kyrie Irving, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “We would like to be consistent with a third,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “Yes, that would make coaching or being a teammate a little bit easier, knowing who’s going to be there on a consistent basis. And I think P.J. is starting to trend that way.” Kidd added that he believes Washington is “up for the challenge” of being more of an offensive play-maker.

Community Shootaround: Rookie Of The Year Race

The NBA’s 2023/24 Rookie of the Year race has arguably been the best in recent memory, with Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Thunder center Chet Holmgren both enjoying incredible debut seasons.

It was Wembanyama who got the upper hand in the latest chapter of the budding rivalry between the two young bigs on Thursday night. The No. 1 overall pick, who led the Spurs to an upset win over the Thunder, became the first player in NBA history to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and five 3-pointers in a game, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Wembanyama helped seal San Antonio’s victory by making a highlight block on a Holmgren shot attempt in a late-game possession (Twitter video link).

Asked after Thursday’s game whether the performance locked up the Rookie of the Year race for his star teammate, Spurs wing Devin Vassell said he believed Wembanyama had already earned that award.

“I feel like it’s been over, but I mean, night in, night out, the stuff that he does, the impact that he has on both ends of the floor, big shot after big block, after whatever the case may be, I mean he doesn’t even look like a rookie,” Vassell said, per Lopez. “The shots that he shoots, the confidence that he has in his game is second to none, truthfully.”

In their recaps of Thursday’s game, Mike Monroe of The Athletic and Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News each also declared the Rookie of the Year race all but over, contending that Wembanyama has it in hand. The 20-year-old has increased his season-long averages to 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals in just 28.7 minutes per game across 54 appearances, with a shooting line of .467/.327/.814.

Still, Wembanyama, who has stated that winning Rookie of the Year is important to him, wasn’t as eager as Vassell or those local reporters to declare the race over, according to Lopez.

“No, because there’s still 22 games left,” Wembanyama said. “So no, it’s not over.”

While the Spurs’ young star has repeatedly showed signs this season that he’s on his way to becoming a generational talent, Holmgren has made a compelling case of his own for Rookie of the Year honors by anchoring the defense of one of the NBA’s best teams while scoring effectively and efficiently on the other end of the floor. In 59 games (30.2 MPG) for the Thunder, he has put up 17.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.6 BPG on .544/.398/.784 shooting.

Even after Thursday’s loss to San Antonio, the Thunder are 29.5 games ahead of the Spurs in the standings, which may be a factor voters weigh when they make their Rookie of the Year choice. Holmgren’s .617 effective field goal percentage is also substantially stronger than Wembanyama’s .518 mark.

In the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggested that Holmgren might be having the best rookie season of any non-Wembanyama player of the past decade besides Luka Doncic in 2018/19. Tim Bontemps argued that Holmgren has been even better this season than Doncic was as a rookie.

However, both ESPN reporters, along with colleague Brian Windhorst, agreed that Wembanyama is the obvious frontrunner for this season’s award.

For what it’s worth, while an injury to either player would obviously impact the race, the NBA’s new 65-game minimum for end-of-season awards doesn’t apply to Rookie of the Year, so there’s no risk of either Wembanyama or Holmgren becoming ineligible.

We want to know what you think. Is Wembanyama your Rookie of the Year pick? If so, what would it take for Holmgren to overtake him in the season’s final six weeks? If not, why do you feel as if Holmgren’s case is stronger?

Head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Injury Notes: Ball, Ayton, Exum, Reddish

LaMelo Ball has been sidelined since January 26, having missed the Hornets‘ past 16 games due to what the team initially referred to as right ankle soreness and later diagnosed as ankle tendinopathy. Asked on Thursday where the star guard is in his recovery compared to two weeks ago, head coach Steve Clifford offered few specifics and didn’t give any indication that Ball’s return is imminent.

“It’s hard to tell,” Clifford said, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). “Look, he’s doing the same stuff now that he was doing two weeks ago. I don’t know that stuff. He does what they allow him to do. There’s a lot of factors in that, obviously. Like today, he did a lot of shootaround. He’s been doing that for a while.

“He wants to be back. Again, he doesn’t feel healthy enough and people aren’t comfortable enough that he should play. I don’t really know how to answer that. He does shootaround and things like that. He does his work. I know he wants to get back. There’s just a lot of factors on that one.”

The Hornets are 11 games back of the final play-in spot in the East with just 23 contests remaining, so the team has little to play for down the stretch and can afford to be extremely cautious with Ball, whose five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension will go into effect in July.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the league:

  • Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton underwent further testing on the right hand injury he sustained on Tuesday, and those tests confirmed the hand is sprained, a source tells Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). Ayton is considered day-to-day, per Highkin. The former No. 1 overall pick is listed as doubtful to play on Friday in Memphis.
  • Mavericks guard Dante Exum – who missed nine games in January due to a right plantar sprain, then 13 more in January and February due to right knee bursitis – played on Wednesday for the first time in over a month (Twitter link). A starter for 14 games in the first half of the season, Exum may not reclaim that role for a Dallas team that is deeper and healthier than it was earlier in 2023/24, but he played nearly 17 minutes off the bench in his first game back, recording four points, five assists, and three rebounds.
  • Cam Reddish returned this week from a right ankle injury that cost him 14 games, but he doesn’t appear to be feeling 100% quite yet. Reddish was on the court for just four minutes in the Lakers‘ win over Washington on Thursday, with head coach Darvin Ham telling reporters after the game that the forward experienced soreness in that ankle, prompting the team to sit him for the rest of the game in favor of Max Christie (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic).

Nuggets’ Murray Leaves Game With Ankle Sprain, Now Ineligible For Awards

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was forced out of action before halftime in the team’s win over Miami, having sprained his right ankle in the second quarter, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray exited the game and didn’t return.

“I talked to him right at the half, and he thought he was gonna be able to try to maybe give it a go — see how it warmed up,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “And it just wasn’t responding the way he had hoped, so I think it was a smart decision not to have him out there. Just trying to be as careful as possible at this point of the season.”

According to Malone, Murray has yet to be ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Lakers, so it remains possible that the ankle sprain won’t cost him any additional games.

However, it’s worth noting that even if he returns to action on Saturday and plays every Nuggets game for the rest of the season, Murray will no longer be eligible for end-of-season awards.

The NBA’s new 65-game rule for award eligibility considers players to have reached 65 games if they play at least 20 minutes in 63 contests and at least 15 minutes in two more. The Nuggets guard has missed 16 games and – after logging just 14 minutes on Thursday – has played fewer than 15 minutes in two additional outings.

That means that even though he could still technically appear in up to 66 games this season, Murray will fall short of meeting the requirements for the 65-game minimum. The rule was written that way in the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement to avoid a scenario in which a player just made cameo appearances in multiple games in order to reach 65.

For what it’s worth, a player who doesn’t meet the 65-game criteria is permitted to appeal his award eligibility in the event of “extraordinary circumstances.” Perhaps if Murray ended up missing out because he played in 14 minutes instead of 15 in one game, that would qualify, but since this is the first time this rule has been in effect, there are no precedents to compare it to. That case would also no longer hold weight if he misses more time as a result of his ankle injury, which remains a possibility.

“If there’s any hesitancy, then he won’t play in L.A.,” Malone said, per Durando. “If the ankle’s not right. … The question is never, ‘Can I go play?’ No, (it’s), ‘Can you play effectively?’ Because if you’re not playing effectively, you’re putting everybody else at a disadvantage. So we’ll see. And if he’s not able to play against the Lakers because of the ankle injury, then we’ll hopefully get him back for Phoenix (next Tuesday).”

Murray is averaging 20.5 points and a career-high 6.3 assists in 31.2 minutes per game for Denver through 44 appearances (all starts) this season. His 47.9% field goal percentage and 42.3% three-point percentage are also career bests.

The 27-year-old may have been a long shot for All-NBA recognition even if he were eligible, given the strong competition he’d face, but the fact that he’ll miss out is notable, since he would’ve met the performance criteria for a super-max extension if he had earned one of those 15 All-NBA spots. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said back in October that the team was “anticipating” paying Murray the super-max.

Murray, who will earn approximately $36MM in the final year of his current contract in 2024/25, will be eligible to sign an extension worth up to his standard max (30% of the cap) this offseason. If he wants to play out his current deal, he could still qualify for a super-max contract (worth 35% of the cap) with the Nuggets by making an All-NBA team in 2024/25.

Murray joins Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and LaMelo Ball as a few of the stars who are no longer eligible for an All-NBA berth or other major awards in 2023/24 due to the number of games they’ve missed. Others, including Trae Young, may join that group before the end of the season.

Players Waived After Friday Won’t Be Playoff-Eligible

In order to retain his postseason eligibility for a new NBA team, a player must be waived on or before March 1. That means that any player who remains on an NBA roster after Friday won’t be eligible to suit up in the playoffs for a new team, though there’s at least one key exception to that general rule.

A player who is currently on a 10-day contract – or who signs one after March 1 – will retain his playoff eligibility going forward. For instance, once Justin Jackson‘s 10-day deal with the Timberwolves expires on Saturday night, he’d still be able to re-sign with Minnesota or join a new team and be eligible to play in the postseason, since he’s not being placed on waivers after March 1.

Here’s the list of players currently on 10-day contracts who will retain their playoff eligibility when their current deals expire:

It’s also worth clarifying that a player doesn’t have to sign with a new team by March 1 to be playoff-eligible — he simply has to be placed on waivers by 11:59 pm Eastern time on Friday. As long as a player who fits that bill signs with a new team by the final day of the regular season (April 14), he can play in the postseason (including the play-in games).

The buyout market in 2024 has been somewhat active, with veterans like Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Lowry, Danilo Gallinari, Delon Wright, and Thaddeus Young among those who have been waived since the trade deadline and found new teams.

All of those players – and those who have been waived but haven’t yet signed with new teams, such as Mike Muscala, Marcus Morris, and Patty Mills – will be playoff-eligible for their new clubs, but anyone on a standard contract who is waived after Friday won’t be. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the NBA’s transaction wire today to see if anyone else is placed on waivers before that deadline passes.

Atlantic Notes: Hartenstein, Raptors, Springer, Muscala

Isaiah Hartenstein earned some extra money on top of his base salary on Thursday. The Knicks center surpassed 1,350 minutes this season, which triggered a $350K bonus, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

The bonus had been deemed likely and was included in his cap hit for 2023/24 since the Knicks big man met the same minutes benchmark in ’22/23. Hartenstein has a base salary of approximately $8.2MM, along with $1.05MM in likely bonuses.

The Knicks hold Early Bird rights on Hartenstein, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. New York can offer him a multiyear contract with a starting salary of up to $16MM.

We have from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Raptors can feel cautiously optimistic about their lineup, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines, since Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr., RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl are playing well together. The only hitch is that Trent will be an unrestricted free agent, though Gradey Dick might be ready to take that spot. They could also use a defensive specialist on the wing, Koreen adds.
  • Jaden Springer didn’t anticipate getting traded at this stage of his career, he admitted to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He was dealt from the Sixers to the Celtics earlier this month. “I wasn’t expecting that,” the 2021 first rounder said. “But I [didn’t] really think about it too much. It happened, and I was OK with moving on to the next thing. I’m here [in Boston] now, and that’s what I’m really focused on.” Sixers exec Daryl Morey didn’t view Springer as a rotation player in the postseason for the next few seasons, Mizell explains, which is why he was shipped out for an asset — a 2024 second-rounder — that could potentially be flipped for a veteran role player.
  • The Celtics are eligible to sign Mike Muscala but it doesn’t seem likely, Brian Robb of Masslive.com writes. Muscala was bought out by the Pistons this week after he was acquired in a trade with Washington in mid-January. However, teams like the Knicks and Sixers would appear to be better fits, given that Muscala could get immediate playing time in their frontcourts. Boston would not be able to offer him any regular minutes while the team is healthy, and the C’s added a big man at the trade deadline in Xavier Tillman.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Beal, Gordon, Lue, James

Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed that Klay Thompson initially balked at the prospect of being the team’s sixth man, he told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. Thompson yelled at Kerr and some members of the staff during a meeting prior to the All-Star break before later returning to apologize.

“It was not an easy conversation,” Kerr said. “This is maybe the hardest part about getting further away from our prime. It’s just, after 12 years [of Thompson starting], it wasn’t easy. And still moving forward, it’s not going to be easy. But I told him, ‘If you really embrace it, you can help your team win.'”

Thompson said the All-Star break helped ease his mind over the coaching staff’s plan.

“It was having a complete reset, a huge mental reset. It helped so much,” he said.

Thompson stated in an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick that his new role wouldn’t play into his decision during free agency this summer. Thompson, who is eligible for a four-year extension, remains open to a shorter-term deal, according to Andrews.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Suns had three late scratches on Thursday against Houston, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Bradley Beal missed his fifth straight game due to left hamstring injury management. Eric Gordon sat out with left groin soreness. They were listed as questionable on Wednesday. Nassir Little didn’t suit up due to left knee inflammation after not being on the initial injury report.
  • Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had a health scare when he was coaching Cleveland due to stress and poor eating and sleeping habits. He’s learned from that experience and has a much healthier diet and exercise plan, he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “I’ve been working out. Eating better. I still have my moments. [I’m] eating less. It’s been good,” Lue said. “(Strength and conditioning coach Daniel Shapiro) has done a good job of staying on me because I can stray away. I’m just doing 20 to 30 minutes per day … Now I’m about 208 [pounds]. Back [in Cleveland] I was 241. I can’t believe I got that big.”
  • LeBron James sparked the biggest fourth-quarter comeback of his career against the Clippers on Wednesday in the two teams’ final matchup as cohabitants of Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers rallied from 21 points down with the aid of three three-pointers early in the fourth from James, who finished with 34 points. “It’s just a zone, and you can’t really describe it,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “You wish you could stay in it forever, but obviously it checks out once the game ends. But during it, you don’t feel anything. It’s just like a superpower feel.

Central Notes: Stewart, Fontecchio, Bitim, White

Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart returned to action on Tuesday after serving a three-game NBA suspension for punching the Suns’ Drew Eubanks during a pre-game altercation. Stewart played 34 minutes and contributed 11 points and nine rebounds, along with providing a much-needed defensive presence. He’ll remain in the lineup going forward, coach Monty Williams said.

“We’re gonna run with these guys for a while and see if we get some synergy, especially on defense,” Williams told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

Stewart offered an apology for losing his temper, Sankofa relays (Twitter links). “I always want to represent the organization in great fashion,” he said. “I apologized to my teammates and coaches because it’s been a tough season and I don’t want to bring anything upon them. And I’m glad they had my back.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Forward Simone Fontecchio joined the NBA last season by signing with the Jazz. Fontecchio, 28, felt it was a now-or-never opportunity after starring in Europe. He was acquired by the Pistons at this month’s trade deadline. “It was a no-brainer to be honest. Once you see that train passing you, you just want to catch it,” Fontecchio told James Edwards III of The Athletic. “I just thought, ‘It’s a three-year deal. I’m going to do everything I can to make this work. If it doesn’t, I’ll just go back to Europe. It’s OK. I tried my best.’ I’ve been putting in a lot of work the last two years. I’m thankful to be in the position that I am now.” He’ll be a restricted free agent after the season.
  • Bulls rookie Onuralp Bitim got extended playing time against Cleveland on Wednesday with Alex Caruso sidelined and made a favorable impression. Bitim scored the first 10 points of his NBA career and added six rebounds in 27 minutes, including all 10 minutes in the double-overtime triumph. “I really can’t describe how I feel. But it’s not about my English, even my own language,” Bitim, a native of Turkey, told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I was dreaming of this moment for a really long time. And I was really trying to be ready and my teammates really helped me, my coaches. I knew the chance was going to come. You just never know when. You just have to be ready.” Bitim was promoted from a two-way deal to a multiyear standard contract on Sunday.
  • Coby White is having a breakout season, but the Bulls are concerned about their point guard burning himself out by putting in too much work, rather than pacing himself, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley. “You don’t want to lose that perspective, but there’s a point of how efficiently you can work with the time you have and developing the routine,” coach Billy Donovan said. “And we’ve talked to him a lot about it where, ‘Listen, coming in the gym and driving yourself into the ground is not always the solution or the answer.’ I would rather have a guy like Coby that’s willing to put the work in than a guy where you’re like, ‘Come on, let’s watch more film, let’s get in the gym.’ He’s never shied away from work. But I also think that when you’re coaching somebody, the routine has got to be theirs because there’s nothing worse for a player than to go into a game with the anxiety of, ‘I’m not prepared.’ Where is that balance? He’ll have to strike that for himself.”

New York Notes: Anunoby, DiVincenzo, Simmons, Graham

Forward OG Anunoby has been cleared to do some on-court work, but still isn’t doing any contact, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link) and other media members on Thursday.

Anunoby underwent elbow surgery earlier this month. At that time, he was ruled out for at least three weeks. He hasn’t suited up since Jan. 27.

Isaiah Hartenstein is returning to action against Golden State on Thursday evening after missing Tuesday’s game against New Orleans due to Achilles soreness. Jalen Brunson, who also sat out Tuesday due to neck spasms, will play tonight too, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.

We have more on the New York teams:

  • Donte DiVincenzo‘s impact on the Knicks’ offense during this injury-filled stretch can’t be overstated, Popper writes in a subscriber-only story for Newsday. DiVincenzo is averaging 22.2 points and 3.2 assists this month.
  • The Nets’ Ben Simmons is sitting out against the Hawks on Thursday due to left leg soreness, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. Simmons has appeared in eight games this month, averaging 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 18.8 minutes.
  • With the Nets losing assistant general manager Jeff Peterson, who is heading to the Hornets as their head of basketball operations, Pelicans assistant GM Bryson Graham could be a candidate to replace him, according to Net Income. Graham is currently working under GM Trajan Langdon, who was also a candidate for the Hornets job.

Marcus Morris Finalizes Buyout Agreement With Spurs

5:31pm: The Spurs have officially waived Morris, the team announced in a press release.


4:07pm: Marcus Morris and the Spurs have agreed to a buyout, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets.

Morris will hit the waiver wire before the Friday night deadline for free agents to be eligible for the postseason. He can now look for an opportunity to join a playoff contender.

Morris was dealt from Philadelphia to San Antonio at the trade deadline in a three-team swap involving the Sixers, Pacers and Spurs. It was expected he’d get a buyout from San Antonio, which sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Morris won’t be able to return to Philadelphia this season. He also can’t sign with the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Bucks and Suns since those teams have salaries above the first or second tax aprons.

Morris was on an expiring $17.1MM contract this season. That figure is well above the mid-level exception ($12.4MM), which makes teams above the tax aprons ineligible to sign him under the CBA rules.

A couple of weeks ago, former teammate Patrick Beverley (Twitter link) said Morris was leaning toward the Timberwolves if he was bought out.

Morris didn’t suit up for San Antonio. He appeared in 37 games with Philadelphia this season, including seven starts. The 34-year-old averaged 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes before the trade to San Antonio.

Morris started regularly for the Clippers the past three-plus seasons before being sent to the Sixers as part of the James Harden trade in November. He has averaged 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 820 career games. He’s a career 37.7% 3-point shooter, which should add to his appeal once he clears waivers.