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Cavaliers Sign Sharife Cooper To 10-Day Deal

February 26th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have signed free agent Sharife Cooper to a 10-day contract, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log (hat tip to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Cooper, 22, was the 48th overall pick of the 2021 draft after spending one season at Auburn. He spent his rookie season — 2021/22 — on a two-way deal with Atlanta, making 13 brief NBA appearances for 39 total minutes.

A 6’0″ point guard, Cooper signed a two-way deal in the summer of 2022 to return to the Hawks, but they released him a few days later. Prior to each of the past two seasons, Cooper has signed Exhibit 10 training camp deals with the Cavs and then was waived to receive a bonus for playing for the Cleveland Charge, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

In 34 games with the Charge in 2023/24, Cooper has averaged 18.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, 4.0 RPG and 1.6 SPG on .448/.313/.809 shooting in 32.4 MPG. He averaged 22.8 PPG, 7.0 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .453/.356/.841 shooting in 43 games at the NBAGL level last season (33.7 MPG).

Since the Cavs have an open spot on their standard roster, they didn’t have to waive anyone to sign Cooper. As a one-year veteran, he will earn $103,550 over the course of his 10-day contract.

LeBron James Reportedly Seeking Nine-Figure Deal With Lakers

February 26th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James is hoping to negotiate a new contract with the Lakers this summer that will pay him “nine figures” over the next three years, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on a recent edition of First Take (video link).

“I don’t think this is LeBron’s last stand, I don’t think this is the Lakers’ last stand,” Windhorst said. “First off, I think LeBron is angling to sign a multiyear deal in the offseason with the Lakers that will be nine figures. That will be even bigger than the deal he is on now. Now, whether or not he’s able to finish that deal, whether or not the Lakers want to give him a three-year contract and pay him $60 million when he’s 42 years old, that’s a different discussion.”

James, who turned 39 in December, is earning $47.6MM this season and faces a decision on a $51.4MM player option for next year. He could come back to the Lakers for that amount, opt to test free agency or pursue a long-term deal that might keep him in L.A. through the end of his career. Windhorst believes that’s his preference if Lakers management is willing to cooperate.

James continues to perform at a remarkable level for someone his age, averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists through 51 games in his 21st NBA season. He appeared in his 20th consecutive All-Star Game earlier this month.

James has said in the past that he would like to team up with his son, Bronny, who’s currently a freshman at USC, although there has been speculation that LeBron has softened that stance and would be happy if they’re both in the NBA at the same time. Regardless, the younger James’ draft status will be a story to watch this summer with his father approaching a decision on free agency.

LeBron has also expressed a desire to keep contending for championships in the latter part of his career. Although the Lakers didn’t make any significant moves at the trade deadline, they’re expected to be more aggressive about upgrading the roster this summer when general manager Rob Pelinka will have three future first-round picks to trade.

Clippers Rebranding For Next Season

February 26th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers will have a new look when they move into the Inuit Dome next season, the team announced Monday morning (via Twitter). The franchise unveiled a new logo and uniforms, along with a redesigned court that will help establish a fresh identity after 40 years in Los Angeles.

The rebranding comes after outside consultants were hired to conduct fan surveys, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN. Team officials considered everything, including a possible name change, but that didn’t poll well, with sources describing the reaction to Lowe as “outright hostility.”

“The focus groups are advisory, not definitive,” owner Steve Ballmer said. “But I still listen to them, and I have heard, partially to my surprise, that there is no interest in a name change. I had thought about [the name] years ago, before I got the team, but we heard similar reactions back then.”

The Clippers will replace their current logo, which has been described as bland, with a large “C” that has a ship inside it, a nod to the clipper ships of San Diego that inspired the team’s name when it moved to that city in 1978. The global version of the logo contains the words “Los Angeles Clippers” surrounding the ship in a circle.

The court display released by the team features the logo in the center with “Inuit Dome” printed in blue on both sides of it. The N in “Angeles” extends through the center court stripe to create a compass effect. The painted area is dark blue, with red semicircles above the foul line, and longitude and latitude coordinates for the new building are listed along the sidelines. Other home court designs will be released later, sources tell Lowe.

The Clippers also unveiled white and blue versions of their new uniforms, which feature the logo on the shorts and a new font for the team name. A red statement edition has “Los Angeles” on the front and “Clips” on the waistband of the shorts. Three nautical flags line the sides of the red jersey.

The team won’t have a black version of its jersey next season, with Gillian Zucker, president of business operations for the Clippers and Intuit Dome, telling Lowe, “We kept hearing from people that black was overdone.”

The Clippers are also excited about their new secondary logos, one of which is a version of “LA” with a smaller A perched on the bottom line of a larger L.

“It will make for a phenomenal hat,” Zucker said. “In 20 years, people will look back and this will be iconic for the Clippers.”

Grizzlies Sign Matthew Hurt To Second 10-Day Deal

February 26th, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Matthew Hurt will return to the Grizzlies on a second 10-day contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 23-year-old power forward signed his first 10-day contract with Memphis in late January via the hardship exception. He appeared in three games, averaging 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.7 minutes per night.

Although the Grizzlies didn’t specify, this appears to be another hardship signing, as Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke remain out of action with long-term injuries. Memphis currently has a full roster, and the team released Jacob Gilyard over the weekend rather than converting his two-way contract to a standard deal because it didn’t want to open a roster spot.

Hurt has spent most of the season with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, where he’s putting up 21.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He was in training camp with the Grizzlies last fall, but was waived before the start of the season. He has been with the Hustle since going undrafted out of Duke in 2021.

Sixers Notes: Rivers, Beverley, Melton, Harris

February 26th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Even though he wasn’t able to deliver the championship that Philadelphia fans want, Doc Rivers has fond memories of his time with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Rivers reflected on his three years with the team after his Bucks posted a convincing win in his return to the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon.

“It was awesome,” Rivers said. “I mean like, really. I had three really good years here. And I’m not talking about basketball. I’m talking about life. I enjoyed my stay here. I have made friends for life here. … The fans were good. A couple of hilarious comments. I will say that.”

Management decided a coaching change was necessary last spring after the Sixers were ousted by Boston in the second round, marking the third straight year the team lost in the conference semifinals. Rivers talked about that loss, asking reporters how many of them had picked Philadelphia to win and stating that Game 6 was the team’s best chance to close out the series. He also looked back on Joel Embiid‘s development into the league MVP and the chaos surrounding Ben Simmons and James Harden.

“So [there was] a lot of stuff going on,” Rivers said. “Some of it was out of my control. But overall, for me, if you don’t win a title, you’re never exactly happy. That’s why we all do this. … But I loved it here.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Also returning was Patrick Beverley, who spent the first part of the season in Philadelphia before being shipped to Milwaukee at the deadline, Pompey states in a separate story. Beverley has taken some shots at his former team on his podcast, but he was conciliatory on Sunday, saying he was “excited” to be back and he understands the reasons for the trade. “I was probably playing some of the best basketball I’ve played in my career,” he said. “So at the end of the day, that’s a business. You get a 35-year-old on a minimum. You can get a younger guy and a second-round pick for him. You can say, that’s a hell of a deal. I understand the business part of it. But wasn’t shocked. Not in this league, definitely wasn’t shocked. I’m just happy they sent me here instead of Washington, D.C., or something.”
De’Anthony Melton returned from a spine issue on Friday that sidelined him for most of the past two months, notes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Combined with the recent addition of Kyle Lowry, the Sixers have plenty of options in the backcourt, and coach Nick Nurse has started experimenting with three-guard lineups.
The Sixers need more production from Tobias Harris for the offense to be effective, especially while Embiid is sidelined with a meniscus injury, observes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

Heat Notes: Butler, Bryant, Rozier, Herro

February 25th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was disappointed with the league’s decision to suspend Jimmy Butler one game for the altercation between his club and the Pelicans on Friday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Nikola Jovic was also assessed a one-game suspension and Thomas Bryant received a three-game penalty. The Heat will be in action on Monday in Sacramento, so Bryant, Butler, and Jovic will miss that game. Bryant will also si out the team’s contests in Portland on Tuesday and Denver on Thursday.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Spoelstra said. “You know, at this point, it doesn’t really matter. They’ve made their decision on that. It felt like Jimmy shouldn’t have gotten a game on that. It’s really just kind of a tangling and a little bit of pushing. I don’t think that deserves another game because he ended up having to miss the fourth quarter. But it is what it is.”

Butler expected to receive some sort of suspension.

“It doesn’t surprise me, man. It doesn’t,” he said. “I’m basically still on All-Star break.”

We have more on the Heat:

Bryant had a confrontation with Jose Alvarado after leaving the bench but wasn’t planning on getting involved in any fisticuffs. “From my point of view, I was coming in to be a peacemaker,” Bryant said, per Chiang. “I didn’t want any of my teammates to get hurt, I certainly didn’t want to get hurt at all. It just didn’t work out in the favor that I wanted.”
In the same story, Chiang reports that Terry Rozier could return on Monday after missing three games with a right knee strain. Rozier is listed as questionable. “He’s on the road trip for a reason,” Spoelstra said. “He’s working toward getting back. When that day will be, I don’t know yet. But he’s definitely making progress. His body will let us know.”
Tyler Herro will get an MRI after suffering a hyperextended left knee against the Pelicans. He’s also listed as questionable to play Monday and is optimistic that he won’t miss time, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “It’s feeling good,” Herro said. “I’m going to get an MRI just for peace of mind, to make sure everything is good.”

Lakers Notes: Castleton, James, Davis, Schedule

February 25th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers two-way center Colin Castleton has been diagnosed with a right wrist fracture, the team announced on Sunday. He will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin relays (Twitter link).

Castleton, who has made seven cameo appearances in the NBA this season, signed his two-way deal in July after going undrafted out of Florida. He has spent most of the season with the G League South Bay Lakers.

We have more on the Lakers:

The Lakers lost to Phoenix 123-113 on Sunday after falling behind 45-27 in the first quarter. LeBron James lamented the early defensive lapses, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “Super slow start for us, offensively and defensively,” James said. “You give a team 45 points in a quarter, that’s always going to be a problem. Especially if you aren’t scoring 45 as well.”
Another issue for the Lakers on Sunday, Price writes, was rebounding. Suns center Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 22 rebounds, including seven at the offensive end. “He’s a big body. That’s his role on the team: go out and rebound, get them extra possessions. They did a good job with it,” Anthony Davis said.
Sunday’s contest began a stretch in which the Lakers face eight Western Conference contenders in a 10-game span. Coach Darvin Ham stresses the fundamentals in these showdowns, Price writes in a separate story. “We’ve got a bunch of weapons, but they’re useless if we don’t do the little things – sprinting hard when we get the ball in transition, not turning it over, maintaining spacing, making sure we get hits on screens to create an advantage and making the simple, easy play,” he said. “To put it in detail, that’s what I’m talking about.”
James’ gimpy ankle has held up so far since the All-Star break. He arrived late for All-Star weekend to get treatment and received more work on the ankle before the club returned to action. “It wasn’t something that we just came up with out of the blue,” James told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times and other media members. “We had already clocked this months ago, knowing the schedule.”

Central Notes: Cunningham, Middleton, Rivers, Williams

February 25th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cade Cunningham knows he won’t get more individual accolades until the Pistons turn things around, he told James Edwards III of The Athletic. Cunningham has put up solid stats after missing most of last season due to a shin injury but Detroit has won just eight games.

“With how the league is, we reward winning,” Cunningham said. “People are going to say everything I’m doing is empty and meaningless until I win games. That’s what I plan on doing.”

Cunningham is eligible to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason. He’s averaging 22.2 points and 7.4 assists per game, and it would be a surprise if Detroit doesn’t make a max offer to the 2021 No. 1 pick.

“I don’t do the comparison thing as far as me to these other players. I know that I’m that level of being an All-Star, but I haven’t won enough games. I respect that,” Cunningham said. “I know that once I do that, all the other stuff will come with it.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Khris Middleton didn’t play in the Bucks’ 21-point victory over Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon but it shouldn’t be long before he returns to the lineup, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. The veteran wing hasn’t played since the All-Star break due to a left ankle sprain. “He’s getting closer. I don’t know if I’m going to say close enough that we could think next game, but he’s getting a lot closer. He’s feeling a lot better,” coach Doc Rivers said.
Speaking of Rivers, Jamal Collier of ESPN details the coach’s first month since replacing Adrian Griffin as the Bucks‘ head coach. Rivers revealed that he said in a phone conversation with his brother that he felt “full” again after returning from his broadcasting job to the sidelines. “I missed it more than I thought,” Rivers said. “I thought I may not do this again. If the right job [didn’t come up] I wasn’t doing it. … Then the first day … man, I felt like I was at home again. I didn’t know that. I just felt normal. Good. I felt full. You’ve got to be full when you’re working and I felt full.”
Patrick Williams‘ future is cloudy after word broke that he’ll need season-ending foot surgery. The Bulls forward will be a restricted free agent this offseason unless the front office doesn’t give him a $12.97MM qualifying offer. Williams told The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry he’s not overly concerned about what the offseason will bring. “I know what I showed when I was healthy this season,” he said. “I think I know who I am as a player and what I’m capable of as a player. So, ‘nervous’ isn’t the word. I’m kind of excited to see what happens. And just ready to get back to playing.”

Southwest Notes: Champagnie, Wesley, Thompson, Mavs, Jackson Jr.

February 25th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julian Champagnie knows that defense and rebounding must be his calling card to remain a rotation player in the league for years to come. The Spurs forward has started 35 of 50 games this season despite modest averages of 5.9 points and 4.8 shot attempts in 16.7 minutes per game.

“Whether I have five (points) or 15 or 20 or six, I think it’s just make sure I’m not a negative defender on the court,” he told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

Point guard Blake Wesley, a 2022 first-round selection, has received steady playing time the last two months and wants to keep it that way. He’s cut his turnovers dramatically in his second season, committing only 29 in 36 games.

“I want to stay consistent and build on each and every game,” Wesley said. “Play hard and stay in the rotation. That’s my main goal.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Amen Thompson, the fourth pick of last year’s draft, has seen his role expand this month, including crunch-time minutes, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes. Thompson is averaging 13.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.6 minutes per game across nine February outings. He played 20 second-half minutes in a four-point win over Phoenix on Friday. “He’s growing on a nightly basis,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “He gives us some versatility.”
The Mavericks began a tough four-game road trip on Sunday but coach Jason Kidd has plenty of depth now, due to the addition of big man Daniel Gafford and the imminent return of Dante Exum from injury. Kidd said his rotation could include 10 or 11 players for the time being. “We’ve got to be playing our best basketball going into April,” Kidd told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “That’s the goal.”
Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s offensive role has grown due to the heavy toll injuries have taken on his Grizzlies teammates. He’s also had to adjust to playing center often, rather than power forward. “JJ’s handled all these recent growth opportunities beautifully,” coach Taylor Jenkins told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “We’ve thrown a lot of things at him purposely, the nature of where the roster is at.” Jackson is averaging 25.4 points and 20.7 shot attempts, along with 3.6 assists, per game this month.

Community Shootaround: Western Conference Playoff Race

February 25th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Celtics have built an eight-game lead over the No. 2 seed in the East, no such separation exists over in the Western Conference, where the top four seeds are all within four games.

Entering play on Sunday, the Timberwolves (40-17) narrowly hold the conference’s top spot over the Thunder (39-17), with the Clippers (37-18) and Nuggets (38-19) in tight pursuit.

It’s an unlikely top two. Minnesota has made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but needed a play-in victory both times and didn’t make it out of the first round in either 2022 or 2023. After finishing with a 42-40 record last season, the Wolves are poised to blow by that win total with several weeks to go in 2023/24. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, hasn’t finished above .500 or made the playoffs since 2020, but the addition of Chet Holmgren to a rapidly improving core has helped accelerate the team’s rise up the standings.

Both the Wolves and Thunder lack postseason experience compared to the Clippers, whose three stars – James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard – have appeared in a combined 405 playoff games, and the Nuggets, who are coming off a championship run a year ago. While neither of those clubs holds a top-two seed for the time being, both Los Angeles and Denver look like legitimate contenders to come out of the West.

A few games back of the top four seeds, another quartet of Western teams is separated by a single game from Nos. 5-8. The Pelicans (34-23) currently top that group, followed by the Mavericks (33-23), Kings (32-23), and Suns (33-24).

New Orleans has no shortage of depth or star power – led by forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram – but is another young team that lacks postseason experience, having made the playoffs just once in the past five seasons. Sacramento is in a similar boat — Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and the Kings snapped a lengthy postseason drought last season, but didn’t make it out of the first round.

The stars in Dallas and Phoenix are a little more playoff-tested. While he hasn’t won a title like teammate Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic has already appeared in 28 total postseason games and won a pair of playoff series in 2022. For the Suns, Kevin Durant is at two-time NBA Finals MVP, while Devin Booker came within two victories of a title in 2021. Even Bradley Beal compiled 45 playoff appearances during his time in D.C.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that those eight teams will be the ones that ultimately make the playoffs out West. A pair of title hopefuls are lurking further down in play-in territory, with the Lakers (31-27) and Warriors (29-26) filling out the top 10 in the West.

While both clubs won playoff series last spring – with the Lakers advancing to the Western Finals – neither has looked as dangerous so far this season. But Golden State is certainly heading in the right direction as of late, having won eight of nine games over the past three weeks as head coach Steve Kerr finally found a series of lineup combinations he liked. And Los Angeles can’t be entirely ruled out as a contender as long as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy and available.

BetOnline.ag views the Western race as relatively wide open. The Nuggets and Clippers (+240 each) are considered the favorites, but the Thunder (+650), Suns (+750), and Timberwolves (+800) aren’t far back in the betting odds, with the Mavs (+1200) and Warriors (+1400) lurking as well.

We want to know what you think. Which eight teams will ultimately make the playoffs in the West? Which club will claim the top seed? How many teams have a legitimate chance to come out of the conference, and which one would you pick if you had to choose a Western winner today?

Head to the comment section below to share your two cents!