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Los Angeles Notes: Russell, James, Westbrook, Harden

January 22nd, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If the Lakers make a major move before the trade deadline, D’Angelo Russell could be part of the package. He’s on a two-year contract that includes an $18.7MM player option.

Russell’s strong recent play shows that he’s not distracted by trade rumors, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. The veteran guard averaging 27.2 points on 55.9% shooting and 6.4 assists in his last five games since being reinserted into the starting lineup.

“You’ve got to be aggressive around these guys,” Russell said, referring to Anthony Davis and LeBron James. “You complement these guys by being aggressive – not passing to them. That’s easy to guard. You’re easy to guard when it’s like that. Just watching it and watching a lot of guys on the team make those decisions, when I came back, I was like ‘I’m going to be aggressive in those instances’ and I’ll see how it complements them. And it’s been complementing them so far.”

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

The Lakers and Clippers will square off on Tuesday but a key player won’t suit up. James has been ruled out by the Lakers due to left ankle soreness, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It will be James’ fifth missed game this season. The Lakers have a 2-2 record without him.
Clippers guard Russell Westbrook had a 23-point outing in the comeback victory against the Nets, his largest output since a 24-point game against the Lakers on Nov. 1. Westbrook essentially played center in a small-ball lineup on Sunday during the rally. “I’ve been emphasizing defensively for me, it’s huge this year,” Westbrook told Law Murray of The Athletic. “Guarding one through five, no matter what it is. Position, time, score, possession. Being help side. Rebounding, boxing out. All the small things that need to be done. I’ll do it. Whatever it takes to win basketball games. And tonight, my job was to guard the five and do a great job of being in coverage, reading defenses, communicating. And, you know, I did the best of my abilities to be able to close the game out.”
James Harden feels vindicated after forcing his way out of Philadelphia and demanding a trade to the Clippers. Many people were skeptical how Harden would fit in with the Clippers’ stars but the team has surged up the Western Conference standings. “Obviously it didn’t start off well,” said Harden, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “It gave people so much to talk about in a negative way and now those people that were talking are nowhere to be found. Like, literally nowhere to be found.”

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Williams, Prosper, Kuzma, Grant

January 22nd, 2024 at 9:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

So far, the Mavericks’ decision to re-sign Kyrie Irving is paying off, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. The Mavs currently rank sixth in the Western Conference standings and are considered a dangerous playoff matchup due to their dynamic backcourt.

“I feel like a lot of people misjudged me,” Irving told MacMahon. “Dallas gave me a chance to just focus on the main thing, which is being the best basketball player when I stepped foot here, and then off the court still support me.”

Irving has often come through in the clutch in close games this season, MacMahon notes. Irving feels an on-court connection to Luka Doncic.

“He’s a winner. I’m a winner,” Irving said. “He’s a big gamer. I’m a big gamer. We like going against the best. That’s where I feel like we connect.”

We have more on the Mavs:

Grant Williams doesn’t like talking about it, but injuries could be the cause of his inconsistent first season with the club, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. Acquired in a sign-and-trade with Boston, Williams lost his starting job after missing one game with a right knee bruise and two more with soreness in the same knee. He also missed a game early this month with a right ankle sprain. “You’ve got to stay disciplined, keep the work and keep being mindful of every little thing that’s going on. No matter the health, no matter what’s going on off the floor, you have to approach every single day like it could be your last,” Williams said. “No matter if I’m 100%, 60% or 50%, I’m gonna give this team all I have. If it’s 50, hopefully that 50 was valuable enough to help us get a win.”
First-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper could be the answer to the team’s defensive issues, Noah Weber of TheSmokingCuban.com argues. The team could use his rebounding and positional size, Weber writes, noting that Prosper is 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and solid frame. “I want to guard the best players in the world,” Prosper said. “This is just a stepping stone towards that. I believe I will be that [a defensive anchor] for the Mavs.” Prosper has appeared in 23 games but none since Jan. 5.
Breaking down the roster and the team’s assets, ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains in his video trade guide (Twitter link) why it’s unlikely the team can put together a package for a starting power forward like the Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma or the Trail Blazers’ Jerami Grant.

Grieving Warriors Return To Practice

January 22nd, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors returned to practice on Monday for the first time since the sudden and traumatizing death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews and other media members that the team was too devastated to play last week after Milojevic suffered a heart attack during a team dinner on Tuesday night. A majority of the players and staff members attended the dinner in Salt Lake City.

Subsequently, the league postponed two of the Warriors’ games. Last Wednesday’s contest in Utah and Friday’s matchup against Dallas will be rescheduled for later dates.

“It’s the saddest thing I have ever been a part of in the NBA,” Kerr said. “… The last five days have been full of the shock. The emotion, the extreme outpouring of love from all over the world.”

Counseling has been offered to the players and staff, particularly to those who witnessed the event.

The Warriors will return to action on Wednesday when they play a home game against the Hawks. The franchise is planning a tribute to Milojevic and will also honor him throughout the season.

“Wednesday will be unbelievably emotional,” Kerr said. “There is no handbook for this. We will honor Deki the best way we know on Wednesday night. We will be there to play a basketball game. We will find a way to mourn and grieve and play all in the same evening.”

Center Kevon Looney found it necessary to change his practice routine.

“There’s a whole different vibe to practice not having him here,” Looney said. “He was an integral part of our team, an integral part of my day-to-day routine. It’s definitely different.”

Atlantic Notes: Hartenstein, Poeltl, Martin, Maxey

January 22nd, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Center Isaiah Hartenstein could miss some time due to soreness in his left foot and ankle, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. The Knicks will see how he feels on Tuesday before determining his status for their matchup with the Nets. He’s listed as questionable due to Achilles tendinopathy.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa will need to step in if Hartenstein misses any time (Twitter link via Knicks Videos). Julius Randle or OG Anunoby could also get minutes at center if Thibodeau is willing to use smaller lineups.

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Raptors center Jakob Poeltl is progressing well in his recovery from an ankle injury, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Poeltl didn’t play against Memphis on Monday but the Raptors are hoping to have him back “very, very soon,” according to coach Darko Rajakovic. Poeltl hasn’t played since Jan. 7.
The Sixers have made swingman KJ Martin available on the trade market, Marc Stein reports in his latest notebook. Philadelphia is looking for a quality second-round pick in a potential deal. Martin has struggled for playing time on a veteran-laden team. He has appeared in 25 games this season but is only averaging 5.9 minutes in those outings. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
By starting 41 games this season, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has met the starter’s criteria, bumping his qualifying offer to $8,486,620, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. For a player at Maxey’s level, the increase of his QO isn’t significant, since he’s widely expected to receive a max contract from Philadelphia in lieu of exploring the restricted free agent market.

Southwest Notes: Jones, Pelicans, Thompson, Whitmore, Wemby

January 22nd, 2024 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite an impending salary crunch, the Pelicans are not open to trading defensive ace Herbert Jones, Marc Stein reports in his latest notebook. Jones signed a four-year extension during the offseason.

By dealing Kira Lewis Jr. as part of the three-team trade featuring Pascal Siakam, New Orleans moved under the luxury tax. However, the Pelicans still face long-term financial challenges with Trey Murphy III eligible for a rookie scale contract extension this summer and generally trying to retain all the key pieces on arguably the league’s deepest roster.

The Pelicans are one of two NBA franchises to never pay the luxury tax.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Pelicans’ starting unit has not fared well in the second half of games and coach Willie Green is open to making changes, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “We have enough data to know that it’s an issue, and we are working on it,” Green said. “Right now, we want to give them a chance to correct it. But we’re at the point where anything is on the table.”
With Fred VanVleet, Jeff Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason sitting out on Sunday, the Rockets started rookie first-rounders Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. In the last few weeks, both have earned more playing time due to their attention to detail and physical traits, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. They got a defensive education trying to guard Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis. “They did pretty well,” forward Dillon Brooks said. “Most of the time, they were on Porziņgis because (Boston) was trying to get the switch, but they played them well and physical enough. They should take that and bring it to every game.”
The first half of the Spurs’ season is over and The Athletic’s Mike Monroe takes a closer look at how Victor Wembanyama fared up to the midway point, noting that the rookie big man has produced despite being on a minutes restriction. Wembanyama has not played more than 27 minutes in his last 12 appearances after suffering minor ankle sprains, but has averaged 21.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game during that stretch.

Warriors’ Moody, Payton To Miss More Time With Injuries

January 22nd, 2024 at 3:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year Warriors wing Moses Moody has been cleared to resume “light individual on-court workouts” after missing the past 12 days with a grade 1 left calf strain, but he’ll be out for at least another week, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, Golden State announced (via Twitter).

Moody, 21, is averaging 8.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 18.0 MPG this season, with all of those figures representing career highs. The former 14th overall pick has appeared in 34 games in 2023/24, posting a .482/.358/.789 shooting line.

The Warriors also provided an injury update on veteran defensive ace Gary Payton II, who has been cleared for the same activities as Moody but will be sidelined for at least two more weeks. Payton sustained a grade 2 left hamstring strain on January 2 vs. Orlando.

Payton has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, including being limited to just 22 games in ’22/23. The 31-year-old was a key member of Golden State’s championship run in ’21/22.

Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid Named Players Of The Week

January 22nd, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns forward Kevin Durant and Sixers center Joel Embiid have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter).

A former NBA Most Valuable Player and two-time Finals MVP, Durant averaged 31.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.7 APG and 2.3 BPG on a staggering .600/.478/1.000 shooting line last week. Phoenix went 3-0 in that span and is currently 24-18, the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

Reigning MVP Embiid, meanwhile, won the East’s weekly award for the third time already in 2023/24 after his dominant play buoyed the Sixers to a 4-0 week. He put up 37.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG on .545/.357/.909 shooting in 34.4 MPG across those four victories. Philadelphia is currently 28-13, the No. 3 seed in the East.

Embiid is the only three-time Player of the Week winner so far this season. Jalen Brunson and De’Aaron Fox have each earned the award twice.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Paul George, James Harden, Jerami Grant and Nikola Jokic were the other nominees in the West, while Brunson, Jarrett Allen, Donovan Mitchell, and Dejounte Murray were nominated in the East.

Heat Exploring Kyle Lowry Trades

January 22nd, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Accomplished veteran Kyle Lowry is a natural trade candidate for the Heat due to his declining production and $29.7MM expiring contract. While he has been involved in countless rumors over the years, including the past year-plus with Miami, Lowry’s name hasn’t popped up in many reports during the 2023/24 season to this point.

However, Miami “continues” to discuss the 37-year-old point guard in potential trades, sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. That implies the Heat either restarted or perhaps never stopped exploring Lowry deals.

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) goes a step further, suggesting that Lowry’s time in Miami “appears to be” nearing its end. Winderman says a resolution to Lowry’s situation is “not only expected” by next month’s trade deadline, it could occur as early as this week.

Lowry started his first 35 games this season, but he was moved to the bench for Friday’s loss vs. Atlanta and that continued for Sunday’s defeat to Orlando. Miami has dropped three straight games and is currently the No. 6 seed in the East with a 24-19 record.

According to Winderman, Lowry was granted permission to travel away from the team after Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors in Toronto. Lowry played nine seasons with the Raptors, making six All-Star teams and helping Toronto win its first title in 2019. But he got caught in bad weather and was late returning to Miami on Friday, leaving his status against the Hawks uncertain — and opening the door for a lineup change. Head coach Erik Spoelstra started Caleb Martin in Lowry’s place.

“We are not where we want to be,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “That’s not an indictment on one player. Kyle has been great as a starter and really impactful last year off the bench. So this really isn’t about him. This is about us trying to get to a higher level on both ends of the court, but also offensively. Combinations do matter, rotations do matter, lineups that bring out the best in each other do matter. And I’m still in the process of trying to help the team figure that out.”

Lowry’s overall numbers are solid, if unspectacular. He has averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.1 SPG on .426/.385/.833 shooting in 28.0 MPG through 37 games, but his usage rate is a career low 13.3% and his counting stats have all dropped considerably, Chiang notes. Lowry is 0-for-17 from three-point range over the past five games, averaging just 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 3.6 APG in 25.7 MPG over that span.

For his part, Lowry didn’t exactly sound thrilled with the demotion, but said he was trying to make the best of it.

“For me as a professional, of course I’m disappointed to have to adjust,” Lowry said after going 1-for-9 in 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday. “But I haven’t played well in the last couple weeks and I understand that coach has made a decision to try to move and shake some things and get in a different flow. So as a professional, of course it’s an adjustment. But I have to make it and figure out how to help the team win.”

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes (via Twitter), the big question is whether the Heat will be willing to take on a multiyear contract in exchange for Lowry’s expiring deal. Doing so would likely put them deep into luxury tax territory in the coming years, which would hurt their roster flexibility due to restrictions from the second tax apron. Still, the Heat could make future trades to shed salary in that scenario, Jackson notes.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Brown, Pritchard, Horford, G. Williams

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

With the Rockets focused on shutting down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics relied on Kristaps Porzingis in Sunday’s win at Houston, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Providing an option that Boston has lacked in recent seasons, the 7’3″ Porzingis was able to easily shoot over Houston’s smaller defenders on a 32-point night.

“Each night it could be a different guy that has a good game,” Porzingis said. “And we have the trust in each other that we’re willing to sacrifice, ‘let’s get this guy the ball, he’s having a good night.’ And tonight it was my night. Got a couple passes from (Brown) late and took advantage of the mismatch.”

Porzingis also sank a season-high six three-pointers as he tormented the Rockets from both inside and outside. With Porzingis dominating the scoring, Brown became a distributor, registering a triple double and reaching 10 assists for the first time in almost two years.

“He’s becoming a better play-maker, he’s becoming a better guy at understanding the flow of the game,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “There were a couple of plays that were a direct learning experience from the (Denver) game with the reads and them trying to change matchups. I thought Jaylen did a good job of playing with poise, using his speed to generate a cross-match, finding it and making the right play. He continues to get better and better.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Rockets coach Ime Udoka noted the development of Payton Pritchard, whose playing time was limited during the season Udoka coached in Boston, Washburn states in a separate story. Udoka gave more minutes to veteran guard Dennis Schröder before he was traded at midseason. “The year I was there [Pritchard] wasn’t happy, and was visibly unhappy at times,” Udoka recalled. “You understand what we had with the guys that were playing in front of him. Obviously Dennis was playing at a high level, but once the trade happened what I told him was to stay patient and be ready at all times, which I knew he was going to be. He came and talked to me about it two or three times to convey that message. But he was ready when it counted.”
Al Horford sat out Sunday’s game and will be active for tonight’s contest at Dallas, Washburn adds. The Celtics continue to be careful with the 37-year-old big man, who hasn’t played in a back-to-back since returning to Boston in 2021. “Mostly it’s just what’s best for the team,” Mazzulla explained about the decision process on when to play Horford. “He’s very open. Whatever he has to do for the team, he’ll do. Just an ongoing discussion about what the matchups are, what we think is best for him and the team.”
Brown joked that he expects former teammate Grant Williams to have “an annoying game” when the Mavericks host the Celtics tonight, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Williams was a vocal presence during his four seasons in Boston before being shipped to Dallas in a sign-and-trade deal last summer.

Raptors Notes: Brown, Rebuilding, Barrett, Quickley, Boucher

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown‘s life has been a whirlwind over the past week and it might not slow down for a while, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. After picking up his championship ring January 14 in Denver, Brown arrived at Pacers’ practice on Wednesday and learned he had been traded to Toronto. He took his physical a day later and played that night. On Friday, he was on a plane with his new teammates for Saturday’s game in New York.

Brown may be on the move again, as he’s still a popular trade target ahead of the February 8 deadline. He told Grange that he expected to remain with Indiana all season, but he knew the contract he signed last summer, which includes a $23MM team option for 2024/25, made him a candidate to be dealt.

“Did I think I was gonna be [in Indiana] the whole year? Yes,” Brown said. “But obviously, the second year is a team option. But signing the deal I knew it was going to be maybe I stay, maybe they get off the deal. I knew at some point, something would happen. But when the season started I knew something would happen just because of how good [the Pacers] were doing and how they’re trying to maximize [Tyrese Haliburton’s] time there. I was told they weren’t trying to move me, but I was a big part of the deal [for Pascal Siakam], so …”

There’s more from Toronto:

The Raptors will need to be patient after trading Siakam for what amounts to future assets, observes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. While Brown has immediate value, there’s no guarantee he’ll be with the organization past the deadline. Jordan Nwora and Kira Lewis provide bench depth, but they’re both young and will need consistent minutes to develop into reliable players. Murphy adds that while the organization isn’t embarking on a traditional rebuilding process, the 2025/26 season is probably the earliest that it will be playoff relevant again.
RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and OG Anunoby all seem to be in better spots in the wake of last month’s trade with the Knicks, observes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. After the teams met Saturday in New York, Koreen noted that Anunoby’s three-and-D skills fit best on a contender, while Barrett and Quickley can take on a larger role in the offense without having to accommodate Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Toronto is exploring trades involving Chris Boucher, who is the last player remaining from the 2019 title team, Murphy said on “The Raptors Show” pocdast (Twitter link from Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports).