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Northwest Notes: MPJ, Nuggets, Watson, Thunder, Reath

January 7th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in his first 16 minutes of action on Friday to help the Nuggets build an 18-point lead, Michael Porter Jr. attempted just three more field goals in his final 15 minutes as Denver’s lead slipped away and Orlando pulled out a 122-120 victory.

Asked after the game about his recent trend of disappearing from the Nuggets’ offense after getting off to hot starts, Porter suggested it’s an issue that affects the team more broadly rather than applying specifically to him, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“I think it’s something we’re collectively still trying to master. Like, continuing to find guys’ shots throughout the midst of the game,” Porter said. “Because sometimes we play different in the first quarter than we do in the fourth quarter. … And that’s a lot of teams. But Aaron (Gordon) for example: He got most of his shots probably in the first quarter. Didn’t really touch the ball in the third quarter or the fourth quarter much.

“.. It’s a tough balance. When you’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable, sometimes you go a long stretch without really touching the ball. So for me, I kind of realize if I’m gonna get some shot attempts up, it’s gonna have to come in the flow of the game, and I’m gonna have to really, at times, be aggressive and things like that.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Heading into Friday’s game, the Nuggets had the NBA’s eighth-best defensive rating, compared to the No. 25 ranking at the same time a year ago. In another story for The Denver Post, Durando explores why the team has been significantly better on that end of the court in the first half of this season, singling out second-year wing Peyton Watson as a key difference-maker. Watson wasn’t part of the rotation last season, but his 109.6 defensive rating this season is the best mark among Denver’s regulars.
Even without making any moves on the trade market, the Thunder – who rank fourth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating – already look like a legitimate contender, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who argues that the club certainly has the assets to make a deal but should be in no rush to do so before the “missing ingredient” on the roster becomes more apparent.
The Trail Blazers, who now have two openings on their 15-man roster, are a virtual lock to promote big man Duop Reath from his two-way deal to a standard contract sooner or later, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. However, it’s unclear whether that move is in Portland’s short-term plans or if it will happen sometime after the trade deadline. The Blazers will have to make at least one roster addition by January 20, but that could just be a 10-day signing.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Randle, Quickley, Bridges

January 7th, 2024 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Since last weekend’s trade of OG Anunoby, multiple reporters have stated that their league sources expect the Raptors to also move Pascal Siakam ahead of next month’s deadline. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca has heard similar rumblings, but one of his sources warned him to not “be so sure.” That source suggested that while some closure on the situation is expected, it may not come in the form of a trade.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered an extension,” the source told Lewenberg.

Still, a trade is widely considered the more likely outcome for Siakam, prompting Lewenberg and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca to take another look at the 29-year-old’s potential market. Within his story, Lewenberg adds the Grizzlies to the list of teams that have shown some level of interest in the two-time All-Star.

Grange, meanwhile, explores the Kings and Warriors as possible trade partners in a Siakam deal, but says Sacramento – in addition to being unwilling to part with Keegan Murray – doesn’t seem enthusiastic about offering Siakam a maximum-salary contact to retain him beyond this season. With both of those factors in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Kings’ pursuit of the star forward has reportedly stalled.

As for Golden State, Grange hears from multiple sources that the Dubs aren’t inclined to trade Jonathan Kuminga, since he’s viewed as a potential star who can help the team win in both the present and the future.

A report this week indicated that Kuminga had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, but the two men reportedly had a good conversation in the wake of that story, and the former lottery pick played a season-high 36 minutes on Friday. If Kuminga isn’t on the table, the Raptors may not have much interest in making a Siakam deal with the Warriors.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After a slow start to the season, Julius Randle has played his way into the All-Star conversation, which could be a financial boon for the Knicks forward. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Randle will earn a bonus of almost $1.3MM if he’s named an All-Star. However, the 29-year-old said he’s not thinking about that at all and doesn’t know exactly how much that bonus is worth. “I knew I got a bonus, something north of a million. But you think I’m focusing on that? I’m making pretty good money,” said Randle, whose base salary this season is approximately $25.7MM.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is happy that his good friend Immanuel Quickley was traded from the Knicks to the Raptors, who will give his former Kentucky teammate “a little bit more of an opportunity,” as he tells Bondy of The New York Post. “He did a good job with the Knicks. But we know that’s Julius’ team, that’s (Jalen) Brunson’s team,” Maxey said. “This gives him opportunities to spread his wings, kind of fly a little bit. I think he’s done a great job so far.”
Is Mikal Bridges‘ recent drop in production merely a slump, or is the increased attention that comes with being the focal point of the Nets‘ offense – as well as a long summer with Team USA – affecting him? Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post explores that question, with input from head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Celtics Notes: Trade Exception, Roster, Queta, Brissett

January 7th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Jay King of The Athletic and other reporters this week, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens suggested that the team’s trade options at this season’s deadline will be limited, since Boston only has six players earning north of $5MM this season and all of them are starters or key rotation pieces.

As a result, the Celtics’ $6.2MM traded player exception is “really the No. 1 tool” the club has at its disposal as it explores the trade market, according to Stevens, who cautions that the exception is “not big.”

“It’s a small number of people (who would fit into the exception),” Stevens said, per King. “A lot of the people that are in that (salary tier) were signed to minimums or smaller contracts, or are on their rookie scale deals that teams aren’t exactly excited to move on from yet. So it’s a very small group of people, but we’re going to exhaust it, we’re going to look at it.”

Players whose salaries don’t fit into that trade exception may not be realistic trade targets for the Celtics.

For instance, in the latest episode of his No Cap Room podcast (Twitter video link), Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports mentions Raptors big man Chris Boucher as a player Boston has liked for a while. But without giving up one of their top six players, the Celtics would have to send out at least five smaller salaries for matching purposes in a deal for Boucher and his $11.75MM salary, which likely isn’t viable.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

While Stevens didn’t rule out the possibility of acquiring another big man, he said he’s been happy with what the Celtics have gotten from their frontcourt players and would be more inclined to add one more big wing who could crack the rotation or simply provide depth, according to King. “And I think that could be from within,” Stevens said, “and I also think that we’ll continue to monitor free agency and trades.”
If the Celtics do add another frontcourt player, they’d want someone who would happy to accept a very limited role, according to Stevens: “What you look at is guys that can play, guys that can add value but, like I said last year, don’t need to play. They are over themselves, and I think that that’s important. That’s what we have right now, and we’ve gotten obviously good play out of … great play out of Kristaps (Porzingis), I think Al (Horford)‘s been good. I think Luke (Kornet) and (Neemias Queta), when called upon, have both added great value.”
Queta, who is on a two-way contract, has been a pleasant surprise off the bench and could be a candidate later in the season to get a promotion to the standard roster. However, he’s still eligible to play in 37 more games as a two-way player, and it doesn’t sound like the Celtics are in any rush to fill their final 15-man roster spot by converting his contract, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “We have discussions every day about how we’re going to move forward with those other spots on our roster,” Stevens said. “We have one open spot right now. You have to carry 14. I think it’s helpful to go into a trade deadline or whatever with a little bit of flexibility from a roster standpoint.”
Fifth-year wing Oshae Brissett hasn’t played a significant role off the bench for the Celtics this season, but he has gotten more opportunities as of late, including 20 minutes of action in Saturday’s victory over Indiana. Brissett had eight points and eight rebounds against his former team, notes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I was extremely happy for him, just building off of what he did (Friday) night at Utah,” Jayson Tatum said. “I know (the win over the Jazz) was a blowout, but I can only imagine a team trading you and you get to come back and you want to play good against them, you want to beat them. He was a big part of that success we had in the fourth quarter, just creating second and third chance opportunities. That was big for us.”

Pacific Notes: Siakam, Huerter, Mitchell, Clippers, Russell

January 6th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pascal Siakam was still with the Raptors for Friday’s game at Sacramento, and he said he didn’t follow a busy day on the rumor mill regarding him and the Kings, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Kings were “ramping up” their pursuit of Siakam, but he followed up that later in the day by saying trade talks between Toronto and Sacramento are on hold.

“I don’t really pay attention to anything,” Siakam said after the game. “I have people who work on that stuff. I play basketball. I’m a basketball player and that’s all I try to focus on.”

Siakam will be a popular name on the trade market leading up to the February 8 deadline. Numerous teams have already been in touch with the Raptors about the two-time All-Star, who has a $37.9MM expiring contract. Siakam complimented what general manager Monte McNair has been able to do with the Kings, but repeated that he’s focusing on how he can help Toronto rather than listening to trade rumors.

“I’m here. I don’t really think about that,” Siakam said. “I try to take it day by day, to be honest. I can’t control a lot of things, so I just continue to play basketball and come in every day and get better.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Sources have confirmed to James Ham of Kings Beat (subscription required) that the Kings have made calls around the league to gauge the trade value of Kevin Huerter and Davion Mitchell. Jake Fischer reported Friday that both players, along with Harrison Barnes, could be on the move before the deadline.
The Clippers are crediting continuity for their recent success, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. has seen several seasons short circuited by injuries, and Greif notes that the current starting five reached a milestone Friday with 265 minutes together, which marks the most of any Clippers lineup since the team acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019. “As a guy who’s been here that whole time and been a starter the whole time, it’s been very frustrating,” Ivica Zubac said. “I thought a lot about my love for the basketball in those four years and I can really tell you, I can say I like this game a lot because I was tested a lot. … It just shows when we’re healthy, we’re a great team.”
The Clippers and Lakers are rapidly heading in opposite directions as they prepare for Sunday’s showdown, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been upgraded to questionable and could return after missing the last three games with a bruised tailbone, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Jones, Osman, Wesley

January 6th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs fell just short on Thursday in a hard-fought battle with Milwaukee, dropping a 125-121 decision to the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed, but it was another big night for Victor Wembanyama. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News details, the rookie big man racked up 27 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in just 26 minutes of action, earning praise from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for his performance — and his potential.

“Everything that he dreams of, it’s going to happen for him,” Antetokounmpo said, adding that he’s “never seen anything like” Wembanyama.

Antetokounmpo also suggested that Wembanyama, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Thursday, is ahead of where Giannis was at similar points in their respective careers, telling reporters that the Spurs youngster is having a “Rookie of the Year season.” However, it was Chet Holmgren who earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for a second consecutive time earlier this week, which Wembanyama says he’ll use as motivation.

“Of course, of course,” Wembanyama said (Twitter video link via Hector Ledesma of Clutch Points). “I’m dedicated and I know at the end of the day I’m going to get what I deserve, and every game is a statement from now on.”

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Wembanyama remains on a minutes restriction for now, which head coach Gregg Popovich has said won’t be lifted until the big man’s ankle gets reevaluated. According to Popovich, that exam is “coming soon,” per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “It’s within the next week or two, I believe,” Popovich said on Thursday. “But I don’t know the exact date.”
With Malaki Branham out on Thursday due to a right ankle sprain, the Spurs moved point guard Tre Jones into the starting lineup for the first time this season. The move worked well, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, who notes that the ball flowed nicely on offense and San Antonio’s second unit held its own without Jones. Asked why San Antonio hasn’t been starting Jones all season, McDonald explained (via Twitter) that the team already knows what it has in the fourth-year veteran and has been more interested in learning what players like Branham and Jeremy Sochan can and can’t handle when tasked with the job.
Forward Cedi Osman, who has seen his role and his production fluctuate in his first season as a Spur, told Orsborn (Twitter link) on Thursday after scoring 19 total points in his previous seven appearances that he’s still working to understand “what the coaches are asking from me” from game to game. Osman expressed confidence that things “will be better” for him and followed up those comments with a nice showing on Thursday — he scored 13 points to go along with five assists and three steals vs. Milwaukee.
After not playing more than 12 minutes in any of the Spurs’ first 31 games, Blake Wesley has averaged 17.6 MPG in the past three and has earned praise from Popovich, tweets Orsborn. “He’s played freely,” Popovich said. “He doesn’t look like he is worried about making a mistake. He’s been excellent at the defensive end.”

Central Notes: Crowder, Pacers, J. Johnson, Osman

January 6th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks forward Jae Crowder is nearing his return after being sidelined since tearing his left adductor muscle in a November 11 game, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Crowder underwent surgery three days later and has been steadily increasing his activity level, with three five-on-five practice sessions upcoming this week.

“I did have a set target to get to this point,” Crowder said, “and I pushed myself to get to this point and took care of my body and tried to do the things I needed to do while I’m away from the medical staff, while I’m at home doing the little stuff that I needed to do to get myself back to where I need to be.”

Crowder had been dealing with an adductor issue since the first week of training camp, so the surgery eliminated the pain he was playing through in the early part of the season. He hopes to return soon to boost Milwaukee’s defense, which currently ranks 22nd in the league. He’ll spend some practice time with the G League Wisconsin Herd as he works his way back, and although a target date hasn’t been set, Crowder believes he’ll know when he’s ready.

“I just want to get back to feeling what I want, what I need to feel,” he said. “I think ultimately that I’ll be better. I think I’ll be better than I was before pre-injury, honestly. Just taking on the challenges of what we need to do, like helping these guys, taking on that matchup of stopping the best offensive player. I think I’ll be much better off than I was before and I felt like I was doing a decent job at it before.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers are interested in “just about every starting power forward possible,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said in an interview with The Trade Deadline (video link), adding that Indiana was pursing OG Anunoby before Toronto traded him to the Knicks. Fischer confirms that Buddy Hield is available after he failed to reach an extension with the team last summer, but says the Pacers have “pretty much rebuffed any teams’ interest in T.J. McConnell.”
The Pacers were hoping to re-sign James Johnson after last season, but they didn’t have an open roster spot until they reached a buyout agreement with Daniel Theis in mid-November, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). “We had talked about it really since the exit meetings last year,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “With the moves that were made early in July, we were gonna have 15 guaranteed contracts. Just weren’t sure about bringing him into camp and then having to cut him if it was going to be that kind of situation.”
After being traded to the Spurs last summer, Cedi Osman still has fond memories of Cleveland, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Osman will make his return to the city on Sunday as his new team takes on the Cavaliers. “They really do care about their sports teams, with the Guardians, the Browns, the Cavs,” Osman said. “I always felt their support during games, even during a bad stretch. In my second and third year when we were kind of rebuilding, they were supporting us no matter what.”

Hornets Notes: Miller, Washington, Martin, Play-In Chances

January 6th, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Not much has gone right for the Hornets this season, but Brandon Miller is looking like a solid choice with the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The 21-year-old forward out of Alabama may not be part of the Rookie of the Year discussion, but he quickly won a starting job and is averaging 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists through 29 games.

“It doesn’t even feel like he’s a rookie,” teammate Miles Bridges said. “He knows the insides and outs of the game. He plays with amazing pace, which is not something that a rookie plays with. So he’s been very good with us and he’s going to be great within the next few years and I’m just excited to see how he grows.”

Along with making the adjustment to the NBA, Miller has been forced to take on different roles as the Hornets deal with a constant string of injuries. The team didn’t expect him to be a featured part of its offense so soon, but the absences of LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and others have made it necessary.

“With all the injuries he’s become more of a primary scorer,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He gets more play calls and also the other part of it now is with these other guys being out, he’s getting more primary defenders guarding him.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

The Hornets’ injury list got larger when P.J. Washington left Friday’s game at Chicago at the end of the first quarter, Boone notes in a separate story for the Observer. Washington landed on Nathan Mensah’s foot and had trouble putting weight on his right leg.
Cody Martin made his second consecutive start Friday night, Boone adds. Martin’s role has been expanding since he returned to the lineup two weeks ago after a nearly year-long absence due to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. “He’s made a big difference for our team,” Clifford said. “Our defense has gotten a lot better and he’s a professional player. So, I think it’s going to take him a little time to get back to what he’ll do. But he’s worked so hard. He’s done everything he can do since he’s been out.”
The Hornets have been stuck in 13th place for much of the season, but they haven’t given up on the possibility of reaching the play-in tournament, Boone states in another piece. Charlotte is six games behind 10th-place Chicago, and the players believe they can make a move once the roster is closer to full strength. “It’s the beginning of January,” Bridges said. “We have a big month here, build off that in February and we could be in play-in talk. So we just want to continue to get better.”

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Flynn, Sims, McBride, Gibson

January 6th, 2024 at 6:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

OG Anunoby had a rough shooting night Friday in Philadelphia, but his defensive impact showed why the Knicks were determined to acquire him, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Anunoby guarded everyone from Joel Embiid to Tyrese Maxey as New York limited the Sixers to 40.7% from the field, and the Knicks outscored Philadelphia by 20 points in his 37 minutes on the court.

“I think we have a good core that’s been together for a while now. So I think that can absorb people coming in and then a guy like OG is very serious,” coach Tom Thibdoeau said. “He wants to do well, and I think his mind is open. He plays incredibly hard on every possession, so even if it’s not perfect right now, it’s still gonna be good.”

The Knicks have won their first three games since last weekend’s trade, and Anunoby has played a significant role in all of them. His scoring is down slightly and he’s only connecting at 46.9% from the field since coming to New York after Friday’s 3-of-11 performance, but he’s finding other ways to make a difference.

“Your hustle can make up for a lot. And that’s really what he’s doing,” Thibodeau added. “And each day, he’ll get better and better and guys are starting to figure him out, as well. So that takes a little bit of time. But help where you can, hustle, be in passing lanes, get deflections, help out on the boards, play physical, run the floor, move without the ball. Those are things that he does great. And then as time goes on, he’ll find more places where he can get scoring opportunities, too.”

There’s more from New York:

Malachi Flynn, who was also acquired in the Anunoby deal, made his Knicks debut on Friday night, playing just one minute at the end of the game, Bondy adds. Flynn is considered “situational,” which Bondy notes is a word Thibodeau uses to describe players who aren’t in his rotation. Jericho Sims played two minutes Friday, having been bumped from the rotation when New York acquired Precious Achiuwa from Toronto.
Miles McBride, who is hoping to establish himself as the team’s new primary back-up point guard, had his best performance since the trade in Friday’s win, per Steve Popper of Newsday. This is McBride’s first opportunity at regular minutes in his three-year career. “I think what I bring to the table is a great thing for the team,” he said. “I think I can push the pace. I can obviously knock down shots and on the defensive end, really get stops and just keep the team positive and be a leader out there.”
Thibodeau would be open to making Taj Gibson an assistant coach when the 38-year-old big man is done with his playing career, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

NBA Reinstates Draymond Green

January 6th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been reinstated after missing 12 games during his suspension, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars announced (Twitter link).

In a statement, Dumars says Green has made progress in counseling sessions since an indefinite suspension was imposed on December 14.

“Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players,” the statement reads. “He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.”

Green is expected to need about a week of preparation before he can start playing again, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Green will likely be with the Warriors for Sunday night’s game against Toronto, Wojnarowski adds, marking his first public appearance with the team since the suspension was announced.

Golden State travels to Chicago on January 12, Milwaukee on January 13, and Memphis on January 15, so it appears Green’s return will happen in one of those games.

Green lost $1,847,291 in salary while missing 12 games, which results in an $8.8MM savings for the team, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Golden State’s projected tax bill will be reduced from $192.5MM to $183.7MM.

Green was suspended after striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head during a December 12 game. He claimed the act was unintentional, but the league cited a “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” in announcing the suspension.

The Warriors managed to post a 7-5 record during Green’s suspension, but they remain under .500 and are just a half-game ahead of the Lakers for the 10th spot in the West.

Lakers Waive Alex Fudge, D’Moi Hodge

January 6th, 2024 at 4:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

In advance of the expected signing of Dylan Windler to a two-way contract, the Lakers have waived two-way players Alex Fudge and D’Moi Hodge, the team announced in a press release. The statement doesn’t mention Windler or indicate how the other open two-way slot might be used.

Sunday marks the waiver deadline to avoid having two-way contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season, so L.A. won’t have any further financial obligations to either Fudge or Hodge. Both players earned approximately $248K on their two-way deals, and they each received a $250K bonus because the team won the in-season tournament.

Fudge, a 20-year-old small forward, saw minimal playing time in four games with the Lakers, and averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10 games for the team’s South Bay G League affiliate. The two-way contract he signed this summer covered two seasons, but the second year is non-guaranteed.

Hodge, a 25-year-old shooting guard, appeared in seven games with the Lakers and 16 for South Bay, averaging 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals with the G League team.

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