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Lakers’ Ham: “Aligned” With Owner, GM

January 5th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Amid a report of a “deepening disconnect” between Darvin Ham and Lakers players due to Ham’s erratic lineups, which have partially been a result of injuries, the team’s head coach says he’s “solid” in his job security and is “aligned” with owner Jeanie Buss and vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“It comes with the territory,” Ham said of the criticisms. “I’m solid. My governor, Jeanie Buss, the boss lady; our president, Robert Pelinka – we’re all aligned. As long as they’re not saying it, I guess I’m good.

“Which I know how they feel about me and the situation we’re currently in. So, we’re all on the same page. My two captains (LeBron James and Anthony Davis), I communicate with them. Our communication has been at a high level.”

Ham didn’t directly mention the report from The Athletic, but he criticized the general use of anonymous sources, like the ones cited in the story.

“The one thing that’s crazy is that it reminds me of when I used to watch ‘60 Minutes’ with my father in the ’80s,” Ham said. “And one particular show they were talking about La Cosa Nostra and the mafia and these guys were starting to go to trial and their star witness shows up with a black potato sack over his head and shades. And due to fear, the name can’t really be released.

“This seems to be the standard of reporting now for [the] NBA. People on the internet and whatever. And not all reporters – I don’t want to disrespect anybody in the room – but when you say the source is anonymous by choice and they don’t want to put their name on something but they want to give you the information and then you take the information and now everybody gets a chance to dissect it and spread it all out in their own way, it’s kind of disingenuous. And I wish we would get to a place where people are firm enough to stand on what they’re saying and then maybe we can have real dialogue and get to it.”

Ham said he welcomed critiques of his performance and brushed off the speculation.

“I don’t mind people critiquing the job I’m doing,” he said. “All I’m going to do is keep my head down and continue to do my job until I can’t do it anymore. Just be solid with what you’re putting out there and please don’t intertwine it with personal attacks either.

“That’s what it is, that’s what I signed up for when I decided to become a coach and I’ve been around some great guys who have handled it well and some coaches that haven’t handled it so well. But me? I’m solid. I’ve been through a ton of ‘ish’ in my life and this is a walk in the park. Trust me.”

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New York Notes: Hartenstein, McBride, Nets, Claxton

January 5th, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Isaiah Hartenstein continues to impress as the Knicks‘ starting center in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Hartenstein had a monster double-double in Wednesday’s victory over Chicago, recording 10 points, a career-high 20 rebounds, and a career-high-tying five blocks.

“I’m impressed with the way he’s protecting the rim, to be honest,” Julius Randle said after Wednesday’s win. “We’re used to Mitch doing that, covering up for our mistakes when we get beat off the dribble. But he’s a monster doing that. And to go up against (Bulls center Andre) Drummond and get 20 rebounds, it’s no slight. He’s been amazing.”

An unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Katz says Hartenstein is “due for an inevitable raise” on his $9.2MM expiring contract, and it will be difficult for New York to re-sign him, given the team’s commitments to Robinson and several other players. The Knicks will hold his Early Bird rights.

“Right now, I’m a New York Knick,” Hartenstein said of 2024 free agency. “That’s the biggest thing. I feel like, yeah, sometimes you have that in the back of your mind. That’s normal. At the end of the day, I wanna be in New York, but it’s a business.”

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

  • Miles McBride had a shaky first two games as the Knicks‘ new primary backup point guard, but they still view him as a long-term replacement for Immanuel Quickley, sources tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. McBride inked a three-year, $13MM extension with New York shortly after the team traded Quickley to Toronto. For what it’s worth, McBride has 12 points in six minutes thus far during Friday’s contest vs. Philadelphia, making all four of his three-pointers.
  • Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com takes an in-depth look at Nic Claxton‘s value and future, writing that Claxton could be worth $20-25MM annually on the open market as a free agent this summer and the Nets would be wise to re-sign him to a long-term contract if that range is indeed accurate. Claxton won’t become extension-eligible prior to free agency.
  • Brian Lewis of The New York Post revisits the Nets‘ decision to promote Jacque Vaughn to head coach last season instead of hiring Ime Udoka, who eventually landed with Houston in the offseason after being suspended by Boston for all of 2022/23 for sexual misconduct.
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Kings Reportedly Ending Pursuit of Pascal Siakam

January 5th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Rory Maher

8:17pm: The Kings are ending their pursuit of Siakam, at least for now, sources tell Charania (Twitter link). That could change, but the teams are no longer talking, Charania adds.

6:42pm: Appearing on Stadium’s show The Rally (Twitter video link), Shams Charania confirms the Raptors “are ramping up trade talks around Pascal Siakam.”

“I’m told the Sacramento Kings are emerging as a serious suitor (for) Siakam,” Charania said. “They’re among the offers and options that Toronto has.”

Charania went on to explain that the Kings are increasingly interested in forming a “big three” featuring De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Siakam.

However, as Charania observes, Siakam is playing on an expiring $37.9MM contract, which will complicate any negotiations for potential suitors. If Siakam is open to re-signing with a team interested in trading for him, that could help facilitate a deal; if he’s not, it could “dissuade some teams,” Charania said.

Fischer cited Sacramento, Indiana and Detroit as prime landing spots for Siakam earlier today, also reporting that the Kings were open to moving Davion Mitchell and have been gauging the value of a package headed by Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter. Multiple reporters have stated former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray is off the table in trade talks.

A two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward, Siakam is averaging 22.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists on .521/.288/.751 shooting in 34 games this season (34.9 minutes). The 29-year-old has spent all eight of his NBA seasons to this point with the Raptors, who selected him No. 27 overall back in 2016.

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Stein’s Latest: Carter, Jazz, Hawks, Murray, Sixers, More

January 5th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Rory Maher

In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein reports that Magic center Wendell Carter is a “player to monitor” ahead of the February 8 trade deadline.

As Stein explains, Orlando has played above expectations through 34 games (the team is currently 19-15), but it has a deep frontcourt featuring Carter, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac. Carter has only appeared in 13 games due to hand and knee injuries, and has been coming off the bench of late after he returned.

Those factors, plus needing to eventually re-sign or extend Franz Wagner and Banchero beyond their rookie scale contracts, has led rivals to believe that Carter will be available this winter, Stein writes.

A former lottery pick who is still just 24 years old, Carter has been a productive starter for the Magic the past few seasons and is on a fairly team-friendly contract, which will pay him $35.85MM over the next three seasons (it declines annually, down to $10.85MM in 2025/26). However, he has also missed at least 18 games in every season of his six-year career due to a variety of injuries.

Here are some more trade rumors from Stein:

  • It has been reported multiple times that the Jazz were expected to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline, but they’ve gone 9-3 over their past 12 games and are currently 16-19, a game out of the final play-in spot in the West. That rise up the standings has rival front offices wondering what Utah will do now, per Stein. League sources tell Stein that John Collins is one player the Jazz are continuing to try and move, though it’s unclear how much success they’ll have after acquiring him in the offseason in a salary dump.
  • Stein confirms recent reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports about the Hawks, who are actively involved in trade conversations regarding Dejounte Murray and possibly several players on the roster outside of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Bogdan Bogdanovic is expected to be widely coveted by rival teams, according to Stein.
  • Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said in a live stream on Friday that the Sixers and Lakers could be eventual Murray suitors, and the Knicks have been “increasingly” linked to the former All-Star guard, Stein adds.
  • The Sixers are unlikely to pursue Zach LaVine or Pascal Siakam, with the team looking to take a “thoughtful” approach at the deadline, according to Stein, who gets a “strong sense” that Philadelphia will likely make moves around the edges if it makes more in-season trades.
  • Multiple reporters have linked the Lakers to LaVine, but Stein continues to hear they haven’t been interested — at least to this point — in taking on his long-term money. The two-time All-Star is in the second season of a five-year, $215MM contract.
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International Notes: Dragic, Knight, Roberson, Topic

January 5th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

At a press conference on Thursday, veteran guard Goran Dragic, who recently announced his retirement, said that he received offers from several EuroLeague teams but didn’t want to play in Europe and leave his children in the United States, per SportKlub (hat tip to BasketNews.com).

Dragic named Olimpia Milano, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, and Barcelona as some of the teams that had interest in him. However, he had been hoping to work out a deal to remain in the NBA and confirmed he had some discussions with the Heat. After Miami passed on him and no other opportunities arose, the 37-year-old decided to call it a career, noting on Thursday that his left knee isn’t 100% healthy.

Dragic confirmed that he’ll be hosting a farewell event in Ljubljana, Slovenia on August 23 and 24, with NBA stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler expected to attend — Doncic is a fellow Slovenian, while Antetokounmpo and Butler are former NBA teammates. Dragic added that he hasn’t decided what his next career move will be now that he’s finished as a player.

“I want to stay in basketball,” he said. “I don’t see myself as a coach. You are away from home for too long. Maybe in some other role.”

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

  • Longtime NBA guard Brandon Knight has signed with AEK Athens for the rest of the 2023/24 season, the Greek team announced in a press release. Knight, who appeared in 451 regular season NBA games from 2011-22, last played in the league with Dallas during the 2021/22 season. The 32-year-old holds career averages of 14.0 points and 3.9 assists per contest for six teams.
  • Veteran forward Andre Roberson will be competing in this month’s Dubai International Basketball Championship, announcing this week that he’ll be part of the team from the Philippines at the event (Twitter video link). Known as a defensive specialist, Roberson appeared in over 300 regular season NBA games from 2013-21. It appears he’ll be on the same roster in Dubai as Dwight Howard, who has also reportedly committed to play for the Filipino squad.
  • Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, who had been rising up 2024 draft boards of late as he debuted for Crvena Zvezda, suffered a knee injury in his second EuroLeague game and is expected to be out for about six weeks, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Topic is at No. 5 overall in ESPN’s latest prospect rankings for ’24.
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Waiver Deadline Looms For Non-Guaranteed Contracts

January 5th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Every player currently on an NBA roster whose 2023/24 salary is non-guaranteed will have his salary become guaranteed next Wednesday (January 10) if he’s still under contract at that point. However, this Sunday, January 7, is the real deadline to watch.

A player who is no longer on his team’s roster but who is still on waivers as of Jan. 10 will also have his salary guaranted. So if a team wants to avoid locking in a player’s full 2023/24 salary, he must be placed on waivers on or before this Sunday at 4:00 pm Central time — that would ensure that he clears waivers on or before Tuesday, Jan. 9.

As our tracker shows, there are 34 players on standard contracts who still don’t have fully guaranteed salaries for this season. Here are those players, who are on minimum-salary deals unless otherwise indicated:

Keith Smith of Spotrac took a player-by-player look through this list earlier today, examining which guys are at the greatest risk of being waived before their salaries become guaranteed.

Some of these decisions – like the Pelicans with Alvarado, or the Thunder with Joe and Wiggins – involve regular rotation players who are earning the minimum, making them no-brainers — those players obviously won’t be released. In fact, it’s safe to assume that the majority of the 34 players in this group will hang onto their roster spots.

But we’ll likely see at least a small handful of these players cut within the next couple days as teams opt to create a little extra roster and financial flexibility. Those teams could take advantage of the newly opened 10-day contract window to bring in a new player or to immediately re-sign a player they just waived.

In addition to these 34 players on standard non-guaranteed contracts, there are 90 more who will be keeping a close eye on that January 7 waiver deadline.

For the first time this season, the salary guarantee date for players on two-way contracts lines up with the date for players on standard deals, so the two-way players who remain under contract through Sunday will be assured of their full-season salaries, regardless of whether they actually spend the rest of the season on a roster.

The full list of players on two-way contracts can be found right here.

Although we’ll likely see some two-way roster moves in the coming days, it’s worth noting that those salaries don’t count against the salary cap, and the financial commitment is pretty minor relative to standard contracts (a two-way player’s full-season salary is $559,782). So we should expect to see some clubs continuing to move two-way players on and off their rosters after the salary guarantee deadline comes and goes.

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Raptors Notes: J. Porter, Quickley, Barrett, Dick, Trent

January 5th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The trade that sent Precious Achiuwa to New York along with OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn has left the Raptors somewhat thin in the frontcourt behind Jakob Poeltl, observes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. As a result, two-way big man Jontay Porter got a chance to play in Wednesday’s victory over Memphis, appearing in an NBA game for the first time since May of 2021.

While Porter missed both of his field goal attempts and had a pair of fouls in his seven minutes of action, he also grabbed three rebounds and looked “poised and smart and comfortable” on defense, writes Grange.

In an in-depth look at Porter’s journey to his current spot on the Raptors’ roster, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca notes that the former Missouri standout was considering walking away from basketball in 2022 after a series of knee injuries – including multiple ACL and MCL tears – derailed his career. But older brother Michael Porter Jr. helped convince him to stick with it and nearly two years later, Jontay is in position to potentially claim a regular role in Toronto.

“I think he’s a rotational big in this league, if not for injuries that kind of slowed down his development,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who also coached Jontay as an assistant with the Grizzlies. “His basketball IQ is very high. He can shoot the ball. He’s a very willing passer as well. I think he’s going to be a really good fit for us — for (the Raptors) 905, but also when opportunities present itself to see him play on the big stage with us as well. I’ve got a ton of respect for him, knowing what he was going through.”

According to Murphy, Porter said he was feeling “a lot of emotions” when he took the court in an NBA game on Wednesday for the first time in nearly 32 months and that his mentality was essentially just “don’t mess up.”

“Hopefully, I get to build on this, but if not, regardless, I’ll take what I learned here and go back to 905 and do my thing there,” he said. “Regardless of what happens, I’m blessed to be in Toronto, and that’s the bottom line.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • New starting point guard Immanuel Quickley continued to impress in his second game as a Raptor, scoring a team-high 26 points in the victory over the Grizzlies. Quickley said after the game that a message from Rajakovic after he missed his first four shots helped kick-start his big night, as Aaron Rose of SI.com relays. “He pulled me aside while the game was going on and said, ‘You’re not having fun. Have fun,'” Quickley said. “I’ve never really had a coach do that. He told me that. Then I started skipping.”
  • Veteran guard Cory Joseph, one of seven Canadians who had played for the Raptors prior to this season, tells Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca that he believes RJ Barrett will “flourish” as the eighth member of that group. “He’s going to have some of the best years of his life coming up,” Joseph said. “They were for me. It’s what you dream of as a kid, playing in your hometown.”
  • Eric Koreen of The Athletic addresses a wide range of topics in his latest mailbag, including why team president Masai Ujiri‘s job remains very safe despite some roster missteps in recent years and whether it’s too early to be concerned about lottery pick Gradey Dick.
  • Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr. hasn’t missed a game since November 15, but he’s been added to the injury report for Friday’s game in Sacramento due to a left quad contusion, tweets Lewenberg. Trent is listed as questionable to play.
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Bulls’ Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic To Return Friday

January 5th, 2024 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Zach LaVine will be activated on Friday for the Bulls‘ home game vs. the Hornets, returning from a 17-game absence due to a right foot injury. LaVine confirmed the news himself during a media session following the team’s shootaround, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“I’m back man. It feels good,” LaVine said. “I’ve been away for a month. I feel good. Being hurt is never good and rehabbing is some of the worst things in the world. I’m glad I’m able to do what I love. The foot feels strong. It feels better. Hopefully, it stays that way.”

LaVine told reporters that he’ll initially be on a minutes restriction and expects to play about 25 to 30 minutes on Friday. That same 25-to-30 minute restriction will apply to center Nikola Vucevic, who confirmed that he’ll also suit up tonight after missing five games due to an adductor strain, Johnson writes.

The Bulls have performed well in LaVine’s absence, winning 10 of 17 games following a 5-14 start. And with Vucevic out, Andre Drummond has been hugely productive as Chicago’s starting center, averaging 14.0 points and 19.4 rebounds over the past five games. Perhaps with those numbers in mind, the Bulls will bring both LaVine and Vucevic off the bench on Friday as the former All-Stars are eased back into Billy Donovan‘s rotation.

LaVine’s return, in particular, figures to spark league-wide interest since he has long been considered one of this season’s top trade candidates. His pricey multiyear contract has limited his appeal on the trade market, but if he plays well this month and the Bulls continue to win more games than they lose, the 28-year-old’s value could bounce back a little ahead of the February 8 trade deadline.

For his part, LaVine said he isn’t think about his trade value or whether he might be dealt in the coming weeks, and that he’s focused on helping the Bulls push for a playoff spot.

“My main objective is to get back playing. If I let opinions affect me, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I could care less what people think about me. I know who I am and what I do,” LaVine said. “I know what I have to do. Help provide for the team and help us win. I don’t look toward the future.”

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Warriors’ Kuminga Has Reportedly Lost Faith In Kerr

January 5th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who hear from sources close to the third-year forward that he doesn’t believe Kerr will allow him to reach his full potential in Golden State.

The report comes on the heels of Kuminga being benched for the final 18 minutes of the Warriors’ loss to Denver on Thursday.

“(Thursday) was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” one of The Athletic’s sources said.

Kuminga had played well in his first 19 minutes vs. the Nuggets, scoring 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbing four rebounds to go with four assists. However, he was removed from the game midway through the third quarter and was never reinserted.

“He was playing great,” Kerr said of Kuminga, per Slater. “His normal time to go back in would have been around the five-, six-minute mark (of the fourth quarter). (Andrew Wiggins) was playing great, we were rolling, were up 18, 19, whatever it was. So we just stayed with (Wiggins). Then at that (later) point, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. (Kuminga) had been sitting for a while. So I stayed with the group that was out there, and obviously, we couldn’t close it out.”

As Charania and Slater detail, Kuminga has been a rotation regular for much of this season, including starting the Warriors’ past 11 games, but his minutes have fluctuated in part because he and Wiggins haven’t showed they’re capable of effectively playing together. Golden State has a ghastly -21.5 net rating in the 131 minutes the two forwards have shared the court this season. Minutes will likely also be harder to come by once Draymond Green returns from his suspension.

Kuminga has admitted to being confused by Kerr’s substitution patterns in the past, telling Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic after a Christmas Day loss to Denver, “Sometimes, I come out the game not knowing what I did. And that messes with my head. It’s like, ‘What they want me to do?’ I can pass and I can do different s–t.”

In 33 games this season, Kuminga has averaged 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.280/.688. In spite of Kuminga’s poor net rating alongside Wiggins, Golden State has a +1.8 overall mark during his time on the court, compared to -1.7 when he sits.

Kuminga will be extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason before earning approximately $7.6MM in the final year of his rookie contract next season. If he doesn’t sign a new deal this year, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

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Fischer’s Latest: Hawks, Murray, Knicks, Wizards, Celtics

January 5th, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Echoing recent reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms that the Hawks are “certainly open for business” ahead of the trade deadline and says Atlanta has been one of the NBA’s most active teams in recent trade conversations.

According to Fischer, the Hawks have told multiple teams in recent discussions that the only untouchable players on their roster are guard Trae Young and forward Jalen Johnson. Notably missing from that group is guard Dejounte Murray, whom Atlanta has “made widely available,” sources tell Yahoo Sports.

While the pairing of Murray and Young in their backcourt hasn’t been as successful as the Hawks hoped, the former Spur would presumably still have significant value on the trade market, in large part due to the relatively team-friendly four-year extension he signed during the offseason. That deal, which begins in 2024/25, can be worth up to $120MM with incentives.

Pointing out that the Hawks control their own 2024 first-round pick and owe their 2025 first-rounder to San Antonio, Fischer suggests that it’s possible the team will move some veterans this year, add a 2024 lottery pick to a core headed by Young and Johnson, and look to get back to the playoffs next season.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Knicks made some calls to potential trade partners about veteran big men following Mitchell Robinson‘s injury, per Fischer, but after they added Precious Achiuwa in their trade with Toronto, rival executives now think the Knicks may be more focused on exploring backcourt trade targets ahead of the deadline. Fischer mentions Alec Burks of the Pistons and Malcolm Brogdon of the Trail Blazers as a couple possibilities, though it’s unclear if New York has actually expressed interest in either player.
  • The Wizards have let teams know that they’re open to trading veterans for draft assets, sources tell Fischer. That list of veterans may include Kyle Kuzma, who signed a new four-year contract with the club last summer, though there’s a sense that Washington would seek multiple first-rounders for the forward, Fischer writes.
  • The Celtics are expected to hang onto big man Luke Kornet through this weekend’s salary guarantee date, according to Fischer, who says that the team’s other non-guaranteed players – Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and Lamar Stevens – are also more likely than not to stick around through that deadline. Fischer adds that rival front offices are preparing for Boston to explore trades that improve the team’s bench.
  • In case you missed it, we also rounded up a few Pascal Siakam-related rumors from Fischer in a separate story.
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