NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Central Notes: Mitchell, Rubio, Bucks, Middleton, Toppin

January 5th, 2024 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

After Darius Garland and Evan Mobley went down last month with relatively significant injuries, there was some speculation about whether the Cavaliers might become more open to the idea of trading Donovan Mitchell. However, multiple reporters have since shot down that speculation, with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com becoming the latest to do so on an episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype).

“My sources tell me that the Cavs have zero interest in trading Donovan Mitchell,” Fedor said. “They haven’t even thought about that. In fact, my sources tell me that there are members of this front office that are sitting here today wondering why the hell people are even talking about the possibility of trading Donovan Mitchell.”

As Fedor observes, despite an up-and-down first half and their current banged-up roster, the Cavaliers have a 19-15 record, which puts them just one game out of the No. 4 spot in the East. That’s about where they were expected to be entering the season, and they believe they have the potential to improve beyond that, so they’re not “even interested in listening to what teams are going to offer them” for Mitchell. On top of that, Fedor says, Mitchell himself doesn’t appear to have any interest in a move.

“I’ve talked to Donovan about this multiple times, he is happy right now where he is at,” Fedor said. “He is happy being a Cleveland Cavalier. He believes in this team. He believes in this roster. He helped to recruit Georges Niang and Max Strus because he knew after going through that playoff series against the Knicks that the Cavs, if they were going to take the next step as an organization, needed to improve their shooting and their floor spacing. And he’s looking at it saying, ‘When Darius Garland and Evan Mobley coming back, let’s see how far we can take this team.'”

Here’s more from around the Central:

In a press release confirming the Cavaliers‘ buyout agreement with Ricky Rubio, president of basketball operations Koby Altman thanked the veteran point guard for his contributions to the franchise. “Ricky Rubio embodied everything a franchise would want from such an accomplished player, who helped instill a confidence and leadership quality that still resonates within our team,” Altman said. “We wish Ricky nothing but the best and remain supportive of his decision to continue focusing on his mental health.” As Fedor tweets, Altman also lauded Rubio for the impact he had on the team’s younger players.
The Bucks hosted a veteran free agent workout on Monday, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the group seemed to consist of candidates for two-way deals. Lindell Wigginton, TyTy Washington, and Marques Bolden are Milwaukee’s current two-way players; they’ve combined to play just 17 total minutes this season.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who underwent offseason knee surgery, played in both games of a back-to-back set on Wednesday and Thursday for the first time since April 2022, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic notes (Twitter links). Head coach Adrian Griffin continues to take a conservative approach to Middleton’s workload though, not bringing him back in the second half of Thursday’s win after he was effective in 15 first half minutes. “We just wanted to play him, see how he responded and I think he’s in a good place and we want to keep him in a good place and then we’ll just see how he’s feeling in the morning,” Griffin said, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The offseason acquisition of Obi Toppin continues to pay off for the Pacers, with head coach Rick Carlisle taking the opportunity after Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee to praise the fourth-year forward for how he’s adjusted to being removed from the starting lineup. “It’s hard to put into words how impressed I am with Obi Toppin as a young man. He just is all about the team,” Carlisle said (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “He’s raised his level since coming off the bench. … That kind of character and commitment to the group is what it’s going to take.”

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Vucevic, Williams, Phillips

January 5th, 2024 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

While Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been officially listed as questionable to return on Friday vs. Charlotte, he’s on track to play, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Barring a setback that delays his return, it will be LaVine’s first game since November 28.

As Johnson notes in a full story for NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls have posted a 10-7 record without LaVine, but recent losses to Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New York showed that the team could use the sort of scoring, play-making, and floor-spacing that the two-time All-Star can provide.

“We could’ve used that extra 20 to 25 to 30 points (on Tuesday),” DeMar DeRozan said after the Bulls mustered just 97 points in a loss to the Sixers. “Give another dynamic focal point of scoring, play-making. At the end of the day, it’s still Zach LaVine. And teams have to prepare for that. When we have him on the court, there are so many more options for us to execute.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who has missed the past five games due to a left adductor strain, appears to be nearing a return as well. He’s currently listed as questionable to play on Friday, Johnson notes (via Twitter). Big man Andre Drummond has averaged 14.0 points and an incredible 19.4 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per night during Vucevic’s absence.
Bulls forward Patrick Williams hasn’t missed a game this season, but he was limited to 11 minutes on Tuesday due to a right ankle issue that he has been playing through for weeks, Johnson writes for NBC Sports Chicago. “It had been feeling stiff or sore,” Williams said. “A lot of times when I feel that way, I try to play through it and with the adrenaline of the game or when your body gets going, it starts to loosen up.” The former fourth overall pick was able to play 27 minutes on Wednesday in New York and is listed as probable for Friday’s game.
Bulls rookie Julian Phillips played a season-high 17 minutes on Tuesday vs. the Sixers and was a plus-10 in the 13-point loss, with seven points and three blocks. Phillips saw just two minutes on Wednesday and has only logged more than 10 minutes in a game twice this season, but he’s unfazed by his inconsistent role and is determined to “go hard” whenever he gets the opportunity to play, he tells Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “Just trying to approach every game the same way,” Phillips said. “With the mindset of, I think Coach said, ‘If you play four minutes or you play 40 minutes, if you go into shootaround with that mindset you’ll be ready for whenever the opportunity is.’ So I try to adapt to that and stay ready at all times.”

Magic To Retire Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 Jersey

January 4th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal will be the first player to have his jersey number retired by the Magic, the team announced in a press release. O’Neal’s No. 32 will be retired on February 13 following Orlando’s game vs. Oklahoma City.

“When someone asks who was the first player to officially put the Orlando Magic on the map, the answer is simple – Shaquille O’Neal,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. “He took this franchise to new heights, both on and off the court, and his legacy is still felt within our organization today. On behalf of the DeVos family, we are excited to honor Shaquille by raising #32 into the rafters of the Kia Center, where it will remain forever.”

O’Neal spent his first four NBA seasons with the Magic, averaging 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 blocks in 295 regular season games (37.8 MPG). He led Orlando to its first NBA Finals appearance in 1995, during his third season.

O’Neal was inducted into the Magic’s Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Basketball Hall of Fame the next year. Despite the brief nature of his stint with the franchise, he was absolutely dominant during his tenure with Orlando, which included a Rookie of the Year award, four All-Star appearances and three All-NBA nods.

The 51-year-old big man will be the third player to have his jersey retired by three teams, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Lakers retired O’Neal’s No. 34 in 2013, and the Heat retired his No. 32 in 2016. He won three championships with L.A. and one with Miami.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Pelicans, Murphy, Eason, Rockets

January 4th, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks had a couple of frontcourt rotation players go down with ankle injuries in Wednesday’s blowout victory over Portland, as Dereck Lively sprained his left ankle in the third quarter and Grant Williams sprained his right in the fourth, writes Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. Neither player returned to the game.

However, head coach Jason Kidd said after the game that the two sprains were “mild,” tweets ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, and on Thursday, both players were listed as questionable for Friday’s rematch with Portland (Twitter link via Mavs play-by-play announcer Mark Followill). Dante Exum (right heel contusion) and Richaun Holmes (personal reasons) are doubtful.

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Instead of folding after being blown out by the Lakers during the in-season tournament, the Pelicans have played their best basketball of the season over the past few weeks, going 9-3, including seven double-digit wins, per William Guillory of The Athletic. As Guillory writes, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson playing selflessly and “doing the little things” has contributed to the team’s success, as has CJ McCollum adapting to a more spot-up role while being a locker room leader.
Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy is still considered day-to-day after missing the past three games with left knee soreness, head coach Willie Green said on Thursday (Twitter link via Christian Clark of NOLA.com). Murphy is questionable for Friday’s matchup with the Clippers, Clark tweets. It’s worth noting that the third-year wing had left knee surgery to repair his meniscus in September.
Second-year Rockets forward Tari Eason has drawn praise from head coach Ime Udoka and has been very impactful when he’s able to suit up lately, but the stress reaction he suffered in his left leg during preseason continues to be an issue, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link), who notes that rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore have gotten more playing time when Eason is out. “It’s day-to-day at this point,” Udoka said of Eason. “He might have reaggravated here and there. It acts up a little bit. So continue to monitor it, but it’s something we’re going to deal with for a while. He’s been getting looked at, checked out, a ton of treatment, rehab. Rest is good for it, has been. On those games he’s played back-to-back, had to limit his minutes. The games we had days off in between, we were capping him at 25. We’d obviously like to play him more when he’s playing really well.”

Joe Mazzulla, Tyronn Lue Named Coaches Of The Month

January 4th, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue have been named the Coaches of the Month for December, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Mazzulla, the Eastern Conference winner, led Boston to a 12-2 record last month. The Celtics have the best record in the NBA at 26-7.

While Mazzulla’s group has looked like a championship contender throughout its first 33 games, Lue’s Clippers had a rocky start after trading for James Harden, losing six straight at one point to hold a 3-7 record.

But L.A. has had an impressive turnaround over the past several weeks, going 18-5 over the past 23 games, including an 11-2 record in December. Harden shook off some early rust and has been playing at an extremely high level of late (20.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 9.4 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.2 BPG on .483/.467/.883 shooting over the past 17 contests), and Kawhi Leonard has been dominant on both ends of the court.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the Eastern Conference were J.B. Bickerstaff, Adrian Griffin, Nick Nurse and Erik Spoelstra, while Mark Daigneault, Chris Finch and Michael Malone were nominated in the West.

Jaime Jaquez, Chet Holmgren Named Rookies Of The Month

January 4th, 2024 at 5:43pm CST by Rory Maher

For the second straight time, Heat wing Jaime Jaquez and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

Former UCLA standout Jaquez, the 18th pick of the 2023 draft, averaged 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .481/.324/.849 shooting in 13 December games (33.6 MPG). He has helped keep Miami in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt despite a series of injuries to key players.

Holmgren, the Western Conference winner, averaged 17.4 points, 7.7. rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.5 blocks on .551/.385/.780 shooting in 13 December contests (29.7 MPG). After missing all of 2022/23 with a foot injury, the 21-year-old has appeared in every game for Oklahoma City thus far in ’23/24, and has been a major factor in the team holding the second-best record in the West (23-10).

According to the NBA (Twitter link), Utah’s Keyonte George, Portland’s Scoot Henderson, Dallas’ Dereck Lively and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama were the other nominees in the West, while Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller and Cleveland’s Craig Porter Jr. were nominated in the East.

Gary Payton II Out At Least Three Weeks For Warriors

January 4th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II is out at least three weeks — which is when he’ll be reevaluated — after sustaining a grade 2 left hamstring strain on Tuesday vs. Orlando, Golden State announced in a press release (via Twitter).

In just his second game back from a right calf strain that sidelined him for 13 contests, Payton exited Tuesday’s win in the third quarter due to the hamstring injury. He didn’t return to the game.

The injury occurred as Payton was defending Magic guard Cole Anthony while he brought the ball up the court. The Warriors guard fell awkwardly as he looked to avoid a screen set by Paolo Banchero (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area).

Payton has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, including being limited to just 22 games in 2022/23. The 31-year-old defensive stalwart was a key member of Golden State’s championship run in ’21/22.

Payton is earning $8.7MM this season and holds a $9.1MM player option for ’24/25.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Hartenstein, Second Unit, LaVine, Achiuwa

January 4th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julius Randle was already on a scoring tear in December, averaging 27.6 points per game. Randle has pumped up his production even more following the trade that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, scoring 39 and 35 points in the Knicks’ first two games this month.

“I think the trade has opened up a little bit more opportunity to be aggressive,” Randle said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “So I’m just trying to take what the defense is giving me.”

We have more on the Knicks:

Isaiah Hartenstein seems quite comfortable as a starter. He had a career-high 20 rebounds and five blocks in Wednesday’s 116-100 triumph over Chicago, Bondy notes. “I can play this role. That’s the biggest thing,” Hartenstein said. “I always had the confidence that I can really play it, but was never really in that situation.”
While the addition of OG Anunoby has helped the starting unit, the bench is in a state of flux, Mike Vaccaro of the Post points out. The reserves only produced 18 points against the Timberwolves and once again against the Bulls. “We have to try and find a rhythm for the second unit,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They need a little bit of time but we’ll figure that out. You’ve got to make simple plays right now, trust each other, make advantages for each other.”
While the Knicks have been linked in the past to the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, they’re now among the teams not interested in a swap for the high-scoring wing, according to Bondy’s sources.
Bondy details how Precious Achiuwa‘s New York City upbringing has prepared him for the spotlight of playing in the Big Apple. Achiuwa was also acquired from Toronto in the Anunoby deal.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of Month

January 4th, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for December, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Gilgeous-Alexander led his team to a 10-3 record during the month while averaging 31.9 points, 6.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Antetokounmpo carried the Bucks to an 11-2 mark in December, posting averages of 32.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per night.

Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kawhi Leonard were the other nominees in the West.

Bam Adebayo, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Coby White and Derrick White were the other nominees in the East.

Draymond Green Returning To Warriors Soon, Suspension Nearing End

January 4th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green‘s indefinite suspension appears to be nearing an end. The veteran power forward is expected to return to the Warriors’ practice facility in the next few days, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Green will need to ramp up his physical activity and get in some practice time before he suits up again. He will miss his 11th consecutive game on Thursday night, when Golden State faces Denver.

Rejoining the team and working himself back into playing shape is the final step to getting back in action. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will determine when Green will be reinstated, but sources told Wojnarowski that Green will have satisfied the league’s requirements to return once he’s ready to play again.

Green was suspended on Dec. 13 for repeated violent acts, most recently when he struck Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head last month.

He has been participating in individual counseling sessions and virtual meetings that include team, league and union officials designed to chart his progress toward reinstatement, according to Wojnarowski. Green’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and team trainer Rick Celebrini, along with NBPA and NBA officials, are part of these ongoing sessions.

Green is in the first season of a four-year, $100MM contract and is losing $153,941 for every game he misses during the suspension.

The Warriors are 6-4 during Green’s absence but are still one game under .500.