NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Magic’s Franz Wagner Exits With Right Ankle Sprain

January 3rd, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic forward Franz Wagner has been on a roll lately, but he unfortunately sustained a right ankle injury in the first quarter on Wednesday against Sacramento and was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link).

According to the Magic, Wagner had X-rays after exiting the game, which came back negative. He was formally diagnosed with a right ankle sprain.

A former lottery pick (No. 8 overall in 2021) who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, Wagner is Orlando’s second-leading scorer, narrowly trailing Paolo Banchero. The 22-year-old German is averaging career highs in multiple statistics in 2023/24, including points (21.3), rebounds (6.0) assists (4.0) and steals (1.2) per night through 33 games (34.2 MPG).

Wagner has been very durable to this point in his career, appearing in 79 games as a rookie and 80 last season. He has yet to miss a game in ’23/24.

Ankle sprains can drastically vary as far as recovery timelines go, so we’ll have to wait for more information to be released on Wagner to have a better idea on if he might miss more time.

And-Ones: Nwaba, G. Robinson, Gillespie, Call-Ups

January 3rd, 2024 at 8:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA wing David Nwaba is signing with the London Lions of the British Basketball League, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link).

After going undrafted out of Cal Poly in 2016, Nwaba caught on with his hometown Lakers. He also suited up for the Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets and Rockets from 2016-22, last playing for Houston in 2021/22.

The six-year veteran appeared in 237 regular season games during his NBA career, averaging 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game. Known for his strong frame, athleticism and defense, Nwaba has spent most of the past two seasons playing for Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

The 30-year-old will be heading to Europe for the first time in his career.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently spoke to Glenn Robinson III about his NBA comeback attempt after stepping away from basketball for two years. The former second-round pick has been playing with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee’s affiliate) this season, averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 39.1% from three in 12 Showcase Cup games (23.6 minutes). Robinson holds seven years of NBA experience and has been mentoring his young teammates, according to Fischer.
Nuggets guard Collin Gillespie, who is on a two-way deal, was named the NBA G League’s Player of the Month for December, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). According to Wind, Gillespie averaged 21.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists in six games last month for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver’s affiliate). The former Villanova Wildcat missed all of last season with a lower left leg fracture.
Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a look at some NBAGL players who could be candidates for call-ups to the NBA, with Mac McClung, Jason Preston, Ethan Thompson, Darius Bazley and Trey Jemison among the players mentioned.

New York Notes: Knicks, Towns, Simmons, Walker, Nets

January 3rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Rory Maher

While Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently said he views the Knicks/Raptors trade as the “Immanuel Quickley trade” rather than the “OG Anunoby trade,” he likes what Anunoby will bring to New York.

According to Vecenie, Anunoby is one of a select few players who can credibly defend all five positions on the court. That defensive versatility, plus his ability to convert threes and make timely cuts, has made Anunoby a “great role player.” The question is if he can develop more on offense, Vecenie writes.

As Vecenie details, while Anunoby has an impressive physical profile and uses it very effectively on defense, he can look a little awkward on offense when given on-ball opportunities, as he doesn’t finish well in the paint and doesn’t have a reliable pull-up jump shot.

Still, Vecenie believes Anunoby has the potential to be “the third-best player on a title team” if he’s in the right situation, and there’s a reason so many teams wanted him. Vecenie also examines what Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn will bring to New York.

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

On Run It Back (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested the Knicks will “always” have interest in Karl-Anthony Towns, who presumably won’t be going anywhere this season, as Minnesota has the best record in the Western Conference. Towns’ former agent is Leon Rose, New York’s current president of basketball operations.
Even after dealing away Quickley, RJ Barrett and the Pistons’ 2024 second-rounder, there are people within the Knicks who think they have the requisite remaining assets to land a star player, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. As Begley writes, the Knicks could trade up to four of their own future first-round picks, plus some protected picks from other teams.
Multiple sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that Ben Simmons is “progressing well” in his recovery from a nerve impingement in his lower back, and he’s expected to be cleared to play 2-on-2 when the Nets return home on Thursday. Simmons would then play 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 before possibly being ready to return, Lewis writes. Simmons has been sidelined since November 6. As for Lonnie Walker, who has missed the past 16 games with a hamstring injury, he could return for Friday’s contest against OKC, Lewis adds.
They Nets are spiraling down the standings, having lost four straight and nine of their past 11 games, with the two victories against Detroit. Tuesday’s loss to New Orleans marked a new low point, Lewis writes for The New York Post. Mikal Bridges said the team took its foot off the gas pedal. “We got punched in the mouth and just sat back,” Bridges said. “We didn’t keep going forward after. And that’s on players, right there. It’s going to be like that. They might make a run … you’ve got to have accountability on ourselves to get back up and fight, and besides just lay down. Like I said, I’ve got to do better just personally being more vocal and be more physical and being on both ends. You just can’t let up.”

LaVine Assigned To NBAGL For Practice, Could Return Friday

January 3rd, 2024 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Maher

January 3: LaVine’s practices have gone well with no setbacks and he could return on Friday against the Hornets, Donovan said on Wednesday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps).

January 1: The Bulls have assigned guard Zach LaVine to the G League for his first contact practice since he was shelved by a foot injury in late November, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

As Johnson explains, seeing how the foot responds is LaVine’s final hurdle in his recovery process, with a return possibly coming as soon as Friday against Charlotte if the two-time All-Star doesn’t experience a setback.

The team decided to keep LaVine and fellow injured teammates Nikola Vucevic and Torrey Craig back in Chicago while the Bulls traveled to Philadelphia to begin Tuesday’s back-to-back road trip against Philadelphia and New York, Johnson adds. That will give LaVine more practice time with Windy City, Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate.

“I like having those guys on the bench just with their voice. I think it’s always good. But their health is the most important thing and getting the back to play,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “There’s more that they’ll have access to (in Chicago) because they’re all at a point where they can really do stuff on the court. . . . It’s a lot easier for them (in Chicago).”

According to Johnson, while the Bulls have gone 10-5 since LaVine last played, his coach and teammates are “adamant” that Chicago’s improved play is merely a coincidence and he can help the team win.

LaVine, of course, is one of the high-profile players who has been involved in trade rumors for several months. A healthy and productive return to the court could be a catalyst for a deal, with his market rumored to be limited to this point.

Knicks Sign Duane Washington Jr. To Two-Way Deal

January 3rd, 2024 at 4:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks have signed free agent guard Duane Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

This is the third time New York has signed Washington to a two-way deal since February 2023, but he has yet to make his NBA debut with the club. He was cut in late November after he sustained a right thumb injury, which was supposed to sideline him six-to-eight weeks.

The Knicks must be comfortable with how Washington is recovering, since his salary will become guaranteed if he remains on the roster through January 7, though two-way salaries don’t count toward the salary cap or luxury tax. New York waived big man Dmytro Skapintsev a couple days ago to open a two-way roster spot.

It’s worth noting that New York also just traded Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and the Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick to Toronto for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. That created a need for backcourt depth — Washington is a 6’3″ guard.

Washington went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021 and spent his rookie season with the Pacers. He played for the Suns 2022/23, eventually being waived before bouncing back and forth with the Knicks.

The 23-year-old averaged 27.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds on .588/.417/.700 shooting in three Showcase Cup games with the G League’s Westchester Knicks (New York’s affiliate) this season prior to the injury.

The Knicks’ 18-man roster is full after the move.

Nuggets Apply For Disabled Player Exception

January 3rd, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have asked the NBA to grant them a disabled player exception for forward Vlatko Cancar, reports Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

Cancar tore his left ACL in August and is expected to miss the entire 2023/24 season. A disabled player exception gives an over-the-cap team some extra spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15.

As we explain in our glossary entry, the exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. A DPE can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.

The disabled player exception is worth half the injured player’s salary, up to the amount of the mid-level exception. It doesn’t open up an extra spot on the 15-man roster, so the club must have a roster spot available to use the DPE to add a player.

Cancar’s salary this season is only $2,234,359, so if the Nuggets are granted a DPE, it would be worth just $1,117,180. An exception that small almost certainly won’t be used, but there are rare instances in which it might come in handy — for instance, Denver could use it during the final few weeks of the season to offer a free agent more than the prorated minimum salary.

So far in 2023/24, the Bulls, Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers have been granted disabled player exception, while the Knicks and Spurs have each reportedly applied for a DPE as well. This season’s deadline to use a DPE is March 11.

Warriors’ Gary Payton II Expected To Miss Several Weeks

January 3rd, 2024 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

3:11pm: Payton is expected to miss several weeks as a result of his hamstring injury, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

7:44am: In just his second game back from a right calf strain that sidelined him for 13 contests, Warriors guard Gary Payton II exited Golden State’s win over Orlando on Tuesday in the third quarter due to a strained left hamstring, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. 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).

Head coach Steve Kerr said after the game that he wasn’t sure yet about the severity of the injury and didn’t know how many games it might cost Payton. However, Anthony Slater of The Athletic says it’s “clear” the guard will miss another chunk of time.

“I feel bad for him, more than anything. I feel bad for us, too, but mainly for him,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “He makes such a big impact for us. So, fingers crossed that he’s not out for too long.”

Payton doesn’t provide much offensively for the Warriors, having scored double-digit points in just two of his 16 games so far this season. But he’s arguably the club’s strongest perimeter defender and is a key part of the rotation on the wing.

Golden State has a +5.3 net rating in Payton’s 261 minutes this season, compared to a -0.5 mark in the 1,338 minutes he hasn’t played.

“He’s such a big part of our team,” Warriors guard Chris Paul said. “People may not realize it, but his energy is consistent every day — every practice, every game. Him coming back has been huge for us. So I hope whatever it is isn’t going to take a long time. I think for him, it’s going to be about getting as healthy as possible.”

“He relieves so much pressure for us, as far as guarding,” Klay Thompson added. “I’m sure we’re going to miss him, but we just want to be healthy.”

Woj: Hawks “Absolutely Open For Business” Ahead Of Trade Deadline

January 3rd, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are “absolutely open for business” on the trade market, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who said today during a Q&A session on Threads that general manager Landry Fields “seems determined to make changes” to Atlanta’s roster by the February 8 trade deadline.

Given that Wojnarowski’s statement is just a brief response in a Q&A session rather than a full report, he doesn’t offer any additional details on the Hawks’ plans for the deadline.

It seems relatively safe to assume that star guard Trae Young won’t be going anywhere on or before Feb. 8, and the Hawks reportedly aren’t inclined to move breakout forward Jalen Johnson. Additionally, young big man Onyeka Okongwu will be subject to the poison pill provision, making it more challenging – though certainly not impossible – to include him in a deal.

On the other hand, De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela have frequently been cited as probable trade candidates, and there has been speculation that Atlanta might be open to listening to inquiries on Dejounte Murray. It would presumably require a substantial offer for the Hawks to seriously consider moving Murray, but with the club off to a 13-19 start this season following an underwhelming 41-41 finish in 2022/23, Fields and the front office will likely consider a wide range of possibilities.

In terms of potential trade targets, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has frequently been linked to the Hawks. Atlanta and Toronto reportedly engaged in serious talks over the summer that ultimately didn’t lead to a deal.

The Hawks were at the center of several trade rumors during the offseason, with Caplea’s and Hunter’s names coming up frequently, but the team’s only major move on the trade market was sending John Collins to Utah in what amounted to a salary dump.

The hope was that, a year after acquiring Murray, the current iteration of the Hawks could make a leap in the same way that the Timberwolves have this season in their second year with Rudy Gobert. That hasn’t been the case in the first half though, so after those rumored offseason trades didn’t come to fruition, Atlanta may be more aggressive in trying to get deals across the finish line in the coming weeks.

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Vassell, Johnson, Diakite

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has grown increasingly frustrated playing under a minutes restriction, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Since injuring his right ankle in mid-December, Wembanyama has sat out three games and has been limited to about 24 minutes per night in the five games he has played.

As Orsborn explains, the team imposed the limit due to concerns that Wembanyama may be at risk of further injury if he plays too much too soon. After being pulled with just over three minutes left in Tuesday’s loss to Memphis, Wembanyama lobbied to return to the game and surpass his usual limit.

“I just talk to the coach and I say, ‘Yeah, I played 25 minutes already. What is two more?'” Wembanyama said after the game, per Orsborn. “Looking back, I understand their point of view, but at the moment it is hard and frustrating.”

Asked on Tuesday if Wembanyama’s minutes restriction will be lifted anytime soon, Popovich suggested that the big man’s ankle will have to be examined again before the team makes a decision.

“In a certain amount of time, we will take more pictures and that will determine whether the minutes thing changes or not,” Popovich said. “It is the same (number of minutes) every night. I think we were a minute off tonight. Twenty-four minutes is the deal.”

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Popovich is pleased to see Devin Vassell and Wembanyama continuing to build chemistry on the offensive end of the court, Orsborn writes for The Express-News. The development of their two-man game was cited as one reason for Keldon Johnson‘s move to the bench. “They’re starting to read each other,” Popovich said. “They’re figuring out that he’s 7-3, you can throw it up in the air and when he rolls you got to get a pocket pass in there. (Wembanyama) makes good decisions and can either score or kick it to someone else because we really haven’t had that to a great degree in the past, so seeing those two guys meld together is important for us. They’re doing pretty well.”
Johnson’s points and free throw attempts per game have both increased since his move to the bench, and the Spurs wing acknowledged that he’s playing more aggressively in his new role, per Orsborn. “I guess you can say that,” Johnson said. “… I try to bring a lot more energy and try to assert myself a little bit more coming in out the bench and just boost the team any way I can.”
After signing a two-way contract with the Spurs, forward/center Mamadi Diakite referred to the franchise as “the best” at player development and expressed excitement about playing for Popovich, according to Orsborn. “I was starstruck because I have watched him since the beginning, before I started playing basketball,” Diakite said. “So, getting to meet him and greet him and play for him is a great accomplishment so far for me. When we first met, I said to him, I had been watching him since I was young. And he answered, ‘You are still young and you have a lot more to go.'”
Diakite’s two-way deal covers only the rest of the current season, not 2024/25, Hoops Rumors has confirmed, so he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer.
The injuries continue to pile up for the Spurs, who were already missing big men Zach Collins and Charles Bassey and now have starting guard Malaki Branham dealing with an ankle injury, according to Orsborn. With Branham’s status for Thursday’s game and beyond still unclear, Popovich downplayed San Antonio’s health problems. “We miss Malaki and we miss Zach, but everybody’s got somebody that’s out, so that’s not a big deal,” he said. “But for us it is because they’re such a young team and they need all their bodies. But I’m pleased with their effort. They just have to keep the attitude up.”

Kings Notes: Monk, Brown, Duarte, Mitchell, Ellis, Comanche

January 3rd, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Following some sloppy play in the first quarter of the Kings‘ loss to the Hornets on Tuesday, Malik Monk was benched for the rest of the first half. When he returned to the game in the third quarter, Monk hit a pair of three-pointers, then turned and appeared to say something to head coach Mike Brown as he passed Sacramento’s bench (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento).

At the next timeout, Brown and Monk engaged in a heated conversation on the sidelines, but they seemed to resolve their differences quickly, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, who notes that Brown shrugged off the incident when he spoke to reporters after the game.

“Heat of the moment,” Brown said. “Malik and I — I think everybody has seen it — but Malik and I have gotten into exchanges before. This was not the first time, and I would bet money it won’t be the last time, so that’s not a big deal.”

While Brown downplayed his exchange with Monk, he was disappointed in his team’s execution and sense of urgency down the stretch in an ugly loss that ended Charlotte’s 11-game losing streak, describing it as “alarming.”

“Our half-court defense, we’re literally just standing on the weak side of the floor, and we give up a stone-cold layup at a crucial part of the game,” Brown said. “So, to not have an awareness, a sense of urgency, it was not a good feeling being out there and being a part of it, and obviously I had a lot to do with it because I did not have our guys ready apparently.”

Here’s more on the Kings:

Kings wing Chris Duarte got a second consecutive start on Tuesday in place of Kevin Huerter and played well, recording 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in nearly 30 minutes of action. As Anderson relays, Brown explained on Tuesday that he wants to get a longer look at the new starting lineup before deciding whether or not to stick with it. “It’s one of those things that we just kind of play out, wait and see and see how it goes, but it was not a one-time thing,” Brown said. “It’s a change that we made that, right now, we’re going to continue to take a look at going forward.”
In addition to the starting lineup tweak, Brown has made another notable change to his rotation, playing Davion Mitchell over Keon Ellis in each of the past three games. Mitchell has averaged about 14 minutes per night during that time after being out of the rotation for nearly all of December, while Ellis had a pair of DNP-CDs for the first time since November. Mitchell earned the Kings’ defensive player of the game chain in Friday’s win over Atlanta, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “Even if I’m not in the rotation, I’m still trying to help, still trying to help my team win,” Mitchell said after that game. “Keon’s a really good player in our league and I’m just trying to teach him the little things, things I experienced my rookie year, my sophomore year.”
Former Stockton Kings center Chance Comanche, who is accused of killing a woman last month in Nevada, made an initial court appearance in Las Vegas on Tuesday. According to an Associated Press report, separate murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy cases will be combined so that Comanche and his ex-girlfriend (and alleged co-conspirator) Sakari Harnden can be tried together. Comanche, who intends to plead not guilty, will remain in jail without bail — his next court date is set for February 8.