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Stein’s Latest: Olynyk, LaVine, Tucker, Murray, McClung

December 25th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics view Jazz big man Kelly Olynyk as a possible trade target, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

With a $12.2MM expiring contract, Olynyk is one of several Utah veterans who might be on the move prior to the trade deadline. Boston drafted him in 2013 and he spent his first four NBA seasons with the Celtics, so he’s familiar with the organization.

After being a starter last year, Olynyk has moved into a reserve role in his second season with the Jazz, although he has started seven games because of injures to teammates. He posted 27 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals in Thursday’s win at Detroit.

Boston’s current salary structure makes an Olynyk trade challenging, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Without giving up one of their rotation players, the Celtics would have to have to send out several minimum contracts to match Olynyk’s salary.

Stein also expects the Knicks to have interest in Olynyk after starting center Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery that could sideline him for the rest of the season.

Stein passes along more inside information on potential trades:

Citing conversations at the G League Winter Showcase, Stein remains skeptical that the Sixers have interest in trading for Bulls guard Zach LaVine. League sources tell Stein that Philadelphia wants to find someone who can contribute on both ends of the court, and the team is reluctant to give up its cap space for next summer to acquire LaVine, who still has three seasons left on his five-year, $215MM deal. The Lakers may be more inclined to consider LaVine after going 2-5 in their last seven games, but Stein notes that L.A. also prizes salary flexibility and tends to seek out players with shorter contracts to team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Bucks and Heat still have “a healthy level of admiration” for P.J. Tucker, league sources tell Stein, but his $11MM salary for this season and a guaranteed $11.5MM for 2024/25 will limit trade interest. Tucker, who was acquired from Philadelphia as part of the James Harden deal, hasn’t played for the Clippers in nearly a month.
Rival teams expect the Hawks to consider a Dejounte Murray trade before the deadline, Stein adds. Atlanta’s front office may explore deals involving several players as it tries to assemble a better mix of talent around Trae Young. Stein states that the Hawks would be hoping to replenish their draft assets after sending three future first-round picks and a pick swap to San Antonio in the trade to acquire Murray.
In an interview with Mac McClung, the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest champ says he’s still deciding whether he’ll return to the event to try to defend his title.

Heat’s Jimmy Butler Ruled Out With Calf Strain

December 25th, 2023 at 2:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Christmas Day showdown between the Heat and Sixers lost some more star power as Miami announced that Jimmy Butler will sit out due to a strained left calf, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. This will be the third straight game that Butler has missed because of the calf issue. Haywood Highsmith (illness) and Josh Richardson (low back discomfort) also won’t play.

Philadelphia revealed on Sunday that reigning MVP Joel Embiid will be unavailable because of an ankle injury he suffered in Friday’s game. Embiid didn’t make the trip to Miami, and his status for Wednesday’s contest at Orlando hasn’t been determined. The Sixers are also without Nicolas Batum because of a strained right hamstring.

Butler has played in 23 of 29 games for the injury-riddled Heat, who rank among the league leaders in games missed as a result of injuries and illness. He’s averaging 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per night while shooting 46.2% from the field and 37.7% from three-point range.

Miami is 3-3 without him in the lineup, notes Winderman, who points out that Butler has missed at least 18 games in each of his first four seasons with the Heat.

Winderman also reports that guard Dru Smith, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a November 22 game at Cleveland, is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday. Smith’s injury led to numerous safety complaints about a courtside drop-off at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

De’Andre Hunter To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Right Knee Inflammation

December 25th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

De’Andre Hunter will undergo a non-surgical procedure on Tuesday to address inflammation in his right knee, the Hawks announced (via Twitter).

Hunter’s condition will be reevaluated in about two weeks, the team added. The 26-year-old small forward sat out Atlanta’s last two games because of pain in his knee.

Hunter has appeared in 24 of the Hawks’ first 29 games and is averaging 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per night while shooting 46% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range. He has been the subject of recent trade rumors as a result of Atlanta’s disappointing 12-17 start.

Hunter is in the first season of the rookie scale extension he signed in 2022 and has three more years left on his contract at $21.7MM, $23.3MM and $24.9MM.

Suns Notes: Gordon, Booker, Beal, Okogie

December 25th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After Eric Gordon attempted a season-low two shots from the floor on Friday and told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that he’d like to have a bigger role in the Suns‘ offense, Devin Booker didn’t disagree with his teammate’s assessment, telling reporters on Sunday that Phoenix could benefit from getting the veteran guard more involved.

“I think we just have to find ways to open up looks for him and put him a position to do what he does,” Booker said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “Nobody takes what he said personal around here. He’s been in this for a long time. He’s earned that respect and he has the talent to do what he said.”

As we detailed on Saturday, Gordon has averaged just 9.8 points on 8.8 shots per night during the Suns’ recent 3-8 stretch. He posted 14.9 points on 12.1 attempts per night (with a .469/.404/.786 shooting line) through his first 16 games with the club, which included 11 wins.

Gordon, who is celebrating his 36th birthday today, said on Sunday that head coach Frank Vogel has put an emphasis on getting him more involved offensively, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the Suns, who are in action in the late Christmas Day game vs. Dallas:

Bradley Beal is hoping to return “much sooner” from his right ankle sprain that the team initially projected, but Vogel isn’t necessarily counting on that. Speaking on Sunday to reporters, Vogel said Beal remains “hobbled” and has still only done non-contact work in practices (Twitter video link via PHNX Sports). “If he gets healthier sooner, then he’ll be back sooner,” Vogel said. “But the expectation is he’s probably gonna be (out) until January.”
Suns wing Josh Okogie appears set to return on Monday after missing the past five games due to a hip flexor. He’s listed as probable and is expected to play, per Vogel (Twitter link via Bourguet). Prior to his injury, Okogie started 11 of 23 games for Phoenix.
In a story for The Arizona Republic, Rankin lists six items on the Suns’ Christmas wish list, including getting Beal back as soon as possible and breaking out of a shooting slump from beyond the arc.

Draymond Green’s Suspension Likely To Last 11-13 Games

December 25th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Among those involved in Draymond Green‘s return-to-play process, there’s a “general belief” that his indefinite suspension will end up covering about 11 to 13 games, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Warriors forward has missed six games since the NBA announced he would be sidelined indefinitely — today’s contest in Denver will be the seventh. The 11th game of his suspension would be on January 4 (vs. Denver), while the 13th would be on Jan. 7 (vs. Toronto).

As Wojnarowski outlines, Green is getting individual counseling sessions during his absence and is also taking part in periodic virtual meetings with officials from the Warriors, the league, and the National Basketball Players Association. Those Zoom meetings are aimed at charting his progress toward reinstatement and are playing in a role in how the NBA and NBPA evaluate Green’s progress working through “whatever issues might have contributed to repeated violent episodes,” Wojnarowski writes.

Green’s agent Rich Paul, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Golden State trainer Rick Celebrini are among those who have participated in the ongoing sessions, sources tell ESPN. Wojnarowski adds that Green has been described as “open and engaged” during the meetings.

While the Warriors and the players’ union were involved in designing the terms of Green’s suspension and the conditions for his return, the NBA will ultimately have the final say on when he’s reinstated, according to Wojnarowski.

Woj adds that even though Green is permitted to condition and practice with the Warriors, he likely won’t return to the team’s facility on a regular basis until early January.

The Warriors have played well as of late without their former Defensive Player of the Year and will put a five-game winning streak on the line this afternoon against the defending-champion Nuggets.

Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games

December 25th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Merry Christmas from the Hoops Rumors staff!

As usual, the NBA has an impressive slate of five games on tap for Christmas Day, with many of the league’s top teams and biggest stars in action on December 25. Here’s today’s schedule:

11:00 am CT: Milwaukee Bucks (22-7) at New York Knicks (16-12)
1:30 pm CT: Golden State Warriors (15-14) at Denver Nuggets (21-10)
4:00 pm CT: Boston Celtics (22-6) at Los Angeles Lakers (16-14)
7:00 pm CT: Philadelphia 76ers (20-8) at Miami Heat (17-12)
9:30 pm CT: Dallas Mavericks (17-12) at Phoenix Suns (14-14)

Some of these teams have underachieved to some extent so far – the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns, in particular, aren’t where they want to be in the standings – and reigning MVP Joel Embiid won’t be available for the Sixers. But each matchup still has something going for it.

We’ve got Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard visiting Madison Square Garden; former MVPs Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic starring in a showdown between the two most recent NBA champions; Jayson Tatum and the Celtics facing LeBron James and the Lakers in a battle between the league’s two most storied franchises; Jimmy Butler and the defending Eastern Conference champions hosting Butler’s former team; and perennial MVP candidates Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant squaring off in Phoenix.

The NBA’s schedule makers did especially well on the Eastern Conference side of things — the East’s top three teams, and five of its top six squads, are all in action today, with the fourth-seeded Magic representing the only exception.

Over in the West, things are a little more hit and miss, given that the Lakers, Warriors, and Suns currently rank ninth, 10th, and 11th in the conference. The No. 2 Nuggets and the No. 6 Mavericks are the only two Western Conference teams in action today that currently hold a playoff spot.

While the NBA couldn’t have realistically expected that either team would be quite this good this season, it’s too bad the 22-6 Timberwolves, who are in a tie for the league’s best record, and the exciting young Thunder (18-9) aren’t part of today’s schedule.

We want to know what you think. Are there any teams you wish were (or weren’t) involved in today’s games? Which of these five contests are you most looking forward to? Which five teams are you picking to win this year’s Christmas Day matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in, and feel free to use it as an open thread to discuss today’s games.

Gabe Vincent To Undergo Knee Surgery, Miss 6-8 Weeks

December 25th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 25: Vincent will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee as soon as Tuesday, according to Charania, who tweets that the Lakers guard is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks following the procedure.

DECEMBER 23: Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is “strongly considering” surgery to address the left knee issues that have sidelined him for most of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The operation would include a projected recovery timetable of about six to eight weeks, Charania adds.

Vincent and his advisors are “exhausting all other options” before committing to surgery, adds Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Lakers coach Darvin Ham addressed Vincent’s condition tonight in a pre-game session with reporters, saying he’s experiencing “a little bit of swelling” in the knee and the team is trying to determine the best way to deal with it (Twitter link). Vincent has played just five games this season, and his 14-minute appearance Wednesday night was his only on-court action since October 30.

After helping Miami reach the NBA Finals last season, Vincent signed a three-year, $33MM contract with L.A. in July. His $10.5MM salary for this season will jump to $11MM next year and $11.5MM for 2025/26.

The Lakers were planning to use Vincent as a primary ball-handler, either as a starter or off the bench, but the knee effusion has prevented him from establishing any kind of rhythm with his new teammates. He’s averaging 5.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 25.4 minutes per night while shooting just 37.5% from the floor and 11.8% from three-point range.

Lakers Notes: James, Starting Five, Christmas Game, Injury Report

December 24th, 2023 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points against Oklahoma City on Saturday as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak. James looked at it as a meaningful victory, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“We needed this win,” James said. “We didn’t want to end the road trip in a losing effort. … To come in here to play versus a team that’s been playing extremely well throughout this season, it was a big win for us.”

We have more on the Lakers:

They made a significant lineup move prior to the contest, as forward Jarred Vanderbilt replaced guard D’Angelo Russell. The starting lineup of James, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis doesn’t have a true guard, but it allows them to switch more often on defense, Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes. “When you have that type of size, and you start that type of size, length and athleticism, and you can switch down the line, they basically gain no advantage,” coach Darvin Ham said. Offensively, the ball flowed through James and Davis, though it creates issues in terms of three-point shooting.
Ham believes the Christmas Day game against the Celtics can be used as a measuring stick, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register relays. “They’re one of the teams that’s at the top of the food chain in our league,” Ham said. “A team that’s definitely a championship contender. We get a chance to see where we are. You don’t have to have a Knute Rockne speech for this one. It’s a classic Lakers-Celtics game. Both teams are playing – for the most part of the year – playing at a high level. It’ll be a great chance to see where we are against the best of the best in terms of competition.”
James and Davis are listed as questionable to play on Monday due to left ankle injuries, Price tweets, though they’ve often been listed with that designation in recent games and have suited up. Rui Hachimura is also listed as questionable due to left groin soreness.

And-Ones: Frazier, Grant, Anderson, Christmas Games

December 24th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Tim Frazier didn’t last long with his latest European team. He parted ways with Greece’s Promitheas Patras after playing just one game, according to Eurohoops.net.

The club made the announcement, saying Frazier left due to a family emergency. Frazier previously played in Greece with AEK Athens and, most recently spent time in France with SIG Strasbourg. He appeared in 289 NBA games, most recently in 2021/22 when he saw action in 12 contests with the Magic and Cavs.

We have more from the international basketball world:

Another former NBA guard, Jerian Grant is expected to get a contract extension with Greek club Panathinaikos until 2026, according to another Eurohoops.net post. Grant, the 2022/23 EuroCup MVP, is averaging 8.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals this season.
Spain’s Valencia has announced the signing of former NBA forward Justin Anderson, according to Sportando. Anderson played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season after getting waived by Indiana during training camp. He was named to the All-G League Third Team. Anderson, who appeared in 242 NBA games after being a 2015 first-round pick, signed a 45-day contract with Valencia that can be extended until the end of the season.
The Warriors are playing on Christmas Day for the 13th time in the last 14 years and Stephen Curry doesn’t take it lightly, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Marquee games on Christmas, it’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Curry said. “You know, we’ve been in that environment before, so I understand what it’s going to be like. On the road, it’s going to be fun to just compete. It’s a test.” This year’s group of Christmas participants is virtually the same as last year. Of the 10 teams picked, nine also played on Dec. 25 last year. The exception is Miami, with Memphis not on the slate after debuting last year.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Embiid, Haslem, Mazzulla

December 24th, 2023 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat will play on Christmas Day for the 14th time in franchise history when they match up with Philadelphia. Coach Erik Spoelstra says he doesn’t mind playing on the holiday and considers it a badge of honor, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

“I always mention it to our locker room that it is an honor to have that opportunity to play on Christmas,” he said. “The whole league doesn’t play on the holiday. There were several years in a row, where we were never considered for playing on Christmas. Then you go back before, you almost took it for granted that we were always going to play on Christmas. So I don’t want any of our guys to [take it for granted], and I know they don’t.”

We have more on the Eastern Conference:

Some of the intrigue in the matchup between the Sixers and Heat will be removed, due to Joel Embiid‘s absence. The Sixers’ superstar didn’t make the trip to Miami because of an ankle injury, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports. Embiid suffered the injury in Friday night’s win over the Raptors when he landed awkwardly trying to block a shot midway through the first quarter. He finished the game with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Philadelphia plays Wednesday in Orlando, and the team said the big man’s status for that game has yet to be determined.
The Heat will retire Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey in a ceremony on January 19 during halftime of their game against the Hawks, the team announced in a press release. Haslem will become the sixth Heat player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla feels more at ease with his media responsibilities this season, he told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. He struggled with that aspect of his job last season when he was thrust unexpectedly into the head coaching position. “I never want to be a distraction to the players and organization. So I’m learning how to be emotionally open,” he said. “I’m going to argue with you from time to time. It doesn’t mean I don’t like you or agree with what you’re saying. And, jokingly, I can’t understand why people give two [expletives] about me. I just don’t understand that. But they don’t care about me; they care about the role of the head coach of the Boston Celtics. So once I realized that I was like, ‘OK.’”