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Sixers Not Considering Replacing Nick Nurse, Daryl Morey

November 19th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite their NBA-worst 2-11 record, the Sixers haven’t had any internal discussions about the possibility of replacing head coach Nick Nurse or president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, multiple sources tell Sam Amick, David Aldridge, and Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Nurse, who won a title with the Raptors in 2019, was hired by Philadelphia during the 2023 offseason to replace Doc Rivers. He led the team to a 47-35 regular season record last season, which was only good for a play-in spot. The 76ers ultimately secured the No. 7 seed and fell in the first round of the playoffs to the No. 2 Knicks.

The slow start this fall has dropped Nurse’s overall regular season record with the team to 49-46 (.516).

Morey was named the Sixers’ president of basketball operations in November 2020. The club has won at least 47 games in every season since then, but has never advanced beyond the second round of the postseason.

Morey essentially reset the roster this past offseason around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but injuries have limited the availability of Philadelphia’s stars – Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George – and the new-look supporting cast has struggled.

The expectation going forward, Amick, Aldridge, and Weiss say, is that everyone in the organization, including Nurse and Morey, will “take a look in the mirror and see what role they have in making the team better.”

The Athletic’s story also corroborates many of the details about Monday’s team meeting reported earlier today by Shams Charania of ESPN, including Maxey calling out Embiid for being consistently late to team activities.

Team and league sources tell The Athletic that Maxey stressed the need for Embiid to set a better example as the Sixers’ leader, given his importance to the program, essentially telling the former MVP, “Joel, you know I love you. But it starts with you, and your habits.” Embiid “mostly agreed” with Maxey’s message, per Amick, Aldridge, and Weiss.

While that discussion between Maxey and Embiid was an important aspect of the meeting, there was also a focus on holding the rest of the roster accountable, according to The Athletic’s trio. The contributions from rookie Jared McCain have been a pleasant surprise during the season’s first month, but many of the team’s other role players – including offseason veteran additions like Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson – have been ineffective.

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Injury Notes: Banchero, Jokic, Wemby, Grizzlies, Knicks

November 19th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Magic announced on October 31 that Paolo Banchero had been diagnosed with a torn right oblique, they said he would be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. However, the expectation was that he would likely be sidelined well beyond that window.

So when will we see Banchero back on the court? If it’s up to the All-Star forward, he’ll make his return in about a month.

“This isn’t from the medical team or anything, but the way I feel and I’ve been feeling, I think before Christmas,” Banchero said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter video link). “Maybe that’s a week before, a couple days before. I think I can get back before Christmas.”

As Banchero acknowledged, the decision will ultimately be up to the Magic’s medical team, so he’ll defer to the experts if they’re not ready to clear him by Christmas.

Orlando lost its first four games after Banchero went down, but has hit its stride as of late, picking up six straight victories and moving into third place in the Eastern Conference at 9-6.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • Last season’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year will both remain sidelined on Tuesday. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t injured, but will miss a third consecutive game for personal reasons as his team visits Memphis, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – who missed Saturday’s loss to Dallas – won’t be available vs. Oklahoma City due to a right knee contusion, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
  • Grizzlies center Zach Edey (left ankle sprain) will miss a game for the first time this season on Tuesday, joining star guard Ja Morant (right hip subluxation; pelvic muscle strains) on the inactive list vs. Denver. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, Grizzlies two-way guard Cam Spencer – who has been out all season due to an ankle injury – is inching closer to making his debut, having been cleared for five-on-five action.
  • Knicks guard Miles McBride has missed the past three games due to what the club is calling right knee inflammation. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes, McBride hyperextended that knee last month, though the Knicks didn’t confirm that the two issues are related. Bondy also provides an update on Precious Achiuwa (hamstring strain), citing a source who is optimistic the big man will be cleared to begin practicing with the team on its five-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Phoenix.
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And-Ones: Inside The NBA, Snell, Motley, Bledsoe, Draft

November 19th, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced on Monday that they’ve settled their months-long legal battle, with Disney and WBD essentially making a trade of programming rights. TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” studio show will air on ESPN/ABC beginning in 2025, while TNT will get the rights to broadcast 13 Big 12 football games and 15 Big 12 basketball games per season.

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic explores the role that ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who reached out directly to Luis Silberwasser of TNT Sports, played in the deal.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Traina of SI.com notes that one roadblock remains before “Inside the NBA” makes the move to Disney — Shaquille O’Neal‘s contract expires on July 1, 2025 and will need to be renewed. According to Traina, O’Neal wants to remain with the long-running program, but has been frustrated by announcements celebrating that the show will go on unchanged while his own future is still up in the air.

A source tells Marchand that O’Neal is ultimately expected to remain with “Inside the NBA,” though Traina notes that the former NBA MVP could explore other options with NBC or Amazon before ultimately deciding whether or not to stay put.

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

  • Veteran swingman Tony Snell has replaced Keita Bates-Diop on the Team USA roster for the upcoming FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The U.S. squad will play two games in Washington, D.C. during this month’s qualifier window, hosting Puerto Rico on November 22 and the Bahamas on November 25.
  • After recently leaving Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel due to concerns about his safety, former Mavericks and Clippers big man Johnathan Motley is signing a G League contract, according Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), who says Motley has drawn some NBA interest from teams in need of frontcourt depth. Aris Barkas of Eurohoops has more on Motley, whose decision to leave Hapoel Tel Aviv was a unilateral one that could result in the team initiating legal proceedings.
  • Former NBA guard Eric Bledsoe is returning to the Shanghai Sharks, the Chinese team with whom he has spent the past two seasons, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bledsoe, who will turn 35 next month, has appeared in 756 regular season NBA games but has been out of the league since he was waived by Portland in July 2022.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2025 NBA mock draft now that NCAA teams have a few games under their belts. The most notable update near the top of Wasserman’s board is at No. 4, with BYU’s Egor Demin moving into that spot on the heels of his strong start. The 6’9″ guard is averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in his first four outings, with a shooting line of .634/.550/.500.
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Sixers Held Team Meeting Following Monday’s Loss

November 19th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

After falling to 2-11 with a 106-89 loss in Miami on Monday, the Sixers held a post-game team meeting, head coach Nick Nurse admitted to reporters, including Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Nurse and the Sixers weren’t available to speak to the media until more than an hour after the game ended.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry initiated the meeting, which sources described to ESPN as a “much-needed heart-to-heart and a call to action and urgency.” Nurse referred to the meeting as player- and coach-driven and Charania’s report states that both players and coaches “held each other accountable” and took responsibility for the 76ers’ poor start this fall.

Fifth-year guard Tyrese Maxey – whose leadership is highly valued within the organization, per Charania – called out star center Joel Embiid during the meeting, sources tell ESPN. Maxey reportedly challenged Embiid to make an effort to show up on time for team activities, suggesting that the big man’s tendency to be late “for everything” has a negative ripple effect on the rest of the locker room.

“Tyrese loves Big Fella’, but this is the elephant in the room,” a source told Charania, who says Maxey and Embiid are close friends and are comfortable holding one another accountable.

Here’s more on the Sixers and Monday’s post-game meeting:

  • While Embiid was accepting of the messages conveyed to him in the meeting, sources tell Charania that the former MVP is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court.
  • Sixers players told Nurse that they want to be coached harder, while the coaches indicated to the players that they want them to practice with more “purpose and attention to detail,” Charania writes.
  • Sources tell ESPN that Maxey, who has been out since November 6 due to a hamstring strain, is expected to return to action at some point this week — that will likely happen on Wednesday (in Memphis) or Friday (vs. Brooklyn). Assuming Embiid and Paul George are available, Maxey’s return will mark the first time that Philadelphia’s new “big three” have played together this season.
  • Embiid, who played through an illness on Monday after initially being listed as doubtful, had expressed coming into this season that his goal was to “empower” his teammates rather than looking to dominate games himself. However, he admitted after Monday’s loss that he may need to be more assertive, given the early-season hole the team has dug itself. “The next couple games, I’m probably going to try to be more aggressive, as far as doing more,” Embiid said, per Mizell. “… It’s all about finding the right balance of it: when to be aggressive, when to set up guys, and when to let everybody do their thing.”
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Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 11/19/2024

November 19th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included a possible new home for Brandon Ingram, the Bulls' problems at power forward, Trail Blazers who might be on the move, the Cavaliers' playoff prospects and more!

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Cash Sent, Received In NBA Trades For 2024/25

November 19th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

During each NBA league year, teams face limits on the amount of cash they can send out and receive in trades. Once they reach those limits, they’re no longer permitted to include cash in a deal until the following league year.

For the 2024/25 NBA season, the limit is $7,240,000. If a team is including cash in a deal, the minimum amount required is $110,000.

The limits on sending and receiving cash are separate and aren’t dependent on one another, so if a team sends out $7,240,000 in one trade, then receives $7,240,000 in another, they aren’t back to square one — they’ve reached both limits for the season and can’t make another deal that includes cash.

Adding cash to a deal can serve multiple purposes. It can be a sweetener to encourage a team to make a deal in the first place – like when a club acquires a second-round pick in exchange for cash, or sends out an unwanted contract along with cash – or it can be a necessity to meet CBA requirements.

For instance, when the Hornets agreed to acquire Devonte’ Graham and a second-round pick from the Spurs over the summer, San Antonio essentially just wanted to clear some salary and Charlotte just wanted that draft pick. But the Spurs had to receive something in the deal, so the Hornets sent $110K, the minimum amount that can change hands in any trade involving cash.

Teams operating above the second tax apron are prohibited from sending out cash in a trade. For the time being, that restriction applies to four teams: the Suns, Celtics, Timberwolves, and Bucks. Those teams could only send out cash if they dip below the second apron.

We’ll use the space below to track each team’s cash sent and received in trades for the 2024/25 season, updating the info as necessary leading up to the 2025 trade deadline and for the first part of the 2025 offseason next June. These totals will reset once the ’25/26 league year begins on July 1.

Note: Data from Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom was used to confirm incoming and outgoing amounts for the Bulls, Clippers, Hornets, Jazz, Kings, Nuggets, Raptors, Spurs, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, and Warriors.

Atlanta Hawks

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Boston Celtics

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Note: The Celtics are ineligible to send out cash as long as they’re operating over the second apron.

Brooklyn Nets

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Charlotte Hornets

  • Cash available to send: $7,020,000
  • Cash available to receive: $0
    • Received $7,240,000 from Knicks.

Chicago Bulls

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $5,240,000
    • Received $2,000,000 from Kings.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Dallas Mavericks

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Denver Nuggets

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,130,000

Detroit Pistons

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Golden State Warriors

  • Cash available to send: $3,640,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Houston Rockets

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Indiana Pacers

  • Cash available to send: $6,240,000
    • Sent $1,000,000 to Spurs.
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Los Angeles Clippers

  • Cash available to send: $2,912,475
    • Sent $4,327,525 to Jazz.
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Memphis Grizzlies

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Miami Heat

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Milwaukee Bucks

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Note: The Bucks are ineligible to send out cash as long as they’re operating over the second apron.

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $4,740,000

Note: The Timberwolves are ineligible to send out cash as long as they’re operating over the second apron.

New Orleans Pelicans

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

New York Knicks

  • Cash available to send: $0
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Orlando Magic

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Phoenix Suns

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Note: The Suns are ineligible to send out cash as long as they’re operating over the second apron.

Portland Trail Blazers

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $4,740,000

Sacramento Kings

  • Cash available to send: $3,240,000
    • Sent $2,000,000 to Bulls.
    • Sent $2,000,000 to Spurs.
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

San Antonio Spurs

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $4,130,000
    • Received $1,000,000 from Pacers.
    • Received $110,000 from Hornets.
    • Received $2,000,000 from Kings.

Toronto Raptors

  • Cash available to send: $5,840,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000

Utah Jazz

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $2,912,475

Washington Wizards

  • Cash available to send: $7,240,000
  • Cash available to receive: $7,240,000
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Former Bulls All-Star Bob Love Dies At Age 81

November 19th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward Bob Love, who played in the league from 1966-77, has passed away at age 81, according to a press release from the Bulls and a report from Harvey Araton of The New York Times. Love died on Monday after a “long battle” with cancer, per the team.

After starring at Southern University in Louisiana, Love was drafted 33rd overall in 1965 and began his NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals in 1966. He spent his first two seasons with Cincinnati, was selected by the Bucks in the 1968 expansion draft, then was traded to Chicago, where he flourished.

The 6’8″ forward was a Bull from 1968-76, earning three All-Star nods from 1971-73 and two All-NBA Second Team berths. Love also earned All-Defensive Second Team honors three times (1972-74) and eventually had his No. 10 jersey retired by the franchise.

A back injury in 1977, when Love was a member of the Seattle SuperSonics, ultimately ended his playing career.

As Araton details, Love – whose nickname was “Butterbean” – was afflicted by a stutter that impacted his ability to speak in huddles during timeouts and to reporters before and after games.

Love found himself short on money after his playing career was over due in part to the end of his marriage and in part to his stuttering, which limited his employment opportunities. He washed dishes and cleared tables at Nordstrom, where executive John Nordstrom promised him a promotion and a raise if he underwent speech therapy on the company’s dime.

Love earned that promotion, becoming Nordstrom’s manager for health and sanitation, according to Araton, and was eventually brought back by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf as the team’s director of community relations. Having overcome his inhibiting stutter, Love delivered motivational speeches at schools, churches, and community centers on behalf of the Bulls.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Bob Love, who leaves a legacy of excellence, resilience, and community impact,” Bulls CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Some of my first basketball memories were of Bob playing for the Bulls, and it was an honor to get to know him as a colleague and friend. Bob worked for years for the Bulls as a community ambassador, spending countless hours sharing motivational messages with fans. Bob will always be remembered for the kindness and determination he demonstrated throughout his career on and off the court, and his unwavering commitment to helping others.”

Our condolences go out to Love’s family and friends.

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Knicks Rip NBA For Rumored Probe Into Rick Brunson’s Promotion

November 19th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

After a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggested that the NBA has been “poking around” on the Knicks‘ offseason promotion of Rick Brunson to lead assistant, the team quickly responded by referring to the rumored investigation as “harassment.”

Brunson joined the Knicks as an assistant in 2022, the same year his son Jalen Brunson signed with the team as a free agent. As Begley details, Rick received a promotion this offseason around the time Jalen signed a below-market long-term contract extension with New York, prompting the NBA to look into whether the move circumvented salary cap rules.

“In response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunson’s promotion, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant’s place and assumed the same salary as Bryant,” MSG Sports, the Knicks’ parent company, said in a statement. “It’s offensive that anyone would claim Rick didn’t deserve the promotion. Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment of the Knicks due to our opposition to certain NBA matters.”

Jalen’s four-year extension this offseason was worth just shy of $157MM, which was the maximum he could receive at the time. If he had waited until the summer of 2025, he could’ve signed a five-year deal worth up to a projected $269MM.

If the Knicks had, in concert with Jalen’s extension, “rewarded” the Brunson family by promoting Rick and giving him a significant raise beyond what his performance or title would typically warrant, it could be considered salary cap circumvention. However, Begley hears from coaching sources that Rick’s new contract is “within industry standards” for top assistants.

It’s also not as if the elder Brunson is unqualified for his new role. He has been coaching since 2007 and spent time as an NBA assistant in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minnesota before arriving in New York. He also had a stint as an assistant at the University of Hartford and was the head coach at Camden High School in New Jersey.

While the league would likely perform the same sort of due diligence if any other team were in a similar situation, the Knicks contend in their statement that the rumored probe is retribution for the team’s objections to “certain NBA matters.”

The Knicks, led by team owner James Dolan, criticized the league’s new media rights deal and revenue sharing policies in a letter sent to the other 29 teams and the league office earlier this year. The team also accused Adam Silver of bias while arguing that the NBA commissioner shouldn’t preside over a dispute between the Knicks and Raptors.

Additionally, Dolan stepped down from his positions on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees last year, with reporting at the time indicating that the Knicks owner had been “increasingly critical” of Silver and the NBA on a number of issues. Dolan has been the lone dissenting vote in various Board of Governors decisions that would have otherwise been unanimous.

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Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Monk, Sabonis, Bamba, Riley, Looney

November 18th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings provided some positive medical updates on three key players, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes.

DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis didn’t play on Monday but are close to returning. All three have been cleared for individual on-court workouts. They could return for Sacramento’s game against the Clippers on Friday.

DeRozan has been sidelined for three games due to lower back tightness. Sabonis missed his second straight contest for the same reason, while Monk missed his fifth consecutive game on Monday after suffering a moderate right ankle sprain on Nov. 10.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Mohamed Bamba had nine points and eight rebounds in his season debut for the Clippers on Sunday in 15 minutes of action. He had been sidelined by a left knee injury. “My knees, the doctor would say, are in the 90th percentile of healthy looking knees,” he told Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). “But I kept getting this pocket of fluid in my knee. And it was frustrating because we couldn’t figure out why it was coming. Now we have it settled and a plan in place to kind of mitigate that.” Bamba is currently on a minutes restriction but believes he can play in back-to-backs.
  • The Lakers have commissioned a statue of Pat Riley to join Lakers legends on Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, according to a Lakers press release. Riley will join Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West with statues in the plaza. Riley coached the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s to four championships and also played for the Lakers in the 1970s.
  • Kevon Looney missed the Warriors’ game against the Clippers on Monday due to an illness, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Looney, who is headed to free agency next summer, is coming off the bench this season.
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Southeast Notes: Brogdon, Bogdanovic, Bufkin, Micic

November 18th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malcolm Brogdon made his season debut on Sunday against Detroit but was limited to one point in 22 minutes, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post notes. He underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb in early October.

Brogdon was the first player off the bench for the Wizards, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Portland. The veteran guard is a candidate to be traded again before the February deadline. He’s playing on an expiring $22.5MM contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin were active for the Hawks on Monday. Bogdanovic hadn’t played since Oct. 23 due to a hamstring strain, while Bufkin was making his season debut after partially dislocating his right shoulder last month.
  • Vasilije Micic made just his fifth appearance of the season on Sunday, scoring nine points in 14 minutes. Micic’s playing time has dropped this season with LaMelo Ball back in action but Hornets first-year coach Charles Lee praised the Serbian guard after the game. “He can initiate the offense for us. He knows the sets very well. I thought that he actually brought some great energy (Sunday),” Lee said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. “He’s done a really good job of preparing himself, his mind, and his body. He’s approached every day, even though he has not been in the rotation, like a true professional.”
  • Wizards 2023 second-round pick and two-way player Tristan Vukcevic hasn’t played for either the Wizards or their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Coach Brian Keefe told Shankar prior to Sunday’s game the Vukcevic needs to ramp up his conditioning before returning to the court. The big man was on a standard contract last season but the team declined his team option and re-signed him on a two-way deal in July.
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