NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Wizards Notes: Poole, Kispert, Shamet, Kuzma

December 23rd, 2023 at 10:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

It’s been difficult for Wizards guard Jordan Poole to adjust to Washington on the court, as he’s averaging 17.5 points on 40.8% shooting from the floor while taking 15.1 field-goal attempts per game. However, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, he’s been an excellent fit off the court for his new team.

“He’s always got a smile on his face,” teammate Corey Kispert said. “He can talk to anybody. Off the court, he’s just a ray of light. He always brings good energy, and it’s good to see Jordan every single day when I walk into the building. I know I can count on him to pick me up if I’m not feeling great.”

While Poole has been rough on defense and inconsistent on offense, he’s approaching this season with a positive outlook, Robbins writes.

“This is the most that they’ve been on me other than the playoffs or the finals,” Poole said. “I think it’s awesome, honestly, just to feel that over the course of the game how teams are over and over and over night-in, night-out coming out with physicality because that’s what’s in their game plan. That’s what coaches think would be a good way to slow me down. So, I’m embracing it, learning from it, growing from it.”

It’s evident that despite their 5-23 record as of Saturday, Poole and his teammates have established solid chemistry.

“Porzingis was the same way — kind of a pleasant surprise in the same way,” Kispert said. “We all heard a lot of rumors of him coming from Dallas and the things that happened there. And then when he showed up in our locker room, he immediately took me by surprise, and he treated everyone great. Anybody off the team or in my circle of friends back home who were asking me about him — I could only say positive things about him. And Jordan’s been the same way: [He’s] been an absolute pleasure to be a teammate of and to get to know.”

In another story about Poole’s acclimation, The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace writes about the guard’s specific adjustments to his game and the switch from Golden State to Washington. Wallace points out that Poole is no stranger to this, as it took him two years to find his groove with the Warriors.

“You’ve got to just keep going, every day. The plan is the plan,” Poole said. “Someone just told me that the other day, and I kind of like it. Everything will pan itself out, you know? You’ve just got to keep doing what you’re doing as long as you’re doing it with the right intent, which I believe in 100 percent. It’s just a matter of time.”

We have more from the Wizards:

While Kispert’s efficiency on three-pointers is down so far this season — to 37.4% from 42.4% in 2022/23 on roughly the same attempts per game — Wallace writes that he has shown improvements in other areas of his game. Kispert has improved as a play-maker and off-ball mover, Wallace observes, and he’s taking smarter shots. “The growth doesn’t change no matter what my output says in the box score,” Kispert said. “I still feel it. I still know it. Obviously, I can’t let it discourage me. But some things are just out of my control as a player, and that’s just kind of the way things go.“
Guard Landry Shamet missed eight games in a row for the Wizards but made his return Friday against the Warriors (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network). Shamet played just 13 minutes in his return and didn’t score.
Forward Kyle Kuzma exited Washington’s Friday game against the Warriors with right knee soreness and did not return (Twitter link via the team). However, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears tweets that Kuzma told him that he expects to be ready for the Wizards’ next game (vs. the Magic on Tuesday).

Knicks Sign Dmytro Skapintsev To Two-Way Contract, Waive Jaylen Martin

December 23rd, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Tristan Tucker

9:00am: The Knicks have indeed waived Martin to make room for Skapintsev, according to team PR (Twitter link).

He hasn’t yet made his NBA debut, but averaged 9.7 points in 16 Showcase Cup games with Westchester. SNY’s Ian Begley tweets the Knicks still hold Martin’s G League rights if he continues to play there.

Shortly after waiving Martin, the Knicks officially announced the Skapintsev signing (Twitter link).

8:39am: The Knicks are signing center Dmytro Skapintsev to a two-way contract, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

With New York dealing with injuries to both Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims in the frontcourt, the 7’1″ center who has been playing with the Knicks’ G League team in Westchester will add some depth.

As we relayed on Thursday, the Knicks were said to be eyeing Skapintsev as they scanned the league for center help. As we wrote then, New York is at the roster limit for two-way contract players with Jacob Toppin, Jaylen Martin and Charlie Brown Jr. under contract. It’s worth noting the Knicks shuffled Martin on and off a two-way deal through October and November, and could do so again.

Skapintsev helped the Westchester Knicks win the G League Winter Showcase championship on Friday, as they defeated the Indiana Mad Ants 107-99. Skapintsev had six points, two rebounds and two blocks in the win and averaged 5.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 13 Showcase Cup games.

Jazz Notes: Hendricks, Markkanen, Samanic, Injuries

December 23rd, 2023 at 8:25am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Jazz have been patiently developing their No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Taylor Hendricks, which resulted in a slow start to his career — he only played in one game prior to Dec. 2. However, Hendricks has seen playing time in nine of Utah’s last 10 games, averaging 6.3 points per night.

Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link) spoke to the 20-year-old rookie, whose role has grown due to injuries to Utah’s rotation and his own development through time in the G League.

“It was kind of up and down,” Hendricks said of the start to his career. “I’ll just start from the beginning. Obviously, starting with the injury, kind of being behind, and then starting the season off in the G League — that was pretty hard for me mentally. That first week, it was tough; I was trying to tell myself, ‘This is for the best.’ Once I figured it out, that I can use this to my advantage, everything started to work in my favor.

“When I got called up, then I was ready because of the mindset I had when I was in the G League. I’m still trying to get better, still trying to improve. I’m not perfect.“

Walden speaks to Hendricks about a myriad of topics, including learning Utah’s system, improving both offensively and defensively, and what aspect of his game he’d like to work on most.

“The best thing you can feel is you can help a team win,” Hendricks said. “I feel that I do that, I help this team win. That’s all you can ask for.”

We have more from the Jazz:

Recent rumors indicated that opposing teams have been monitoring what it would take to acquire Jazz star Lauri Markkanen. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Subscriber link) reviews the situation and confirms that Markkanen would like to stay with Utah. Larsen also writes that the Jazz have a star player, coaching staff and front office in alignment on a competitive timeline, which is rare and should be savored. “He knows what I believe in. He believes in the same things,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We’re really in lockstep in this whole thing — we both want the same thing for the Utah Jazz.“
Forward Luka Samanic hasn’t played much for the Jazz this season, appearing in just 13 games. However, he found a way to make an impact in the second half of Utah’s win over the Pistons on Thursday night, drawing unprompted praise from Hardy, who specifically singled him out for staying ready and making the most of his opportunity, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. “His impact on the game was much bigger than his stat line,” Hardy said. “To give us 10 really good minutes in the second half, in an important part of the game, after not playing meaningful minutes for a long time, I think speaks to him and his growth as a young pro.” The 23-year-old forward was the 19th pick in the 2019 draft by the Spurs but bounced around after that before landing with the Jazz. His deal is currently partially guaranteed for $600K, but becomes fully guaranteed for roughly $2.1MM if he’s on the roster beyond January 7.
Keyonte George remains out for the Jazz, but Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker are both questionable for Utah’s Saturday night game against the Raptors, Larsen tweets. Clarkson hasn’t played since Dec. 11, while Horton-Tucker missed his first game of the season Thursday against Detroit.

Injury Notes: Martin, Porzingis, Tatum, Towns, Cavs

December 22nd, 2023 at 11:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Fifth-year wing Cody Martin was unfortunately limited to seven games last season following left knee surgery, and he has yet to play in 2023/24. However, he could make his season debut on Saturday against Denver, as the Hornets have officially listed him as questionable (Twitter link).

As Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer tweets, Martin’s last appearance was on January 14, so it’s been 11-plus months since he suited up. Second-year center Mark Williams (low back contusion) seems likely to miss his seventh straight game though, as he’s doubtful for Saturday’s contest.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

After sustaining a left ankle sprain on Wednesday against Sacramento, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out for Saturday’s contest vs. the Clippers, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Jayson Tatum, who missed his first game on Wednesday, is questionable with the same injury as Porzingis. Adam Himmselsbach of The Boston Globe speculates (via Twitter) that Porzingis won’t be sidelined for very long, as he spotted the Latvian big man carrying his own massage table at the team’s hotel on Friday.
Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee soreness) is out for Saturday’s contest in Sacramento, the team announced (via Twitter). However, Towns’ absence is only “precautionary,” according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who reports that the big man isn’t expected to miss extended time (Twitter link).
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will miss his third consecutive game on Saturday due to an illness, while Sam Merrill is questionable for the matchup with Chicago with a right wrist sprain, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Nets’ Simmons Frustrated By Back Injury, “No Expectations” On Return

December 22nd, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Ben Simmons admits he’s extremely frustrated by the nerve impingement in his lower left back, which has kept him out of action since he sustained the injury on November 6, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“It’s probably one of the most frustrating points in my career just because I wanna be out there to help my team win and compete,” Simmons said prior to Friday’s game against Denver. “But at the end of the day, it’s one of those things that’s a part of sports. Not every game’s promised. Injuries happen. Unfortunately, it happens. So, for me, it’s just focusing on what I can do now and doing what I can to get back on the floor and contribute.”

A couple days ago, the Nets provided an update on Simmons, saying that he would be out at least two more weeks as he continues to recover from the injury. He said he’s basically starting from scratch as he begins on-court work.

“I just started on-court stuff, moving around, get some shots up,” he said. “So just starting from the bottom and work my way up.”

According to Bontemps, while Simmons said he’s “looking forward” to returning, he doesn’t yet know when it will be, noting that back issues are complicated and don’t have definitive recovery timelines like many other injuries do.

“I have no expectations,” Simmons said of a specific return date. “I just come in every day and work. I think that’s one of the things about having injuries like this. I’ve known not to put too much pressure on the exact date or whatever it is. It’s just continue to get better and get to a point where you can play.”

The 27-year-old former No. 1 overall pick has been dealing with similar issues for the past three years, and back pain played a role in limiting him to 42 games last season. The three-time All-Star has played just six games thus far in 2023/24, and is under contract through ’24/25.

Fischer’s Latest: Capela, Hunter, Quickley, Wizards, Rockets

December 22nd, 2023 at 8:50pm CST by Rory Maher

There was minimal trade chatter at the NBA’s annual G League Showcase this week, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Still, the Hawks are among the teams worth keeping an eye on, according to Fischer, who says Atlanta still seems to be open to dealing Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter.

A veteran Swiss big man, Capela is averaging a double-double (11.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG in 26 games) for the seventh straight season. He’s making $20.6MM this season and will earn $22.3MM in 2024/25. Fifth-year forward Hunter, meanwhile, will make $90MM over the next four years after inking a rookie scale extension prior to 2022/23.

The news isn’t surprising, since both players were involved in rumors over the summer and the Hawks have had a pretty disappointing start to the 2023/24 campaign. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto has heard similarly.

While Scotto recently reported that the Knicks would consider trading Immanuel Quickley if the right deal presents itself, Fischer hears the fourth-year guard’s name “has been virtually absent” from early trade talks. Perhaps that will change in the next several weeks leading up to the deadline, but it seems to indicate New York isn’t actively shopping Quickley.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

The 5-22 Wizards look like prime candidates to be sellers at the deadline in the first year of their rebuild, according to Fischer. Daniel Gafford, Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones are among the players who could net positive returns. Rival teams value Kuzma’s contract (four years, $90MM), and the Wizards could get “legitimate first-round capital” if they move the veteran forward, Fischer writes. Opposing executives also think Washington might be able to land a first-round pick for Jones, who is making $14MM in the final year of his deal.
The Wizards will likely receive calls on former lottery picks Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija as well, Fischer adds, but it’s unclear if Washington is interested in dealing them. Avdijia, in particular, would be difficult to trade due to the poison pill provision. According to Fischer, rivals are skeptical Jordan Poole would fetch a “worthwhile return” due to his early-season struggles and pricey long-term contract (he’s owed $123MM+ over the next four years).
The Rockets could be in the market for a backup center, sources tell Fischer. As Fischer explains, free agent addition Jock Landale hasn’t secured a rotation spot, averaging just 8.5 MPG in his 16 appearances, and the team might seek an upgrade behind Alperen Sengun.

Scotto’s Latest: Raptors, Pacers, Hawks, Markkanen, Hornets, More

December 22nd, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Rival executives believe Pascal Siakam is more likely to be traded than OG Anunoby if the Raptors decide to shake up their roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In fact, teams looking for help on the wing think Toronto “will do whatever it takes” to retain Anunoby as a free agent in 2024 — he’s widely expected to decline his $19.9MM player option for next season.

Scotto reports that top front office executives from the Pacers and Hawks had extensive conversations with Toronto’s brass at the NBA G League’s Winter Showcase in Orlando this week. Both teams have consistently been linked to the Raptors for several months, Scotto notes.

If the Raptors trade Siakam, they’d be looking for young players and draft capital in return, according to Scotto, with the goal of retooling around Scottie Barnes and Anunoby.

To that end, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, could be a name to watch in trade talks. He hasn’t played much as a rookie this season, but he’s had some strong performances in the G League. Scotto also hears the Hawks would prefer to keep Jalen Johnson, who was having a breakout third season before sustaining a fractured wrist (he was recently cleared to resume practicing in full).

Here are more rumors and notes from Scotto:

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been the subject of some trade speculation this season, but Scotto is the latest reporter to reiterate that the Finnish star is expected to stay put. According to Scotto, there are three reasons for that: Markkanen wants to remain with the Jazz, the cost of acquiring him could be exorbitant, and he could renegotiate and extend his contract in the offseason, which would bypass 2025 free agency. Multiple executives told Scotto the idea of a possible Markkanen trade was “wishful thinking.”
There’s a “strong belief” among rival executives that the Hornets will make front office changes “by next season at the latest,” Scotto writes. If president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak is fired or moved to a different role, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Wizards senior VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk are potential candidates to replace him, league sources tell Scotto. As Scotto writes, both Peterson and Schlenk previously worked with new Charlotte co-owner Rick Schnall in Atlanta.
Kings guard Keon Ellis and Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. are among the top candidates to be promoted to standard deals from their current two-way contracts, per Scotto. Cleveland has an open roster spot and wouldn’t necessarily need to release anyone to give Porter a raise (and make him playoff-eligible), while Sacramento has Juan Toscano-Anderson on a non-guaranteed deal.

Knicks Rumors: Murray, Anunoby, Barrett, Quickley, Fournier

December 22nd, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

While one recent report indicated the Knicks haven’t been very active in trade conversions thus far this season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from sources who say New York is among a group of teams that have shown “exploratory interest” in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

As Scotto writes, Murray can’t be traded until January 9, which is six months after the one-time All-Star signed a four-year, $111MM+ extension over the summer. But with the Hawks off to a slow start (they’re 12-15, the No. 10 seed in the East), Scotto suggests they’d be willing to listen to offers on several players on their roster, including De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, who have both popped up in trade rumors in the past year.

In June 2022, before Murray was traded to Atlanta from San Antonio, multiple reporters said the Knicks were interested in his services — it’s not surprising that they’re rumored to be checking in on his availability again. Through 27 games this season, the 27-year-old is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG in 34.3 MPG.

Here are a few more Knicks rumors from Scotto:

New York is still interested in Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Scotto reports. When the two teams discussed Anunoby last season, RJ Barrett came up in the talks, but “nothing substantive materialized.” According to Scotto, the Knicks would likely have to give up a significant haul of assets to land Anunoby, who can become a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option for ’24/25.
The Knicks and Immanuel Quickley did not agree to terms on a rookie scale extension before the ’23/24 season began, and Scotto previously reported that there was a pretty significant gap in what the young guard was seeking on his next deal and what New York was willing to offer. That gap — plus the team’s belief that he would eventually like to start — has made the Knicks willing to consider trading Quickley if the right opportunity arises, according to Scotto.
Unsurprisingly, Scotto hears the Knicks have also been attempting to trade Evan Fournier and his expiring contract, but they obviously haven’t found any takers yet — otherwise he wouldn’t still be on the roster.

Suns Notes: Slump, Beal, Nurkic, Okogie, Trade Ideas

December 22nd, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Even without Bradley Beal available, the Suns should be performing better than they have as of late, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, who identifies myriad problems that were on display in Tuesday’s ugly loss in Portland. The team’s role players haven’t shot three-pointers particularly well, the fourth-quarter offense has relied too much on iso-ball, and the perimeter defense hasn’t been stout enough, Bourguet writes.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, star guard Devin Booker said his teammates can’t be “scared to hold each other accountable” and that it’s important to “keep learning each other, keep talking,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

“We all feel it,” Booker said of the Suns’ recent underwhelming play. “Not just one of us. It’s everybody in here. We all have a job and this is the highest form of basketball in the world. It’s not an easy job and we understand that. We have the talent. We have the basketball minds in here to play better than we were.”

While the Suns are disappointed with their performances in the past few games, there have been “no players-only meetings for us so far,” forward/center Chimezie Metu said with a smile on Friday (Twitter video link via Rankin). “Hopefully we don’t have to get to that point, but we’ll see,” he added.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Phoenix announced on Monday that Beal’s sprained right ankle will be reevaluated in two weeks, but the veteran guard tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that he hopes to return “much sooner” than that.
While starting center Jusuf Nurkic won’t be available for Friday’s game in Sacramento for personal reasons, he’s expected to rejoin the club for the Christmas Day game vs. Dallas, tweets Rankin.
Suns wing Josh Okogie, who has missed the past four games due to a hip flexor, said he’ll be a “game-time decision” on Friday (Twitter video link via Rankin). Okogie added that he’s able to run without issue now but needs to make sure he has regained his “explosiveness” before he gets back on the court.
Taking into account the limited collection of movable assets the Suns have at their disposal this season, Bourguet offers up 12 ideas for trades that might be viable and that would potentially upgrade the team’s depth.

Hawks Sign Vit Krejci To Two-Way Deal, Waive Miles Norris

December 22nd, 2023 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

3:05pm: The Hawks have officially signed Krejci to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today in a press release. He’ll be eligible to appear in up to 33 NBA regular season games as part of the deal.

11:08am: The Hawks are making a change to one of their two-way contract slots, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived rookie forward Miles Norris. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Atlanta has agreed to sign G League guard Vit Krejci to fill that two-way opening.

Norris, who played his college ball at three different schools, spent the past three years at UC Santa Barbara before going undrafted this June. He had a strong super-senior season in 2022/23, averaging 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game (35 games) with a .490/.391/.844 shooting line.

Norris quickly agreed to a two-way deal with Atlanta following the draft, but never ended up playing in a regular season NBA game for the team. Appearing in 16 Showcase Cup contests for the College Park Skyhawks – the Hawks’ G League affiliate – the 6’10” forward averaged 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .414/.305/.636.

A 2020 second-round pick, Krejci spent last season with the Hawks, playing a very limited role in 29 NBA appearances after seeing action in 30 games for the Thunder in 2021/22. Atlanta waived him this past offseason and he eventually joined Minnesota’s NBAGL team, the Iowa Wolves. The 6’8″ combo guard just made his Iowa debut on Wednesday after missing time with an injury this fall.

As Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks notes (via Twitter), Krejci is more NBA-ready than Norris, which may be what Atlanta is prioritizing right now with a few players unavailable due to injuries or personal reasons. Norris will likely remain with College Park on a G League contract, assuming he doesn’t find another NBA opportunity, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.