Celtics Sign Drew Peterson To Two-Way Contract

December 14: Peterson’s two-way deal is official, the Celtics announced.


December 13: The Celtics are expected to sign G League forward Drew Peterson to a two-way contract, according to Adrian Wojanrowski of ESPN (Twitter links). Agents Mike Silverman and Troy Payne tell Wojnarowski that Peterson has agreed to sign with the C’s and is on track to join the team as soon as Thursday.

Peterson, 24, went undrafted earlier this year after spending two seasons at Rice and three at USC. As a “super senior” in 2022/23, he averaged 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, posting a .442/.358/.752 shooting line in 33 games (35.9 MPG) for the Trojans.

As an undrafted free agent, Peterson quickly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami and joined the Heat for summer league play and training camp. He was cut before the regular season began and was designated as an affiliate player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League team.

Peterson was off to a strong start in his first professional season, putting up 15.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.2 APG on .528/.407/.857 shooting in his first 13 games with the Skyforce. Once he officially signs with Boston, he’ll make the move to the Maine Celtics. He’ll also be eligible to appear in up to 35 NBA games, assuming he officially signs on Thursday.

The Celtics won’t need to make a corresponding roster move to open up a spot for Peterson, since they already cut a two-way player earlier this week, parting ways with Nathan Knight on Tuesday. Neemias Queta and JD Davison are Boston’s other two-way players.

If Peterson signs on Thursday, his two-way salary will be $395,708. That salary would become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through January 7.

Mavs Notes: Exum, Supporting Cast, Luka, Kyrie

In his first injury-plagued NBA stint, former No. 5 overall pick Dante Exum was not known for his shooting prowess. However, the Australian guard/forward had an impressive turnaround in his percentages over the past couple seasons in Europe, and after signing with the Mavericks over the summer, Exum is starting to make teams pay for leaving him open.

Exum started the 2023/24 season slowly, as he wasn’t a regular part of Dallas’ rotation. Over his first 17 games, he was just 5-of-22 (22.7%) beyond the arc. But he’s been increasingly earning the team’s trust due to his timely cutting, connective passing and defense, which has led to a jump in playing time (injuries have also been a factor).

As Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes, Exum was scorching hot in Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers, finishing with season highs of 26 points and 36 minutes. He was extremely efficient, going 8-of-10 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from deep. Seven made three-pointers was a career-high for the 28-year-old.

It’s an admittedly very small sample size, but Exum is averaging 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steal on .639/.667/.750 shooting over the past three games, all victories (34.7 minutes). If he continues lighting it up, his $3MM contract for ’23/24 will look like a bargain (his $3.15MM salary for ’24/25 is non-guaranteed).

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • There’s no question that Luka Doncic is the driving force behind the team’s third-ranked offense, but the supporting cast also deserves praise for the Mavs’ 15-8 start, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, who says offseason additions Exum, Dereck Lively, Grant Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. have all provided solid contributions in ’23/24. The team’s depth is much improved from last season’s 38-win campaign, Cato writes.
  • Tuesday’s victory over L.A. was the second of a back-to-back for Dallas, which beat Memphis on Monday. With Kyrie Irving (foot), Josh Green (elbow) and Maxi Kleber (toe) all injured, Doncic has been tasked with an extremely heavy workload, playing 44 minutes on Monday followed by 43 on Tuesday. Following the latest win, Doncic, who was listed as questionable leading into the contest with a lower back contusion, said he was surprised he was able to suit up. “I don’t know how I played,” Doncic said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I slept very little today. Everything hurts. I’m getting old, man, but we got two back-to-back wins, which is amazing, especially against a team like the Lakers. So I’m really proud of these guys.”
  • Irving is wearing a protective boot and using crutches after sustaining a right heel contusion on Friday, MacMahon tweets. Head coach Jason Kidd said there’s still no firm timetable for Irving’s return.

Southwest Notes: Brooks, Morant, Nowell, Green, Bassey

Dillon Brooks doesn’t know what kind of reception to expect when he returns to Memphis on Friday, but he’s been looking forward to it ever since he signed with the Rockets this summer, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Brooks’ new team has beaten the Grizzlies twice already, including on Wednesday night, but both games were played in Houston. He knows the atmosphere will be different in front of the fans at FedEx Forum.

“I can’t wait to get back out there playing,” Brooks said. “This has been circled out there on my schedule.”

For six seasons, Brooks was a fiery part of a brash Grizzlies team, clashing with opponents and challenging teammates to raise their intensity level. However, after saying last month that he felt like a “scapegoat” for the team’s playoff loss to the Lakers, he’s not sure how Memphis fans will receive him.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I miss the Forum. I just can’t wait to get out there, shoot on the court and see what it’s all about. We’ll see what happens.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Ja Morant, who may be nearing the end of his suspension, will speak to the media Friday morning, Cole tweets. If commissioner Adam Silver agrees to reinstate Morant after 25 games, he will be eligible to return Tuesday at New Orleans.
  • With the Grizzlies facing a roster crunch ahead of Morant’s return, they’re not likely to keep Jaylen Nowell, whose second 10-day contract expired Wednesday. Nowell called his time with the organization “a blessing,” according to Cole (Twitter link). “They accepted me, and I’m real thankful for that,” he said. “I definitely think that these guys are going to pick it up and be one of the best teams in the West, for sure.”
  • Rockets coach Ime Udoka is proving that he’s willing to bench anyone who isn’t performing up to expectations, notes Kelly Iko of the Athletic. Jalen Green sat out the entire fourth quarter for the second straight game on Wednesday amid a poor shooting night and questionable decision making. “Play harder like the group that was in,” Udoka responded when asked about his advice for Green. “It starts with effort. Continuing the play through it. Learn from those things, but it’s not always a result of what they don’t do. It’s more so the other lineup and what they’re doing.”
  • Spurs teammates say Charles Bassey is in good spirits despite suffering a season-ending ACL tear, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “He is resilient,” Collins said. “He has come back from stuff before. He is a very positive guy. But we are going to miss him.”

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Collins, Sochan, Johnson

The Spurs have abandoned two experiments related to the development of No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. San Antonio began the season by starting Zach Collins at center and Wembanyama at power forward so the 18-year-old wouldn’t have to battle with other NBA big men. However, Collins’ unexpected struggles with outside shooting — he’s connecting at just 28.4% from three-point range after hitting 37.4% last season — caused coach Gregg Popovich to move him to the bench after 20 games.

“I think if we were shooting it a little bit better, I think it would have worked better,” Collins said. “The negative right now is spacing, so that’s a big reason why we went back to one big out there starting the game instead of two.”

Popovich has also stopped using Jeremy Sochan as his primary point guard, Fischer adds. Sochan is a versatile forward with a gift for passing, but he had never played point guard before Popovich decided to try him at the position in training camp. Fischer notes that instead of having a designated ball-handler, any of the Spurs’ starters are free to lead the break after grabbing a defensive rebound.

Even though the Spurs are losing at unexpected levels, dropping their 18th straight game last night, Wembanyama’s performance is providing hope for the future. He had 30 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and six blocks against the Lakers on Wednesday, and Fischer believes he’ll be a perennial candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

There’s more from San Antonio:

  • The Spurs may consider moving Keldon Johnson before the trade deadline (video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). San Antonio has a surplus of wing players on its roster, and sources tell Spears that Johnson isn’t viewed as a good fit with the rest of the starting lineup.
  • Wembanyama’s first meeting with LeBron James didn’t happen Wednesday because the Lakers‘ star sat out the second game of a back-to-back with calf soreness, but the French rookie was excited about matching up with Anthony Davis, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “He’s somebody I’ve studied a little bit in the past and a great player of course,” Wembanyama said, “and I’m glad I’m going to be able to play so much more times against him.”
  • While Wembanyama has been outstanding, the Spurs don’t have the foundation they were hoping to build by having lottery picks in the previous three drafts, McDonald adds. Joshua Primo, their 2021 pick, is already off the roster. Sochan (2022) has been struggling, possibly because of the attempted position change, and Devin Vassell (2020) has cooled off in December after a strong start to the season.

Latest On Draymond Green

The players union wouldn’t have been on board with an indefinite suspension for Draymond Green if he wasn’t willing to accept it himself, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on a SportsCenter appearance (video link).

Green and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, will meet today with Warriors general manager Mike Dunlevy Jr. to determine what kind of help Green will need to deal with the issues that are leading to his repeated suspensions, and sources tell Wojnarowski that Green has a desire to get counseling.

“I’m told he wants to get help to keep this from happening again,” Wojnarowski said, “to handle whatever issues he might have and whatever challenges he might have in his life.”

Woj adds that by making the suspension indefinite, commissioner Adam Silver is “trying to get to the root of the problem” rather than placing a number of games on Green’s latest act, which involved striking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the head in Tuesday’s game. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Green is looking to deal with the underlying causes of his behavior, maybe for the first time in his career.

There’s more on the Green suspension:

  • The NBA office is sending a message to the Warriors that it’s tired of dealing with Green’s frequent transgressions and their effect on the league’s image, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Kawakami points out that Green has already missed five games this season due to suspension and has been ejected from three others. If his current ban lasts for 10 games, he will have been either suspended or ejected from 18 of the team’s first 33 contests. He’s also just two more flagrant fouls away from another automatic one-game suspension. Green seems incapable of controlling his behavior, adds Kawakami, who speculates that the league’s response to a future incident would be “swift and thunderous” and may result in a suspension for the remainder of the season. If that happens, Kawakami notes that the Warriors’ could either try to get out of the remainder of the four-year, $100MM contract that Green signed this summer, trade him for little or nothing in return, or release him and take the financial hit.
  • Green’s latest incident could spark much-needed roster changes, suggests Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Warriors have lost 12 of their last 17 games and aren’t doing enough to justify a payroll that hovers around $400MM with luxury taxes. With Green unable to stay on the court and Klay Thompson‘s dramatic drop in production ahead of free agency, Amick sees a reduced chance that they and Stephen Curry will all get to retire with Golden State.
  • Green’s suspension will result in a financial benefit for the Warriors because it was imposed by the league instead of the team. Scott Allen of Spotrac looks at how much the organization might save depending on how long Green is out of action.

Hall Of Famer George McGinnis Passes Away

Former NBA and ABA star George McGinnis has died at age 73, the Pacers announced today in a press release. McGinnis passed away early on Thursday morning due to complications from a cardiac arrest he suffered last week.

An Indianapolis native, McGinnis played his college ball with the Hoosiers, then joined the Pacers in 1971. He helped the franchise claim a pair of ABA championships in 1972 and 1973, earning three ABA All-Star nods from 1973-75 and co-MVP honors (with Julius Erving) in ’75, when he lead the league in scoring.

McGinnis later made the move to the NBA and teamed up with Erving in Philadelphia, playing for the Sixers from 1975-78. He made two All-Star teams as a 76er and one more with the Nuggets in 1979 before rejoining the Pacers from 1980-82 to finish his playing career.

In 842 career NBA and ABA games, McGinnis scored 17,009 points and grabbed 9,233 rebounds, good for a double-double average (20.2 PPG, 11.0 RPG). He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame as a player in 2017.

As the Pacers’ press release notes, McGinnis is one of four players in franchise history to have his number (No. 30) retired. Reggie Miller (31), Mel Daniels (34), and Roger Brown (35) are the others.

Our condolences go out to McGinnis’ friends and family.

Bucks, Pacers Have Postgame “Fracas” Over Game Ball

A shootout between the Bucks and Pacers in Milwaukee on Wednesday night featured several milestones: Giannis Antetokounmpo set a new franchise record with 64 points, Damian Lillard surpassed Kyle Korver for the fifth-most total three-pointers in NBA history, and Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe scored his first career point.

After the final buzzer sounded, fans in Milwaukee were treated to another unique moment: a frantic bid to track down and claim the game ball (Twitter video link).

As Eric Nehm of The Athletic and Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star detail, although there was video showing a Bucks staffer grabbing the game ball at the end of the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo was certain that the Pacers had taken it with them to their locker room. Following a brief on-court argument, Giannis and a few of his Bucks teammates ran down the tunnel toward Indiana’s locker room in search of the ball.

“It was Oscar Tshiebwe’s first official NBA point,” Carlisle later told reporters. “We always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis’ franchise record. So we grabbed the ball and a couple of minutes later some of their players ended up in our hallway. There was a big, I don’t know what to call it, a fracas, a melee, whatever. I don’t think any punches were landed, but my general manager (Chad Buchanan) got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players. He certainly has a bruised rib and who knows if it’s anything more than that.

“Unfortunate situation. We don’t need the official game ball. There’s two game balls there. We could have taken the other one. It didn’t need to escalate to that. Really just unfortunate.”

After subsequently watching the video that shows a member of the Bucks’ security team taking the game ball from the referee, Carlisle added: “Turns out that their security guy had grabbed the real game ball used in the game initially. They already had it.”

As Carlisle notes, the Pacers did end up with one ball to commemorate Tshiebwe’s night, but they believe they have a reserve ball, rather than the game ball itself. As for Giannis, while he also ended up with a basketball once things calmed down, he’s not convinced it was the one used in the game.

“I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball. It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand new ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “I can tell, I played, what, 35 minutes today? I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I will take and I’ll give it to my mom, for sure, but I don’t know if it’s actually the game ball.”

Giannis also said that his original goal was to get the game ball for Lillard rather than for himself.

“Dame is fifth of all-time,” he said. “I scored 60. At the end of the day, the ball they gave us, I offered it to Dame. I scored 60, he’s scored multiple times 60, he’s scored 70. He should have the ball. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s fair. I understand when you score your first point in the NBA, you want to have the ball or whatever the case may be. But the end of the day, you’re talking about the guy who just jumped over Kyle Korver on the list. I feel like we should all stop what we’re doing and appreciate greatness.”

It’s hard to believe that this incident, which was essentially a misunderstanding over a piece of memorabilia, will become a source of genuine bad blood between the two teams. But the Bucks weren’t happy about their loss to the Pacers in the in-season tournament semifinal, and things got a little chippy in the fourth quarter on Wednesday following a hard foul by Aaron Nesmith on Antetokounmpo (video link).

It’s also worth noting that Antetokounmpo – who broke the team’s single-game scoring mark with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter – remained in the game until the final buzzer, despite the Bucks’ double-digit lead. He sealed the 140-126 victory with a dunk with 26 seconds remaining. Carlisle was asked after the game if he was surprised the Bucks star didn’t check out earlier.

“No point commenting on it,” Carlisle said. “I think it’s pretty obvious what the answer is.”

At the very least, the division rivalry between the Bucks and Pacers is getting more interesting than it has been in years. The two teams will face one another again on January 1 in Milwaukee and Jan. 3 in Indiana.

Injury Notes: Smart, Kennard, Smith, LeBron, Zion, Suns

The Grizzlies are aiming to get some 5-on-5 work in for Marcus Smart this weekend, head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Wednesday (Twitter link via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal). Jenkins added that Luke Kennard is “probably a step behind” Smart in the recovery process, per Cole.

Smart was diagnosed with a left foot sprain on November 17 and was expected to miss three-to-five weeks. He’s four weeks into that process now, and could be nearing a return. Kennard, meanwhile, has been dealing with a left knee bone bruise. Almost two weeks ago, the Grizzlies said he was expected to be back in two-to-three weeks.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • Pacers big man Jalen Smith (left knee bone bruise) has begun on-court work, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). It’s possible within the next week to 10 days we could see him in a game,” Carlisle said. Smith is averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 70.7% from the field through 14 games (15.4 MPG).
  • Lakers star LeBron James was held out of Wednesday’s back-to-back in San Antonio after playing 40 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to Dallas, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The Lakers said James, who was initially listed as questionable, was dealing with left calf soreness, but it doesn’t sound like anything serious, as he was interacting with teammates on the sidelines throughout the contest.
  • Pelicans forward Zion Williamson missed Wednesday’s win over Washington with left ankle soreness, but it should be a short-term injury, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “His ankle is getting better,” head coach Willie Green said. ” ... His ankle is fine. Day to day.” Williamson sustained the injury late in Monday’s game, Clark notes.
  • Suns wing Josh Okogie sustained a right hip injury and was sidelined for Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). It’s unclear how long Okogie might be sidelined. Guard Eric Gordon also missed the game with a calf injury. On a more positive note for Phoenix, fellow wing Nassir Little returned to the lineup after clearing the NBA’s concussion protocol, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Little wore a black face mask during the contest, as he sustained an orbital fracture last Friday against Sacramento. Surprisingly, Little only missed one full game and most of another with the injury.

Jazz’s Keyonte George To Undergo MRI On Thursday

Jazz guard Keyonte George will undergo an MRI on his left ankle on Thursday after sustaining an injury in the first quarter of Utah’s victory over New York on Wednesday, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

According to Walden and his Salt Lake Tribune colleague Andy Larsen (Twitter links), George initially tried to play through the injury before limping to the locker room. The Jazz referred to it as a left foot injury when they ruled him out for the remainder of the contest, but it sounds like it may be an ankle issue based on the latest update.

The Jazz have struggled to open the 2023/24 season and currently own an 8-16 record, but George has been a bright spot, averaging 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 23 healthy games (26.7 minutes). However, as is the case with many rookies, scoring efficiency has been an issue for the 20-year-old, who has posted a .362/.322/.781 shooting line to this point.

George, who was selected 16th overall in this year’s draft, scored a career-high 30 points in Monday’s loss to Oklahoma City. He claimed a starting job just nine games into the 2023/24 season, replacing Talen Horton-Tucker.

Hopefully the injury is minor. The Jazz have dealt with injuries to multiple rotation players this fall, including star forward Lauri Markkanen, who just returned from a hamstring strain in the same game George was injured. Walker Kessler (elbow) and Jordan Clarkson (leg) have also missed several games, with Clarkson out at least two more weeks.

If George misses more time, Collin Sexton, Horton-Tucker, Ochai Agbaji and Kris Dunn all figure to receive more playing time.