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Mavericks Sign Alex Fudge To Two-Way Deal

March 4th, 2024 at 11:42am CST by Arthur Hill

11:42am: Fudge’s new contract is official, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter).

10:17am: Alex Fudge will join the Mavericks on a two-way contract, agent Shayaun Saee of One Legacy Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The 20-year-old small forward began the season on a two-way deal with the Lakers, appearing in four games before being waived in early January. He returned to the G League’s South Bay Lakers, where he’s averaging 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 18 regular season games.

Fudge signed with L.A. last summer after going undrafted out of Florida. He played one season at LSU before joining the Gators.

Dallas will have a full 18-man roster once Fudge’s signing becomes official.

Today marks the last day this season that players can be signed to two-way contracts. Dallas’ deal with Fudge leaves Atlanta, Indiana and New York as the remaining teams that currently have openings.

Devin Booker Expected To Miss 7-10 Days With Sprained Ankle

March 4th, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Arthur Hill

Suns star Devin Booker will likely be sidelined at least seven-to-10 more days due to the right ankle sprain he suffered Saturday night, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Booker was injured late in Saturday’s game against Houston when he and teammate Royce O’Neale got tangled up on defense. Booker immediately headed to the locker room to get his ankle checked out, and coach Frank Vogel said X-rays were negative.

Booker was held out of Sunday’s game as Oklahoma City staged a late rally to win in Phoenix. Charania notes that the Suns are 31-19 with Booker this season, but only 4-7 when he’s not available.

Phoenix plays three times this week, traveling to Denver on Tuesday before returning home for a game against the Raptors on Thursday and a meeting with the Celtics on Saturday. Booker may be able to play next Monday at Cleveland, but a 10-day absence would push his return to next Thursday in Boston.

Every game without Booker is significant for the Suns, who are currently seventh in the West and are battling to avoid the play-in tournament. He has appeared in 50 of the team’s first 61 contests and continues to be among the league’s most efficient scorers, averaging 27.5 points per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range.

Pacers Promote Kendall Brown On Three-Year Contract

March 4th, 2024 at 9:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 4: The signing is official, the Pacers announced in a press release.

MARCH 3: The Pacers are converting swingman Kendall Brown‘s two-way contract into a three-year standard deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The club will use a portion of its room exception to complete the deal.

Indiana had an open roster spot, so it doesn’t have to make a corresponding move. Naturally, the Pacers will now have a two-way slot available. The deadline to sign players to two-way contracts is Monday.

Brown, the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has played sparingly in six NBA appearances this season. He also played six games as a rookie.

The 6’7” Brown has spent most of the season in the NBA G League with the Indiana Mad Ants. He’s averaging 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.6 minutes per game through 33 games, combining the G League’s Showcase Cup and regular season schedules.

In the short run, Brown will add depth to the wing positions. Doug McDermott is currently out due to a calf injury and the Pacers dealt Buddy Hield at the trade deadline.

Brown re-signed with Indiana on a two-way deal in July.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bridges, Fultz, Coulibaly

March 4th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries and losses continue to pile up for the Hornets after a brief upturn last month, but head coach Steve Clifford won’t consider tanking over the final 21 games, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

With five rotation members sidelined, Charlotte dropped a close game at Toronto on Sunday night for its fifth loss in the last six games. At 15-46, the Hornets have the league’s fourth-worst record and are two games ahead of San Antonio for a chance to become one of three teams with the best odds at the No. 1 pick, but Clifford doesn’t want to approach the rest of the season that way.

“Look, we’re shorthanded and there’s a big difference between in some of the games you play, there’s going to be a real challenge to win,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you play losing basketball. And there’s a big difference between teams that just pack it in and teams that play the right way and win. And I think as an organization, I think trying to win every game is a big thing.”

Seth Curry, Cody Martin and Nick Richards are the latest additions to Charlotte’s injured list, and they were on the bench in street clothes Sunday along with LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams. Boone notes that two-way players Amari Bailey and Leaky Black have been called up to provide some depth, and Marques Bolden was re-signed to a two-way contract last week two days after being waived.

Clifford points out that the remainder of the season will be crucial for those inexperienced players as they try to establish themselves in the NBA, and he doesn’t want to expose them to a culture that’s focused on losing.

“With younger players, to me, it’s absolutely critical that they understand the importance of getting better every day,” Clifford said. “I’m a firm believer, especially for younger guys, that their first experience is the way they view the league, the way they have to be taught how to be a good NBA player. I think they have to gain an understanding of how to win.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Miles Bridges didn’t experience any customs issues during this trip to Canada, Boone tweets. The Hornets forward was denied access to the country during the team’s December 18 visit because of his legal issues.
Markelle Fultz was the only Magic reserve to score in double figures Sunday night as he continues to come off the bench after missing three games due to an aching left knee. Fultz told Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel that he isn’t concerned about not starting (Twitter link). “If I’m in the game, [I’m] playing as hard as I can,” Fultz said. “But I don’t really care about that, man. I care about winning any way possible.”
After missing three games with a pelvic contusion, rookie Bilal Coulibaly isn’t on the Wizards‘ injury report for tonight’s game at Utah, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, McBride, Randle, Anunoby, Hart

March 4th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The left knee injury that knocked Jalen Brunson out of Sunday’s game in the first minute appears to be minor, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. There was extreme concern when Brunson had to be helped off the court after air-balling a jump shot and falling to the ground in pain. However, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that X-rays came back negative and hinted that Brunson might be available for Tuesday’s game against Atlanta.

“Anytime someone goes down like that you have concern, but then he felt a little better, he had the X-rays, he was examined by the doctors and so that news is good,” Thibodeau said. “… “I guess [it’s possible that he plays Tuesday against the Hawks]. It’s a knee contusion and everything was negative so we’ll see where he is [Monday].”

Replays showed that Brunson was injured when he collided with teammate Isaiah Hartenstein while running around a screen, Bondy adds. He appeared to suffer a jolt of pain as he released the jumper and called for the trainer as he grabbed his knee and shin area.

Donte DiVincenzo told Bondy that Brunson didn’t appear concerned after the game.

“I asked him if he was OK. And he said he’ll be fine. And that’s everything to me,” DiVincenzo said. “Like I said the last time he went down [with a sprained ankle earlier in the season], I don’t worry about Jalen. He’s one of the toughest guys in the league. … Whatever it is, he’s going to bounce back. He’s tough as nails.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

New York was able to pick up an important road win without Brunson because of the gritty play of Miles McBride, Bondy states in a separate story. The backup guard replaced Brunson after the injury and never came out, logging more than 47 minutes while serving as the primary defender on Darius Garland and sinking a clutch three-pointer in the game’s final minute. “I feel fine honestly. That’s what I put in the offseason work for. I prepare my body for this,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen. [Brunson] should be fine hopefully, but got to be ready for anything.”
Thibodeau said Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby all took “the next step” on Sunday by traveling with the team for the first time since going down their respective injuries, Bondy adds in another piece. Randle and Anunoby have been cleared for basketball activities, and Bondy says there’s continued optimism that Randle will be able to avoid surgery on his dislocated right shoulder.
Josh Hart tied his career high with 19 rebounds as part of a triple-double on Sunday. He also took a playful jab at the Cavaliers’ bench after nailing a corner three-pointer with 1:36 remaining, grabbing at a chain worn by Donovan Mitchell, who was in street clothes, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “Me just kinda being a competitor and just having fun, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s tough,’” Hart said he told the bench. “And then I saw Donovan and obviously that’s my guy and then I saw the chain and I was like, ‘Ooh! That’s nice!’ But nah, I wanna play this game with competitiveness but also grace and joy.”

Nuggets Notes: Winning Streak, KCP, Key, Top Seed, Lakers

March 3rd, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have won six straight, reminding the league that the championship still runs through Denver, The Athletic’s Tony Jones writes.

The development of Peyton Watson and Christian Braun has supplemented Denver’s starting five after the Nuggets lost some key reserves during the offseason.

Denver put away the Lakers 124-114 on Saturday night with Nikola Jokic recording 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” coach Michael Malone said. “We know that we have to play well, especially at this time of the year. We lost three in a row going into the break, and I’m just impressed at our mindset coming into the second half of the season. We got up for Washington. We got up for Portland and Golden State and so on. We’re playing the right way this time of year, and our guys are locked in, regardless of the opponent.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and two-way player Braxton Key were both away from the team Saturday due to personal reasons, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. Both players are expected to return before the team’s next game on Tuesday against the Suns.
Caldwell-Pope told Durando that Nuggets want to be the No. 1 seed, but as Durando writes, that may not be a great spot come playoff time. Jokic notes they could draw a traditional powerhouse in the first round. “Nobody wants the Lakers in the first round or Golden State in the first round,” Jokic said.
The Nuggets have faced the Lakers during some special nights this season, Durando tweets. They beat the Lakers on opening night in a rematch of the Western Conference finals. They also matched up the night Kobe Bryant‘s statue was unveiled and, on Saturday, when LeBron James scored his 40,000th career point. “It’s weird,” Jamal Murray said. “Every time there’s some night in L.A., we’ve gotta play them, you know? Like, first game of the season, revenge game? We play them. Mamba Night? We play them. LeBron night? We play them. It’s like, man, give them somebody else.”

Jalen Brunson Departs In Opening Minute With Knee Injury

March 3rd, 2024 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:37pm: Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Brunson has a knee contusion and X-rays were negative, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

8:03pm: Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson departed their game against the Cavaliers on Sunday night with what the team’s PR department described as a sore left knee (Twitter link).

Brunson suffered the non-contact injury during the opening minute of the contest. He dribbled to the elbow and elevated to take a shot. He grabbed his leg before he even landed.

Brunson briefly got up and hobbled around before he was helped to the locker room.

A significant injury to their floor leader would obviously be a devastating blow to the Knicks, who are already operating without three starters. Julius Randle is recovering from a dislocated shoulder and OG Anunoby is trying to work his way back from elbow surgery. Mitchell Robinson has been sidelined since early December after undergoing ankle surgery.

Brunson is averaging a career-high 27.7 points and 6.7 assists per contest. He averaged 31.9 points and 7.4 assists in 37.8 minutes per game during February.

If Brunson is out for an extended period, the Knicks will have to lean on backup Miles McBride. Shake Milton, who was bought out by the Pistons, is expected to sign with New York and could also jump into the guard rotation.

Sixers Notes: Lowry, Hield, Embiid, Harris, Oubre

March 3rd, 2024 at 6:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyle Lowry has quickly seized the starting point guard spot for the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Lowry had 15 points and 10 assists against Charlotte on Friday. He didn’t shoot it well on Sunday in a four-point victory over Dallas but he dished out seven assists with no turnovers in 33 minutes.

Having Lowry in the starting five will allow reserves Cameron Payne and Kelly Oubre Jr. to play off each other.

“As I said to you [Friday], it was heading that way anyway for the time being,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Trying to get a different combination. And I think that maybe the combination of Cam Payne and Kelly off the bench is a good duo to pair there together. So that’s what I’m trying to get to.”

Lowry signed with Philadelphia in mid-February after being bought out by Charlotte.

We have more on the Sixers:

The 76ers prepared for their win over the Mavericks in a unique way. They held a practice on Saturday at Buddy Hield‘s spacious workout gym at his house in Dallas. “I stay in Dallas in the offseason,” Hield told Pompey. “This is where I work out. This is where my family stays. It’s nothing better to bring the guys to the house and let’s shoot around. You know it’s an early game. So team bonding, you know, see where I stay. … It’s fun.”
Joel Embiid has “started on-court workouts and began lifting 100% of the weight he lifted prior to the injury,” ESPN’s Katie George reported during the broadcast on Sunday (hat tip to Austin Krell). An update on Embiid’s progress from the team is expected at some point this week. The reigning MVP, who underwent knee surgery in early February, expressed optimism during a recent interview that he would return before the end of the season.
Tobias Harris led the offense against Dallas with 28 points and Oubre provided the spark off the bench with 21 points, all but two after halftime. Harris has 59 points in the past two games. “Everybody’s kind of figuring out our chemistry overall as a group,” Harris said, per Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “We knew it was going to take some time … figuring out ways to be successful out there. We’ve just got to stay at it.”

Mavericks’ A.J. Lawson Promoted To Standard Roster

March 3rd, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

4:55pm: Lawson’s promotion to the 15-man roster is official, the Mavericks confirmed in a press release.

3:05pm: Two-way Mavericks shooting guard A.J. Lawson is being elevated to a standard roster deal, his agent, Elias Sbiet of Tandem Sports + Entertainment, informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Lawson has already appeared in 28 contests with Dallas this season. The 23-year-old is averaging 3.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.3 minutes per game. For the Mavericks’ NBAGL affiliate club, the Texas Legends, he’s averaging 20.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.9 APG.

Dallas has one open spot on its 15-man standard roster, so the team won’t need to make any corresponding move on that end to accommodate Lawson.

Promoting Lawson will open up a two-way slot, which the Mavs will have until Monday at the latest to fill. Greg Brown and Brandon Williams occupy the club’s other two-way roster slots.

A 6’6″ swingman, Lawson went undrafted out of South Carolina in 2021 and joined the Hawks’ NBAGL affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, in 2021/22.

In ’22/23, he signed a pair of short-lived two-way contracts with the Timberwolves. He then inked a two-way deal with Dallas and returned to the club in the 2023 offseason.

Central Notes: Wiseman, Sasser, Merrill, Bitim

March 3rd, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons are still hoping reserve center James Wiseman can produce on a more consistent basis, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). During his first full season in Detroit, the seven-footer out of Memphis is averaging 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks across 40 appearances. The No. 2 pick in 2020 is now playing just 14.3 minutes per night for a 9-50 Pistons club.

“I just want him to be consistent,” head coach Monty Williams said. “The effort is always there. Communication in defense is improving. We love his presence in pick-and-rolls. We just want to see consistency.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Pistons rookie swingman Marcus Sasser, who’s dealing with a knee injury, is considered probable to suit up for today’s bout with the Magic, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter). Edwards notes that, should Sasser actually play, Detroit will field a completely healthy roster for the first time all season.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wonders if, after scoring 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting – all from long range – during a 110-100 victory over the Pistons on Friday, Cavaliers shooting guard Sam Merrill might have earned further consideration for legitimate rotation minutes. Merrill is already enjoying a career year with Cleveland. In 41 games this year, the Utah State product is averaging a career-best 7.8 PPG on a .435/.435/.917 shooting line, with career highs in rebounds (1.9) and assists (1.5) per game as well.
Bulls rookie shooting guard Onuralp Bitim has enjoyed a pair of solid games since being promoted from a two-way contract onto the injury-plagued club’s standard roster. He’s averaging 21.9 minutes across his last two contests and scoring 8.0 PPG on .455/.571/1.000 shooting, along with 5.0 RPG. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times details, the 24-year-old was a seasoned pro long before making his NBA debut with Chicago. The 6’6″ wing has been playing with Turkish clubs since he was 19. ‘‘Playing professionally since such a young age helped me a lot because, in the end, basketball is universal,’’ said Bitim, whose parents both suited up for professional Turkish teams. ‘‘[My mom] tells me that I got my IQ and vision from her… My dad says that the athleticism and other things are from him.’’