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Suns shooting guard Bradley Beal just can’t seem to catch a break.
The 6’4″ vet is set to be out at least the next two weeks as he recuperates from a sprained right ankle, Phoenix announced (Twitter link). He will then be reassessed, meaning the soonest he could play would happen once the calendar year flips over to January.
Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that Beal would be out for “a few” weeks, while Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic suggested a two-to-three week recovery timeline.
As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes (via Twitter), the 30-year-old’s absence now, at best, will leave just 50 more games for the Suns’ maximum-salaried star triumvirate of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to jell ahead of the postseason.
Beal is a three-time All-Star and a 2021 All-NBA Third Teamer, but he’s been plagued by health issues for years at this point. He has appeared in just six contests for the Suns thus far this year, averaging 14.7 points per game on .449/.429/.708 shooting splits, along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night.
The Florida alum hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games in a season since 2018/19.
Phoenix, expected to be a major postseason contender, may have a little trouble even getting there. At 14-12, the Suns are currently the No. 10 seed in a crowded Western Conference, just two wins north of the No. 11-seeded Warriors. Missing Beal could make for some additional tough sledding in the weeks to come.
In a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, forward Lauri Markkanen made it clear he hopes to remain with the Jazz. An All-Star for the first time in 2022/23, Markkanen also won the Most Improved Player award in his first season with Utah.
Markkanen’s name has popped up in recent trade rumors, though rival executives expect him to stay put. He’s on a very team-friendly contract, making $17.26MM this season and $18.04MM in 2024/25.
Here are a few highlights from Amick’s interview with the Finnish star.
On the team’s slow start (Utah is currently 9-17 after going 37-45 last season):
“I try to look at the big picture. Obviously, we haven’t had the easiest start to the year, but I think it’s about keeping that long-term mindset in mind and trying to get better every day. Of course, we want to win every game, but even when you lose I think there’s things that we can learn and get better at. It’s not the easiest start, but everybody’s being positive still and working on the team stuff and individually as well. We just have to try to get more together and hopefully, we can grab a couple of these wins.”
On Salt Lake City:
“Oh, yeah. Love it. So we’d like to be there. We like the environment. It’s a pretty comfortable place to be.”
On dealing with trade rumors:
“I’ve been traded, I guess, technically three times with draft night included. Sometimes I knew about it. Sometimes I didn’t. So I kind of learned the business side of basketball. I’ve kind of learned to just go day by day and really put the work in and try to play to the best of my abilities and whatever happens happens, really. Like I said, I love being in Utah and it’s a compliment of what you’ve done in the past (that teams have interest). We’ll see. But yeah, I just want to emphasize that I really believe in what we’re building here with the Jazz. Go day by day. Do your best. That’s all you can do.”
The interview is worth reading in full for those who subscribe to The Athletic.
3:50pm: Bridges is unlikely to play on Monday night, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
1:23pm: Forward Miles Bridges was denied entry at the Canadian border on Sunday night and the Hornets are trying to get him to Toronto prior to Monday’s game against the Raptors, a league source tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
While the reason for the denial of access isn’t known, it may be due to his plea deal from last November, when he pleaded no contest — accepting punishment and conviction without admitting guilt — in a felony domestic violence case. He also faces newer allegations that are related to the original case.
As Boone writes, any person with a criminal record can be denied access into Canada. Those with past convictions can file a waiver of exclusion to try and gain clearance, and the process can take several weeks to possibly receive entry. It’s unclear if Bridges filed the waiver, which also has a fee attached, per Boone.
Bridges, 25, remained unsigned all of last season while his legal situation played out. Following an NBA investigation, he received a 10-game suspension to open ’23/24, though the league technically called it a 30-game suspension, with 20 games applied retroactively. Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 after signing a $7.92MM qualifying offer in the offseason.
In an article evaluating fake trade proposals, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says he heard the Pistons have had “internal discussions” about Bridges within the past year. However, due to the forward’s “baggage,” Edwards believes Detroit will avoid Bridges, at least in the short term.
After finishing last season a disappointing 27-55, Charlotte has once again struggled to open ’23/24 and currently holds a 7-17 record. Bridges is averaging 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 14 games (36.2 minutes per contest).
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).
It was the first time that each of the star players have earned the weekly award in the 2023/24 season. Doncic has now been named Western Conference player of the week 10 times, while Antetokounmpo has won for the East 22 times, per their respective teams.
Doncic has been carrying an extremely heavy workload of late amid injuries to multiple teammates, including Kyrie Irving (heel contusion). The Slovenian star led Dallas to a 3-1 week, averaging 36.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11.5 assists and 1.5 steals on .490/.359/.969 shooting in his four appearances (41.0 minutes). The Mavs are currently 16-9, the No. 3 seed in the West.
Greek star Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, averaged 36.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 63.9% from the field in leading Milwaukee to a 4-0 week. The Bucks are currently 19-7, the No. 2 seed in the East.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Keegan Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zion Williamson were the other Western nominees, while Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid and Donovan Mitchell were nominated in the East.
Previous reporting indicated that Bulls guard Zach LaVine prefers to end up with the Lakers if he’s traded, but his agent Rich Paul says that’s not the case.
“It’s not one team,” Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I don’t have a specific destination for Zach. I want what’s best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that’s in Chicago or somewhere else.”
Paul pointed out that his agency — Klutch Sports — has players on 24 of the league’s 30 teams. LaVine is currently sidelined with a foot injury that’s expected to keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. The priority for now is to get the two-time All-Star healthy, Paul told Amick.
Here are some more trade rumors from Amick:
- The Kings have been linked to Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby several times in the past, and while their stance might change, the cost of trading for either player might be too exorbitant for Sacramento, according to Amick. As Amick explains, the Kings likely wouldn’t be willing to make a massive offer with both players possibly hitting unrestricted free agency next summer; Siakam is on an expiring contract, while Anunoby is “widely expected” to turn down his 2024/25 player option (which is worth $19.9MM). Amick hears that Anunoby, in particular, “does not appear to be of significant interest” to Sacramento.
- His injury and expensive contract long-term contract would almost certainly dampen what they’d willing to offer, but Amick suggests the Kings could be interested in LaVine if the price is right. Sacramento went into the offseason focused on improving its defense, Amick writes, and the team has been pretty successful on that front, going from 24th in ’22/23 to 14th in ’23/24. However, after having the NBA’s best offense last season, the Kings are 14th on that end right now too, and Amick suggests they’re focused on adding more shooting and scoring — LaVine’s best attributes. Sources tell Amick that LaVine would be “very amenable” to teaming up with De’Aaron Fox — another Klutch client — in the Kings’ backcourt. That aligns with a report last month from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
- Both Amick and Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee confirm the Kings are highly unlikely to trade second-year forward Keegan Murray, who just erupted for a career-high 47 points on Saturday, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 11 consecutive three-pointers in a single game. As Anderson writes, Murray set multiple franchise records in the victory over Utah: Points in a quarter (26), threes made in a quarter (seven) and threes made in a game (12). He finished a remarkable 12-of-15 from long distance.
11:13am: Cousins’ contract only covers 10 days and four games, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
7:53am: Free agent big man DeMarcus Cousins has reached an agreement to join the Taiwan Beer Leopards, according to Focus Taiwan. The team announced the signing in a press release, calling his addition a significant move for all of Taiwanese basketball.
“We’re confident that with [Cousins’] all-around skills, he’ll bring a totally new chemistry to the Leopards,” CEO Johnny Chang said.
Cousins is expected to join the team midway through next month and will play his first game on January 20, roughly halfway through the team’s T1 League schedule.
The four-time All-Star center told his new fans in a video on the team’s Facebook page that he’s “excited to come over and put on a show for you.”
Cousins, 33, last played in the NBA during the 2021/22 season, appearing in a combined 48 games with Milwaukee and Denver. He signed with the Guaynabo Mets of Puerto Rico in April, hoping it would help him return to the league. He reportedly turned down an opportunity to play in Taiwan last fall.
The Leopards, who have been aggressively pursuing former NBA players, also signed Dwight Howard last season. They are currently second in the five-team T1 League at 5-4.
Donovan Mitchell didn’t want to discuss his future on Saturday after leading the Cavaliers to a win in their first game since long-term injuries knocked Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out of the lineup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. There is already speculation that Mitchell, who has a $37MM player option for 2025/26, will end up somewhere else if he turns down an extension offer from Cleveland. Rumors escalated on Friday when the Cavs announced the prognosis for Garland and Mobley, but it’s not a topic Mitchell feels like addressing.
“My job is to focus on this,” he said, referring to on-court matters. “We have two guys that are out, so I’m not answering anything. And no disrespect. I appreciate that you have to ask the question, but I’m not going there with any of those questions. My focus is on these guys being out, us trying to find a way to get wins.”
Mitchell posted a career-high 13 assists as he took over full-time point guard duties in Garland’s absence. According to Vardon, coach J.B. Bickerstaff talked to Mitchell before the game about the need to get role players involved in the offense as they handle more responsibility with Garland and Mobley sidelined. Bickerstaff is also seeking greater production from center Jarrett Allen, who finished Saturday’s game with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
“J.B. said before the game, it’s not our job to go out there and try to be Superman,” Allen said. “It’s not our job to go out there and try to make up for everything that’s lost. It’s just for us to try to find one area that we can improve in and try to help the team win.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Several contenders, including the Celtics, Thunder and Mavericks, have expressed an interest in Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, sources tell James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Stewart has been one of the few bright spots in Detroit’s ugly season, averaging 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds through 25 games. He signed a four-year, $64MM extension this summer and would be subject to the poison pill provision in any trade until July 1. Edwards also addresses trade suggestions from readers, saying he’s heard the Pistons don’t have interest in adding Utah’s John Collins or Charlotte’s P.J. Washington.
- After passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Bucks‘ career leader in rebounding Sunday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about what it means to eclipse an NBA legend, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “That a kid from Greece, a skinny kid from Greece that was drafted, supposed to play in the G League, be in a position to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record, I don’t think anybody thought about that,” Antetokounmpo said.
- MarJon Beauchamp and Andre Jackson are both contributing to a Bucks team that needs production from its young wings, Nehm adds in a full story.
Draymond Green has already begun counseling and will likely be suspended for at least three more weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. The NBA handed down an indefinite suspension after Green hit Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face in a December 12 game. It’s Green’s second suspension of the season, and the league cited his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” in making it indefinite.
Charania’s sources declined to reveal the nature of the counseling because of privacy concerns, but Green is continuing to work with representatives from the Warriors and the NBA while he’s suspended. Charania adds that Green understands the need for treatment and is “prepared to undergo the process required to return to the team in a full capacity.”
A three-week suspension would have Green back on the court in early January and would result in him missing about 12 games, Charania notes. Golden State has a 2-1 record in the three games since the suspension was imposed.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry‘s historic streak of making at least one three-pointer ended Sunday after 268 games, but his teammates contributed enough for a win over Portland, ESPN reports. Curry, who has carried Golden State’s offense for most of the season, had a rare bad shooting night, hitting just 2-of-12 from the field and going 0-of-8 from three-point range. “We can’t rely on Steph to bail us out on every single night,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It was a tough night for him. But that’s what a team is supposed to be about — everybody filling in for each other, different guys stepping up each night. That’s a great sign, because he’s carried us for long enough this year. We need to give him more help.”
- Andrew Wiggins had his best game since being moved to the bench last week, posting 25 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes, writes Michael Wagaman of NBC Sports Bay Area. Wiggins told reporters this is the first time he hasn’t been a starter since a rec league game when he was in sixth grade, and he vowed to keep working to reclaim his starting role. “It’s different, different for sure,” he said. “It’s another thing I have to deal with. Whatever happens happens. Of course I want to get back to my normal spot. But it could take time, who knows? I can’t really dwell on something that’s a decision made by somebody [else]. I just have to keep playing, keep staying aggressive, stay in the gym and just try to do the right things. Anything can happen in this league. I’m blessed to be here and if I want to get out of this little doghouse I just have to keep fighting my way out.”
- Rookie Brandin Podziemski showed why Kerr trusts him to finish games, drawing a charge with less than a second remaining to preserve Sunday’s victory, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Podziemski ranks fourth in the league in drawing offensive fouls, which is one of the reasons he’s starting in place of Wiggins.
Eric Montross, who played eight NBA seasons after starring at North Carolina, has died at age 52, reports Louis Fernandez of WRAL Sports.
Montross’s family announced his passing this morning, stating they are “grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace.” Montross began treatments for cancer in March.
A seven-foot center, Montross was selected by the Celtics with the ninth overall pick in the 1994 draft. He was a second-team All-Rookie selection after averaging 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his first season, but was only in Boston for two years before being traded to Dallas. He also spent time with the Nets, Sixers, Pistons and Raptors before his NBA career ended after the 2001/02 season.
Montross played for the Tar Heels from 1990-94 under Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith. He was the starting center on the 1993 NCAA championship team and earned first-team All-ACC and Final Four all-tournament recognition.
He worked 18 seasons as an analyst for the Tar Heel Sports Network before stepping away earlier this year.
“Eric was a great player and accomplished student,” Carolina Athletics said in an official statement, “but the impacts he made on our community went way beyond the basketball court. He was a man of faith, a tremendous father, husband and son, and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of the University and Chapel Hill.”
We at Hoops Rumors offer our deepest condolences to Montross’ family and friends.