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And-Ones: Okafor, Ferrell, Rookies, Player Empowerment

November 25th, 2023 at 10:09am CST by Tristan Tucker

Signing with Zaragoza in Spain hasn’t gone exactly according to plan for former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor, with the team stumbling out to a 3-7 record after he signed this summer. According to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia, Okafor is now departing Zaragoza to sign with a Chinese club, the Zhejiang Lions, who will pay for his buyout.

It sounds like the magnitude of the offer received from Zhejiang was the biggest sticking point for Okafor, and that it was more than he could’ve received from Zaragoza, as detailed in a piece from BasketNews.com.

Zaragoza head coach Porfirio Fisac openly discussed his thought process on the matter before Okafor left, as relayed by BasketNews.com.

“If he leaves, for me right now in his career, it’s a mistake,” Fisac said. “I think he’d be mistaken. He’s played 15 or 20 games and is in good physical condition. It is true that he still has a lot to improve, but we cannot put more pressure on him in terms of changes of pace and efforts.

“We are taking care of him. If he stays here, his career will be extended by 10 years. If he goes somewhere else, he will play five more years. It all depends on where the money is or whether you want to earn it today or later. Everyone has their own way of thinking.”

Okafor, 27, holds six seasons of NBA experience across stints with the Sixers, Nets, Pelicans and Pistons. His last NBA appearance came in 2020/21 with Detroit. He averages 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 247 games (116 starts) for his career.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Yogi Ferrell is receiving overseas interest, with Serbian club Partizan reaching out to the 30-year-old guard, according to Eurohoops.net. Partizan is currently dealing with injury issues in the backcourt, leading to their interest in Ferrell. Ferrell appeared in 259 games (53 starts) across five seasons in the NBA with the Nets, Mavericks, Kings, Cavaliers and Clippers. His last NBA appearance came in 2020/21 and he holds career averages of 7.7 points and 2.3 assists.
While Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama have seemingly made the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award a two-man race early in the season, the entire crop of first-year players has been impressive. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie took stock of rookies across the league, ranking Dereck Lively, Brandon Miller, Ausar Thompson, Jordan Hawkins and Cason Wallace as the next five (in order) behind Holmgren and Wembanyama on the league’s rookie ladder. It’s a different take on the rookie class than what ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton offered last week — ESPN’s duo was a touch higher on Detroit’s Marcus Sasser and lower on Lively, though all of Marks, Pelton and Vecenie agreed Holmgren was the overall most impressive rookie so far.
This summer’s trade requests from Damian Lillard and James Harden added another chapter to the NBA’s player empowerment saga. According to Heavy Sports’ Steve Bulpett, NBA owners are seeking ways to prevent or minimize the practice of players demanding trades in the fashion we’ve been accustomed to. “I think the whole player empowerment piece that has been running in the league for last couple of years? I think it’s about run its course, because so many just haven’t worked out,” Bulpett’s Eastern Conference source said.

Central Notes: Williams, Caruso, Middleton, Duren

November 25th, 2023 at 8:17am CST by Tristan Tucker

Bulls forward Patrick Williams made a cameo appearance in Chicago’s starting lineup on Wednesday while Zach LaVine dealt with foot soreness, but returned to the bench on Friday when LaVine returned to play. Williams had 10 points (33.0% shooting) in 37 minutes as a starter on Wednesday but followed that up with 12 points (50.0% shooting) in 22 minutes off the bench on Friday.

That’s been indicative of his season as a whole, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, who writes that Williams has looked better in fewer minutes off the bench than in an extended role in the starting lineup. Williams agreed he’s been more comfortable running with the reserves this year.

“100 percent. That’s just the natural way of basketball and the way this team is,” Williams said. “You have three All-Stars. They need the ball. We need them to have the ball in order for us to win. I think that limits the opportunities for anybody else in that first unit.”

Johnson writes that Williams isn’t fazed by his move to the second unit.

“Confidence is not a problem for me,” Williams said. “I know who I am. I know what I can do. I know what I bring to the table. I’m 100 percent confident in what I can do at both ends.”

Johnson writes that it would still ultimately be better for the long-term health of the franchise if Williams is able to reclaim his starting spot considering he was the No. 4 overall pick in 2020. He’s also aware of management’s similar feelings on the matter, who placed an emphasis on how important this season was for Williams’ growth.

“It’s for sure a good thing. I’ve talked to them about it. This is my fourth year in the NBA, third year playing. It’s that time. I know I can. I know I will. It’s a matter of turning what’s said and what’s felt into what’s actually happening on the court,” Williams said. “That’s the bridge we’re trying to build now.”

We have more from the Central Division:

After teammate Coby White accidentally stepped on his foot, Alex Caruso missed the final 19 minutes of the Bulls‘ Friday loss to the Raptors, according to Johnson in a separate story. Caruso recently sat out two games with a sprained left toe and White stepped on the same foot, according to Johnson. “It was pretty painful. It was probably the right decision,” Caruso said of not going back into the game. “There was probably only more negative that could’ve happened than positive throwing me back out there with the athletes and the pace of the game and the physicality of it.“
Bucks wing Khris Middleton exited Friday’s contest against the Wizards with left Achilles tightness. However, he didn’t have to undergo any imaging on the Achilles, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link), and it doesn’t sound like the injury is too serious. “I think he had some tightness in his left Achilles and so just took him out for precautionary measures,” head coach Adrian Griffin said. “And then we’ll just evaluate him tomorrow.” Middleton has missed three games this season and is averaging 11.6 points in 19.8 minutes per game.
Pistons center Jalen Duren returned to action on Friday after missing four straight games due to a lingering sprain in his right ankle. Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link) analyzed what Duren brings to the table, asserting that Detroit is a different team with him, as he provides a dominant lob threat and defensive anchor for the team. However, Duren has been limited to just nine games this season. The Pistons brought him off the bench on Friday and it appeared they were going to ramp up his return to play, but he wound up playing 29 minutes.

Bulls’ DeRozan “Beyond Frustrated” After Latest Loss

November 24th, 2023 at 11:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan received his second technical foul and was ejected with one second remaining in Friday’s loss at Toronto after having choice words with the Raptors’ bench.

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes, DeRozan was upset that Raptors forward Pascal Siakam attempted a three-pointer with three seconds remaining while Toronto was up 12 points and could have let the clock run out.

Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told Bulls coach Billy Donovan after the game that they were focused on the point differential (for tiebreakers) during the in-season tournament contest, but Toronto had already been eliminated from the tournament when Orlando defeated Boston earlier in the day.

“I don’t care about no in-season tournament points, none of that. Just respect for the game,” DeRozan said. “If the roles was flip-flopped and I had the ball, hold it. It is what it is.”

“I mean, I knew that (they were eliminated),” DeRozan continued. “But I didn’t care about that either. Just everybody was yelling at him, ‘Score, score, score.’ Take the win. Get out of here. Like I said, if roles were reversed, needing in-season tournament points or not, just for the respect I have for my opponents, I hold the ball. Especially if there’s no shot clock. That’s just me.”

Of course, the bigger concern for the Bulls is the fact that they’re now 5-12, having lost three straight and six of their past seven games. According to Johnson, DeRozan was exasperated by the latest loss — he ripped a towel during a timeout and tore off his jersey after the ejection.

“I can’t fake it. I’m beyond frustrated. And I think it’s rightfully so as a competitor,” DeRozan said. “Everybody in this locker room is frustrated. It’s from a good place of being a competitor and wanting to figure it out that badly. Put a couple wins together. I really truly believe that can shift everything for us.

“… We gotta challenge ourselves. We can’t have those spiritual talks. We gotta challenge each other to leave it all the way out there. That’s a good thing to be challenged. Ask something of yourself more than you ever have at this point, myself included. That’s where we’re at.”

As we previously noted, things won’t get any easier for Chicago in the near future. The team has a really tough schedule over the next few weeks, so the Bulls will have to play much better to have a shot at turning their season around.

Kings Waive Filip Petrusev

November 24th, 2023 at 10:30pm CST by Rory Maher

10:30pm: Petrusev has been officially waived, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

10:05pm: The Kings plan to waive big man Filip Petrusev, a league source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, the Kings intend to keep their 15th standard roster spot open “for the foreseeable future” once the move is official. Petrusev is expected to sign a contract overseas, Woj adds.

James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com reports (via Twitter) that the Serbian forward/center will be signing with EuroLeague team Olympiacos — there were rumors linking Petrusev to the Greek club last week.

Petrusev, 23, was the 50th pick of the 2021 draft. He was stashed overseas for a couple years before signing a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers this offseason. Philadelphia traded him to the Clippers in the James Harden deal, and he was immediately flipped to Sacramento for cash.

Although Petrusev was on a two-year deal, only his salary for 2023/24 included guaranteed money — he’ll make $559,782, half of the rookie minimum (or the equivalent to a two-way salary). That will also be the Kings’ cap hit when Petrusev clears waivers, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Petrusev, who played college ball at Gonzaga, won a EuroLeague championship with Anadolu Efes in 2022, earned a Serbian League title with Crvena Zvezda in 2023, and was part of the Serbian national team that finished second at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Now he’ll be heading back to Europe after what must have been a frustrating NBA experience — he was on three different rosters just a week into his rookie season.

Overall, Petrusev appeared in three games this season — one with Philadelphia, two with Sacramento — for 10 total minutes.

The Kings will have 17 players under contract once Petrusev is released, with all three of their two-way spots filled.

Southwest Notes: H. Jones, Grizzlies, A. Holiday, Lively

November 24th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans wing Herbert Jones wants to make sure he doesn’t take his foot off the gas pedal this season after signing a four-year, $54MM deal as a restricted free agent over the summer, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

“I think the biggest thing for me was after I signed, I never got complacent,” Jones said. “I know it’s not the most somebody has signed for in the NBA. But it’s still a lot of money.

“A lot of people, once they get to the first one, a lot of guys back off the gas a little bit. I just wanted to continue to work hard and show my true love for the game. There really was no dollar amount that could slow the grind down.”

With a well-deserved reputation as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, Jones is off to a pretty remarkable start on that end of the court in 2023/24, especially from a play-making perspective. As Clark notes, Jones is currently averaging 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, trailing only Anthony Davis in “stocks” (steals plus blocks).

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details how Jaren Jackson Jr. helped Bismack Biyombo quickly acclimate to the Grizzlies, writing that the two big men had a preexisting relationship, as they’re both vice presidents of the National Basketball Players Association. Following a season-ending knee injury to Steven Adams, the Grizzlies signed Biyombo once Ja Morant was placed on the suspended list. The Congolese center has played a prominent role for the injury-ravaged team, starting eight of his nine games while averaging 7.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 25.1 MPG. “He can fit in any locker room,” Jackson said of Biyombo. “He’s a great leader. That’s why he’s doing what he does for his country and does what he does for the union. I know how much he cares about the league. That care carries over to the locker room.”
Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, a free agent addition over the offseason, has been playing a regular role with No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson sidelined due to an ankle sprain, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “He’s a guy that can play on and off the ball,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Holiday. “Stronger, tougher than his size and then also shoots the ball well, so he’s been invaluable to us with the guys out. He’s been really good lately.”
In a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Mavericks first-rounder Dereck Lively touched on his influences, his rookie season thus far, and playing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, among other topics. Lively will be sidelined for Friday’s matchup against the Clippers due to a lower back contusion he sustained on Wednesday vs. the Lakers, per the NBA’s official injury report.

Injury Notes: Hachimura, Porzingis, Jal. Williams, Simons

November 24th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Rui Hachimura underwent surgery on Friday to repair a nasal fracture he sustained during Wednesday’s loss to Dallas, the Lakers announced (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). The 25-year-old will be reevaluated in about a week.

It’s an unfortunate setback for Hachimura, who missed four games earlier this season while in the NBA’s concussion protocol. If he returns in exactly one week, which seems optimistic, he would miss another four games — the Lakers begin a four-game road trip tomorrow in Cleveland that runs through next Thursday.

Hachimura, who re-signed with L.A. as a restricted free agent over the summer, is off to a solid start to the 2023/24 season, averaging 11.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .505/.429/.786 shooting through 12 games (23.3 MPG).

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

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that he’ll undergo an MRI on Saturday after tweaking his left calf during Friday’s loss to Orlando (Twitter link). Porzingis, who is averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 1.8 BPG on .553/.329/.810 shooting through 14 games (30.8 MPG) with his new club, is optimistic that the injury isn’t serious. He also says he didn’t slip, which some players have mentioned as being an issue with the in-season tournament courts.
Thunder wing Jalen Williams was unable to practice on Friday and will miss his third straight game on Saturday due to a left hip strain, tweets Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder. A 2022 lottery pick (12th overall) who finished runner-up for Rookie of the Year in ’22/23, Williams is averaging 17.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.6 APG on .518/.368/.880 shooting in 13 games (33.2 MPG) for Oklahoma City, which holds the second-best record in the Western Conference at 11-4.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons said his surgically repaired thumb is improving, adding that he’s been doing ball-handling and “a little bit of shooting,” according to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). As Highkin notes, Simons has been out for approximately four weeks, and he was expected to miss about six weeks.

T.J. Warren Eyeing NBA Return, Says He’s Fully Healthy

November 24th, 2023 at 5:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran forward T.J. Warren remains an unrestricted free agent after he was unable to find a new team during the 2023 offseason. Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Warren said he’s still focused on finding another NBA job and is fully healthy after playing just four games from 2020-22.

Here are a few highlights from Scotto’s interview with the nine-year veteran, who averaged 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 42 regular season games (16.4 minutes per contest) with Brooklyn and Phoenix in 2022/23.

On Warren’s preparation while he waits for another NBA opportunity:

“Every day, I’m working out, staying sharp, and staying ready. I’m continuing to do everything I can to prepare myself physically and mentally. All is well. I’m continuing to control what I can right now.”

On what type of role he envisions and for what types of teams:

“There are a lot of teams that can use bench scoring for sure. I watch the NBA every day, and I’m watching to see where I can see myself helping playoff teams get over the hump and be a presence on both ends of the floor. I take pride in being a two-way player. I know a lot of people doubt my defensive ability because I score easily. I take pride on both ends of the floor. There are definitely a lot of playoff teams I can contribute to and make an impact.”

On his health:

“I’m 100 percent healthy now. The foot injuries were a part of my career during those two years. I feel like I was reaching a crazy pinnacle right around the bubble. It was a great situation. Unfortunately, I had the injuries, and it set me back a little bit. I want to go out there and prove myself like I always have my whole career, being kind of under the radar. I feel like my production speaks for itself. I understand the concerns because two years was a long time, especially when you don’t know the situation thoroughly, but I’m completely healthy now and looking forward to the opportunity to prove myself again.”

Warren, 30, holds career averages of 14.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 374 regular season games (27.4 minutes). Scotto’s full conversation with Warren can be found right here.

Kai Jones Discusses Hornets Exit, Says He’s Meeting With Teams

November 24th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing this week on the Vizion Podcast (YouTube link), big man Kai Jones discussed the end of his relationship with the Hornets, explaining that he “loved the whole situation in Charlotte” but that he also believes a fresh start could ultimately be for the best.

Explaining the factors that led to his release, Jones said the Hornets were concerned about “the social media stuff,” as well as his sleeping patterns. The 22-year-old said that he was “going through some things” off the court, including the death of his great-grandmother, but that he bristled when the Hornets asked him to speak to a therapist.

“At this time, I’m stubborn, I’m like, ‘Bro, I do not want to see a therapist. I just want to meditate and clear my head and use my intuition to figure out my own issues,'” Jones said. “They’re like, ‘No, you should go to a therapist.'”

Although Jones eventually relented and met with a therapist, he said that he didn’t feel like those sessions were helping him. When the Hornets subsequently asked him not to report to training camp, he recognized that his days with the franchise were likely numbered and requested a trade.

“(Hornets general manager) Mitch (Kupchak) tells me I’m not allowed to do training camp,” Jones said. “When he tells me that, that was when I was like, ‘Yo, I’m off of this team.’ How can I play here? They’re not letting me do training camp. They’re not allowing me to try out for my position, right? So I’m upset, I’m like, ‘Yo, I just wanna leave now. I’m gonna leave.'”

According to Jones, after he asked for a change of scenery, Kupchak told him that the front office didn’t think he would have any real value on the trade market. Jones disagreed, but was ultimately waived instead of being traded. He’s now an unrestricted free agent and said he has spoken to multiple clubs since being let go by Charlotte.

“Right now I’m just meeting with teams, they’re trying to get to know me better, kind of analyzing my character,” Jones said. “I think the biggest thing for me is if I want to take it somewhere else in life and be more successful than I ever have been, I’ve gotta work harder than I ever have, be more detailed than I ever have, be more consistent than I ever have, and be stronger in my will, in my head space, and (physically) than I ever have.”

Jones declined to get into specifics on which teams he has been in contact with since being cut by the Hornets, but one report last week suggested the Clippers brought him in for “a visit of some capacity.” He’s still earning his full $3,047,880 salary for 2023/24, which was guaranteed as part of his deal with the Hornets.

NBA Investigating Allegations Against Josh Giddey

November 24th, 2023 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is looking into allegations made against Thunder guard Josh Giddey, league spokesperson Mike Bass said today (Twitter links via Chris Mannix of SI.com and Shams Charania of The Athletic).

A series of videos and photos went viral on social media this week accusing Giddey, who turned 21 last month, of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Giddey was asked during a media session on Friday about the allegations and declined to address them, telling reporters, “I understand the question, obviously, but there’s no further comment right now” (Twitter video link via Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder).

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also rebuffed questions about the situation on Friday when he was asked about is being a possible distraction, referring to it as a “personal matter” and declining to comment (Twitter video link via Stiles).

There’s no indication to this point that Giddey won’t continue to be available for the Thunder while the NBA’s investigation is ongoing. He has started each of Oklahoma City’s 15 games so far, averaging 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 27.2 minutes per night for the 11-4 club.

Heat’s Dru Smith Out For Season With ACL Injury

November 24th, 2023 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Dru Smith will miss the rest of the 2023/24 season due to a right knee injury, the team announced today (Twitter link via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald).

The Heat referred to the injury as a third degree ACL sprain, according to Chiang. That’s essentially just an ACL tear, per the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

It’s awful news for Smith, who underwent an MRI on his knee after injuring it in Wednesday’s game in Cleveland. As we previously relayed, the 25-year-old fell awkwardly along the sidelines in an area that has a drop-off for fans at courtside — head coach Erik Spoelstra blamed the court design after the game.

“It is a dangerous floor,” Spoelstra said. “It’s an accident waiting to happen. You close out and all of a sudden you’re going off a cliff. If the court was normal, there wouldn’t have been any kind of incident.”

Smith was on a two-way contract with the Heat in training camp but was promoted to the standard 15-man roster ahead of opening night, receiving a two-year, minimum-salary deal that included a $425K partial guarantee. He appeared in nine games in the first month of the season, averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per night, with a .455/.412/1.000 shooting line.

While Smith won’t play again this season, the Heat likely won’t be in any rush to remove him from their roster, since there’s little incentive to do so for now. When a player on a non-guaranteed contract sustains an injury, his team must continue paying him until he’s healthy or for the rest of the season (if he’s out for the year). That means Miami will owe Smith his full $1.8MM salary and won’t save any money by cutting him before the league-wide January 7 salary guarantee deadline.

The Heat also already have an opening on their 15-man roster, so they don’t need to use Smith’s roster spot in the short term. That may change later in the season if the club makes a roster addition or two via free agency or trade.

Miami could apply for a disabled player exception in response to Smith’s injury, but the exception would be worth less than $1MM, so it likely wouldn’t be useful. A DPE would not afford the team an extra roster spot.

In other Heat injury news, the results of an MRI on Duncan Robinson‘s injured right thumb were far more encouraging, Chiang notes. Robinson has been diagnosed with a sprain and is considered day-to-day.