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Injury Notes: Bogdanovic, Achiuwa, Smart, Bouknight, Nembhard

October 7th, 2023 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic has sustained a low-grade right calf strain, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic).

While there’s no indication that Bogdanovic’s availability for the start of the regular season is up in the air, he’ll miss the start of the team’s preseason and will be reevaluated in one week, according to the Pistons.

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

Addressing Precious Achiuwa‘s left groin strain on Saturday, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic referred to the injury as “minor” and indicated the team is playing it safe with the big man. As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, it doesn’t sound like the injury will keep Achiuwa on the shelf for long.
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart is dealing with some minor abdominal soreness, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who tweets that the club is being cautious with Smart and that he’s not expected to miss any regular season time as a result of the injury.
Hornets guard James Bouknight has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain, per the team (Twitter link). The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but it’s a discouraging start to the fall for Bouknight, who isn’t a sure thing to have his $6MM rookie scale team option for 2024/25 picked up this month.
Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, who is recovering after having a kidney stone removed, won’t travel with the club on its two-game road trip to open the preseason, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.

Booth: Nuggets Preparing For Potential Super-Max Deal For Murray

October 7th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is one of the players who would become eligible for a super-max veteran extension – worth 35% of the cap instead of 30% – if he earns All-NBA honors in 2023/24.

On the surface, that seems like a long shot for Murray, who has never received a single All-NBA vote, let alone made one of the three end-of-season teams. However, speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, general manager Calvin Booth said the Nuggets believe Murray can and will secure an All-NBA berth this season, suggesting that the organization is looking ahead to giving him a super-max contract extension.

“He’s really focused and locked in. I think he’s going to have a big season. We’re anticipating that we’re probably paying him the super-max. He’ll probably make All-NBA,” Booth said. “Everybody knows it’s out there, so we might as well talk about it. He obviously knows that carrot is out there for him. But more than the financial reward for it, he’s a competitor. I definitely think, even if he doesn’t say it out loud, that will definitely be on his mind and will be approaching the season that way.”

The Nuggets are already on the hook for one super-max contract for two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Adding a second one to their long-term payroll would reduce their financial flexibility going forward and would mean dedicating a significant portion of their cap to two players. Still, Booth’s comments to Medina make it sound like Denver would be open to offering a super-max extension if Murray qualifies for one.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a hit to our salary cap, but I love seeing people reach their potential when they play the way he can,” Booth said. “So if he accomplishes a goal and makes All-NBA, I know Josh [Kroenke] and Mr. K [Stan Kroenke] are big Jamal guys. So, we’ll step up and do what we need to do.”

Murray is currently eligible to sign a three-year extension that could be worth up to 30% of the 2025/26 salary cap (with 8% annual raises). If he claims a spot on an All-NBA team this season, he’d be eligible next summer to sign a five-year extension that begins at 35% of the ’25/26 cap.

We don’t yet where exactly the cap will land for that season, but the total value of Murray’s extension could double if he waits until 2024 and receives a super-max deal. With that in mind, it’s no surprise then that a recent report indicated the 26-year-old likely wouldn’t sign a new extension before the season.

Murray will likely have to make a statistical leap in 2023/24 to earn an All-NBA nod. He has had some memorable postseason runs – including this past spring, when he averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per night in 20 games en route to a title – but his regular season numbers have never been quite that gaudy. Last season, he put up 20.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .454/.398/.833 shooting.

It’s also worth noting that Murray will have to appear in at least 65 games to qualify for All-NBA honors. Last season, his first one back following a torn ACL that forced him to miss all of 2021/22, he appeared in exactly 65.

Jarrett Allen Out At Least Two Weeks With Ankle Injury

October 7th, 2023 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been diagnosed with a left ankle bone bruise after getting injured in training camp this week, the team announced (via Twitter).

Allen, who underwent an MRI to confirm the diagnosis, will begin undergoing treatment and going through a rehabilitation process and is expected to be reevaluated in two weeks, per the Cavs.

Cleveland’s regular season opener is still 18 days away, so it’s possible Allen will be cleared to play in that game. However, the club’s announcement today simply says he’ll be reevaluated in two weeks — not that he’ll necessarily be ready to return at that point.

Allen is a key contributor for a Cavs team looking to build upon last season’s 51-31 record and first-round playoff exit, so if he’s not cleared for opening night, hopefully his absence doesn’t extend too far beyond that. Last season, the 25-year-old averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 32.6 minutes per night across 68 appearances (all starts).

Damian Jones and Tristan Thompson are Cleveland’s backups at the five, though it’s possible that if Allen isn’t good to go for the opener, the team would slide Evan Mobley over to center and use a smaller starting five rather than inserting Jones or Thompson into that group.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Smith, Simmons, Williams

October 7th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam can become a free agent after the 2023/24 season, but that hasn’t seemed to impact his approach to the season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Siakam has been a professional during training camp, Lewenberg says, smiling and joking with teammates and getting in extra reps with the coaching staff.

Siakam’s name came up in trade talks this summer, cementing his uncertain future with the franchise, and team president Masai Ujiri confirmed that the two sides hadn’t discussed an extension.

“We do believe in Pascal,” Ujiri said. “[But] we believe that a lot of our players didn’t play the right way last year and we want to see them play the right way. I said that we were selfish; I’m not running away from that. We were selfish and we did not play the right way. So, let us see it when we play the right way.”

It seemed as though Siakam pushed back in a subsequent comment, Lewenberg writes.

“I’ll speak for me, personally, I’ve never been a selfish player in my life,” Siakam said. “I’ve always played the game the right way and that’s from the first time I started playing basketball. I’ve always been a team player.”

The Raptors finished last season 41-41, ending as the No. 9 seed and losing to the Bulls in the play-in tournament. Despite last season’s disappointment and unsettled contract business, Siakam is ready for the upcoming season under new coach Darko Rajakovic, according to Lewenberg.

“At the end of the day, I think what makes me special is I’m a hooper,” Siakam said. “When people work out in the summer and they do one-on-one workouts, I want to play basketball because I want to be able to understand the game, play off of guys and not just do drills and be a robot. That’s my strength as a player. So I’m definitely not worried about that. I know that my abilities on a basketball court will always prevail in any situation I’m put in.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are counting on Dennis Smith Jr. being a different player than the last time he was in New York with the Knicks, Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. Smith was sent to the G League during his stint with the Knicks and averaged 5.5 points per game in the year after he was sent there. Now, Smith is one of the more impressive defensive guards in the league and both Martin and Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily note his importance to Brooklyn and explore his evolution. “The biggest thing for me was just checking the ego,” Smith said. “I checked the ego and just learned how to shift my mental into being able to fit whatever role I needed to play and finding a way to stay in it. It’s paying off for me, I’m in a really good spot now.“
Nets play-maker Ben Simmons has had an eventful past two years since being named an All-Star for three years in a row in Philadelphia. Since being traded to Brooklyn at the deadline in ’21/22, Simmons has appeared in just 42 games, all coming last season, averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in those contests. Plenty of eyes are on Simmons this year and, as explored in a separate story by Martin, coach Jacque Vaughn said the early results for the 6’10” guard are encouraging. “I think what we’ve seen is his ability to push the basketball and do it over and over again; play with an extreme amount of pace; get to the rim [and] play with force,” Vaughn said. “All the things we were asking and I was searching for last year.“
While Jrue Holiday is a major addition for the Celtics, Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports argues that the loss of Robert Williams is bigger than it seems. Williams’ injury history makes it easier to have moved on from him, Bulpett writes, but he’s a fantastic rim protector and lob threat and Boston’s rotation of bigs doesn’t have an easy replacement on the roster.

Southeast Notes: Kuzma, Carter, Sheppard, Bridges

October 7th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Tristan Tucker

When asked to address the Wizards‘ issues in recent seasons, Kyle Kuzma often spoke about how the team wasn’t “playing winning basketball,” writes The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace. Having won a championship in 2021 with the Lakers, Kuzma is now part of an organization that is making winning secondary to building a top-notch organization, according to Wallace.

That’s why it was intriguing to see Kuzma re-up with Washington this offseason. Wallace writes that while money was a factor – he can earn up to $102MM over four years – Kuzma’s communication with the front office and a chance to be a No. 1 on a team were the primary reasons for coming back.

“I’ve said it before: I want to have a chance to lead people and really have a lasting impact on an organization, and this was the best opportunity for me to do that,” Kuzma said.

Jordan Poole quickly moved to try to help convince Kuzma to stay after arriving in a June trade, according to Wallace, who says Poole valued Kuzma and realized the duo could grow together.

“You feel it — the authenticity, the knowledge, the basketball knowledge, his experience,” Poole said. “Being able to have a running mate like that is huge, especially when we have a new group, new front office, new coaches. As long as you think the right way and have the right perspective, everything else will kind of just fall in place.”

Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. feels Kuzma and Poole have “bought in” to the rebuild, according to Wallace. Kuzma averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season and will embark on his seventh season in the league and third with Washington.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Wendell Carter Jr. has had a solid stint with the Magic, but he’s hoping to take things to the next level, as Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel details. Carter is attempting to improve his play-making and shooting in 2023/24, according to Beede, and he’s sometimes been taking over 1,000 shots per day in practice. “His jumper definitely looks cleaner,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said. “It looks like he’s shooting it more comfortably; less hesitation and letting it rip. It’s been going in.”
Despite not playing last year after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence in November, Miles Bridges is back with the Hornets and, according to his teammates and coaches, is in game shape, as Roderick Boone writes. “Yeah, it’s been great,” Hornets wing Gordon Hayward said. “Honestly, it’s like he never left, the way he’s fit in just because he knows a lot of the same stuff that we are doing, and he’s going to bring so much versatility to us.“
While former general manager Tommy Sheppard is out of the picture for the Wizards, his philosophies on defense, pace and attention to detail still ring true, as The Athletic’s Josh Robbins lays out. “You get to the end of the season, and if there’s still questions [about how to play defense], if there’s still confusion or anything, then maybe sometimes you either have to simplify or really go back and say, ‘How much accountability [was there] throughout the year to get us to this point?” Sheppard said in April. “Are we still doing some of the same things?” The Wizards are focusing on using this season as a building block for something bigger, but Robbins opines that if Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Avdija and others don’t make individual strides, it will have been a wasted year.

Trail Blazers Ready To Move On From Damian Lillard Era

October 7th, 2023 at 9:34am CST by Tristan Tucker

After an 11-year partnership between Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers, the two sides moved on this offseason with a trade that sent one of the franchise’s all-time best players to the Bucks. Now, following years of attempts to compete, Portland looks completely different, with players like Scoot Henderson, Deandre Ayton and Shaedon Sharpe heading up its young core.

While Lillard occupied most of the spotlight, general manager Joe Cronin made plenty of headlines during the time in which Lillard’s request seemed in limbo, The Washington Post’s Ben Golliver writes. Media members and fans alike drew different conclusions regarding Cronin, Golliver details, with some accusing Cronin of not sending Lillard to his then-preferred destination of Miami “out of spite” and others calling him a “liar” for drafting Henderson instead of trading the draft pick for a contender. To add fuel to the fire, Lillard didn’t thank Cronin in his lengthy farewell letter to Portland.

“[Lillard] and I went through it this summer,” Cronin said. “It wasn’t always amicable and perfect. To be omitted from that [letter], I didn’t take as anything more than it being a hard summer that we had both gone through. I wasn’t one to be thanked at that moment. … Our directions didn’t line up. Things didn’t work out. We had pure intentions in our desire to build a winner around him. We were just unable to pull it off. I don’t think that was a lie. We just couldn’t get it done.”

One of the most overlooked aspects of the Lillard trade is how it affected local marketing, Golliver explains. Season ticket holders had to make decisions to renew or not and promoters had to make the decision on which players on the team to highlight. Even before Lillard was traded, the Blazers began to turn the page, Golliver writes, moving to feature Henderson and the young core and removing Lillard entirely from promo material.

“We really need to move on,” Trail Blazers president of business operations Dewayne Hankins said in a Zoom call. “We’ve got great young talent. We’re not like other rebuilding teams who don’t have a strong core of young players. It’s time to turn the page.”

Fans came around to Lillard’s exit, according to Golliver, and season ticket holders renewed at a 93% rate, up six percentage points last year.

“We wanted to honor Dame’s trade request,” Hankins said. “If we promote him, are we being true to our fans? That was the moment when we started saying that this was a new era. It’s really hard to lose a legend like Damian whose number will go in the rafters as soon as possible. At the same time, I think we’re prepared. Our next step is getting our fans to fall in love with these guys.”

Even though Cronin didn’t trade Lillard to the Heat, he believes he did right by the star guard by sending him to a contender, according to Golliver. Hankins said his staff is still mulling the right way to honor the guard, Golliver writes, including the possibility of a statue outside Portland’s arena, Moda Center.

“We’ve retired a lot of numbers,” Hankins said. “We’ve had the conversation: Is there another level of honor that we need to create for him?”

The Blazers still have work to do in completing their rebuild, but they’re as high as possible on Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Sharpe taking the reins left by Lillard at the guard spot, according to Golliver. I highly recommend reading Golliver’s piece in full, as there’s some fascinating perspective and quotes from high-ranking Blazers officials inside.

Sixers Notes: Morey, Harden, Embiid, Training Camp

October 7th, 2023 at 8:22am CST by Tristan Tucker

Following the Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday trades, all eyes turned toward James Harden as the next potential star trade before the season. However, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey won’t rush into any sort of deal involving the star guard, regardless of any potential pushback from Harden, even if that means keeping him into the season.

Mizell writes that Morey isn’t going to be pressured into making a move for the sake of making the trade despite other Eastern Conference rivals adding big pieces like Lillard and Holiday. Morey and the Sixers took a similar approach with Ben Simmons two years ago, holding him all the way until the trade deadline so that they could find the most suitable deal.

While outsiders in Philly are antsy to move on from the 10-time All-Star, Mizell writes that the belief inside the organization is that a move to make a trade now, even if it would end any potential distraction, is too reckless to justify. Mizell explains that sources on both sides are taking things day-by-day, even if that means leaving the door open for Harden to make things uncomfortable leading into the season, something he hasn’t done up to this point.

Morey is unlikely to allow Harden to force his hand, Mizell writes, because head coach Nick Nurse could always bench Harden and start Tyrese Maxey as the team’s lead ball-handler. Several other factors play into a potential decision by the Sixers to hold Harden until the deadline, according to Mizell, including the star guard potentially rescinding his trade request, better prospective trades popping up as the season goes on, and not wanting to take a step back during their window of contention, especially coming off Joel Embiid‘s MVP year.

We have more from the Sixers:

Harden was a full participant in Philadelphia’s final training camp practice at Colorado State on Friday for the first time since he re-joined the team on Tuesday, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. However, his status for the Sixers’ preseason opener against the Celtics on Sunday is still uncertain, according to Bontemps, who says Nurse’s rotations are still fluid for the first preseason action for the Sixers.
Embiid reiterated to reporters on Thursday that Harden’s presence for the Sixers was not a distraction, stating that the team’s focus is on learning and installing Nurse’s schemes, Bontemps writes. “As a team, we’re just focused on what we’ve got to learn, and learn as soon as possible,” Embiid said. “We don’t have a lot of time. We want to win, and that’s the goal.“
While the Harden situation is drawing plenty of attention, there are a handful of other storylines flying under the radar during Philadelphia’s camp. Maxey, in particular, is drawing rave reviews from Nurse, who’s becoming increasingly impressed by the guard’s outside shot and ability to create space, according to PHLY Sports’ Derek Bodner. Bodner also writes that the Sixers’ ball movement has been improved in camp.

Central Notes: Lillard, Griffin, Morris, Thompson, Ball

October 6th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Point guard Damian Lillard is beginning to find his niche with the Bucks, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. While Lillard plans to do “a lot of listening” as he grows accustomed to a new environment, he says he’s already giving the younger players advice.

“I’ve just been coming in, introducing myself,” he said. “And I’m interacting with different guys so they can see, I’m not on ‘superstar time.’ And I think as I earn the respect of my teammates and everybody else, they respect what I say after that.

“But if something comes up that I’ve had (experience with), or something that I’ve, that I recognize is what’s in the best interest, I’m not afraid to be the person to say it. I’m not a guy that is going to hold back or second-guess what I have to say because I know that what I have to say comes from a good place at all time.”

New head coach Adrian Griffin is making an imprint as well, according to Goodwill, particularly on the defensive end.

“One of the messages to the team, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready,” Griffin said. “We want to be physical now so when the playoffs come you don’t have to be you know, talk about this good physical that’s gonna be part of our DNA.”

Here’s more from the Central:

Pistons guard Monte Morris, who was acquired from Washington in the offseason, says he’s embracing the opportunity to become a vocal leader for a young Detroit team, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s going to be a good challenge for me because it’s going to be one of the first times in my career where that’s going to be something they’re going to be looking for from me,” Morris said. “To be a voice. With my resume and the experience I have been able to have in my career so far – being me, playing the right way, bring energy, trying to be as consistent as possible every day. Have fun with it. But (being) vocal is going to be my biggest challenge. I’m ready for it.”
Head coach Monty Williams believes No. 5 overall pick Ausar Thompson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Pistons, as Langlois tweets. “We think he’s going to be phenomenal and we think he’s going to be an integral part of our team,” Williams said. “And there’s a chance that could happen right away.”
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since January 2021 and will miss the entire 2023/24 season following a third knee surgery. However, he’s optimistic that he’ll return to an NBA court in the future, he tells Jamal Collier of ESPN. “After the other surgeries, this one has definitely gone the best as far as (the) recovery process,” Ball said. “The last two rehab processes I had, I was getting better and then it just hit a standstill and it started going down. And I haven’t hit that yet.”

Pacific Notes: McGruder, Vincent, Nurkic, Sabonis

October 6th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran wing Rodney McGruder has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be sidelined for the Warriors‘ first preseason game against the Lakers on Saturday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

McGruder, 32, is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal for training camp and has a “real shot” to make the regular season roster, according to Slater. McGruder averaged 5.7 points while shooting 42.3% from three-point range last season for the Pistons.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Gabe Vincent was the main external free agent addition for the Lakers, who signed the 27-year-old guard to a three-year, $33MM contract. Vincent tells Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link) that he’s ready for his new role in one of the league’s biggest markets. “The game changes, the game evolves, you have to adapt,” he said. “You change teams, you change situations, you have to adapt. I think that’s very much part of surviving in this league, being able to adapt.”
Suns center Jusuf Nurkic was recently traded to Phoenix from Portland, and he’s enjoying his time playing with the “Big 3” of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link). “It’s kind of crazy when you think about it,” Nurkic said. “The spacing and everything is so big. It’s really fun to be out there.” The Bosnian big man will make $54.4MM over the next three seasons.
The Kings renegotiated and extended Domantas Sabonis‘ contract this offseason, adding four more years onto his deal, which is now worth nearly $204MM in total guaranteed money. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, the All-NBA center cited the Kings’ fans and his partnership with De’Aaron Fox as key reasons for why he was “more than happy” to sign a long-term deal. “Having a dynamic guard like that, a superstar who can do everything, offense and defense, it means everything,” Sabonis said of Fox. “You guys saw it last year, and for me as a big to play with someone like that makes life so much easier.”

Atlantic Notes: Achiuwa, Raptors, Claxton, Thomas, Knicks

October 6th, 2023 at 7:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa suffered a left groin strain in training camp and will miss Sunday’s preseason opener, per the team (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). The 24-year-old will be reevaluated next week.

We’ll have to wait for more information on the severity of the injury, but it’s a disappointing development for Achiuwa, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23.

The forward/center averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG on .485/.269/.702 shooting in 55 games (20.7 MPG) in 2022/23. Hopefully the groin strain is minor and doesn’t negatively impact his fourth season.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Raptors‘ success — both now and going forward — depends on the development of Scottie Barnes and his relationship with new head coach Darko Rajakovic, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Rajakovic said Toronto is going to lean into Barnes’ play-making ability, but the team knows he needs to improve in other areas as well. As Grange writes, the two have clicked since they first met. “I feel like we’re gonna be on a long ride together,” Barnes said of Rajakovic. “We’re going to make amazing things happen.”
Nets center Nic Claxton, who is on an expiring $9.6MM contract, is embracing high expectations following a breakout fourth season, writes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Claxton averaged career highs in virtually every statistical category in 2022/23 and has put on muscle for ’23/24. “We have a lot of guys here that if we win collectively, they have things that they can prove,” Spencer Dinwiddie said Thursday. “The thing I’d love to see most is Nic get his $100 million (contract), because I’ve seen him come in the league.”
While Claxton is looking to improve upon his already-strong performance from last season for the Nets, the fate of third-year guard Cam Thomas is much less certain, per NetsDaily.com. Head coach Jacque Vaughn says the team won’t be relying on isolation scoring this season, which is Thomas’ greatest strength. “He does have a skill of being able to play isolation basketball and get a bucket. That’s proven,” said Vaughn. “I don’t think we can play isolation basketball and win basketball games on a consistent basis. I think this team is built around the versatility and the depth of the team, and we’ll have to use all that, while also agreeing and notifying the rest of the group that there are some individuals who (are) going to have the basketball in their hands and they have a talent. (Thomas) has a talent that’s going to be used on both ends of the floor, and that’s what he’s going to be asked of.”
The Knicks improved their depth by trading for Josh Hart last season (he signed an extension this offseason after picking up his player option) and signing Donte DiVincenzo in free agency. However, as Fred Katz writes for The Athletic, there are only so many minutes to go around. How Hart, DiVincenzo, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes perform defensively might determine who among that group will be closing on a given night, according to Katz.

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