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Karlo Matkovic Joins Pelicans’ G League Team

February 21st, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Croatian big man Karlo Matkovic has joined the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans‘ G League team, according to the league’s official transaction log (hat tip to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Matkovic was selected 52nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Pelicans, who still control his NBA rights. He had remained overseas since that draft, spending this season with KK Cedevita Olimpija in Slovenia.

Matkovic, who will turn 23 in March, enjoyed a strong year with Olimpija, averaging 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game across 15 EuroCup appearances. He also averaged 15.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.8 BPG in 17 ABA contests (28.4 MPG).

Word broke last month that Matkovic would be leaving his team in Slovenia to come stateside, but it wasn’t reported at that time whether he would be signing a standard NBA contract, a two-way deal, or a G League contract.

It turned out to be the latter, which means the Pelicans will retain the forward/center’s exclusive NBA rights going forward and will get a closer look at him in Birmingham without having him occupy one of the team’s 15 standard roster spots or three two-way slots. Depending how his rest-of-season audition goes, Matkovic could earn one of those 18 spots in New Orleans next season.

Raptors Sign D.J. Carton To 10-Day Contract

February 21st, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

12:23pm: Carton has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Raptors, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

9:21am: The Raptors are set to fill one of their open roster spots by signing guard D.J. Carton to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A pair of spots on Toronto’s standard 15-man roster opened up earlier this week when 10-day deals for Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye expired. The Raptors had up to two weeks to fill at least one of those openings, but it appears they won’t waste any time getting back to the NBA-mandated roster minimum.

Carton has spent his professional career in the G League since going undrafted out of Marquette in 2021. After one year with the Greensboro Swarm, he has spent the past two seasons with the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s NBAGL affiliate.

In 29 games this season for Iowa, Carton has averaged 18.6 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 35.4 minutes per contest, with a strong shooting line of .527/.395/.796.

Carton’s 10-day contract with Toronto will cover the team’s first five games after the All-Star break. He’ll earn a salary of $64,343 for his 10 days with the Raptors, who will still have one open roster spots after officially signing Carton.

Nets Notes: Vaughn, Ollie, Marks, Bridges, Budenholzer

February 21st, 2024 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Nets general manager Sean Marks said there wasn’t a single event or game that made the team decide to fire head coach Jacque Vaughn. While some Brooklyn players expressed frustration following a December 27 loss in which the team sat several regulars, as well as after last Wednesday’s 50-point blowout loss in Boston, Marks pointed to a general lack of energy and effort when asked for specifics on what went into the decision to dismiss Vaughn.

“It’s about the level of compete,” Marks said. “We’re not going to be the most talented team in the league. I’m not an idiot. I totally understand that. But at the same time, this is a talented group of young men out there. And my expectations, and I think their expectations, should be to hold each other accountable to do the little things. The effort plays, the loose balls, the contested shots and so forth, diving on the floor.

“These are things that should be expected when you’re in a place that we’re at right now, where we’re clawing and grappling for every single thing we can. That’s what I would hope to see over these next 28 games, and that’s probably, to be quite frank, some things I haven’t seen. The level of effort and the level of compete has not always been there.”

New interim head coach Kevin Ollie made that lack of energy and hustle a focus in his first practice with the club on Tuesday, as Bontemps details. Ollie pointed out that the Nets don’t recover enough loose balls or draw enough charges, referring to the team’s poor numbers in those categories as “losing basketball.”

“I got something called EGBs, which is energy generating behaviors, and it’s 17 behaviors of those things. And we went through the list extensively today,” Ollie said on Tuesday. “(They) have nothing to do with talent but everything to do with heart and will. And I think that’s what it comes down to.

“Remember, I played 15 years professionally, 13 years in this league, and never once (had) a coach call a play for me. I had to get it with grit. I had to get it with determination. I had to get it with a mindset that we’re going to get better each and every day. That’s how I coach, that’s what I’m going to demand. I want them to demand that from me, and that’s from day one.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Marks is under contract beyond this season, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv, and the veteran Nets executive has a close relationship with team owner Joe Tsai. Marks told reporters on Tuesday that he has been given no indication Tsai won’t keep him around to run the team’s latest head coaching search this spring. “Joe and I have always been in complete partnership,” Marks said, per Bontemps. “And it doesn’t mean we always agree. I mean, you have to have good discussions and robust discussions, but Joe and I will make this decision, and he has given me no reason to believe that I won’t be able to make that decision.”
Still, Marks’ future with the Nets has been a subject of speculation around the NBA, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the HoopsHype podcast with Brian Lewis of The New York Post. According to Scotto, in the event that Marks remains in Brooklyn, one possibility floated in league circles is a scenario in which the Nets promote assistant general manager Jeff Peterson to GM and give him more day-to-day responsibilities while Marks stays above him in the front office hierarchy.
Scotto and Lewis discussed many more Nets-related topics in the HoopsHype podcast, including the futures of players like Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, and Ben Simmons in Brooklyn, Scotto also said there were rumblings that certain players – including Mikal Bridges and former Net Spencer Dinwiddie – weren’t thrilled by the fact that Vaughn’s offensive game plan focused so heavily on Simmons, who hasn’t been healthy for most of his time in Brooklyn.
Bridges said on Tuesday that he wants to remain in Brooklyn long-term, per Dan Martin of The New York Post. “I’m here now and want to stay here,” Bridges said. “And I’m going to keep grinding and getting to wherever we’ve got to get to win, and that’s why I’m here for.” The Nets turned away trade inquiries this season on Bridges and their goal is to ultimately acquire a star or two to play alongside him, per Scotto.
In a pair of stories for The New York Post, Mike Vaccaro wonders what it will take for the Nets to move on from Marks, while Zach Braziller identifies several potential candidates for Brooklyn’s permanent head coaching job. That list begins with Mike Budenholzer, whose name is “at the tip of everyone’s tongue” in discussing possible candidates, according to Scotto.

Hoops Rumors’ 2024 NBA 10-Day Contract Tracker

February 21st, 2024 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

Since January 5, when NBA teams became eligible to sign players to standard 10-day deals, 21 of the contracts signed have been of the 10-day variety, and that number will only grow as the season nears an end. Hoops Rumors has created a database that allows you to keep on top of those deals, tracking every 10-day signing all season long.

Besides featuring all of this year’s 10-day contracts, our 10-Day Contract Tracker includes information on all 10-day contracts signed since the 2006/07 season. The search filters in the database make it easy to sort by team, player, and/or year. For instance, if you want to see all the 10-day contracts that the Kings have signed in the last 15-plus years, you can do so here. If you want to view Shaquille Harrison’s history of 10-day deals, that list is here.

You can also see whether a player and team signed a second 10-day contract, or if those short-term deals led to an agreement that covered the rest of the season. Additionally, our tracker notes which 10-day deals remain active, saving you from having to figure out whether a particular contract ends on Wednesday or Thursday.

A link to our 10-Day Contract Tracker can be found at any time in the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site. On our mobile site, you can find it on our “Features” page. We’ll be keeping it up to date for the rest of the season, so be sure to check back to keep tabs on the latest signings as they become official.

As our tracker shows, these are the 10-day deals currently active around the NBA:

Cleveland Cavaliers: Zhaire Smith, G/F (runs through 2/22)
Detroit Pistons: Tosan Evbuomwan, F (runs through 2/22)
Memphis Grizzlies: Jordan Goodwin, G (runs through 2/23)
Philadelphia 76ers: Darius Bazley, F/C (runs through 2/29)
Charlotte Hornets: Marques Bolden, C (runs through 2/29)

Note: Reported 10-day deals for Justin Champagnie (Wizards) and D.J. Carton (Raptors) aren’t yet official, but will be added to our tracker once they are.

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Ryan Rollins Signs Two-Way Contract With Bucks

February 21st, 2024 at 9:23am CST by Rory Maher

FEBRUARY 21: The Bucks have officially announced Rollins’ two-way contract (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 19: Free agent guard Ryan Rollins is signing a two-way contract with the Bucks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Rollins was selected 44th overall in the 2022 draft after two college seasons at Toledo. He only appeared in 12 games as a rookie last season with the Warriors, who traded him to the Wizards last summer as part of the Chris Paul/Jordan Poole deal.

The 21-year-old didn’t play much for Washington either, making 10 appearances for 66 total minutes in 2023/24 before the Wizards released him in January.

A few days later, it was reported that Rollins was accused of repeatedly shoplifting from a Target store in Virginia. He was charged with seven counts of petit larceny, which is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia.

It’s unclear what came of his legal situation, as he had a court hearing scheduled for February. But evidently the Bucks felt comfortable taking a chance on Rollins, who was viewed as having defensive upside and an ability to create shots when he was drafted.

Milwaukee has a pair of two-way openings, so the team won’t have to release anyone to add Rollins.

Mavs Notes: Nelson Lawsuit, Gafford, Washington, Exum, Luka

February 21st, 2024 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The wrongful termination lawsuit that former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson filed against the franchise in 2022 is scheduled to go to trial this December, according to Xuan Thai of ESPN.

Nelson’s lawsuit alleged that he was fired in retaliation for reporting that his nephew was sexually harassed and assaulted by Mark Cuban‘s chief of staff, Jason Lutin, during a job interview on February 16, 2020. Nelson claims that he didn’t find out about the incident until five months after it occurred, by which point the nephew had reached a settlement agreement with the team.

According to Nelson’s lawsuit, he was in discussions with the Mavericks about a contract extension at the time, but those talks came to an abrupt end after he reported the incident to Cuban. He was fired the following year.

The Mavericks vehemently denied the allegations in a series of statements back in 2022 when Nelson initially filed the suit. According to Thai, in their formal response, the Mavs denied that the veteran executive was wrongfully terminated, stating that his dismissal was the result of multiple other factors, including “poor job performance.”

Here’s more from out of Dallas:

The Mavericks are 3-0 and have the NBA’s best defensive rating since trade deadline acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington made their debuts. But while Gafford has been playing some of his best basketball since arriving in Dallas, the team is still looking to get Washington going, head coach Jason Kidd said on Tuesday, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “I’ve always talked about getting their feet settled. And I think Gafford, you can see, his feet are settled,” Kidd said. “Now it’s (about) getting P.J.’s feet settled. I think P.J. having family and friends here will help with that. And then being aggressive. We need P.J. to be aggressive and not just wait for (Kyrie Irving) or Luka (Doncic). We need him to play his game too.” Washington has averaged 8.7 points on 40.7% shooting in his first three games as a Mav.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum, who has played just twice since January 1 due to injuries and has been sidelined since January 27 as a result of right knee bursitis, appears to be getting close to returning to action. “No setback,” Kidd said of Exum, per Townsend (Twitter link). “He’s been working out. He’ll do practice (on Wednesday), non-contact. I think the plan is for somewhere on this road trip to get him back.” Dallas’ upcoming four-game road trip begins on Sunday in Indiana and runs through next Friday (March 1).
Does two-time MVP Nikola Jokic believe there’s a scenario in which he and Doncic join forces on an NBA team? Asked that question at All-Star weekend, Jokic said he has no desire to leave Denver but suggested with a laugh that if Luka gets fed up in Dallas, he’s welcome to join him on the Nuggets (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports).

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Jovic, Highsmith, Jaquez

February 20th, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bam Adebayo admits he’s had a tough time adjusting to his new role as team captain, the Heat center told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Adebayo says the leadership responsibilities have made his season much more challenging.

“You’ve got to understand how to translate messages to everybody because everybody is different and everybody has their own stuff going on,” Adebayo said. “I got my own stuff going on in my mind, how I want to play and how I want to affect the game. And 14 other guys do, too. So trying to get 14 other guys to buy into your message, how you’re saying it, get them to buy into what the coach is saying. It’s tough because guys got dilemmas, guys got feelings.”

We have more on the Heat:

Adebayo only attempted two shots in the All-Star Game but he feels validated by the fact he’s been selected three times, Chiang writes in a separate story. “Respect, at the end of the day,” he said. “Being able to, obviously, get to this thing three times, you want it to become a routine. You want it to be an every year thing. For me, it’s just respect from all the coaches who voted me in and respect for who I am and what I do.”
Forward Nikola Jovic is trying to adjust to coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation tinkering. Jovic had a 24-point outing against Milwaukee in a game shortly before the All-Star break. In other games, he barely sees the court. “The wild thing is I either start or I don’t play,” Jovic told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jovic said he’s happy for any opportunities he gets on a contending team.
A man who was seriously injured in a car accident when he was struck by Haywood Highsmith‘s vehicle has filed a civil lawsuit against the Heat forward, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. The man was helping another driver whose car was stuck in the middle of a dark road when he was struck by Highsmith’s vehicle. The victim remains hospitalized after a partial amputation of his leg.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been one of the league’s most productive rookies and The Ringer’s Wes Goldberg’s details how the former UCLA star has quickly endeared himself to the team’s coaches and players.

Pacific Notes: Podziemski, Green, Kuminga, Rivers, Harden

February 20th, 2024 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

First-round pick Brandin Podziemski has been a revelation for the Warriors, quickly becoming an integral part of the team. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater details how Golden State’s front office became enamored with him and how quickly he earned a spot in the rotation.

However, the Warriors guard feels he has a much higher ceiling.

“I want to be an All-Star,” Podziemski said. “You know, (Jonathan Kuminga) has taken that next step of really being in that conversation. To see his growth just this year has been pretty special. So going into the summer after this year elevating my game to another level, doing the things that I’m deficient in now and making them as efficient as possible, I think I can get there.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

While Draymond Green contacted super-agent Rich Paul in an unsuccessful effort to get LeBron James to consider a trade from the Lakers to Golden State, Green told Warriors owner Joe Lacob to hold onto the team’s blossoming young forward in any trade discussions. “The one thing the NBA does not want to see, is Anthony Davis and Kuminga together for the next 10 years. That would be scary!” he said in an NBA on TNT interview (Twitter link).
Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers was consulted by the Clippers before they acquired James Harden from Philadelphia, he told Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points. Rivers has since taken over the Bucks’ head coaching job. “I was the one, obviously, they consulted,” Rivers said. “They made calls and I was one of the guys who said it would be a great deal for them because I thought he fit them better than he would fit the Sixers team. I think he’s a perfect fit there. It’s a league. We talk. They just talked, asked questions, and I was on board early.”
Speaking of Harden, Mark Medina of Sportsnaut.com describes how the Clippers guard has made changes to his game to fit in with his current teammates. That includes his mindset on the offensive end. “My job for this team is to touch the paint and get the shot, make the shot and make the game a lot easier for teammates,” Harden said. “Whether I have my step-back going or getting to the paint, I’m going to make a play for a teammate.”

Torrey Craig Has Right Knee Sprain, Out Multiple Weeks

February 20th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Torrey Craig suffered a right knee sprain while working out during the All-Star break, the team’s PR department tweets. Craig will be reevaluated in two-to-four weeks.

Craig, who started regularly for the Suns last season, has appeared in 33 games (eight starts) this season in Chicago. The defensive stalwart is averaging 6.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21 minutes per game.

It’s the second significant injury Craig has suffered this season. He was sidelined in mid-December with an acute sprain of his right plantar fascia and didn’t return until Feb. 3.

Craig signed a two-year, $5.4MM contract during free agency last summer that includes a player option for next season.

Craig has mainly been used as an undersized power forward. The team’s starting power forward, Patrick Williams, is also dealing with an injury. He’s been out since Jan. 25 due to a left foot issue and isn’t close to returning.

Coach Billy Donovan said on Tuesday that Williams hasn’t started running yet and the staff is being “very, very careful” with the former lottery pick, who is still experiencing mild discomfort in the foot, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.

The frontcourt injuries could spur the Bulls to find help on the buyout market. They have an open roster spot.

Eastern Notes: Stewart, Drummond, House, Maxey

February 20th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite his pregame altercation with Suns big man Drew Eubanks prior to the All-Star break, Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart could play against Indiana on Thursday, James Edwards III of The Athletic reports.

Stewart punched Eubanks on Wednesday after they exchanged words. Stewart, who didn’t play in that game due to an ankle sprain, was later arrested on an assault charge and issued a citation.

A resolution to his legal case is not expected prior to Thursday’s game. The NBA is investigating the situation but is not expected to hand down any punishment prior to that game. Meanwhile, Stewart could be healthy enough to play.

If Stewart is found guilty of misdemeanor assault, he’ll likely only have to pay a small fine and would not serve any jail time, Edwards adds.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

While Andre Drummond has gone from an All-Star to a valuable reserve, the Bulls center believes he’ll be in the league for many more years, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I can play another eight to 10 years if I want to. I haven’t lost a step. It’s just opportunities I need to get,” Drummond said. He’s also headed to free agency and looking forward to seeing his worth on the open market. “I’m excited to see what happens in the offseason. Whatever team sees me as an asset, I’m ready. Obviously, I’m here now and I love it here. I would love to be here still,” the veteran center said.
Free agent Danuel House Jr. is weighing a number of options, including interest from the Hawks, according to the Pat Bev Pod (Twitter link). Considering the source is another current player like Patrick Beverley, who was teammates with House in Philadelphia up until the trade deadline, this info would appear to be very credible. House was traded, along with a second-round pick, by the 76ers to the Pistons, who quickly waived him.
Speaking of the Sixers, Tyrese Maxey made his first appearance as an All-Star over the weekend. He was humbled by the honor, he told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Honestly, as a kid, I grew up saying I’d be an All-Star and those different things,” Maxey said. “But when it actually comes to light and it comes to something that you are and you see your name on the list, it’s kind of surreal. I know a lot of hard work went into it. I got what I deserved, but to still actually see it come true is like crazy.”