Paolo Banchero Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: H. Brown, All-Star Format, ‘Redrafted’ Players, More

November 21st, 2024 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA color commentator Hubie Brown will call one last game for ESPN this season before retiring, ESPN president Burke Magnus stated during an appearance on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast (story via SI.com).

“I don’t mean to be purposely mysterious here, but we’re going to honor Hubie this year during the regular season at some point to be determined and send him off in style,” Magnus said. “I don’t think there’s a single human being who’s ever had a longer association with professional basketball.”

A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Brown began calling games in the 1980s and has been with ESPN since 2004. He turned 91 years old in September.

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

After reporting last week that the NBA is seriously considering turning the All-Star Game into a four-team tournament this February, Shams Charania of ESPN has provided more details on the format. According to Charania, the expectation is that the two semifinal games will have target scores of 40 points, while the final will have a target of 25 points. The idea is to emulate pickup games, with “quick-burst” contests and the winners advancing to the championship.
Defining a “redrafted” player as one who broke out with a second team rather than the club that drafted him, Mark Deeks of HoopsHype identifies nine of the NBA’s top redrafted players, including Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji, and Thunder swingman Isaiah Joe, among others.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranks the top 10 non-max contracts in the NBA this season, highlighting a few players who are still on rookie contracts (including recent Rookies of the Year Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero) as well as a handful of veterans (such as Austin Reaves and Derrick White).
NBA insider Jake Fischer, formerly of Yahoo Sports, will be joining Marc Stein’s Substack, Stein confirmed today on Twitter.

Injury Notes: Banchero, Jokic, Wemby, Grizzlies, Knicks

November 19th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Magic announced on October 31 that Paolo Banchero had been diagnosed with a torn right oblique, they said he would be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. However, the expectation was that he would likely be sidelined well beyond that window.

So when will we see Banchero back on the court? If it’s up to the All-Star forward, he’ll make his return in about a month.

“This isn’t from the medical team or anything, but the way I feel and I’ve been feeling, I think before Christmas,” Banchero said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter video link). “Maybe that’s a week before, a couple days before. I think I can get back before Christmas.”

As Banchero acknowledged, the decision will ultimately be up to the Magic’s medical team, so he’ll defer to the experts if they’re not ready to clear him by Christmas.

Orlando lost its first four games after Banchero went down, but has hit its stride as of late, picking up six straight victories and moving into third place in the Eastern Conference at 9-6.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

Last season’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year will both remain sidelined on Tuesday. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t injured, but will miss a third consecutive game for personal reasons as his team visits Memphis, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – who missed Saturday’s loss to Dallas – won’t be available vs. Oklahoma City due to a right knee contusion, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Grizzlies center Zach Edey (left ankle sprain) will miss a game for the first time this season on Tuesday, joining star guard Ja Morant (right hip subluxation; pelvic muscle strains) on the inactive list vs. Denver. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, Grizzlies two-way guard Cam Spencer – who has been out all season due to an ankle injury – is inching closer to making his debut, having been cleared for five-on-five action.
Knicks guard Miles McBride has missed the past three games due to what the club is calling right knee inflammation. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes, McBride hyperextended that knee last month, though the Knicks didn’t confirm that the two issues are related. Bondy also provides an update on Precious Achiuwa (hamstring strain), citing a source who is optimistic the big man will be cleared to begin practicing with the team on its five-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Phoenix.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Mosley, Anthony, KCP

November 1st, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic star forward Paolo Banchero will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a torn right oblique. Head coach Jamahl Mosley was understandably disappointed by the news, but he also said it’s an opportunity for other players, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“It sucks. There’s no other way to put it,” Mosley said. “It sucks for him, the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, the way he’s carrying us in so many ways. And in the same breath, you have to say it’s an opportunity — it’s an opportunity for guys to step up, step into their role, opportunity for guys to continue to play to our standard of basketball.”

Orlando announced that Banchero will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. The former No. 1 overall pick is hoping he’ll be back sooner rather than later, Reynolds adds.

“Hopefully, it’s not a multi, three-, four-month injury,” Banchero said. “Hopefully, it’s just six, something weeks. Just trying to stay engaged as much as I can and stay positive, take it one day at a time and be ready to come back.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

Since Banchero is such a huge part of Orlando’s offense, particularly in half-court settings, Josh Robbins of The Athletic suggests the team might look to push the pace a bit more while he’s sidelined. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are obvious candidates for more play-making duties, but multiple players will have to step up offensively, Robbins notes.
Reserve guard Cole Anthony, who played 81 games last season, received a rare DNP-CD in Wednesday’s loss to Chicago. He said the reason he didn’t play was simple, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “I mean, I’ve been playing like [expletive],” Anthony said. “It’s not really that much to it.” In four games this season, Anthony is averaging just 2.0 PPG while shooting 3-of-16 from the floor (18.8%) in 14.0 MPG. The 24-year-old said Mosley informed him of the decision before the game, and while it wasn’t an easy conversation, he said he has a great relationship with his coach. “I’m going to continue working … and at some point, I’m hopeful I get an opportunity out there,” Anthony said, per Beede. “I’ll be ready to hoop.”
Veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told Marc J. Spears of Andscape it was a difficult decision to leave the Nuggets in free agency, but he has no regrets about signing a three-year, $66MM contract with the Magic. “It was hard. We gave them the opportunity, but things happen,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I let my agent, Rich Paul, handle all that. But my agent always told me, ‘This is a business at the end of the day.’ I got to figure out what’s going to make me happy, what fits best for me and my family … I was part of the first [Nuggets title] in almost like 40-something years. Of, course everybody that was on that team that year is going to be a part of that championship going down in history. It’s just always a blessing and I’m thankful just to be a part of stuff like that and to also play a major role in it.”

Paolo Banchero Out Indefinitely With Torn Oblique

October 31st, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Paolo Banchero will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a torn right oblique, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Banchero – who was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game due to a right abdominal strain – will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. His return to play will depend on how he responds to treatment, Charania adds.

The Magic have put out a press release (via Twitter) that formally confirms Charania’s report.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Banchero, who appeared to be taking another leap forward after earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2022/23 and making his first All-Star team in ’23/24.

After averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 35.0 minutes per game across 80 starts last season, the former No. 1 overall pick had increased those averages to 29.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 5.6 APG in his first five outings this season. He set a new career high on Monday when he went off for 50 points in a win over Indiana.

Even if he makes a speedy recovery, Banchero is unlikely to return until at least December, which will almost certainly make him ineligible for major end-of-season awards, including an All-NBA spot, as a result of the league’s 65-game rule. He only missed 12 total games in his first two NBA seasons.

The Magic, meanwhile, will have to get by without their top scorer and one of their best play-makers for the foreseeable future. Franz Wagner, who is considered questionable to suit up on Friday to due to an illness, will be in line for more minutes and more offensive responsibilities.

Moritz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Caleb Houstan, and Jett Howard are among the other candidates for increased roles with Banchero unavailable.

Injury Notes: Bane, Smart, Banchero, LaVine, Towns, More

October 31st, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies‘ injury list continues to grow, as the club has ruled out Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) and Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) for Thursday’s contest vs. Milwaukee after they sustained injuries in the first game of their back-to-back set on Wednesday against Brooklyn (Twitter link).

Head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters, including Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link), that both players underwent imaging on Thursday, but that the team is still waiting to get the results and to speak to doctors about the severity of the injuries.

As Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes tweets, oblique strains like the one Bane suffered typically cost players multiple games — the average time missed with an oblique strain, according to Stotts’ injury database, is 11.6 days (4.2 games).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Magic forward Paolo Banchero is off to a hot start this season, averaging 29.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first five games, but he may not be able to suit up on Friday in a postseason rematch. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Banchero has been diagnosed with a right abdominal strain and is listed as questionable to play vs. Cleveland.
Further testing confirmed that Zach LaVine has sustained a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, who tweets that the Bulls guard is considered questionable to play against Brooklyn on Friday.
On the heels of his best game of the season, Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is being listed as questionable for Friday’s game in Detroit due to a sprained left wrist.
Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (right shoulder strain) and guard CJ McCollum (right adductor soreness) will be reevaluated on Friday in New Orleans, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link), but the duo has already been ruled out for tomorrow’s game vs. Indiana, the club announced in a press release.
Thunder forward Kenrich Williams, who underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee in September, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday to practice with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, according to the team.

Southeast Notes: Banchero, Hawks, Kuzma, Coulibaly, Wizards, Hornets

October 30th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are off to a strong 3-1 start this season, led by forward Paolo Banchero, who ranks first on the team in points (28.5 PPG) and assists (6.0 APG) and second in rebounds (9.3 RPG).

Banchero filled up the stat sheet on Monday in the best game of his career, compiling 50 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists in a narrow home victory over Indiana. The 21-year-old became the youngest player to record at least 50 points and 10 rebounds in a game since LeBron James did it at age 20 in March 2005, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

“It was one of those games where you’re just watching and you’re coaching but you’re sitting there just enjoying his process and watching a great player perform,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said.

Orlando exercised its fourth-year option for the 2025/26 season on Banchero earlier this month. That option will guarantee the former No. 1 overall pick a $15.3MM salary next season, but his continued ascent puts him on track for a much larger payday in the not-too-distant future — he’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension beginning in July 2025 and seems likely to receive a maximum-salary offer from the Magic at that time.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

The Hawks‘ depth is being tested just one week into the 2024/25 season, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta issued injury updates on four players on Tuesday and also didn’t have Onyeka Okongwu (left big toe injury management) or De’Andre Hunter (right knee inflammation) available for Monday’s loss to Washington. The good news is that Okongwu isn’t on the injury report for Wednesday’s rematch in D.C., while Hunter is considered questionable.
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma sustained a right groin strain in Monday’s game against Atlanta, according to the team (Twitter link). While it’s unclear how much time he might miss as a result of the injury, Kuzma has been ruled out at least for Wednesday’s rematch vs. the Hawks.
Four rival NBA talent evaluators who spoke to Josh Robbins of The Athletic about 2023 lottery pick Bilal Coulibaly are intrigued by his potential but view the Wizards forward as someone whose future is difficult to project. “I’m not ruling him in or out in terms of whether he was a good pick. (It’s) too soon,” one scout said. “But I’d say the arrow’s pointing upward.”
The Wizards‘ and Hornets‘ G League affiliates have formally announced their training camp rosters. The Capital City Go-Go’s squad includes former NBA lottery pick Kira Lewis Jr. and five-year NBA veteran Jaylen Nowell, while 10-year NBA veteran Kent Bazemore is the most notable name in camp with the Greensboro Swarm.

Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Suggs, Ball, Mann, Okongwu, Banchero, Miller

October 25th, 2024 at 12:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Johnson‘s five-year extension with the Hawks was one of the last deals to be announced on Monday because the paperwork reached the league office just minutes before the 5:00 pm Central deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. In an article co-written with Tim Bontemps, Windhorst states that the two sides didn’t come to an agreement until after Jalen Suggs reached an extension with the Magic. Both teams slightly increased their offers to get the deals finalized, sources tell Windhorst.

He adds that Hawks officials were relieved to get Johnson to commit to a five-year arrangement with no player option. Johnson is coming off a breakthrough season in which he averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 56 games, and at 23 he’s viewed as one of the young cornerstones of the franchise.

Scouts and executives from rival teams were impressed that Atlanta and Orlando were able to sign their young stars to contracts that will become less burdensome over time, Bontemps adds. The salary cap is projected to increase by up to 10% each season, but Johnson’s deal will stay flat at $30MM for each of the next five years, while Suggs’ salary starts at $35MM next season and declines until it reaches $26.7MM in 2029/30.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is wearing strong ankle braces to help avoid the injury problems that have ended his last two seasons, Bontemps reveals in the same piece. Ball was impressive with 34 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in the season opener, and he got help from Tre Mann, who contributed 24 points off the bench and could be in line for a breakout season after being acquired from Oklahoma City in February. Sources tell Bontemps that Mann had offseason talks about a rookie scale extension with Charlotte, but wasn’t able to come to an agreement.
Center Onyeka Okongwu sparked the Hawks with 28 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in an opening night win over Brooklyn. He was happy to be able to play 28 minutes after missing time late last season with a toe injury and being used sparingly during the preseason, per Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. “That was my main concern, just coming into this season,” Okongwu said. “It was my conditioning. I was blessed to spend my summer getting right, but I felt really good out there and I’m just happy we got the win.”
Magic forward Paolo Banchero has released the first installment of this year’s Andscape diary with Marc J. Spears. Banchero talks about growing up in Seattle, the adjustment to Orlando, the playoff series with Cleveland, advice from Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic and a few other topics.
Brandon Miller will be reevaluated in a week after being forced out of Wednesday’s opener with a glute strain, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Head coach Charles Lee talked to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer about the challenge of replacing Miller.

Southeast Notes: Daniels, Banchero, Burks, Salaun

October 20th, 2024 at 10:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks guard Dyson Daniels welcomed a fresh start to his NBA career after being traded from New Orleans this summer, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Daniels was selected with the eighth pick in the 2022 draft, but he wasn’t satisfied with the progress he made during his two seasons with the Pelicans.

“I think I feel like in New Orleans, I was kind of bottled up a little bit, and it was hard to try to find myself and find whatever I wanted to do,” Daniels said. “I was so focused on basketball, making sure I’m there every time, I’m giving 100% that I was, I was kind of tense and not relaxed. It was always stressful. So just to be able to get out of there, have a new beginning in Atlanta, new team. I love the coaching staff. Love everyone here. Great city, great food, great people here. So, I’ve really enjoyed the move so far.”

Daniels mainly came off the bench in New Orleans, but he started all four preseason games he played with the Hawks and appears to be a good fit alongside Trae Young. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists and connected at 38.1% from three-point range after shooting just 31.2% from beyond the arc with the Pelicans. Although it was an encouraging performance, Daniels is happy that the preseason is finally over.

“I’m ready for the season, now,” he said. “I hate the build-up. I hate preseason. I hate all that stuff. I just like playing games. So I’m ready to step foot on the floor and have an impact, be out there picking up full-court defense, playing off Trae, knocking down shots, getting to the rim, just being that kind of that all guy. Trae’s gonna get a lot of attention. So it’s about running the ball, making the right reads, right decisions coming up, slipping out screens, setting good screens. But I’m just looking forward to playing a basketball game, so it’s gonna be fun.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Coming off an All-Star season, Magic forward Paolo Banchero might be ready to reach new heights, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Head coach Jamahl Mosley talked about the “poise” that Banchero has displayed since camp opened, and the third-year forward agreed he’s approaching the game differently. “It’s just a certain level of comfort,” Banchero said. “After my second year, especially playing in the playoffs, it just showed me a different way that I can be effective. Combining my first two seasons and just looking back, watching so much tape over the summer, I played a lot on the ball my first two years and I learned that if I’m able to mix up playing on and off the ball — screening, flashing, posting up and just trying to not just give the defense one dose of something, just try to mix it up, pick my spots, and be a little more strategic with my approach — it makes the game a little easier.”
Changing teams is a routine experience for veteran swingman Alec Burks, who joined his eighth NBA club when he signed with the Heat this summer, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Winderman adds that Burks became a priority for Miami after losing Caleb Martin in free agency. “The way they develop their guys, no matter their age, no matter the years, they just make everybody better,” Burks said in explaining why he joined the Heat. “I think that’s what I’ve learned so far, is their development of any type of player.”
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer examines rookie Tidjane Salaun‘s chances of earning a spot in the Hornets‘ rotation.

Magic Exercise 2025/26 Options On Banchero, Black, Howard

October 4th, 2024 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic announced (via Twitter) that they have exercised their 2025/26 rookie scale options on Paolo Banchero, Anthony Black and Jett Howard.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 draft, Banchero won Rookie of the Year in ’22/23 and followed that up with his first All-Star appearance in ’23/24. Now that his fourth-year option for ’25/26 (worth $15,334,769) has been picked up, Banchero will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

Obviously, it was a foregone conclusion that Orlando would exercise its option on Banchero, who recently discussed what he’s been working to improve as he enters his third season. He’ll earn $12,160,800 in ’24/25.

Black, a 6’7″ guard, and Howard, a 6’8″ wing, were both lottery picks in 2023 (No. 6 and No. 11, respectively). Howard only played 67 regular season minutes over 18 NBA games, having spent much of his rookie season in the G League. Black was a rotation regular though, averaging 4.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 69 regular season games (16.9 minutes per contest).

Both players were already under contract this season. This move means they’ll earn guaranteed salaries for their third seasons in ’25/26. Black will make $7,970,280 that year, while Howard will earn $5,529,720.

Our tracker has the full list of rookie scale team options for ’25/26. The deadline for teams to make those decisions is Oct. 31.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Wagner, Bitadze, Basketball Ops

October 4th, 2024 at 8:48am CST by Rory Maher

All-Star forward Paolo Banchero says he was “all the way spent” following Game 7 of the Magic‘s first-round playoff loss to Cleveland last spring, so he spent the majority of the summer working to get in “tip-top, elite shape” for a possible deeper postseason run in 2024/25, he tells David Aldridge of The Athletic.

“I worked on my body three or four days a week — sometimes lifting, sometimes agility, some days conditioning,” Banchero said. “Just trying to get in the best shape heading into this season. And obviously, as the season goes on and on, just trying to stay consistent with my habits, and once you get to the playoffs, just having that second wind.”

Franz Wagner, who signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension this offseason, says that both he and Banchero need to evolve into more vocal leaders as the team’s best players, Aldridge writes. Wagner admits it doesn’t come naturally to either player.

“Honestly, that’s something we have to grow into,” Wagner said. “We’re not the super-outgoing personalities, not the yellers on the team. At some point, that’s going to be required from us, though, especially with each other. We’ve got a great deal of respect for each other. We both really enjoy playing together. I think we have a great relationship. I think that’s the start, just having that trust that when you are holding each other accountable, the other person knows it’s coming from a good place.”

“This year, (I want to be) just a super consistent voice for our team and for the group,” Banchero said, per Aldridge. “When I see something, when you just say it, it gives everyone, whether it’s the guys you’re playing with, your coaches, whoever you say it to, it gives them a chance to take what you said and adjust. … I think me just being a consistent leader and consistent voice is going to take us to another level.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

While Wagner posted career highs in several major statistics in ’23/24, he struggled with his three-point shot, converting a career-low 28.1% from beyond the arc after shooting a combined 35.8% from deep over his first two seasons. The 23-year-old says he spent a lot of time working to fine-tune his outside shot this offseason and is confident in it entering ’24/25, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “Getting the mechanics right and my mindset too,” Wagner said. “That’s where it starts coming in with the right mentality and just having a clear mind knowing what I want to accomplish and what the team’s intentions are. That’s when I can be at my best.”
Former first-round pick Goga Bitadze was unable to finish out his rookie scale contract with Indiana, having been waived by the Pacers during the ’22/23 season. The Magic gave him a second chance, inking the Georgian big man to a two-year, minimum-salary contract that expired over the summer. Bitadze suggested he could have gotten more money from another team in free agency, but he re-signed with the Magic on a three-year, $25MM deal because “he’s really happy” in Orlando, according to Beede. “You [can] get paid a little bit more somewhere else, but this is like home,” Bitadze said. “How much this team has done for me, I feel like I still got to give it back so I’m just super excited to be back.”
The Magic recently announced several promotions and additions to their basketball operations department. Ameer Bahhur (assistant coach/staff coordinator), Becky Bonner (director of pro personnel), Randy Gregory (assistant coach), Stephen Mervis (assistant general manager) and Rodney “Sid” Powell (vice president of team operations) are a handful of the 23 employees listed in the press release.