- Since Cameron Johnson went down with his knee injury, the Suns have made an effort to reopen some old Jae Crowder trade talks, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated in the most recent episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). Like Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Windhorst and his ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps have both heard that there’s no indication the Suns and Crowder will mend fences and have the veteran forward report to the team.
When the Pistons unexpectedly beat out rival suitors to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic in September, some executives around the NBA viewed it as a signal that Detroit was accelerating its timeline and making a push for the play-in tournament, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, it’s unclear if the Pistons are ready to take that step forward, having gotten off to a 3-9 start this season.
If the Pistons continue to struggle and Bogdanovic (19.3 PPG on .487/.457/.917 shooting) keeps playing anywhere near the level that he has in the early going, it could put the team in a good position to flip the veteran forward for value at this season’s trade deadline, Fischer notes.
The Pistons did sign Bogdanovic to a two-year, $39MM extension last month, but that contract shouldn’t hurt his trade value and might even improve it for some suitors, especially since the second year of the extension is only lightly guaranteed, Fischer writes. And even if the Pistons hang onto Bogdanovic through this season, he’ll now be movable in the 2023 offseason and beyond.
“What it really does is it gives them contract control so it’s easier to trade him in July, when a team that needs him is far more likely to have cap space and wiggle room,” an assistant general manager told Yahoo Sports.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Lakers inquired on Bogdanovic when he was a member of the Jazz and could still have interest if the Pistons were to make him available, according to Fischer, who points out that a package of Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel would be enough to match Russell Westbrook‘s expiring deal. If the Lakers are hesitant to make an all-in move, a package like that could hold some appeal, since it shouldn’t cost them both of their tradable first-round picks, says Fischer.
- The Suns were another team with interest in Bogdanovic before he was traded out of Utah and could still put together a package built around Jae Crowder‘s expiring contract, Fischer writes, adding that there’s no indication that Crowder and the Suns will reunite even after starting forward Cameron Johnson went down with a knee injury.
- It’s unclear whether the Bucks have interest in Bogdanovic, but they’re among Crowder’s potential suitors and could hypothetically offer Grayson Allen for him, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that Milwaukee has been calling teams to gauge Allen’s trade value.
- While Allen looks like the kind of rotation piece the Suns are known to be seeking in exchange for Crowder, Fischer wonders if Phoenix might become more inclined to wait until closer to the trade deadline to see if any higher-impact players shake loose — Crowder’s expiring contract could be an important piece in any offer for a player of that caliber.
Suns forward Mikal Bridges has stepped up as a the team’s key secondary scorer behind All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.
With starting Phoenix point guard Chris Paul having taken more of a backseat offensively this year, Bridges has been scoring more than ever. The 2022 All-Defensive Teamer is averaging a career-high 16.4 PPG on a .591/.464/.886 slash line, along with 5.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.1 BPG.
So far, that jump in production has paid off for Phoenix, currently the early No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with an 8-3 record thus far this year.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- The Suns were dealt a major lineup blow when starting power forward Cameron Johnson had to go under the knife for a torn meniscus. Head coach Monty Williams isn’t ready to commit to a specific recovery timeline for Johnson, but said the way the tear was treated should result in a quicker return, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “One of the options was that he could’ve had a (meniscus) repair and that would’ve been a longer timeline for sure,” Williams said. “So we’re grateful it wasn’t worse. We’re grateful he got great care and we’re not sure when he’s going to come back, but we’re grateful for the outcome.”
- Clippers All-Star forward Paul George and Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James have enjoyed one of the most endearing on-court rivalries of either player’s career, across their various teams over the years. Brian Windhorst of ESPN takes a fascinating look at the two stars’ intertwined NBA runs. Windhorst reminds us that both players had several near-misses as teammates, alternately with the Cavaliers and Lakers, from 2017-19.
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has stated that reserve shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo is on track to return to the floor Friday, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Kerr adds that DiVincenzo participated in a Wednesday scrimmage and Thursday practice without any setbacks to the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the team’s last eight games. Since signing with Golden State this summer, DiVincenzo has only been healthy for three contests. In 14 MPG, the 6’4″ swingman is averaging 5.0 PPG on .455/.333/.750 shooting splits and one assist.
- The Suns are now listing Chris Paul as out for Wednesday’s game vs. Minnesota with right heel soreness, tweets Timberwolves broadcaster Alan Horton. After Paul left Monday’s contest due to the heel injury, head coach Monty Williams said on Tuesday that it’s “a lot better than what we thought,” so it doesn’t sound as if the veteran point guard will miss much time (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
- Already missing one starter, the Suns lost another in Monday’s game, as point guard Chris Paul exited in the second quarter due to right heel soreness and didn’t return. However, Paul doesn’t believe the injury will be a long-term concern, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Asked if not returning to Monday’s game was mostly about he and the team taking a cautious approach to the injury, Paul replied, “Yeah.”
- Suns head coach Monty Williams said on Monday that the team may take a committee approach to replacing Cameron Johnson‘s minutes at power forward, Bontemps writes. Torrey Craig has gotten the first chance to take Johnson’s spot in the starting five, but Damion Lee, Dario Saric, and Jock Landale are also candidates for an eventual promotion, according to Williams.
Suns forward Cameron Johnson has undergone a surgical procedure on his injured right knee that removed a part of his meniscus, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter link). Sources tell Windhorst that Johnson should be able to return to action in one or two months.
Meniscus tears can be treated in a variety of ways, and the form of treatment dictates a player’s recovery timeline. When a torn meniscus is surgically repaired, it costs a player several months (Jaren Jackson, Collin Sexton, and James Wiseman are among the players who took this path in recent years), while removing part or all of the meniscus generally results in a much quicker recovery. It sounds like Johnson and the Suns chose the latter route.
Johnson is in a contract year after not reaching an agreement on a rookie scale extension with the Suns prior to the start of the regular season.
The 26-year-old got the opportunity to move into Phoenix’s starting lineup on a full-time basis this season and was off to a good start, averaging 13.0 PPG with a .431 3PT% through eight games (25.3 MPG) — both marks would represent career highs.
With Jae Crowder away from the team as he awaits a trade, the Suns figure to lean more heavily on Torrey Craig while they wait for Johnson to make it back onto the court. Damion Lee, Dario Saric, and Josh Okogie are among the other reserve wings and forwards who are candidates for increased roles, though Saric and Okogie haven’t been regular rotation players so far this season.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday that injured wing Donte DiVincenzo practiced with the club today, but is not set to return to the floor just yet, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Golden State is targeting its Friday game for a DiVincenzo return, Andrews reports.
Andrews adds (via Twitter) that second-year swingman Jonathan Kuminga is going to join the Warriors’ revised rotation as the defending champs look to rebound from a five-game losing streak that has sunk their early record to 3-7. Andrews notes that Kerr has indicated he will be making other tweaks to the club’s lineups, but did not expound on that.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- With starting Suns power forward Cameron Johnson now out for a while following meniscus surgery, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports examines how his extended absence could impact the rest of the club’s roster. With Phoenix reserve Torrey Craig shifted into the starting lineup, Bourguet contends that the Suns could struggle thanks to a shortened bench and the loss of three-point shooting that arrives in the transition from Johnson to Craig. While Craig is connecting on 40.9% of his triples, he is taking just 2.4 attempts a game. Johnson was nailing 43.1% of his treys on a much more robust 6.4 looks a night.
- Craig performed well as head coach Monty Williams‘s choice to replace Johnson in the Suns‘ starting lineup, and appears to be in line for a big uptick in the weeks to come with Johnson out, according to Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “It’s been good,” Williams said of Craig’s performance. “He’s been thrown into a number of situations with us and I thought his energy [in the team’s 102-82 blowout of the Trail Blazers Saturday] was great.”
- Clippers All-Star forward Paul George has stepped up in the absence of injured fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Leonard has only been able to suit up for two games thus far as he deals with right knee stiffness. In three straight Leonard-less wins, George has averaged 31.2 PPG, 6.1 APG and 5.0 RPG.
NOVEMBER 6, 11:03am: Johnson has indeed suffered a torn meniscus, tweets Rankin. According to Rankin, the fourth-year wing will undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely.
NOVEMBER 5, 7:01pm: There are concerns that Suns forward Cameron Johnson may have torn the meniscus in his right knee, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Tests have indicated that the meniscus is injured and Johnson is undergoing further evaluation, Charania adds.
Johnson has been ruled out for tonight’s game after injuring his knee in the first quarter of Friday’s loss to Portland. He was able to walk to the locker room under his own power, but he left the arena on crutches, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Johnson appeared to suffer the injury while turning to get back on defense, Rankin adds. He is coming off a productive week, averaging 21.3 PPG in his previous three games, including a 29-point outburst on Tuesday.
Johnson, who moved into the starting lineup on a full-time basis this season, will be a restricted free agent next summer after not reaching an agreement on a rookie scale contract extension before the October 31 deadline.
- In the wake of Cameron Johnson‘s possible meniscus tear and Jae Crowder‘s continued absence, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports identifies some possible trade targets for the Suns to consider. He points to the Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma, the Bucks’ Grayson Allen, the Celtics’ Derrick White, the Raptors’ Thaddeus Young, the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, the Spurs’ Josh Richardson and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as players who might be available in a Crowder deal.
When the Suns announced on Saturday that Deandre Ayton had sustained a sprained left ankle, the team indicated that its starting center would be reevaluated in one week. However, it appears that Ayton may be able to return before hitting that one-week mark.
Suns head coach Monty Williams told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t have a “definitive answer” on whether Ayton would be available for Friday’s game vs. Portland, but the big man practiced in full on Thursday and has been listed as probable for tonight’s game, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Reserve centers Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale have handled the five spot in Ayton’s absence, with Biyombo replacing the former No. 1 overall pick in the starting lineup. Biyombo blocked a total of nine shots in his two starts.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- With Jae Crowder still on the Suns’ roster nearly a month-and-a-half after he and the Suns reached an agreement to work together to seek out a trade for the veteran forward, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports puts together a few hypothetical Crowder packages, exploring what deals with the Wizards, Jazz, Bucks, Celtics, Raptors, Clippers, and Spurs might look like.
- After missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a torn ACL, Dario Saric hasn’t been part of Phoenix’s rotation so far this season, logging just seven total minutes in two appearances this season. The Suns forward, who averaged 21.6 MPG in 116 games from 2019-21 before getting injured, is trying not to get discouraged by his lack of playing time, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. “I try to come into the gym every day, work hard,” Saric said. “Keep my conditioning up and wait for my chance or come in and have some positive things on the court, but it’s not easy. I’m not going to lie and say it’s easy when it’s not. I don’t know. Just try to keep conditioning up and do whatever I can control.”
- Appearing at a political rally in Phoenix, former U.S. president Barack Obama addressed rumors that he’s part of a prospective ownership group with interest in buying the Suns, neither confirming nor outright denying that claim. “I didn’t know I was in the market and, by the way, neither did Michelle,” Obama said, per Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “But I will say this. The Suns are looking pretty good. I’ve got to admit that. I think they have a few more wins than my Bulls right now.”