Amen Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Popovich, Durant, Rockets, Thompson, Randle, DiVincenzo

April 18th, 2025 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who spent most of the season away from the team while recovering from a stroke, was taken to a hospital on Tuesday following a medical incident at a restaurant, as first reported by TMZ and confirmed by Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to TMZ, Popovich was taken out of the restaurant on a stretcher and was transported to a hospital in an ambulance after officials reportedly received a call about a patron who had “fainted” while eating dinner. The incident was described as non-life-threatening, per TMZ, and Popovich was said to be alert and talking by the time he entered the ambulance. The Spurs coach is now home and doing fine, Charania confirms.

Popovich was replaced on the Spurs’ bench by assistant coach Mitch Johnson in early November after suffering a stroke. Although he didn’t return to his role this season, though he met with players in February and put out a statement indicating he hopes to eventually reclaim his spot on the sidelines.

It’s still unclear whether or not that will ultimately be possible. At age 76, Popovich is the oldest head coach in NBA history by a considerable margin — he passed Hubie Brown (71) for that mark several years ago.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Following the latest round of rumors linking Kevin Durant to Houston, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) say a Rockets pursuit of the Suns forward actually appears “less likely” than previously believed. Stein and Fischer have repeatedly reported that Houston is focused more on stars who would better fit the timeline of the team’s young core, rather than a veteran like Durant who will turn 37 later this year.
Rockets guard Amen Thompson has been one of the NBA’s breakout players of the 2024/25 season, emerging in his second season as a candidate for Most Improved Player, All-Defense, and even Defensive Player of the Year. Chris Mannix of SI.com takes an in-depth look at one of Houston’s long-term cornerstones, whose improvement on both ends of the court has earned high praise from head coach Ime Udoka. “When I coached Kyrie (Irving, in Boston), you would be wowed at something he did offensively every night,” Udoka said. “It’s the same thing with Amen on the defensive end. You can’t teach what he does. … He can be a top 15-level player. All-NBA level. People are seeing flashes. We see more.”
It’s rare for major NBA trades to occur at the start of training camp, but that’s when the Timberwolves and Knicks completed their blockbuster deal that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details, the unexpected move upended the lives of Randle and DiVincenzo off the court as well as on it, and it took the duo some time to adjust to the change of scenery. Hine explores how the two Timberwolves got settled in Minnesota and how their increased comfort level helped fuel an impressive late-season run for the club, which won 17 of its last 21 games.

And-Ones: Clutch Player Award, NBA Europe, Award Picks, Oweh

April 15th, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The official candidates for Clutch Player of the Year have been revealed, NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor tweets. Here’s the list of candidates that voters can select for the award, as chosen by the league’s 30 head coaches:

Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Darius Garland, Cavaliers
De’Aaron Fox, Spurs
DeMar DeRozan, Kings
Derrick White, Celtics
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Jalen Brunson, Knicks
Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Suns
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
LeBron James, Lakers
Luka Doncic, Lakers
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Stephen Curry, Warriors
Trae Young, Hawks
Tyler Herro, Heat
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers

Curry won the award last year.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

While the NBA is trying to establish a new league in Europe, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum insists that the goal is not to replace the EuroLeague, Eurohoops relays via a Reuters interview. “Our goal is to create a commercially viable league that features high quality on -court competition and respects the rich tradition of European basketball. And we think that that will better serve fans and players on the continent,” Tatum said. He notes that there are major cities in Europe that don’t have a team where the NBA can establish roots. “There are big markets in Europe that aren’t being serviced today, where there are millions of basketball fans that aren’t being serviced,” he said. London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are among the candidates that NBA Europe considers as prime targets.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger reveals his award picks. He has Gilgeous-Alexander atop his MVP list and the Rockets’ Amen Thompson as his Defensive Player of the Year. O’Connor, writing for Yahoo Sports, has the same duo winning those awards. They also both have Stephon Castle taking Rookie of the Year honors, Payton Pritchard atop their Sixth Man of the Year lists, and Kenny Atkinson as Coach of the Year.
Kentucky junior guard Otega Oweh will test the draft waters, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 tweets. Oweh averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals this past season. He played his first two seasons at Oklahoma.

Award Candidates Who Still Need To Reach 65-Game Mark

April 2nd, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

There are just 12 days left in the 2024/25 regular season, which means time is running out for certain end-of-season award candidates to meet the 65-game minimum to qualify for consideration.

A player doesn’t need to reach that 65-game mark in order to be eligible for Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, or All-Rookie teams, but it’s a necessary requirement for most of the marquee awards: Most Valuable Player, All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defense, and Most Improved Player.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the following players who could be in the mix for one or more of those awards haven’t yet met the 65-game criteria, but still have a chance to do so:

Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (64 games played)
LeBron James, Lakers (64)
Jalen Williams, Thunder (64)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (63)
Stephen Curry, Warriors (63)
Amen Thompson, Rockets (63)
Kevin Durant, Suns (62)
Jalen Brunson, Knicks (61)
Domantas Sabonis, Kings (61)
Scottie Barnes, Raptors (61)
Draymond Green, Warriors (60)
Jaylen Brown, Celtics (59)
Damian Lillard, Bucks (59)
Jrue Holiday, Celtics (58)

In some cases, a player’s actual games played total doesn’t match up with the figure noted above. That’s because in order for a game to count before the 65-game minimum, the player must be on the court for at least 20 minutes. A player is also permitted to count a maximum of two games between 15 and 20 minutes toward that minimum.

Let’s use Mobley as an example. The Cavaliers big man has technically appeared in 66 games this season, but he played just 12 minutes in one of those games, 18 minutes in two of them, and 19 minutes in one. That means he only has 64 games that actually count toward the minimum — all 62 games in which he played 20-plus minutes, along with two of those games between 15-20 minutes.

Mobley will have to play at least 20 minutes once more this season in order to be eligible for awards like Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defense, and All-NBA. Given that he’s healthy and the Cavs still have seven games left on their schedule, Mobley should have no problem meeting that requirement. But it’ll be a taller order for some of the other players on this list.

Durant is currently sidelined with an ankle sprain and has been ruled out for at least two more games. He would have to play 20-plus minutes in three of the Suns‘ final four games to be award-eligible. Brunson, on the shelf due to his own ankle sprain, is in a similar boat, though the Knicks guard has a chance to return before Durant does.

Lillard, who is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf, seems pretty unlikely to play in six of the Bucks‘ last seven games. Holiday is healthy but has no wiggle room to miss any of the Celtics‘ remaining seven games.

Many of this year’s other top award contenders have already met the 65-game criteria. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic did so in style on Tuesday night — his 65th game of the season was an incredible 61-point triple-double in a 140-139 double-overtime loss to Minnesota.

However, according to the latest straw poll conducted by Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Jokic is the clear runner-up to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who has played 72 games) in the MVP race. Of the 100 media members polled by Bontemps, 77 picked the Thunder guard as their Most Valuable Player, while just 23 chose Jokic. The three-time MVP may need a couple more performances like Tuesday’s in order to close that gap by the end of the season.

Besides Jokic, one other notable player who has narrowly eclipsed the 65-game minimum is Cade Cunningham. The Pistons guard has missed four games in a row with a left calf injury and is considered doubtful to return on Wednesday, but he played his 65th game on March 19, prior to his recent absence.

That’s especially important for Cunningham and the Pistons because, as Bontemps notes, the fourth-year guard is considered a virtual lock to earn a spot on one of this year’s All-NBA teams, which will ensure that his maximum-salary rookie scale extension begins at 30% of the 2025/26 salary cap instead of 25%. That would increase the overall projected value of Cunningham’s five-year deal from $224.2MM to $269.1MM.

Injury Notes: Thompson, Wiggins, Zion, Hornets, Flagg

March 21st, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets wing Amen Thompson will return on Friday vs. Miami and will immediately reenter the team’s starting lineup, head coach Ime Udoka said today (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). Thompson won’t be on a minutes restriction after missing the past six games due to a sprained ankle.

Besides being good news for the Rockets, who are vying for playoff position and currently control the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, Thompson’s return bodes well for his end-of-season award eligibility. He’ll reach the 65-game minimum if he plays at least 20 minutes in seven more games — Houston has 12 left on its schedule.

Thompson looks like a solid candidate to receive consideration for Most Improved Player and All-Defensive honors this spring.

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

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins is returning on Friday vs. Houston after missing two games with a leg contusion. He had originally been listed as questionable with an ankle impingement. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said the team will be “mindful” of Wiggins’ minutes in his first game back, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will be inactive on Friday vs. Minnesota due to a low back contusion, according to the team (Twitter link). Although Williamson has been fairly healthy for the past two-plus months, he has appeared in just 30 total games so far this season.
The Hornets have ruled out several players on the second end of a back-to-back set in Oklahoma City on Friday, including LaMelo Ball (right ankle injury management) and Mark Williams (left foot injury management), both of whom played key roles in Thursday’s win over New York. Marcus Garrett, who has played rotation minutes over the past four games, is listed as “not with team” on the final night of his 10-day contract.
It’s not an NBA injury, but Duke star Cooper Flagg said ahead of the team’s NCAA tournament opener that he’s “pain-free” after injuring his ankle last Thursday against Georgia Tech (story via David Hale of ESPN). The projected No. 1 overall pick for the 2025 draft didn’t have to play a ton on Friday, as the Blue Devils rolled to a 93-49 win over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s. Flagg had 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 22 minutes.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Thompson, Grizzlies, Pelicans

March 20th, 2025 at 8:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets are guaranteed to at least make the play-in tournament this season after defeating the Magic on Wednesday. It’ll be the first time the team has made any form of postseason appearance since 2020. The Rockets still haven’t clinched a top-six seed, which would allow them to avoid the play-in, but they’re close, with a 5.5-game lead on the seventh-seeded Clippers.

Houston has now won eight games in a row and climbed to second in the West. According to Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner, the Rockets’ energy is high nearing the postseason.

“We’re just hooping,” forward Tari Eason said. “The overall motto that I say is, ‘Just have fun.’ You know, basketball is fun. Sometimes we get caught up in this or that or just narratives, or whatever the case may be, but I think we’re out there having fun. When you’re out there having fun, you play free. You play better.”

Several veterans and young players are helping the Rockets make the push.

“We don’t have one guy,” Alperen Sengun said. “Jalen [Green] is scoring guy, but we have every day, some different guys. So we don’t really care who scores. Everybody do their job. I get my rebounds. Tari, you have to rebound, Jabari [Smith], you have to get the rebounds. You know, we just all make each other’s job easy and I think that’s the really important thing about us, and I think that’s being helping us to win.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Rockets guard Amen Thompson was upgraded to probable ahead of Friday’s game against the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Thompson hasn’t played since March 8 as he works his way back from a foot injury. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 60 games (33 starts) this season.
The Grizzlies are still seeking late-game continuity, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. When complete, Memphis is one of the most complete contenders. However, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have only played 30 games together this season. “We’ve been a resilient team all season; that’s just been part of this team’s journey,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “But there has to be an urgency that we play with on both sides of the floor.“
Even though the Pelicans are eliminated from playoff contention, they haven’t called it quits on the season, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. That was evident after their impressive road win over Minnesota on Wednesday followed a 46-point loss to Detroit earlier in the week.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Davis, Castle, Morant, Aldama, Thompson

March 19th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

In a season that’s been filled with bad nights for the Pelicans, Monday may have been the worst, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. New Orleans tied a record for the largest margin of defeat in franchise history, falling to Detroit by 46 points, and lost Trey Murphy early in the game with a shoulder injury that could affect his availability for training camp.

New Orleans trailed by 23 points after the first quarter and 31 points at halftime as the home crowd loudly booed the poor effort. It was the fifth loss of the season by at least 30 points, according to Walker.

Coach Willie Green called his players “soft” after the game and said they “looked like a team that forgot how to play basketball.” He also stressed the importance of continuing to compete, even though the Pelicans have been eliminated from the playoff race.

“I think the start of the game with Trey going down, it kinda rocked us from there,” Green said. “We didn’t have a rhythm offensively and we kinda felt sorry for ourselves a bit. You can’t do that. But it shook our guys up, especially with all we’ve been through this season.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks were encouraged by Anthony Davis‘ first practice session with their G League affiliate, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. However, coach Jason Kidd cautioned that Davis still has a long way to go in his recovery from a left adductor strain. “He’s trending in the right place,” Kidd said. “He had a positive experience in the practice. He’ll continue to do things this week. Hopefully the outcome continues to be positive. A lot of good things, but he’s still some time away for him being in a game.”
The Spurs have been impressed by Stephon Castle‘s ability to handle the challenges of his rookie season, per Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. The fourth overall pick has experienced the typical ups and downs that most rookies face, but he has managed to stay focused on developing his overall game while playing elite-level defense. “There are definitely All-Defensive awards in his future,” teammate Harrison Barnes said. “It’s just with his ability to guard one through four. And he’s strong. There’s still years before he’s going to fill out his body and be the type of player that he is going to become. But I think that he shows a great aptitude to defend at a very high level.”
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will miss his third straight game tonight due to left hamstring soreness, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). Santi Aldama has been upgraded to questionable after missing seven of the last eight games with a strained right calf.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Amen Thompson was able to participate in contact drills on Tuesday as he attempts to return from a sprained left ankle (Twitter link from Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). It still hasn’t been decided whether Thompson will play Friday at Miami.

Southwest Notes: Thompson, Popovich, Grizzlies, Jensen

March 18th, 2025 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets wing Amen Thompson is making progress in his recovery from an ankle sprain and could return to action as soon as this Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said on Monday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

According to Udoka, Thompson will travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Friday and has “one more hurdle to pass” before he’s cleared to return — he’s still not taking full contact.

“If he does that, could be Miami, could be when we get back (from the road trip),” Udoka said. “Swelling has gone down, pain’s gone down. Flexibility, mobility has gone up, and he’s just got to go through a contact portion. Once he does that we’re going to see how he reacts to that and he’ll be good to go after. So hopefully, sooner than later.”

Thompson, who has missed Houston’s past five games, is enjoying a second-year breakout, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 60 outings (33 starts) this season.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright take a behind-the-scenes look at Gregg Popovich‘s recovery from the stroke he suffered in the fall, noting that it remains up in the air whether the longtime Spurs head coach will return to the sidelines next season. “It’s Pop’s decision,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
The Grizzlies fell to Sacramento on Monday despite getting 44 points from Desmond Bane, just three days after losing to Cleveland in a game in which Ja Morant scored 44 of his own. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the team’s top three offensive scorers – Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 31 in Saturday’s win – are all playing well recently, but the challenge for the Grizzlies will be to have them all available and get them all going at the same time. Morant has missed the past two games due to shoulder and hamstring issues.
Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen, who has been hired as the University of Utah’s new head coach, explained on Monday that he feels like finishing the season in Dallas is “the right thing to do,” even though it might make it “a little more difficult” to build out his Utes staff. John Coon of The Associated Press has the story and the quotes from Jensen.

Dunn, Ellis Among Impact Role Players Ineligible For All-Defense Consideration

March 17th, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Tony Allen‘s jersey retirement ceremony in Memphis, John Hollinger of The Athletic revisits Allen’s six All-Defensive seasons for the Grizzlies and notes that the veteran guard wouldn’t have made All-Defense in five of those six years if the NBA’s current 65-game rule had been in place.

The 65-game rule doesn’t simply require players to appear in at least 65 games to earn end-of-season award consideration — it requires them to reach the 20-minute threshold in at least 63 games and to play 15 or more minutes in two others.

Allen came up short of 65 total games in three of his six All-Defensive seasons and had fewer than 63 games of 20-plus minutes in two additional seasons, despite making more than 65 appearances in each of those two years. His résumé isn’t unique among All-Defensive honorees. As Hollinger points out, the entire All-Defense second team in 2021/22 would have fallen short of the 65-game requirement.

With defensive standouts like Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis on track to play fewer than 65 games this season, there could be some spots on this year’s All-Defensive teams up for grabs for less obvious candidates. But a few of the league’s most impactful defensive role players are already ineligible for award consideration.

Hollinger singles out Clippers guard Kris Dunn as a prime example. Dunn leads the NBA in defensive box plus-minus and ranks second in the league in steal percentage, behind Dyson Daniels. He also ranks third among qualified players in deflections per 36 minutes and has been a driving force behind a Clippers defense that has the third-best defensive rating in the NBA.

Dunn has also played in 60 games this season, putting him on pace to exceed the 65-game minimum, but he has played 20-plus minutes in just 44 of those contests. With only 14 games left in the Clippers’ season, Dunn will fall short of the games-played requirement for award consideration, despite a strong case for All-Defense.

Kings guard Keon Ellis is in the same boat, Hollinger observes. Another player with high marks in categories like defensive box plus-minus, steal percentage, and deflections per 36 minutes, Ellis has appeared in 64 games but reached the 20-minute mark in only 41 of them, so he won’t reach the required minimum either.

Cason Wallace, one of the Thunder‘s best defenders, will need to play 20-plus minutes in 10 of the team’s final 14 games to qualify for award consideration. Rockets wing Amen Thompson, currently sidelined due to an ankle sprain, is still seven 20-minute games shy of the required minimum.

Pistons big man Jalen Duren recently argued that his frontcourt mate Isaiah Stewart deserves a spot on an All-Defensive team, and Fred Katz of The Athletic agreed. However, Stewart has long been ineligible for consideration — he has logged at least 20 minutes in just 24 of his 62 outings this season.

The 65-game rule currently only applies to certain awards. A player doesn’t have to meet the criteria in order to qualify for Rookie of the Year, an All-Rookie team, or Sixth Man of the Year.

In Hollinger’s view, All-Defense should get the same treatment, with the 65-game rule either relaxed or eliminated, since players who receive All-Defensive consideration often play much different roles than players who get votes for awards like MVP and All-NBA.

What do you think? Should the requirements of the 65-game rule apply for All-Defensive candidates? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents.

Rockets’ Amen Thompson Out At Least 10 Days

March 9th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets second-year forward Amen Thompson is expected to be sidelined for 10-to-14 days due to a left ankle sprain, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

An MRI showed no structural damage, so Thompson will rehab and receive treatment for swelling in the ankle with the hope of returning sometime this month. It’s relatively good news for Houston, as a major sprain would have sidelined him for a much longer period of time.

Thompson injured his left ankle during the fourth quarter of the team’s blowout win over New Orleans on Saturday. The injury occurred as Thompson drove into the lane and attempted a pull-up jumper. His left foot came down on Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic‘s foot when he landed, and he reportedly was seen wearing a walking boot and using crutches as he left the arena.

The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Thompson has been enjoying a breakout year for the Rockets. In 60 games (33 starts), the 22-year-old has averaged 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game, with a .553 FG% and strong, versatile defense.

Cam Whitmore and Aaron Holiday are among the players who could see an uptick in playing time while Thompson mends.

Rockets’ Thompson Injures Ankle, Will Undergo MRI

March 9th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

Rockets wing Amen Thompson, who turned his left ankle during the fourth quarter of the team’s blowout win over New Orleans on Saturday, will undergo an MRI to assess the severity of the injury, a source tells Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The injury occurred as Thompson drove into the lane and attempted a pull-up jumper. His left foot came down on Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic‘s foot when he landed, causing his ankle to roll (Twitter video link via ClutchFans).

According to Iko, Thompson was seen wearing a walking boot and using crutches as he left the arena, though head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Sam Warren of The Houston Chronicle, that he didn’t have any news on the injury after the game.

“Saw the replay, looked like he rolled (his ankle),” Udoka said. “Kind of went up under (Matkovic) on a jump shot and landed on his foot. But no update.”

The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Thompson has been enjoying a breakout year for the Rockets. In 60 games (33 starts), the 22-year-old has averaged 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game, with a .553 FG% and strong, versatile defense. He opened the season with the second unit, but has started every game he has played since January 5.

If Thompson’s injury causes him to miss time, it will hurt a little more because the Rockets were up by 33 points when it happened and were in the process of subbing out their regulars. Thompson, who was just one rebound away from recording a triple-double, was the only starter still on the floor after Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason came out with 6:00 left to play.

Thompson’s injury occurred on Houston’s next offensive possession. He was subbed out at the 5:31 mark and immediately limped to the locker room under his own power (Twitter video link via ClutchFans).