Andrew Wiggins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Johnson, Paul, Wiggins, Reddish, Plumlee

December 5th, 2023 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings‘ NBA G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, are trading for the rights to forward Stanley Johnson from the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat‘s affiliate, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Johnson had auditions with Golden State and Phoenix during the offseason but was unable to get a contract offer. Johnson has played for five organizations since being picked in the lottery by Detroit in 2015. He saw action in 30 games off the bench for the Spurs last season.

The Kings have an open roster spot, so this could be an opportunity for Johnson to work his way back into the NBA.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins are probable to play on Wednesday against Portland, according to Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Both participated in practice on Tuesday, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. Paul has been out since Nov. 28 due to a lower leg injury. Wiggins has also missed the last two games due to a finger injury.
Cam Reddish has endured a rocky start to his NBA career but he’s flourishing with the Lakers as a hustle player, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. He’s become a favorite among fans and teammates alike. “Cam is great,” LeBron James said. “He has a knack for just being around the ball, getting deflections. I guarantee in the minutes that he’s played, he’s probably one of the league leaders in deflections, steals. Anything around the ball, he’s just really good.” Reddish was averaging 23.7 minutes in 17 games, including 10 starts, heading into Tuesday’s tournament quarterfinal.
Mason Plumlee has a long way to go before returning to action, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Clippers big man isn’t practicing 5-on-5 or running full speed yet as he rehabs from a knee injury. Plumlee, who is on a one-year, $5MM deal, hasn’t played since Nov. 6.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Paul, Wiggins, Harden, Westbrook, Beal

December 3rd, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Extension talks between the Warriors and Klay Thompson have been “dormant” since training camp and likely won’t get serious until after the season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown (video link).

That means there’s a decent chance Thompson will become a free agent on June 30, but Wojnarowski notes that’s typical of the way Golden State handles its most prized assets. Draymond Green was allowed to reach free agency before he signed his latest deal, the team didn’t come to an agreement with former general manager Bob Myers before his contract expired, and there hasn’t been an extension yet with head coach Steve Kerr.

Thompson is earning $43.2MM in the final year of his current contract and will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $220MM. The Warriors will almost certainly be unwilling to offer him anything close to the full amount because of his age and declining production. Thompson will turn 34 in February and is averaging just 15.7 PPG this season while shooting 40.6% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins missed the Warriors‘ game on Saturday, but they’re both expected to return soon. Paul, who suffered a lower left leg nerve contusion earlier this week, was able to go through his normal pre-game shooting routine, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Wiggins, who hurt his right index finger in a car door, also warmed up before the game and expects to be able to play in a couple of days, Slater adds (Twitter link).
James Harden offered words of encouragement to Russell Westbrook during the Clippers‘ game on Saturday, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Westbrook has shifted to a sixth-man role and has seen his playing time decline since Harden was acquired in a trade last month. Westbrook played just 19 minutes Saturday, and Harden could sense that he was getting upset. “I told him to just stay with it. It’s a long season and I know it’s probably frustrating for him because his minutes are fluctuating,” Harden said. “But I think all of us are trying to figure out how we want to play our different lineups and see who works better with who and things like that.”
Suns coach Frank Vogel said Bradley Beal is in a “workload and then see how his back responds type of phase” as he rehabs his low back strain, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Beal, who has only played three games this season, is scheduled to have his condition reevaluated this week.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Bronny, Divac, Kings, Wiggins, Moody

December 1st, 2023 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

A little over four months after suffering cardiac arrest, USC freshman Bronny James has been cleared to make a full return to basketball, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the expectation is that James will resume practicing with the team next week and make his NCAA debut not long after that.

Discussing the good news on Thursday, star forward LeBron James – Bronny’s father – told reporters that if his son’s USC debut occurs on the same day as a Lakers game, he intends to skip his own game to watch Bronny.

“Whenever he’s cleared and ready to have his first game, I already told my teammates that if they play on the same day we’re playing, I’m going to have to catch them the next game,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Family over everything … But definitely got to see Bronny’s first game whenever he’s cleared and ready to go.”

Teammate Anthony Davis said on Thursday that James has the support of the Lakers’ locker room if he missed a game to attend Bronny’s debut, but as John Hollinger of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), it likely won’t come to that. After this Saturday, the Lakers and Trojans won’t play on the same day until December 28, so as long as Bronny’s timeline doesn’t get pushed back, he’ll probably suit up for USC before then.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Vlade Divac, a former player and head of basketball operations for the Kings, has formally returned to the organization in the role of team ambassador, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick explains, Divac’s position is on the business side of the franchise and doesn’t include any basketball operations influence. The former All-Star center is focused on “community, fan, and business outreach,” per Amick.
Seerat Sohi of The Ringer considers whether the Kings still have more room for internal improvement or whether the front office might feel pressure to make a trade to raise the team’s ceiling. If they go the latter route, the Kings will have to make sure they find a systemic fit who doesn’t overlap with the club’s existing talent, Sohi writes.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins injured his right index finger when he slammed a car door on it on Thursday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Although Wiggins missed Thursday’s game, head coach Steve Kerr believes his absence will be short-term, Slater adds.
Third-year wing Moses Moody started in Wiggins’ place on Thursday and logged a season-high 28 minutes, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Moody has earned an opportunity to play a larger role for the Warriors, argues Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link).

Injury Notes: Oubre, Sixers, Edwards, Murray, Booker, Wiggins

November 30th, 2023 at 4:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers wing Kelly Oubre was a full practice participant on Thursday and also did some extra work after practice, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Oubre hasn’t played since November 10 after being struck by a vehicle. There was initially some optimism that he could be upgraded from out to questionable for Friday’s matchup with Boston, but sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that the veteran swingman is targeting a return next week, possibly Wednesday against Washington or Friday against Atlanta (Twitter link).

According to Pompey, X-rays on Nicolas Batum‘s injured finger were negative and he plans to play against the Celtics. Star center Joel Embiid is questionable with an illness, but head coach Nick Nurse thinks he’ll be ready to go, Pompey adds.

Here are a few more injury notes:

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards sustained a bruised right hip on Tuesday against Oklahoma City after taking a hard fall, causing him to exit the game, according to an Associated Press report relayed by ESPN.com. Edwards is officially listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game against Utah, but forward Kyle Anderson indicated the fourth-year guard won’t play, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Free agent addition Troy Brown is likely to start in Edwards’ place, Krawczynski adds (via Twitter).
Making his return from a hamstring injury on Wednesday, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray contributed 16 points (on 4-of-14 shooting), six rebounds and six assists in 22 minutes. However, he appeared to roll his right ankle and might miss Friday’s contest in Phoenix, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Murray said he was “frustrated” by the ankle injury, which he iced throughout the game when he wasn’t playing.
The Suns got good and bad news on Wednesday. Kevin Durant returned from a two-game absence in the loss to Toronto, but Devin Booker suffered a right ankle injury after landing on Dennis Schröder‘s foot, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. It’s unclear if Booker will miss time with the injury, but he had his worst game of the season trying to play through it yesterday.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Clippers, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The former No. 1 overall pick is dealing with right finger soreness. Golden State will be shorthanded, as Chris Paul (leg contusion) and Gary Payton II (calf) are also out.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Wiggins, Green

November 28th, 2023 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Monday about comments that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has made about having patience with struggling stars like Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, Thompson responded with “some bite,” according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

“What, do you want him to bench me?” Thompson said. “Or bench Wigs?

“I mean, you can suggest it, that’s fine. But thank Steve, I guess, I don’t know. Sometimes you earn these things, like patience and time to find yourself. I think history is on our side when it comes to that stuff.”

Thompson’s 40.2% field goal percentage so far this season would be a personal career worst, as would Wiggins’ 41.7% mark. The Warriors’ five-man starting lineup that was so dominant last season hasn’t hit its stride so far this fall — Thompson, Wiggins, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney have a minus-14.4 net rating in 87 minutes. Still, Kerr reiterated earlier in the day on Monday that he has faith in his veterans.

“Having been a player myself, I always wanted my coaches to show confidence in me through a slump,” Kerr said, per Kawakami. “So I know how much that means to a player, when a coach stands by you. And then we just won a championship a year and a half ago with Wigs and Klay playing a huge role.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Thompson’s contract negotiations – he’s on an expiring deal and is extension-eligible – are weighing on him, sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN. That may be one factor contributing to his slow start to the season.
Andrews also hears from sources that Wiggins didn’t take the time necessary during the offseason to get back into game shape for the start of the 2023/24 campaign. That lack of physical conditioning annoyed some people within the organization, one team source tells ESPN.
The Warriors figure to back Draymond Green, who will be returning on Tuesday from his five-game suspension, no matter what he does, a league source tells Andrews. A team source suggests to ESPN that the club lost leverage to discipline the volatile forward when it let him off relatively easy for punching Jordan Poole last fall.
As Andrews explains, the Warriors’ tolerance for Green’s occasional antics may run out once he’s no longer an effective player, but that won’t happen this season, as he’s still the anchor of their defense.

Pistons Notes: Ivey, Williams, Burke, Potential Trades

November 27th, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons‘ offseason coaching change and Cade Cunningham‘s return from injury have resulted in a new role for second-year guard Jaden Ivey, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Ivey was used as a starter as a rookie and was given the freedom to handle the ball and create plays. He’s started just three of the 12 games he’s played under new coach Monty Williams and he’s being asked to adjust to playing off the ball.

“Every day is a new opportunity,” Ivey said. “Just be the best version of yourself. Nothing that I want in life is going to be easy. I’m going to have to work for everything. That’s the mindset I want to carry every single day is that I’m going to work hard for all the things I want in life. Let God take of everything. Just continue to work, put my head down. Nothing is easy in this league.”

The Pistons targeted Ivey to be an important part of their future when they selected him with the fifth pick in the 2022 draft, and Williams stressed that the organization’s view of him hasn’t changed. Ivey’s athleticism combined with an ability to finish at the basket and an effective three-point shot make him difficult to defend. Williams is urging him to be patient and is impressed by how he’s adjusting to the new role.

“He’s a developing player with a lot of talent,” Williams said. “He’s got his head in there every day, learning and growing in a new system. It’s Year 2, second coach, that can be a lot on anybody. I’ve enjoyed his spirit. He hasn’t run from all the stuff (that) has been new and sometimes overwhelming.”

There’s more from Detroit:

The Pistons will tie a franchise record with 14 straight losses if they can’t beat Washington tonight, per Mike Curtis of The Detroit News. Williams said he wasn’t aware that the team is danger of reaching the record, as he’s been more concerned with player development and trying to eliminate the mistakes that are causing the team to lose.
Williams provided an update on assistant coach Dan Burke, who has been away from the team since October 30, Curtis adds. Williams said he couldn’t provide any details because it’s a “personal situation,” but he confirmed that Burke is still part of the coaching staff.
The Pistons aren’t in the market for a “panic trade,” league and team sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, but he talked to a few of his colleagues about the kind of deals the front office might pursue if things don’t change. He considers potential trades with the Warriors involving Andrew Wiggins, the Raptors involving OG Anunoby and the Knicks to get back their first-round draft pick, which is top-18 protected in 2024.

Pacific Notes: Nurkic, Ayton, Beal, Klay, Wiggins, Harden

November 22nd, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

While one game isn’t enough to determine winners and losers of a trade, the Suns‘ victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday served as a reminder of why Phoenix traded former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton for a handful of role players led by Jusuf Nurkic, writes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

Nurkic, Grayson Allen, and Nassir Little all played key roles in the victory, with Nurkic in particular bouncing back from a slow start to have a big game. The veteran center finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, and was a plus-17 in 29 minutes.

Ayton, who was a minus-33 in 31 minutes for the Blazers, is getting an opportunity to play more of a starring role in Portland, while Nurkic is happy to take a back seat to his superstar teammates in Phoenix, according to Bourguet, who suggests those roles suit the two big men based on what they hope to accomplish in the near future.

“It’s not like I’m a main player here, man, [like] I’m just gonna take the ball and do whatever I want,” Nurkic said. “I feel like people need to understand I’m here to sacrifice and do all the little stuff that they need for the game and winning basketball.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Andscape’s Marc J. Spears shares the second diary installment from Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is currently on the shelf with a back injury and said he shares fans’ frustration that the team’s big three has yet to play together. “We want it to happen more than anybody,” Beal wrote. “So, we’re all working diligently…to make sure that happens. … Before you know it, we’re all going to be clicking. And when this thing is healthy and the train is rolling, we’re going to be steaming away.”
Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins haven’t looked quite like their usual selves so far this season, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to the two former All-Stars as “championship players” and indicated that he’s willing to be “really patient” with them, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points on Saturday and Thompson put up a season-high 20 on Monday, Kerr suggested that patience is beginning to pay off. “I think you will see a different Wiggs from here on, and I think the same thing’s going to happen with Klay,” he said.
What has been the key for helping James Harden get comfortable with the Clippers? “Constant communication,” according to Harden and head coach Tyronn Lue, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes. Lue said his experience with Harden has been one he went through with the Clippers’ other stars too. “(They) all want to have a relationship and constant communication with the head coach and just try to figure out what they see, what the coach sees and how we can put it all together,” Lue said.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Wiggins, Thompson, Santos

November 13th, 2023 at 7:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While Stephen Curry has produced like a Most Valuable Player, his teammates haven’t been contributing at their usual levels, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews notes. Curry has delivered six 30-point games, but the Warriors have gotten just one 20-point performance from anyone else.

“No question, we need some scoring and some play-making elsewhere,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

Golden State has lost three straight and Curry expects some tweaks to be made.

“Everything is on the table for us for adjustments,” Curry said. “When you’ve lost three straight, you have to make adjustments.”

We have more on the Warriors:

Andrew Wiggins is one of those players who is looking to regain his offensive rhythm. Wiggins had just six points in 25 minutes against Minnesota and hasn’t scored more than 17 in any contest this season. He hasn’t been part of the closing unit, either. “It’s tough,” Wiggins told Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I’ve just got to do what I can to give them a reason to keep me in. Whether it’s crashing the glass harder, defensively picking up. … If your shot is off, you’ve got to do other stuff to stay on the floor. Or someone else will come in.”
Along the same lines, Klay Thompson is searching for answers to his shooting slump, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic details. Thompson, who is headed to free agency unless he signs an extension, is averaging 16.1 points per game — his lowest output since his rookie year. He’s shooting a career low 34.7% on 3-point attempts. Thompson says there’s nothing wrong with him physically and he hasn’t lost any confidence. “If history shows us anything, it’s most definitely coming. What’s the point of panicking and pressing? I’ve been through this more than a decade,” he said. “It’s hard. Basketball is hard. I’m not going to lose faith or confidence. One thing I’ve proved is the resiliency within me. I’ll come back and have a great month.”
The Warriors had financial motives to add 2022 second-round pick Gui Santos on a three-year contract, as John Hollinger of The Athletic explains. Santos is considered a “draft rookie” and thus his minimum salary for luxury-tax purposes is just $1.03MM instead the $2.02MM for a veteran on a minimum contract. Factoring in the luxury and repeater taxes, the Warriors would have been out another $8MM if they had used the 14th roster spot on a veteran. Due to the non-guaranteed status of Santos’ contract, the Warriors could waive Santos just before the Jan. 10 guarantee date, go two weeks with a 13-player roster and then add another player prior to the trade deadline.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Wiggins, Kerr, Green, Plumlee

November 12th, 2023 at 4:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Suns guard Devin Booker continues to progress from his right calf strain injury, which has sidelined him for the past four games, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. He could return at some point this week.

“[Booker is] increasing his work on the floor with his shooting, the intensity, speed and intensity of it, but still not ready yet,” Phoenix head coach Frank Vogel said.

Phoenix has struggled without Booker in general, but has really had difficulty during the minutes All-Star forward Kevin Durant has sat. As Rankin notes, the Lakers went on a 19-2 run against the Suns on Friday with Durant on the bench, en route to an eventual 122-119 comeback victory.

Although Phoenix is just three weeks into the 2023/24 season, the team’s issues are already at least somewhat concerning, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic. Phoenix has blown three fourth quarter leads already this year, and fissures seem to be appearing with regards to the team’s chemistry among its new players, plus its lackluster defense. Booker remains doubtful for Sunday’s matchup against the Thunder, Rankin writes in a separate piece.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Despite forward Andrew Wiggins‘ early-season struggles, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will not consider removing the swingman from his starting five, reports Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Through 10 games, the 6’7″ swingman is averaging just 11.0 PPG on .411/.167/.529 shooting.
The Warriors were frustrated by a retroactively called technical foul that caused the ejection of power forward Draymond Green in a 118-110 loss to the Cavaliers, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Referees assessed Green his second technical foul minutes after a confrontation with Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell. “I am the same person that got suspended from the [2016] NBA Finals for flagrant fouls that were all called from after the game,” Green told Andrews. “Nothing surprises me.”
Clippers reserve center Mason Plumlee will be reassessed in four weeks as he continues to recover from an MCL sprain, per Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link). The 6’11” big man is reportedly expected to miss “multiple months” with the ailment.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Ham, LeBron, Morris

October 30th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul came off the bench for the first time in his career Sunday night, and it looks like an arrangement that’s going to be successful for the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Paul became an immediate starter when he entered the league with New Orleans in 2005, but the possibility of being shifted to a reserve emerged when he was traded to a Golden State team that already had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in its backcourt. Paul started the season’s first two games with Draymond Green injured, but moved into his new role when Green returned on Sunday.

“It works,” Paul told reporters after the game. “It gives us a bigger lineup. I’ve never been on a team probably with this type of depth. I’ve been on really good teams, don’t get it twisted. But not necessarily where you could say: ‘All these guys can start.’ And I think last year that was the best starting five in the league.”

The Warriors are coming off a season that was disrupted by players who were unhappy about their minutes and changes to their roles, so Steve Kerr sought to get control of the situation right away, Slater adds. Prior to training camp, he called in Paul, Green, Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney for a meeting where they discussed what to do about essentially having six starters.

Although it was decided that starting roles would be influenced by matchups, Kerr seems happy with Paul as the leader of the second unit and it appears that will continue as long as everyone stays healthy. Green is excited about the edge that brings to the team.

“When you’re talking about replacing Steph Curry with Chris Paul, it doesn’t get much better than that,” he said. “You’re taking your starting point guard out and the next point guard is Chris Paul? That’s incredible. We will have that advantage all year.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he needs to “tighten up” his rotation after Sunday’s loss in Sacramento, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham has been trying to acclimate Gabe Vincent, who missed much of the preseason with tightness in his lower back, while also dealing with the loss of Jarred Vanderbilt, who is sidelined with bursitis in his left heel. “My rotation, we got to really dig into that,” Ham said. “Really take a close look and so guys are in rhythm. We have a great collection of players. And I played in this league. When you know when you’re going in and who you’re playing with, that matters. So buckling down on our rotation, I’ll start there.”
The minutes reduction that Ham planned for LeBron James hasn’t lasted past the season opener, McMenamin adds. James logged 39 minutes in Sunday’s contest, which was the first game of a back-to-back. “Obviously, I don’t want to run Bron into the ground,” Ham said. “I don’t want to run (Anthony Davis) into the ground too early. Obviously, it was an overtime game tonight and they’re playing at a high level, so you want to leave them out there. But just having that balance.”
Clippers forward Marcus Morris missed his third straight game Sunday, with “coach’s decision” being the explanation, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. However, coach Tyronn Lue said Morris is “very involved, and he’s been great, especially with our young guys.”