Brandon Boston Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Green, Rotation, Potential Trades, Lakers Pick, McCollum, Hawkins

November 21st, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pelicans, a team that had hopes of reaching or passing 50 wins this season, are spiraling due to injuries. At 4-12, there’s been some outside speculation that head coach Willie Green’s job could be in jeopardy, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. However, Guillory doesn’t believe Green is in danger of losing his position as the team is currently starting games with Brandon Boston Jr., Javonte Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the former two of which weren’t even on the team before prior to late August.

Even though those players have had some individually nice moments, it’s important to consider that all of Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray — most of the starting lineup — have missed extensive time. Key rotation pieces like Trey Murphy, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado have also suffered injuries.

While the injuries are a large part of the Pelicans’ slow start, Guillory opines that Green could still be making some improvements as the schedule wears on. New Orleans has faced some struggles in close games this year. However, Guillory doesn’t believe that any one person should be shouldering the blame, including the medical staff.

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Once the Pelicans get healthier, they’ll have some key rotation decisions to make. Rookie Yves Missi has been a bright spot this season and should be under consideration for the starting five spot when the team is healthy, Guillory writes in the same mailbag. Still, Green might opt to close some games with Robinson-Earl or Jones when healthy for spacing purposes. Guillory also sees Boston continuing to see some minutes when the team is healthy. He’s been impressive, averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists on a two-way contract.
While there still isn’t much smoke regarding a potential Brandon Ingram trade despite his pending unrestricted free agent status, Guillory expects any potential trade involving him to bring back a starting-caliber center. Still, Guillory writes that it doesn’t make much sense to move assets when the team is far from playoff contention at the moment.
In light of Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht exploding for 37 points, it’s easy to wonder if the Pelicans regret giving up that pick. The Pelicans had the rights to Los Angeles’s No. 17 overall pick (used on Knecht), but chose to defer the selection to a 2025 unprotected first. Guillory points out that adding another first-round salary would’ve been difficult for the Pelicans’ current financial situation and that punting on the selection and hoping the Lakers would have a rough season seemed like a better idea than taking another swing in an uncertain class. The Lakers are 10-4 and third in the Western Conference, so it looks like that first-round pick will be a late one.
McCollum was upgraded to doubtful on the Pelicans’ latest injury report, according to Guillory (Twitter link). Hawkins was also upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game. Staying true with recent reporting, it looks like both players will return from injury in the coming days.
In case you missed it, Elfrid Payton, signed to a contract on Wednesday, played well in his debut with the Pelicans.

Southwest Notes: Thompson, Eason, K. Johnson, Pels’ Injuries, Boston, Grizzlies

November 14th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets‘ duo of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason completely took over in Houston’s Wednesday victory over the Clippers, Jonathan Feigen of Houston Chronicle observes. The two players combined for 36 points, 21 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the win.

Clippers star James Harden made his first four shots before Thompson and Eason helped limit him to just 18.2% from the field for the rest of the game.

“It’s becoming the regular thing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of the two reserves. “Both [were] very disruptive on both ends — 18 and 18 [points], 11 and 10 rebounds, and guarding all over the place, doing what they do. Yeah, we needed a spark. It was kind of a back-and-forth game, and they brought it.”

Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, is averaging 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks in his second season. Eason, selected 17th overall in 2022, has put up 12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.8 SPG and 1.2 BPG while making 36.4% of his threes. Despite their impressive seasons thus far, Udoka expressed he’s happy to have them where they are in the rotation.

“Don’t know if it would be any different if they started or came off the bench,” Udoka said. “That’s who they are. Very disruptive. You know, they’re going against starters half the time. It’s not like they’re playing against bench guys. They just impact the game. It’s just a tandem. It makes it stick out even more because they’re so disruptive all over the court. … It’s more magnified when two guys are … flying all over the court and making that impact.”

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Keldon Johnson knew his approach to the game would have to change as the Spurs made win-now moves in adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes this offseason, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. “Ultimately, I just wanted to be more efficient,” Johnson said. He changed his diet and got his weight down before the season and has reshaped his offensive profile to be that of a slasher, according to Iko. 70% of Johnson’s 12.5 points per game this season come from drives. Johnson is under contract for $19MM this season and is on the books for $17.5MM in each of the following two seasons.
The Pelicans lost to the Thunder in blowout fashion on Wednesday, and it’s another culmination of their devastating list of injuries, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Zion Williamson and Jose Alvarado are all out with multi-week injuries. The Pelicans have lost six in a row to fall to 3-9 entering Thursday.
As Clark observes in the same piece, primary play-making duties have fallen to Brandon Ingram and Brandon Boston Jr. Though Boston has limited NBA experience, let alone professional play-making experience, he has been impressive from a statistical standpoint in the wake of New Orleans’ injuries. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game after being claimed on waivers by the Pelicans from the Spurs just before the season. Boston is on a two-way contract.
The Grizzlies have a rotation predicament on their hands, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. With Luke Kennard returning to action last week, Marcus Smart coming back this week and Vince Williams Jr. on the verge of making his season debut, Memphis is getting healthier, forcing the team to consider how the rotation will look. While it’s a good problem to have, Memphis’ deep reserves have more than proven their spot in the league by helping leading the team to a 7-5 record amid injury absences. “I can’t give you that answer right now, but it’s been on my mind a lot,” coach Taylor Jenkins said of the rotation. “As I told these guys, it doesn’t matter whether you start or come off the bench. It’s about impacting winning. We’re looking to find our advantages.“

Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Targeting Monday Season Debut

November 10th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Tristan Tucker

NOVEMBER 10: Murphy told reporters today that he expects to play on Monday, while head coach Willie Green said the team wants to ensure Murphy makes it through shootaround without any setbacks before he’s officially cleared, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Murphy will be officially listed as questionable for Monday’s contest, but the expectation is that he’ll be upgraded tomorrow if all goes to plan, Lopez adds.

NOVEMBER 9: Pelicans wing Trey Murphy is targeting Monday against the Nets for his season debut from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since early October, NBA insider Chris B. Haynes reports (Twitter link).

We noted on Thursday that Murphy was recently upgraded from out to doubtful on the injury report, signaling that he was nearing a return.

The 3-7 Pelicans were expected to be a playoff contender this season, but they’ve dealt with a plethora of injuries in their backcourt and wing position groups. Murphy, Jordan Hawkins, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones are among the players who have faced or are currently facing multi-week absences. Zion Williamson has also missed time.

Without some of their key contributors, they’ve had to rely on their depth in the early parts of the season. Two-way waiver claim Brandon Boston Jr. has started three games, impressing and averaging 12.7 points per game on a .508/.391/.875 shooting line in the early part of the season. Jose Alvarado, Javonte Green and Jaylen Nowell have also received significant playing time.

Murphy broke out over the past two seasons after being drafted with the No. 17 overall pick in 2021. Since his rookie season, he’s averaged 14.6 points while shooting 39.4% on 6.9 three-point attempts per game in 136 appearances. He agreed to a four-year, $112MM extension before the season.

Having Murphy back should help the Pelicans take a step toward regaining their footing in the Western Conference.

Injury Notes: Raptors, Zion, Morant, Melton, Vassell

November 8th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter, who missed the preseason and the first five games of the regular season with a sprained right AC joint, has re-sprained that joint and will be reevaluated in a week, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

It’s not all bad news on the injury front for Toronto though. Rookie forward Jonathan Mogbo is listed as probable to play on Saturday after exiting Wednesday’s game with a hip pointer, while starting point guard Immanuel Quickley has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last eight games with a pelvic contusion (Twitter link via Murphy).

There’s optimism Quickley will be back in action this weekend, either on Saturday vs. the Clippers or Sunday vs. the Lakers, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

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

Pelicans star Zion Williamson was ruled out for Friday’s game against Orlando about 90 minutes before tip-off (Twitter link via the team). As Christian Clark of NOLA.com notes (via Twitter), Williamson has now missed three of the team’s past four games with three different injury designations. He was sidelined by right hamstring tightness on Sunday, right thigh soreness on Monday, and left hamstring tightness today. With Zion out, the injury-plagued Pelicans are running out a starting lineup of Jose Alvarado, Brandon Boston, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Yves Missi alongside Brandon Ingram, tweets Clark.
After leaving Wednesday’s win due to hip and hamstring discomfort, Grizzlies star Ja Morant will miss Friday’s contest vs. Washington due to right hip soreness. The point guard will undergo more imaging on Saturday to assess the severity of his injury and determine a return timeline, head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters today (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).
Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton, who has missed five consecutive games due to a low back strain, has been cleared to return for Friday’s showdown vs. the 9-0 Cavaliers, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Draymond Green (right knee contusion) and Brandin Podziemski (illness) will also be available for Golden State, giving the team a fully healthy roster (Twitter link via Slater).
As expected, Devin Vassell remains on track to make his season debut for the Spurs on Saturday after nine games while recovering from foot surgery. The team has listed him as probable to play vs. Utah, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Zion, Sengun, Lively, Popovich

November 5th, 2024 at 8:10am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson didn’t show any signs of suffering an injury in Friday’s win over Indiana, in which he scored a season-high 34 points. However, he was added to the team’s injury report on Sunday due to right hamstring tightness and has now missed two consecutive games, both Pelicans losses, as Christian Clark of NOLA.com details.

“I don’t know exactly how it occurred,” head coach Willie Green said of Williamson’s injury, which was listed on Monday as right thigh soreness. “He showed up. Said he felt a little something. We wanted to make sure we got a look at it.”

Already missing Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy due to longer-term injuries, the Pelicans have had to elevate little-used reserves to the rotation, with Brandon Boston, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, rookie Yves Missi, and newly signed Jaylen Nowell among those playing big minutes this week. The shorthanded team has dropped back-to-back games at home, losing to Atlanta by 15 points on Sunday and to Portland by 18 points on Monday.

While New Orleans badly needs a healthy Williamson back on the court to help end its skid, Green admitted on Monday that he’s not sure what the timeline is for his star forward’s return.

“He was not at the game,” Green told reporters. “Doctor’s orders. Because of the hamstring and quad. We kept him at home tonight.”

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After signing a five-year, $185MM rookie scale extension the day before the regular season began, Rockets center Alperen Sengun got off to a slow start this fall, making just 38.6% of his field goal attempts through six games. Prior to Monday’s contest, he made it clear he wasn’t stressing about his low shooting percentage, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I’m not worried about it. Those shots are easy shots for me,” Sengun said. “They’re shots I used to make all three years. So I think it’s just going to come back and I’m going to make those.” The big man delivered on that promise by scoring 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a win over New York on Monday. He also contributed 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in what was his best game of the season so far.
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, who missed Monday’s loss to Indiana due to a right shoulder sprain, will undergo an MRI on that shoulder, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters. However, sources have expressed optimism that Lively’s injury isn’t significant, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Ahead of his second game as the Spurs‘ acting head coach, Mitch Johnson said on Monday that he’s “not at liberty” to discuss Gregg Popovich‘s possible return timeline, but downplayed the seriousness of Popovich’s health issue. “Right now his health is the No. 1 priority,” Johnson said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “We support him in that 100 percent and I talked to him last night. He’s in good spirits. He’s OK, and we can’t wait to have him back.”

Pelicans Claim Brandon Boston, Give Him Two-Way Deal

October 21st, 2024 at 4:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have claimed swingman Brandon Boston Jr. off waivers, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Boston spent the past three seasons with the Clippers and averaged 6.2 points in 12.9 minutes per game. He appeared in 32 contests last season, averaging 5.2 PPG in 10.8 MPG in a reserve role.

Boston became a free agent in late June when the Clippers didn’t extend a qualifying offer. He was waived by the Spurs over the weekend.

Boston had an Exhibit 10 contract with San Antonio and New Orleans is converting that contract to a two-way deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. That transaction is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

The Pelicans have an open two-way slot, having made their corresponding roster move earlier in the day by waiving Malcolm Hill. Forward Jamal Cain and center Trey Jemison hold New Orleans’ other two-way deals.

The Pelicans will enter the regular season with 14 players on standard contracts and all three of their two-way spots filled.

Spurs Waive Malachi Flynn, Brandon Boston

October 19th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs have set their opening-night roster, waiving Malachi Flynn and Brandon Boston to reach the limit, the team announced in a press release. Also let go was Jamaree Bouyea, who signed with the team on Friday.

Flynn, a 26-year-old point guard, was traded twice last season, spending time with Toronto, New York and Detroit. He posted a 50-point game in April, but otherwise had an unremarkable season, averaging 5.5 PPG in 69 combined games with the three teams.

Boston, a 22-year-old swingman, played the past three seasons with the Clippers. He only appeared in 32 games last season, averaging 5.2 PPG in 10.8 minutes per night.

All three players were in camp on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts, so the Spurs won’t have any future financial obligations to them. They will be eligible to earn bonuses worth $77.5K apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate in Austin.

There are 18 players on San Antonio’s roster, with 15 holding standard contracts plus three two-way deals.

Spurs Sign Brandon Boston Jr.

August 9th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Rory Maher

4:41pm: Boston’s deal with the Spurs is official, per RealGM’s transaction log. It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has learned.

11:57am: The Spurs plan to sign free agent guard/forward Brandon Boston Jr. to a contract, league sources Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

According to Scotto, Boston will be given an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp. That reporting suggests the 22-year-old likely received a non-guaranteed deal covering one year, perhaps containing Exhibit 10 language.

A former top high school recruit who struggled in his lone season at Kentucky, Boston has spent the past three seasons with the Clippers, earning $4.3MM over that span. He was the 51st pick of the 2021 draft.

In 105 career regular season contests with the Clips (12.9 MPG), Boston averaged 6.2 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .396/.313/.776 shooting. He was not a regular member of the team’s rotation in 2023/24, appearing in 32 games with a career-low 10.8 MPG.

The Spurs currently have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus Malachi Flynn and Riley Minix on Exhibit 10 deals. Boston making the 15-man roster seems pretty unlikely, unless he really impresses during training camp.

Since he only holds three years of NBA experience, Boston is still eligible for a two-way contract. The Spurs don’t have a two-way opening at the moment, with Jamaree Bouyea, David Duke and Harrison Ingram occupying the three spots.

However, two-way deals don’t count against the salary cap and are non-guaranteed, so San Antonio could easily swap Boston in for another player if it wanted to; Ingram’s spot seems most secure since he was the 48th pick of June’s draft.

Western Notes: Boston Jr., Holmes, Grizzlies Draft, Pelicans, Collier

June 29th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Clippers are not issuing a qualifying offer to 22-year-old wing Brandon Boston Jr., Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (Twitter link). That means Boston will become an unrestricted free agent.

Boston was the No. 51 overall pick in the 2021 draft, spending each of his first three seasons in the league with the Clippers. He played well in limited action, averaging 6.2 points in just 12.9 minutes across 105 appearances with Los Angeles from 2021-24. Per 36 minutes, his career averages jump to 17.4 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Still, Boston never broke through into the main rotation with the Clippers. There’s a chance he remains in Los Angeles on a new deal, but if not, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a younger team take a flier on him.

The No. 4 ranked prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, Boston played one season at Kentucky in 2020/21, averaging 11.5 points in 25 games.

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It’s easy to envision how rookie DaRon Holmes II can fit on the Nuggets, with his rim protection and ability to stretch the floor standing out as key elements of his game, The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando writes. Holmes will man the second unit for now, giving the team a breath of fresh air there, but he might be a starter down the line. “I definitely see [playing the four] in the future, especially the way the game is now,” Holmes said. “You look at the Grizzlies. They just got Zach Edey. They’re probably gonna play him and [Jaren Jackson Jr.] together. I think that’s perfectly fine for me. Small-ball five will be good at times. I don’t think that will be an all-time thing for me. I’m probably not gonna start at the five if I’m gonna be a starter [someday].”
The Grizzlies draft selections were all highly coveted by the franchise, Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Outside of No. 9 overall pick Edey, Memphis selected Jaylen Wells and acquired Cam Spencer in the second round. “To come out of day two of the draft with both of them joining us, that’s an outcome that we thought was zero chance of,” general manager Zach Kleiman said.
At the end of the season, Pelicans general manager David Griffin said changes would be necessary so the team could keep up with the rest of the West. Trading for Dejounte Murray shows Griffin is backing up those words, William Guillory of The Athletic writes, but there’s more work to be done. The roster is unbalanced, with a lack of frontcourt depth standing out as an issue. Guillory writes that trading Brandon Ingram or CJ McCollum in a deal for a starting center would be a sensible move, with Ingram the likelier option due to his trade value and contract status. Some trade options could include Deandre Ayton, Brook Lopez and Mitchell Robinson, though it’s hard to gauge whether opposing teams would have interest in extending Ingram.
The Jazz played the waiting game in the draft after considering options to trade up, and USC guard Isaiah Collier fell into their lap at pick No. 29, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. “As the draft started to fall, there was a very high percentage chance on our probability markers that the guys that we liked were going to be there [at 29],” general manager Justin Zanik said. “So we are absolutely thrilled that Isaiah was available for us to take.”

Pacific Notes: Warriors Rumors, Lakers, Clippers

February 2nd, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors aren’t interested in trading Draymond Green or Klay Thompson ahead of the February 8 deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, but they might consider moving Chris Paul or Andrew Wiggins.

Former No. 1 overall pick Wiggins is having a disappointing year, but he’s played much better recently, while Paul, who is currently injured after undergoing hand surgery, is 38 years old and on a pseudo-expiring contract. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, head coach Steve Kerr said he was aware of Wiggins being mentioned in trade rumors, but he hopes he’s still on the roster late next week.

“I’m very hopeful and I expect him to be here when the trade deadline passes,” Kerr said, per ESPN.

As for Green and Thompson, Windhorst’s report isn’t surprising. While Shams Charania of The Athletic has said Stephen Curry will be the only Warrior off the table in trade talks, he also downplayed the possibility of a trade involving Green or Thompson, two longtime veterans who helped Golden State win four championships — and make six Finals appearances — from 2015-22. Other reporting indicated Curry would have to sign off on such a deal, which was always considered unlikely.

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Appearing on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show on Wednesday (Twitter link), Kerr said the Warriors might be better served by waiting for injured players to return rather than making trades. “We’re not going to find better players than (Chris Paul and Gary Payton II) in a trade,” Kerr said. “It’s exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level.” Payton has been out since January 2 with a grade 2 left hamstring strain. Kerr also mentioned Moses Moody as another injured contributor. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Moody will miss this weekend’s back-to-back, but he has a chance to return on Monday after being out since January 10 due to a left calf strain. Dario Saric is also out for at least Friday, as he’s away from the team with an illness.
After a major upset victory over the Celtics in Boston on Thursday without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Lakers guard Austin Reaves said the team responded well to James’ frustrated comments about “doing their jobs,” which occurred after Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Atlanta (YouTube link). Reaves scored a season-high 32 points (on 10-of-18 shooting, including 7-of-10 from deep) in Thursday’s win.
The Clippers had more total victories in December and January than any team in the NBA. Should they even make a trade? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that P.J. Tucker, Bones Hyland and Brandon Boston look to be the three most likely trade candidates, but L.A. may just stand pat.
Tucker expressed frustration with his role — or lack thereof — in December, and nothing has changed since. However, he’s 39, doesn’t contribute much on offense, and holds a $11.54MM player option for 2024/25, which all hurt his trade value. According to Murray, the veteran forward has been a positive locker room presence, particularly for Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but the Clippers forward admits he’s trying to balance being a professional “while trying to get in a better situation for me, personally,” he told The Athletic. “It kind of is what it is at this point.” Tucker expressed skepticism about the possibility of turning down his player option, making him an unlikely buyout candidate. “That all depends on the situation, timing, where,” Tucker said. “It’s a lot of things that plays into that. I worked hard to be able to get myself in that position. The contract I got, the timing I got it, and all that … it means a lot and something I don’t take for granted. It’s definitely going to take a lot of thought and it’s going to take a real, real opportunity for me to have to go against that.”