Cam Reddish

Southeast Notes: Fultz, Kuzma, McMillan, Reddish

Markelle Fultz took another step toward making his season debut, as he joined his Magic teammates in Los Angeles and practiced with the squad, according to Dan Savage of the team’s website.

Fultz, who has been rehabbing from an ACL injury to his left knee suffered early last season, called the practice a “great experience.” He participated in five-on-five and three-on-three scrimmages and shooting drills.

There’s still no timetable for Fultz’s return. He has practiced with the team’s G League affiliate in Lakeland and could spend more time with Lakeland, depending on the Magic’s practice, travel and game schedule.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and won’t play on Saturday, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post tweets. Additionally, Kuzma been fined $15K by the league for making an obscene gesture to a fan, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Kuzma made the gesture in Detroit on Wednesday.  He scored 26 points that night and made the game-winning shot.
  • Head coach Nate McMillan drew interest from two other teams after the Hawks’ surprising playoff run but was only interested in signing an extension with Atlanta, he told Marc Spears of The Undefeated“The Hawks really started talking to us probably during the Eastern Conference Finals,” McMillan said. “They were like, ‘Look, we want you to come back.’ My thing was just to stay focused on the playoffs. And at the end of the season, the conversation was had.”
  • Cam Reddish returned to action on Friday, though the Hawks forward went 0-for-6 from the field and didn’t grab a rebound in 17 minutes. Reddish hadn’t played since November 27 due to a left wrist sprain.

Southeast Notes: Reddish, Bogdanovic, Okongwu, Hornets, Sabonis, Martin

Hawks forward Cam Reddish, who is recovering from a wrist injury, went through a full practice on Thursday, according to coach Nate McMillan. Reddish did some shooting and participated in drills at 75% speed. He’s listed as probable to play on Friday.

Bogdan Bogdanovic still needs more time to return from his ankle injury, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports in a series of tweets. “Bogi’s not doing anything other than shooting. He looks better,” McMillan said. “He’s up on his feet and he’s moving around.”

Second-year big man Onyeka Okongwu is continuing his rehab assignment from shoulder surgery. He’s with the G League College Park Skyhawks and is expected to play on Thursday.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • There’s been no change regarding the Hornets‘ COVID-19 issues. LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee, Terry Rozier and Ish Smith are all listed as out for Friday’s game against Sacramento due to the league’s health and safety protocols, the team’s PR department tweets. Charlotte’s depleted roster has managed to beat Atlanta and lose two close games to Philadelphia since those players were sidelined over the weekend.
  • With a recent report claiming that the Pacers may shake up their roster, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines whether Domantas Sabonis should be a trade target for the Wizards. Hughes notes that Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant are expected to return soon and the front office would like to see how they fit with their revamped roster. Hughes adds that the club already has the look of a playoff team and the addition of Sabonis may not move the needle all that much.
  • Caleb Martin may eventually have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal by the Heat but there are luxury tax concerns, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Martin has been active for 24 of the Heat’s 26 games and can only be active for 50 games under two-way rules. If he remained on the active roster for every game, he’d be able to play until nearly the end of January. But the Heat would have to wait a couple of weeks after that to convert his contract in order to avoid surpassing the tax threshold.

Hawks’ Bogdanovic Out At Least Two Weeks With Ankle Sprain

After undergoing an MRI on Sunday, Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, the team announced (via Twitter). According to the announcement, Bogdanovic will undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation and will be reevaluated in about two weeks.

Bogdanovic, who sustained the injury during the second quarter of Atlanta’s loss to New York on Saturday, has started all 20 games he has played this season, averaging 11.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .447/.391/.786 shooting in 28.2 minutes per contest.

Meanwhile, Cam Reddish, who also had to exit Saturday’s game in the second quarter due to a left wrist sprain, hasn’t been given a recovery timeline. According to the Hawks (via Twitter), he’s considered day-to-day for now and his status will be determined by how the injury responds to daily treatment.

With Bogdanovic unavailable, Solomon Hill joined the starting five to begin the second half of Saturday’s loss. Reserves like Hill, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Lou Williams could take on larger roles with Bogdanovic and Reddish sidelined. The Hawks also may lean more heavily on starting wing Kevin Huerter — his 38 minutes on Saturday represented his second-highest total this season.

Southeast Notes: Bertans, Harrell, Bamba, Reddish

Wizards forward Davis Bertans is set to return to the lineup Wednesday, per our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Bertans has been sidelined the past 10 games with an ankle sprain.

We noted yesterday that bertans practiced with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League and was a game-time decision against the Hornets. However, he ended up missing the game and will instead make his return tomorrow against the Pelicans.

Bertans was off to a slow start this season; through seven games, he’s averaging 6.1 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 16.9 MPG, with a .342/.333/1.000 shooting line.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Montrezl Harrell, an unrestricted free agent in 2022, is off to a terrific start with the Wizards, averaging 17.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG (28.4 MPG) through 17 contests. Josh Robbins of The Athletic explores how much Harrell might earn in free agency. Robbins says if Bradley Beal decides to stay with the team, and assuming Harrell maintains his production, he could see the Wizards offering him a contract in the range of $10-14MM annually. He points to Christian Wood (three years, $41MM) and Richaun Holmes (four years, $46.5MM) as recent examples of contracts in that range.
  • Fourth-year center Mohamed Bamba, who’ll be a restricted free agent this summer if the Magic tender him a qualifying offer, recently gave a Q&A with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Bamba says he’s happy in Orlando and thinks the team has a lot of potential. “I think the sky’s the limit for this young group. We have a lot of talent, and we have a lot of depth at every position. I’m excited to be a part of this. I’m excited to wear Orlando across my chest. I’m just focusing on the now and the moment,” Bamba said.
  • Hawks wing Cam Reddish is showing progress in his third season, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Star Trae Young says good things happen when Reddish is in attack-mode on offense. “He’s just stepping right in and playing his role, going hard on defense, and then on the offensive end we want him to attack, be aggressive and for me personally I love when he’s going to the basket and he’s making plays and he’s talking mess, just being himself, you know what I’m saying?” Young said. “I think that’s when you get the best version of Cam, when he’s playing like that.” Reddish will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

Eastern Notes: Hunter, Reddish, Jackson, Strus, Hornets Front Office

With De’Andre Hunter sidelined a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery, the Hawks will naturally rely more on Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish at the wing spot, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Coach Nate McMillan will likely shorten his rotation with Hunter out.

Kirschner also notes both Hunter and Reddish are eligible for rookie scale extensions before the start of next season and it will be challenging to keep both due to luxury tax bill concerns. The Hawks should consider flipping some of their young talent for an established second star, Kirschner adds.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Pacers rookie big man Isaiah Jackson was assigned to the G League Fort Wayne Mad Ants to continue rehabbing a knee injury, according to James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star. Jackson hyperextended his left knee against Toronto on October 27. “He’s doing better,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s going to … start doing some live practice stuff with the Mad Ants, and we’ll see. He may join us later in the week, but we’ll have to see.”
  • Heat reserve Max Strus missed five games due to a sprained left knee and has shown signs of rust since returning, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He shot 3 of 10 from 3-point range and committed three turnovers in his first two games back. “I need to get conditioned,” Strus said. “I haven’t been able to run a lot. So I need to get my wind back. Things are just a little fast. So I just got to find my rhythm again. That will come with just playing, so I’ll be back in no time.”
  • The Hornets have made three front office promotions. Buzz Peterson was named senior VP of basketball operations and assistant GM, Larry Jordan was elevated to VP of player personnel and David Duquette was named an assistant GM, according to a team press release. All three have been with the organization for 10 or more years.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Hornets, Riley, Butler

The 3-3 Hawks have yet to recapture the momentum that propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. With an intimidating schedule coming up in which Atlanta will play several 2021 playoff teams, Kirschner offers his thoughts on how the club can adjust.

While forwards Cam Reddish and John Collins have exhibited plenty of growth, other key Hawks players have struggled a bit. Point guard Trae Young is struggling to adjust to the league’s new free throw rules, while shooting guard Kevin Huerter is struggling to connect from deep.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • The Hornets have already enjoyed a promising start to the 2021/22 season, writes Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. New additions Ish Smith and Kelly Oubre have fit in well thus far, with Oubre connecting on a solid 35.7% of his three-point looks. 2022 restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges has taken his scoring to borderline All-Star heights, and Boone is pegging his future contract in the $100MM vicinity. When it comes to perimeter depth, Boone observes that Cody Martin, Jalen McDaniels, and Nick Richards are also improving.
  • The hot start of the Heat has Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wondering if team president Pat Riley has finally nailed the club’s supporting lineup around All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The club has wholly recalibrated its frontcourt depth around Adebayo, and the early results have paid dividends thus far. The addition of former Raptors All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry has made a huge defensive impact on Miami, though his offense is struggling so far. Sixth man Tyler Herro also appears to have taken a leap in his third season.
  • Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler has thrived alongside new addition Kyle Lowry. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald wonders if Butler has been newly maximized as a player alongside the former six-time All-Star point guard.

Eastern Notes: Dinwiddie, Rivers, Young, Hunter, Reddish, Okeke

There was speculation last spring that Spencer Dinwiddie might return from his partially torn ACL during the playoffs. However, Nets coach Steve Nash said that was never on the agenda, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. “I personally don’t like it, I don’t think anyone in the medical staff thought it was fair to Spencer…So we didn’t bring it up,” Nash said. “We thought it was best to let him have his time to heal and further his career.” Dinwiddie has gotten off to a strong start with Washington this season.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Sixers head coach Doc Rivers is giving his reserves extended minutes in the early going and there’s a purpose behind it, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Furkan Korkmaz and four other reserves turned a nine-point lead into a blowout during the second half of Philadelphia’s win over New Orleans last week. Rivers wants to ensure the team has plenty of reliable options. “That’s why, early in the year, you extend your bench,” Rivers said. “That’s why you do it. It’s so important for your team.”
  • Having De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish healthy and productive is almost like signing two impact free agents, Hawks star Trae Young told Marc Stein of Substack. Both of those players were limited during Atlanta’s postseason run. “We didn’t have them most of the playoffs,” Young said. “And ‘Dre … not having him in the last two series made it a lot tougher for everybody. And then Cam only being able to play the last couple games in the playoffs. Those two guys are key guys for us. Having them healthy is going to be big.” Hunter missed Monday’s game with a non-COVID-related illness.
  • Chuma Okeke‘s return from a bone bruise in his hip remains uncertain, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of Okeke, “There is no real timetable for him. We’re going to see how he responds to contact and to his rehab.” Okeke did not play in the preseason and has yet to make his season debut.

Southeast Notes: Fournier, Reddish, Ross, Kuzma

After spending six-and-a-half years in Orlando, Knicks guard Evan Fournier knew he was on the way out last season when he heard the Magic sent Nikola Vucevic to Chicago, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Orlando purged most of its veteran talent at the trade deadline as the team committed fully to rebuilding. Within a few hours, the Magic finalized deals involving Vucevic, Fournier and Aaron Gordon.

“Once they pulled the plug with Vuc — because Vuc got traded first to Chicago — I remember it was the one year where I felt, OK, this might happen for real now,’’ Fournier said. ‘When I saw Vuc, I was with my wife at home like, ‘Yeah, honey, we out,’ because obviously you trade Vuc. Then it was myself, then it was Gordon.’’

Fournier, who was dealt to the Celtics before signing with New York over the summer, is glad to be in different surroundings as he prepares to face his former team for the second straight game. With a roster full of young players, the Magic may be looking at several years before they return to the playoffs.

“That’s a rebuild, so a rebuild takes time,’’ Fournier said. “It is definitely gonna take them time to figure it out. It’s not my problem anymore.’’

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Rival teams view Hawks forward Cam Reddish as a strong trade candidate, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Atlanta made Reddish available at the March deadline and again heading into the draft, but couldn’t find the right deal, Scotto states. One executive told Scotto that teams would be willing to offer a protected lottery pick for Reddish.
  • Executives around the league expect the Magic to eventually trade Terrence Ross to a playoff team, Scotto adds in the same piece. Orlando was seeking a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran swingman last season, but teams may not be willing to meet that price. “He’ll be moved,” an unidentified executive said. “They were trying to move him at the draft. They wanted to put him in a place where he could win. I think he’s worth a couple of second-round picks.”
  • Kyle Kuzma, who was part of the Wizards‘ return for sending Russell Westbrook to the Lakers, believes the deal has made Washington a better team, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I mean, you gotta do that trade 10 out of 10 times,” Kuzma said. “If you have an opportunity to get five good basketball players for one, it makes sense. Granted, (Westbrook is) obviously a Hall-of-Fame player and everything. He’s an unbelievable player, don’t take that wrong. But especially for a team like Washington, if you look at the track record from the past couple of years, it hasn’t necessarily been enough ballplayers here. … It’s smart, you have to do it if you’re a GM.”

Hawks Pick Up 2022/23 Options On Hunter, Reddish, Okongwu

The Hawks have exercised the fourth-year team options on the rookie scale contracts for De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, along with the third-year option for Onyeka Okongwu, the team announced today in a press release.

All three players were already under contract for the coming season. Picking up their options ensures they’re locked up for 2022/23 too. Their cap hits for that season will be $9,835,881 (Hunter), $5,954,454 (Reddish), and Okongwu ($6,395,160).

Hunter, Reddish, and Okongwu have all dealt with injuries this year, but have shown promise when healthy. Hunter, in particular, was off to a strong start last season, averaging 17.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG on .517/.375/.877 shooting with strong defense in his first 17 games (33.3 MPG) before sustaining a knee injury in his 18th game.

With their options exercised, Hunter and Reddish are now on track to become extension-eligible during the 2022 offseason and would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2023 if they don’t sign new deals before then. The Hawks will have to decide on Okongwu’s 2023/24 option next fall.

Our tracker of rookie scale option decisions for 2022/23 can be found right here.

Eastern Notes: Harrell, Thybulle, Irving, Reddish, Toppin, Young

Former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell feels like the Lakers didn’t play him enough last season, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Wizards big man is happy to get a fresh start. He averaged 4.2 fewer shot attempts per game with the Lakers than his final year with the Clippers.

“I’m trying to just get back to playing basketball freely and just get back to enjoying the game and just being able to help my team on both ends of the floor. I didn’t really get to be utilized how I wanted to be last year,” he said. “I damn near felt like I had a season off. So, I’m using this preseason to really ramp back up and knock off a lot of the rust on my own game, really.”

Playing more would help to boost his value. Harrell, who is making $9.72MM this season, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Sixers swingman Matisse Thybulle has a sore right shoulder and will be out at least a week, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. He’ll undergo rehab for the injury and be reevaluated sometime next week. Thybulle was named to the All-Defensive Second Team last season.
  • Kyrie Irving is listed as ineligible to play for the Nets’ preseason home opener on Friday, according to The Associated Press. It’s an indication that Irving remains unvaccinated. He practiced with the Nets last week when they held training camp in San Diego, but he hasn’t been able to practice with the team under New York City restrictions.
  • Cam Reddish heard his name pop up in trade rumors this offseason but the Hawks forward puts a positive spin on it, Chris Kirchner of The Athletic writes. “It didn’t affect me at all,” Reddish said. “It’s really a compliment when you think about it. It’s all good. I just have to control what I can control. Clearly, I have some decent value, so that’s a compliment.”
  • Knicks second-year Obi Toppin is determined to establish himself after a spotty rookie campaign, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. He’s gotten in better shape and feels “a lot more comfortable” going into his sophomore campaign. “I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work this summer, not only me but everyone here,” he said. “We put in a lot of work and there is just the start. … I feel like I just have a little bit more knowledge of being here now. I feel like I’ve kind of put my foot in the water already, so I kind of have a feel of what it’s like playing out there.”
  • Hawks star guard Trae Young feels all the pieces are in place for a championship run, according to Michael Pina of Sports Illustrated“We have everything,” Young said. Pina takes an in-depth look at Young’s development and his supporting cast.