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Pacific Notes: Walker, Reaves, Fox, Paul, Crowder, Warriors

January 28th, 2023 at 2:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard Lonnie Walker could return to the lineup for Saturday’s matchup in Boston, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Walker plans to test his knee before the game to see if he’s ready to go. If he does play, he says he’ll likely be restricted to around 20-25 minutes.

Walker, who last played a month ago, has been dealing with left knee tendinitis. He has missed 14 consecutive games with the injury.

Austin Reaves is not ready to return yet, however. The second-year guard will be reevaluated next Thursday, as Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group relays (via Twitter). Reaves has missed the last 11 games with a left hamstring strain.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com details why he believes Kings guard De’Aaron Fox should be the early frontrunner for the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award.
Jae Crowder signed with Phoenix in the 2020 offseason, which is also when the Suns traded for Chris Paul. The 11-time All-NBA point guard says he misses the veteran forward, who has yet to play this season as the team tries to trade him. “Jae, 9-9, I miss him,” Paul said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I miss him. Ain’t no secret about it. That’s one of our brothers.”
The Warriors have been using some small-ball lineups featuring four guards and Draymond Green at center in recent games, and that is having an impact on the rest of the team’s big men, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. For example, James Wiseman has been active the past two games after recovering from a left ankle sprain, but he’s fourth on the current center depth chart behind Green, Kevon Looney and JaMychal Green, so he hasn’t played in either contest. “Do the math,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s hard to get four centers into a game, especially in 2023.”

Trade Rumors: Suns, Holmes, Reid, Raptors, Bamba

January 24th, 2023 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns point guard Chris Paul has missed 21 of 48 games this season due to injuries and has seen his production dip even when he’s healthy — his 13.4 points per game would be a career low, while his 42.7% field goal percentage is the second-worst mark of his career.

Paul’s limitations have prompted the Suns to begin considering their post-CP3 future at point guard, according to Marc Stein, who reports at Substack that Phoenix has identified the Raptors‘ Fred VanVleet, the Hornets‘ Terry Rozier, and the Knicks‘ Immanuel Quickley as potential trade targets.

As Stein outlines, the Knicks are considered unlikely to move Quickley and it remains to be seen what Toronto’s intentions are for VanVleet, but Rozier is widely believed to be very much available for a struggling Hornets club that will likely be one of the deadline’s top sellers.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:

Teams with a need for frontcourt help are keeping an eye on Kings center Richaun Holmes as a possible buyout candidate if Sacramento can’t move him before the trade deadline, says Stein. That seems like a long shot, given that Holmes is still owed $12MM in 2023/24 and $12.9MM on a ’24/25 player option after this season.
Following up on Michael Scotto’s reporting on Naz Reid, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer cites league sources who say that the Nets are among the teams who have inquired on the Timberwolves big man. Scotto identified the Clippers and Nuggets as teams with interest in Reid.
League sources are skeptical that the Raptors will move Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby unless the return is massive, but view Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet as more viable trade candidates due to their contract situations, writes O’Connor. Both Trent and VanVleet have 2023/24 player options which they’re expected to decline.
Magic center Mohamed Bamba is considered “readily available” via trade, sources tell O’Connor. Bamba re-signed with Orlando in the offseason but has played a modest reserve role, averaging 17.4 minutes per game in 37 appearances. His $10.3MM salary for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.

Injury Updates: Booker, Paul, Metu, Green, Smith Jr., Ingram

January 22nd, 2023 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Devin Booker isn’t close to returning from his groin injury, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. The Suns star, who was injured on Christmas Day, has been limited to non-contact drills, according to coach Monty Williams. There’s no firm date for Booker’s re-evaluation.

Suns point guard Chris Paul suited up on Sunday against Memphis after missing seven games due to a sore right hip, Rankin adds.

We have more injury news:

Kings forward Chimezie Metu underwent an MRI on his left knee, which showed no structural damage, James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com tweets. Metu has a bone bruise and is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against Memphis.
Grizzlies shooting guard Danny Green continues to progress from the torn ACL in his left knee, which he suffered last May, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com tweets. Green is playing 5-on-5 with no setbacks, but there’s no timetable on his return to action. The veteran wing was traded by Philadelphia in June.
Rockets rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. is listed as questionable to play on Monday against Minnesota, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He missed Saturday’s game due to a right ankle sprain. Kevin Porter Jr. will sit out for the seventh straight game due to a foot injury.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram played 5-0n-5 in practice on Saturday, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. Ingram has been sidelined since Nov. 25 due to a toe contusion.

Suns Notes: Ishbia, Lee, Paul, VanVleet

January 19th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Brothers Mat and Justin Ishbia reached an agreement last month to purchase a majority stake in the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury. Ishbia attended Phoenix’s game against Brooklyn on Thursday and is already influencing the team’s approach to the trade deadline, Shams Charania said on The Rally (video link).

“I’m told since Mat Ishbia and his announcement that he’s going to take over the Suns’ ownership has come out, the Suns have actually informed teams that they’re willing to move a first-round pick and potentially take on salary long-term for good players,” Charania said.

We have more on the Suns:

The team will have to make a decision on Saturday whether to offer Saben Lee another 10-day deal. Coach Monty Williams strongly endorses keeping Lee on the roster, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com tweets. “I’m hopeful to keep him around, because he brings something that we need,” Williams said. Entering Thursday’s game, Lee had appeared in three games with Phoenix, averaging 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in 19 minutes per game.
The Suns decided to sit Chris Paul on Thursday even though he practiced on Wednesday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He did everything yesterday. It was just a decision that was made,” Williams said. It was Paul’s sixth consecutive missed game due to a hip issue.
Phoenix has been mentioned as a potential free agent destination for Raptors guard Fred VanVleet but as Bourguet explains in detail, that doesn’t seem feasible. The Suns don’t have the cap space to sign VanVleet in free agency and would have to blow up the roster to do a sign-and-trade. Trading for him before next month’s deadline in an attempt to re-sign him to max money also seems unwise, given their salary issues, especially if Paul remains on the roster as the starter.

Suns’ Cameron Payne Out At Least Two Weeks With Foot Sprain

January 7th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns guard Cameron Payne has been diagnosed with a right foot sprain and will miss at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

Payne missed nine games in mid-to-late December with right foot soreness, and then aggravated the injury in just his second game back during Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland. He was sidelined for last night’s loss to Miami as well.

It’s a tough blow for the Suns, who continue to be hit hard by injuries. Payne is an important member of Phoenix’s backcourt, with averages of 12.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 0.9 SPG on .412/.378/.776 shooting splits through 28 games (14 starts, 24.0 MPG). The points and assists per game both represent career highs.

The Suns are already without star shooting guard Devin Booker (groin strain) and starting power forward Cameron Johnson (torn meniscus and subsequent surgery). Johnson has been making progress in his rehab, but he hasn’t participated in contact work yet, per head coach Monty Williams (Twitter link via Bourguet).

Williams also said Chris Paul is considered day-to-day with right hip soreness, and another update will be provided on Sunday. The veteran point guard missed 14 games earlier in the season with right heel soreness.

The Suns have dropped eight of their past nine games, including five straight, to move to 20-20 on the season. Their upcoming schedule over the next two weeks won’t do them any favors — they’re home against Cleveland on Sunday, then go on a four-game road trip against the Warriors, Nuggets, Wolves and Grizzlies, followed by home games against the Nets and Pacers.

With Payne, Booker, and potentially Paul sidelined, look for guards like Landry Shamet, Damion Lee and Duane Washington to get more minutes and shot attempts.

Suns Notes: Payne, Paul, FAs, Bridges, Ayton

January 7th, 2023 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Already missing Devin Booker for several weeks, the Suns are finding themselves increasingly shorthanded in the backcourt.

Key reserve Cameron Payne aggravated his right foot injury on Wednesday in his second game back from the ailment and was ruled out for Friday’s contest vs. Miami. Starting point guard Chris Paul was available for that game against the Heat, but didn’t play in the second half due to right hip soreness, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

“It’s tough having guys in and out,” Suns wing Torrey Craig said. “Soon as you think you’re about to get guys back, somebody else gets hurt. Guys get re-injured, but it’s part of the game It’s part of adversity, but we’ve just got to figure out a way to get through all this.”

The banged-up Suns – who have also been without starting forward Cameron Johnson (knee surgery) since early November and former starting forward Jae Crowder (away from team) all season – are in the midst of their worst skid of the last few years — after a 16-7 start, they’ve lost 13 of their last 17 games, including the last five in a row. Now at 20-20 on the year, Phoenix has already lost more games than it did all of last season, when the club led the NBA with a 64-18 record.

“If you think about everything we’ve been through, we’re still .500,” Williams said after Friday’s loss, per Rankin. “We just want to win one. Our guys are hurting to win a game and that’s where as a coach, you just feel bad for those guys because you know how hard we’re playing and how bad they want it.”

Here’s more on the Suns:

The Suns have an open roster spot and could look to the free agent market for help, writes Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic. Although Moore mentions Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Favors as possibilities, the player he’d really like to see the team call is Josh Jackson. Moore argues that the former Suns lottery pick could help bring the team the “fire and intensity” it needs.
With Booker and Johnson out and Paul underachieving, there has been more pressure on Mikal Bridges this season to be a two-way force. He has struggled to score as efficiently as he has in the past — his .449 FG% is easily his lowest mark since his rookie year. Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com considers what the Suns and their fans should realistically expect from the fifth-year forward and whether or not he’s meeting those expectations this season.
After averaging just 10.3 points per game in his previous three appearances, Deandre Ayton bounced back offensively on Friday with 23 points, though it took him 20 field goal attempts. Before Friday’s contest, Ayton spoke about his role on offense, and Rankin has the highlights in a story for The Arizona Republic.

Western Notes: Leonard, McCollum, Johnson, Paul

January 1st, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Perhaps the most encouraging news for the Clippers in recent weeks is that their biggest star, Kawhi Leonard, appears to be rounding into form, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times notes. Though his minutes are still somewhat limited, Leonard has averaged 23.2 points and 35.0 minutes in four games during the team’s current road trip.

“As far as explosiveness, I don’t think that’s all the way back yet or as far as trusting it all the way right now. But just his decision-making, his timing of getting to his spots and getting to his shot and I think his timing of making passes when teams are double-teaming, making the right read in the right play, that’s really good,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.

We have more from the Western Conference:

CJ McCollum admitted he was literally shooting for the Pelicans’ 3-point record, Andrew Lopez of ESPN writes. McCollum knocked down 11 to set the single-game franchise record as New Orleans defeated Philadelphia on Friday. “I was just trying to shoot as many 3s as possible, to be honest with you,” McCollum said. McCollum, who is ineligible to be traded this season, is under contract with New Orleans through 2026 after signing an extension in September.
Veteran forward Stanley Johnson has only been on the Spurs roster for less than three weeks but he feels that being a vocal leader is part of his duty, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. “The thing that is consistent with good teams is that they are very vocal,” said Johnson, who was signed to a one-year deal on Dec. 13. “I’m trying to be vocal as much as I can, and hope it’s contagious.”
Suns guard Chris Paul expressed frustration with what he feels is inconsistent officiating around the league, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic relays. Paul was addressing a delay of game call against him in a loss to Toronto. “It’s tough in this league, especially when you play for so long and you get techs,” Paul said. “So much stuff is trivial and it’s so much control over what you can say, interpret the rules. I watch and play every night and I see guys get things called. I watch too much basketball and guys just drop the ball night after night and I don’t see a delay of game.”

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Kings, Suns, Booker, Beverley

December 20th, 2022 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

Before Kings center Domantas Sabonis racked up 28 points, 23 rebounds, and seven assists in Sunday’s loss to Charlotte, head coach Mike Brown said there’s “no question” that the big man should be an All-Star this season, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sunday’s performance increased Sabonis’ season-long averages to 18.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, and 6.4 APG. He’s also shooting a career-best 62.7% from the floor.

“If you don’t vote for him to be an All-Star, in my opinion, you don’t know basketball because what he’s doing, it’s almost on a historic level, and I’m not just talking about his ability to score or his ability to pass,” Brown said.

As impressive as Sabonis has been, the Kings are still seeking a reliable backup at the center position. The team began the season with Richaun Holmes playing that role, then turned to Chimezie Metu. On Sunday, two-way player Neemias Queta got a look, playing seven minutes in just his second appearance of the season. Brown said on Sunday that Holmes and Queta will get more opportunities, per Anderson, and that he expects to continue experimenting until he finds a reliable option in that spot.

“I can’t run Domas 40 minutes every night,” Brown said, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “So I need to find a guy in that spot who’s going to defend, run the floor, spell Domas for six, eight minutes a half, and play as hard as he as can while following the game plan. Not fouling, boxing out, doing all the little things that need to keep that group solid for those six to eight minutes. We’ve found it in spurts. But I want to get to a point where it can be a little bit more consistent, so I’m going to keep searching until I feel like that person is there.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Although Suns owner Robert Sarver was suspended and fined by the NBA and is now planning to sell the team, a number of current and former Suns employees are still wondering whether other executives who contributed to creating a toxic workplace will face any punishment, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. CEO Jason Rowley is among those accused of mistreating staffers. As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets, the club put out a statement claiming that there are “factual inaccuracies” in Holmes’ report and that the franchise’s leaders have taken accountability for the allegations found to have merit.
Suns head coach Monty Williams blamed himself for the groin injury that sidelined Devin Booker on Monday. “Let’s be straight, I played him way too many minutes,” Williams said (Twitter link via Bourguet). “I can’t look at anybody else when I put players in harm’s way.”
Suns point guard Chris Paul brushed off a taunt from Lakers guard Patrick Beverley on Monday, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Beverley made a “too small” gesture when he converted an and-one against CP3 that cut L.A.’s deficit from 26 points to 23. “You can’t pay attention to that stuff,” Paul said. “That ain’t new. He ain’t come up with it. But just play basketball, man.” Beverley was suspended three games for shoving Deandre Ayton the last time the two teams faced one another.

Suns Notes: Slump, Jones, Paul, Mazzulla

December 9th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ philosophy following a bad loss is to “flush it,” but that’s harder to do when those bad losses come in consecutive games, writes Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. Having entered the week as the Western Conference’s top seed, the Suns were blown out in Dallas on Monday, then returned home and were thrashed by the Celtics on Wednesday. At one point in that second game, Phoenix trailed Boston by 45 points.

As Bourguet writes, the Suns are still 16-9 and deserve the benefit of the doubt for now, especially with Chris Paul just returning and Cameron Johnson still sidelined. But the lack of a reliable No. 2 scorer behind Devin Booker could become an issue, and the ongoing absence of former starting forward Jae Crowder, who is waiting to be traded, has been a problem as the team deals with injuries.

Here’s more on the Suns:

After losing their top spot in the West to the Pelicans, the Suns have two big games on tap in New Orleans on Friday and Sunday. Those games will give the team a good opportunity to show that its recent swoon was just temporary, says Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic. However, if the slump continues, president of basketball operations James Jones may face increasing pressure to make a roster move well before February’s trade deadline, Moore argues.
Although Wednesday’s loss to Boston was a disaster, Chris Paul‘s return provided a silver lining, especially given his postgame comments, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Paul said he “felt good” in his first appearance after a 14-game absence. “He looked good and talking to him after the game he felt good, most importantly,” Devin Booker said of his backcourt mate. “Coming off any injury no matter how much time you take off, you’re going to be a little hesitant getting back into it. He said he was pain-free, didn’t feel anything and he’s ready to go, so that’s good news.”
Monty Williams isn’t surprised by the success Joe Mazzulla is having in Boston, telling reporters this week that he tried to get the Celtics‘ current head coach to join his coaching staff near the start of his time in Phoenix. “He was a guy that was smart enough to not come here with us,” Williams said, according to Rankin. “I had heard about him through a number of people, and I talked to my representation about talking to him, but (the Celtics) thought so highly of him there, you couldn’t even talk to him.”

Chris Paul Set To Return For Suns

December 7th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

Suns point guard Chris Paul intends to make his return to the court on Wednesday night vs. Boston after missing the last month due to a heel injury, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, who says (via Twitter) that Paul is expected to suit up barring a last-minute setback.

Paul last played on November 7 in Philadelphia. He has missed 14 games as a result of what the team has referred to as right heel soreness and is officially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest.

The Suns, who began the season with seven wins in 10 games, haven’t missed a beat without Paul available, going 9-5 since he went down. The 16-8 squad holds the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the 15-8 Pelicans. Incidentally, Phoenix will face New Orleans three times in the next 10 games, so Paul should be available for those showdowns against his old team.

In Paul’s absence, Cameron Payne has been the Suns’ starting point guard and has thrived, averaging 15.1 PPG and 7.3 APG with a .395 3PT% in his 14 starts. He figures to continue playing a major rotation role even with CP3 back in the lineup.

Landry Shamet and two-way player Duane Washington also picked up some ball-handling responsibilities while Paul was out, but Washington likely won’t be part of the rotation, while Shamet will return to an off-ball role.

Suns forward Torrey Craig, who has missed the last three games due to a right groin strain, is also listed as questionable and is a candidate to return vs. the Celtics, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes.