Donovan Mitchell Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Social Justice Board, Boatright, Jazz, Moore

November 9th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns are the players chosen to serve on the league’s Social Justice Coalition Board, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).

The NBA and NBPA agreed to create the group to advance equality and social justice after teams walked out of games in late August to protest a police shooting. Commissioner Adam Silver, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, as well as owners Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Randadive and coaches Lloyd Pierce and Doc Rivers.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Ryan Boatright has signed with Lithuanian club team BC Rytas Vilnius, the team tweets. Boatright, 28, played in Europe last season after spending time in the G League during the 2018/19 season. The former University of Connecticut guard also played in Italy, China and Turkey.
The sale price of the Jazz bodes well for the league’s franchise valuations, Bill Shea of The Athletic notes. The team, along with an arena and a couple of minor-league teams, were sold to Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith for $1.66 billion, and the league’s owners are expected to approve the sale. The valuation falls in line with expectations and doesn’t reflect any pandemic discount, Shea continues. It also reinforces the notion that team values keep going up.
Former Pacers forward Ben Moore has signed with South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s NBL, according to the team. Moore is expected to join the club for preseason training next month. Moore, who also spent time in the Spurs organization, logged two games with Indiana during the 2017/18 season.

Western Notes: Caruso, Green, Lue, Mitchell

October 11th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by JD Shaw

The Lakers are planning to start guard Alex Caruso in place of Dwight Howard in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Shams Charania of Stadium reports.

Los Angeles will likely spend more time playing Anthony Davis at center on Sunday, an adjustment that’s caused some problems for Miami this series. The team could also task LeBron James with being the primary on-ball defender for Jimmy Butler, Charania adds. Butler poured in a 35-point triple-double in the Heat’s Game 5 win on Friday night.

Starting Caruso in place of Howard will allow the Lakers to play a quicker brand of basketball while adding another shooter around James offensively. Caruso has averaged 6.7 points off the bench in 20 playoff games, shooting 43% with respectable defense.

The Lakers will be seeking their 17th championship in franchise history on Sunday, with Tuesday’s potential Game 7 looming in the background if the team loses.

There’s more out of the Western Conference today:

Lakers guard Danny Green and his fiancée have received death threats following the aftermath of Game 5, as relayed by Bill Oram of The Athletic. Green missed an open three-pointer that would’ve given the Lakers the lead with just seconds remaining, culminating in an offensive rebound and a Markieff Morris turnover shortly thereafter. “I don’t pay attention,” Green said. “I had to ask, ‘Are you getting death threats?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, you are too,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t know’ because I don’t really pay attention or care. Nor am I upset, shaken or worried about it. I’m just not one of those types of people.”
Tyronn Lue arrived in Houston this weekend to interview for the Rockets’ head coaching job, as relayed by Mark Berman of Fox 26 (Twitter link). When asked what Lue’s message was to his interested teams, he replied, “Just who I am as a person, as a coach. How I’m able to hold guys accountable, but still get the best out of guys..let guys play free, put them in position to be successful.” The Rockets will formally interview Lue on Monday, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is being fueled by the team’s seven-game loss to the Nuggets, eagerly setting his sights on next season, as relayed by ESPN. “Those guys really did their thing,” Mitchell said of the Nuggets. “But at the end of the day it really kind of pisses you off, I’m not going to lie. You know, we were right there. At the end of the day, that’s what it is — we were right there.”

And-Ones: Fans In Stands, Dotson, Barnes, Harris

October 6th, 2020 at 8:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has pushed back next season until January with the hope of having fans in the stands but the expectation of crowds may be optimistic, Mark Medina of USA Today reports. It’s unlikely a COVID-19 vaccine will be widely available at that point and having large crowds in an indoor facility could lead to a super spreader event, according to multiple health experts who spoke to Medina. Rapid testing could make it more feasible to allow fans into indoor arenas, the story adds.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Western Carolina’s Carlos Dotson has agreed to a deal in France with JSA Bordeaux, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. The 24-year-old big man averaged 15.5 PPG and 9.7 RPG last season while receiving SoCon First Team All-Conference honors.
The Players Association has made committee appointments for the NBA Foundation, created in partnership with the league, as well as the new Social Justice Coalition formed when the players agreed to continue the season in late August, Shams Charania of The Athletic writes. Kings forward Harrison Barnes and 76ers forward Tobias Harris will serve as player reps on the NBA Foundation, while Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony and Bucks guard Sterling Brown will serve on the Social Justice Coalition.
NBPA executive director Michele Roberts anticipates that free agency will begin no later than December 1st. Get the details here.

Jazz Notes: Offseason, Gobert, Mitchell, Oturu

September 10th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

As the Jazz mull possible roster upgrades this offseason, they’ll be keeping an eye out for defensive-minded players, executive VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey said on Wednesday, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“Anybody who has defensive integrity at their position, (who) can be an active, athletic defender will be someone that would be of interest to us,” Lindsey said. “Especially if they don’t compromise the spacing.”

While Utah’s roster features a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Rudy Gobert, the team only ranked in the middle of the pack this season in overall defensive rating, and struggled to slow down Jamal Murray and the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

Citing NBA rules, Lindsey declined to get into specifics on Wednesday when asked about possible offseason extensions for Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. However, as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News writes, he insinuated that the Jazz will look to lock up both Gobert and Mitchell long-term, stressing that the franchise is “extremely pleased” with the character of its two All-Stars. “As I’ve mentioned before, we’re working to add players of Rudy and Donovan’s physical talent and competitive makeup and so by definition we’re going to want to keep those type of players moving forward,” Lindsey said.
Former University of Minnesota center Daniel Oturu interviewed with the Jazz on Wednesday, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Oturu, the No. 36 prospect on ESPN’s big board, may be an option for Utah at No. 23.
While it wasn’t specifically related to the Jazz, Lindsey made another notable comment during his end-of-season presser on Wednesday, contending that the lack of travel this summer improved the quality of NBA games and suggesting that the league should do what it can to reduce travel going forward. “If we ever get to a situation like baseball where you play a team more than one time in the market — obviously, there’s some business concerns there — but that reduced travel, I definitely think the product is more compelling because of that,” Lindsey said. A previous report indicated that the NBA is mulling this idea.

New York Notes: Mitchell, J. Bryant, Nash, Draft

September 3rd, 2020 at 8:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The recent news that the Jazz will likely extend All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell with a five-year maximum contract takes him off the table as a Knicks trade target this offseason, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Bondy notes that there had been hope that Mitchell’s connection to new Knicks team president Leon Rose (he is represented by Rose’s former agency, CAA) might make the prospect of Mitchell demanding a trade to Madison Square Garden palatable. Mitchell played his AAU basketball in New York City.

There’s more out of the Empire State:

At least one Jazz personnel member will be joining the Knicks for 2020/21. Former Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, who will be the associate head coach under new Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, officially signed his contract with the team following Utah’s elimination from the playoffs, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).
New Nets head coach Steve Nash will have his hands full with a litany of challenges and a loaded, win-now roster, per Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
The Knicks will have a variety of intriguing prospects to choose from with the No. 8 pick in the NBA draft, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Vorkunov appraises both the high-upside prospects and the low-risk options that should still be on the board by the time New York drafts.

Jazz Notes: Gobert, Clarkson, Game 7, Mitchell

September 2nd, 2020 at 1:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

We shared the news earlier today that the Jazz plan to offer a maximum extension to Donovan Mitchell, but the team is also facing an important decision on Rudy Gobert in what could become the most expensive offseason the franchise has ever seen, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Gobert, whose contract expires after next season, is eligible for a five-year, $221MM super-max deal. Marks doesn’t expect Utah to give Gobert that kind of money, but he is in line for a substantial raise as one of the league’s top interior defenders. Marks notes that the Jazz can offer several other options, including a four-year, $133MM extension, a five-year, $189.9MM extension, or a full super-max for the first year with an 8% decrease every subsequent season, resulting in a five-year, $160MM package.

Marks adds that if Utah allows Gobert to hit the open market next summer and the salary cap remains at $109MM, at least 12 teams will have a minimum of $30MM in cap room to pursue him.

There’s more on the Jazz:

Another priority will be re-signing Jordan Clarkson, who will be unrestricted when free agency begins, Marks notes in the same piece. After being acquired from the Cavaliers in late December, Clarkson provided some scoring punch to a reserve unit that had been near the bottom of the league in producing points. The Jazz hold Bird rights on Clarkson and will face a weak market where only 10 teams have money to spend apart from their mid-level exceptions.
Utah overcame a lot of adversity just to reach Game 7, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Gobert’s positive coronavirus test in March led to the league shutdown and created a split with Mitchell. The Jazz also lost an important part of their offense when Bojan Bogdanovic underwent season-ending wrist injury. “Being here has been a challenge in a lot of ways, but I don’t think it’s dampened our enthusiasm for the game,” coach Quinn Snyder said before Tuesday’s game. “So to whatever extent that’s there, certainly you have to fight it, but there’s always things that creep in.”
Any lingering rift between Mitchell and Gobert was healed by the experience in Orlando, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who states that the team was galvanized by the restart. Mitchell also proved to the organization that he can take on the scoring load in the playoffs. “Donovan, that kid is tough,” Clarkson said. “He’s a scorer, makes plays. One of the best guards in the league, one of the best guards that I’ve played with.”

Jazz Will Give Maximum Extension To Donovan Mitchell

September 2nd, 2020 at 10:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Donovan Mitchell, one of the stars of this year’s playoffs despite Utah’s first-round loss, will receive a maximum extension when free agency begins, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

The total value of the five-year deal, which would go into effect in 2021/22, is projected to be about $170MM. The actual value will depend on where the salary cap lands for the ’21/22 season and whether Mitchell meets the Rose rule criteria.

Mitchell, 23, averaged 36.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in the series against the Nuggets and shot 52% from 3-point range. He set a playoff record by making 33 three-pointers in a series.

Haynes notes that Mitchell was among several young stars who were reluctant to participate in the restart because of the risk of an injury that might affect future earnings. Mitchell explained his position on a Zoom call with other players set up by Kyrie Irving in June, but said talking to his teammates convinced him to play.

“Once my teammates told me they wanted to play, then I was all in. I couldn’t make it all about myself,” Mitchell said. “There are younger guys who aren’t established in this league and needed this time to show their value. It would have been selfish of me to stand in the way of that. I couldn’t let my contract get in the way of the bigger picture. I had to rely on God. If I got hurt, it was God’s will. But I put my trust in Him and didn’t worry about potentially getting injured. That allowed me to go out there and play. My faith was in God.”

Mitchell took Tuesday’s loss especially hard, Haynes adds. He collapsed to the court when Mike Conley‘s potential game-winning shot at the buzzer bounced out, then fought back tears in a post-game session with the media. Afterward, he fell into the arms of assistant coach Johnnie Bryant – who is headed to the Knicks to join Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff – and sobbed uncontrollably.

“I’m going to get right back to work,” Mitchell told reporters. “I’m not done. The Utah Jazz aren’t done.”

Doncic, Porzingis, SGA Among Players Out For Monday’s Games

August 10th, 2020 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis won’t play in Monday’s game against Utah, according to the league’s official injury report. Dallas will also be without starting forward Dorian Finney-Smith.

Doncic and Porzingis are both listed out due to “injury recovery” — right ankle for Doncic and left knee for Porzingis. Finney-Smith, meanwhile, is dealing with a left hip strain.

At 42-30, the No. 7 Mavericks are two games behind the sixth-seeded Jazz (43-27), so today’s game has seeding implications. If the Mavs lose, they’ll be locked into the No. 7 seed in the West. Utah, just a half-game behind the No. 5 Thunder, could still move up a spot or two in the standings, though the team may prefer to remain at No. 6 if it means avoiding the Rockets in the first round. Houston has eliminated the Jazz in the postseason in each of the last two years.

Donovan Mitchell has also been downgraded from questionable to out for today’s game due to a left lower leg peroneal strain, according to the Jazz (via Twitter).

Meanwhile, per the league’s injury report, the Thunder will be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right calf contusion), Steven Adams (left lower leg contusion), Danilo Gallinari (left ankle injury maintenance), and Nerlens Noel (right ankle sprain), in addition to missing Dennis Schröder, who remains out for personal reasons after attending the birth of his child.

Those absences bode well for the Suns, who will need to remain undefeated in the bubble in order to keep pace in the race for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. As we detailed earlier today, Phoenix won’t technically be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss, but it would make the path to a play-in spot a whole lot more difficult.

Jazz Stars Sitting Out Friday’s Game With Spurs

August 6th, 2020 at 8:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz will play the Spurs on Friday but they will look like a totally different team. They’ll go without all of their star players due to injury or, in one case, rest, according to an ESPN report.

The starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell (left peroneal strain) and Mike Conley (right knee soreness) will sit out, as will center Rudy Gobert. Coach Quin Snyder is resting his defensive stalwart in the first game of a back-to-back. Utah plays Denver on Saturday.

Another key player, forward Royce O’Neale (right calf soreness), is also taking the night off, as well as guard Nigel Williams-Goss (left ankle sprain).

None of the injuries appear to be long-term, so it’s quite possible most or all of those players could return for the Denver game. The Nuggets have been playing shorthanded during the restart and are missing four starters — Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton and Paul Millsap — in their game against Portland on Thursday.

Utah is trying to hold onto the fourth seed in the Western Conference and is also within striking distance of the third-place Nuggets.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Lillard, Jazz, Wolves

July 27th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have been one of the most short-handed teams at the NBA’s campus so far, having been limited to just eight players in each of their first two scrimmages this summer. However, reinforcements are on the way for Monday’s game against Orlando.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters this afternoon that Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr., and Keita Bates-Diop will all be available to play in tonight’s game, increasing the team’s roster count to 12 (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of The Athletic).

While he won’t be active tonight, Nuggets guard Monte Morris moved one step closer to getting back on the court as well, having cleared quarantine, as Mike Singer of The Denver Post tweets. He seems likely to be ready by the time Denver plays its first seeding game vs. Miami on Saturday.

Let’s round up a few more Northwest items…

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard missed Sunday’s scrimmage against Toronto due to inflammation in his left foot, but head coach Terry Stotts said the club doesn’t expect it to be “a long-term thing,” writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com.
Sarah Todd of The Deseret News takes a deep dive into the Jazz‘s ability to retain both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert long term, exploring the odds of the team doing so and speculating about what their contracts might look like.
University of Denver guard Ade Murkey, a Minnesota native, has interviewed with his hometown Timberwolves during the pre-draft process, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Murkey averaged 18.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG with a .481/.400/.731 shooting line as a senior.