Dorian Finney-Smith Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, Lakers, Beal

December 31st, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr seems ready to abandon the 11- and 12-man rotations he was using early in the season, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Although Golden State had success with that approach while Kerr experimented to see how his new players fit together, he wants a consistent group on the court as the schedule becomes more challenging.

“Given the stretch we’re in … we’ve got to settle in these next couple weeks,” he said before Monday’s game. “Stick with the same lineup. Same rotation off the bench if possible and see if we can find some rhythm.”

He unveiled the new approach on Saturday, using Dennis Schröder, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green as his closing lineup and giving them all at least 34 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III and Brandin Podziemski made up the rest of the rotation. Jackson-Davis got the start at center and was used for some defensive possessions late in the game.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors need to lean heavily on Kuminga and the rest of the young core to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, contends Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. That’s especially true of Kuminga, who has the best chance of any of Golden State’s young players to become a star. Kroichick notes that Kuminga has displayed more assertiveness recently, compiling 40 free throws and 29 rebounds over his last three games. “This is a young man’s game, we know that,” Kerr said. “It’s a sport that requires so much endurance, physical conditioning and ability to bounce back from aches and pains, and it just gets harder and harder for the older guys. If you don’t have a young core, you’re in some trouble. I probably feel better about our young group now than I ever have.”
The Lakers suddenly have much more frontcourt depth as Dorian Finney-Smith arrived in a trade with Brooklyn and Jaxson Hayes was cleared to return from an ankle injury, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Coach J.J. Redick frequently relied on small-ball lineups, as the team has been without a legitimate backup center since Hayes got hurt. “Night to night, it will be different,” Redick told reporters before tonight’s game. “Jaxson is our backup five. But there may be times that we play small. It’s just the reality. (Finney-Smith) has shown he can guard up. Rui (Hachimura) has really improved from where we were three months ago, playing him at the five in our first preseason game to where he is now. … And we know Doe (Finney-Smith) can obviously play at the five as well. So excited to have options for sure.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had to leave tonight’s game after suffering a hip contusion in the first quarter, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team announced that he wouldn’t return, but no other details were provided.

Pacific Rumors: Finney-Smith, Lakers, Kings, Fox, Clippers

December 31st, 2024 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After acquiring him from Brooklyn, the Lakers would like to hang onto three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith long-term, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, Scotto hears that the early expectation is that Finney-Smith will decline his $15.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season in order to test free agency.

While it’s unclear if Finney-Smith could exceed that $15.4MM figure in terms of average annual salary on a new contract, he could certainly secure a larger overall guarantee with a new multiyear deal.

According to Scotto, besides the Lakers, other teams that had interest in Finney-Smith before the Nets traded him to Los Angeles included the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, Kings, and Pacers. That doesn’t necessarily mean all of those clubs will be in the mix if and when Finney-Smith reaches free agency, but they could be some of the potential suitors to watch.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Pacific:

The next item on the Lakers‘ wish list is a backup center, according to Scotto, who says Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas is still very much a potential target for Los Angeles. As they peruse the market for a big man, the Lakers are expected to dangle Gabe Vincent and their remaining second-round draft capital, sources tell Scotto. The team still controls its own 2025 second-round pick, as well as the Clippers’ 2025 second-rounder.
Teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on the Kings to see if they’ll end up making a panic trade in the hopes of turning their season around, Scotto writes, reporting that Nets forward Cameron Johnson has been a consistent target for Sacramento. The biggest question among rival executives, Scotto says, is whether the Kings would entertain the idea of a De’Aaron Fox trade. There’s a sense from some around the league that Fox would have to request a trade for Sacramento to seriously consider moving him, Scotto adds.
League sources tell HoopsHype that Clippers two-way player Jordan Miller is a strong candidate for a promotion to the 15-man roster if the team can open up a spot for him. In that scenario, San Diego Clippers standouts Tosan Evbuomwan or RayJ Dennis would be among the contenders for the newly opened two-way slot, Scotto writes.

Pacific Notes: Christie, Finney-Smith, Podziemski, Warriors

December 31st, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Kings interim head coach Doug Christie picked up his first win on Monday, as Sacramento took advantage of a Dallas team missing its top two scorers and snapped a six-game losing streak, registering its first home win since December 8. Christie has been an assistant coach in Sacramento since 2021, so his players were happy to see him get his first official victory as a head coach, writes Eric He of The Associated Press.

“We’ve spent three summers now with him,” Sabonis said. “He works his butt off and just to see him installing what he believes in the guys, and the guys reacting that quickly to it is awesome.”

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee details, Christie got emotional ahead of the game when asked by CBS Sacramento’s Jake Gadon what he wanted to say to Kings fans as the team attempts to turn its season around.

“I love you, first, because this is an incredible fan base, but I would say more than anything, know that we are here to put a product out on the floor that makes you proud,” Christie responded. “… I think everyone understands who I am and what I’m trying to do, so I don’t need to reiterate that, but first and foremost, there’s steps to that process, and the first step is that when they walk in the doors and they leave the doors, they know that team played their f—ing a– off.”

Given that multiple reports in the wake of Mike Brown‘s dismissal indicated that Kings players had grown weary of the coach’s public criticism of the team, one post-game remark Christie made while discussing the team’s need to perform better in “clutch” situations was especially noteworthy.

“When it comes to that point, what are you willing to do?” Christie said, according to He. “I know what I’m willing to do for you, and I’m going to support them in any way I can. Because it’ll always be my fault. It’ll never be their fault. They go do their job. I’m here to take the bullets.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Lakers newcomers Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton have been given the go-ahead to debut for their new team on Tuesday vs. Cleveland, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the physicals for the four players involved in this week’s Lakers/Cavaliers swap are complete. As Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays, Finney-Smith said on Tuesday that he knew the odds were “high” that he’d be traded the season and added that he’s excited to play for the “big bros” in Los Angeles after being the “little brother” to the Knicks in Brooklyn.
The MRI on Brandin Podziemski‘s abdominal strain came back clean, according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Kerr told reporters – including Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link) – that the guard is considered day-to-day after getting injured on Saturday and sitting out Monday’s game.
With their loss to Cleveland on Monday, the Warriors have now dropped 13 of 17 games and are back to .500 after starting the season 12-3. Star guard Stephen Curry referred to the team as “very average” at the moment, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, noting that several of Golden State’s offensive weapons – including Buddy Hield and Dennis Schröder – are going through shooting slumps at the same time. During the Warriors’ 12-3 start, they had the NBA’s sixth-best offensive rating (115.7); in their past 17 games, that number has plummeted to 106.1, ahead of only Charlotte and Washington.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, O’Neale, Booker, Allen, Kuminga

December 30th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers star LeBron James had a lot of good things to say about his new teammates, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. That duo was acquired in a deal with the Nets over the weekend.

“Obviously, they bring experience, they bring toughness,” James said. “They’ve played in big games and have mastered their roles throughout their careers. I’m looking forward to them getting into our system and making an immediate impact whenever their number is called.”

Coach JJ Redick said he expects both of the new additions to play against Cleveland on Tuesday, Mark Medina of Sportkeeda tweets. He’ll use them in reserve roles.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Redick said Gabe Vincent didn’t practice on Monday due to an oblique injury and is questionable for Tuesday’s game, Buha tweets. Jaxson Hayes (ankle) is probable, while Jarred Vanderbilt participated in non-contact portions of practice and remains out.
Suns forward Royce O’Neale (left ankle sprain) had imaging done on his ankle with promising results but he didn’t practice on Monday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Devin Booker (groin) and Grayson Allen (concussion protocol) participated in 5-on-5 drills on Monday. They could both return to action against Memphis on Tuesday. Booker is listed as questionable, while Allen is probable, Rankin tweets.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent after the season, has pumped up his value in recent games. He’s posted back-to-back 34-point outings against the Clippers and Suns. Kuminga is averaging 21.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest this month. “I just think he’s turning a corner,” coach Steve Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Trade Rumors: Grizzlies, Nets, C. Johnson, Wizards, Lakers

December 30th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

After Michael Scotto reported on Sunday that the Grizzlies wanted to include top-15 protection on their 2025 first-round pick in their offer to the Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith, Marc Stein writes at The Stein Line (Substack link) that one source said the protection on that pick was actually top-17.

Brian Lewis of The New York Post, confirming that the protection on the pick the Grizzlies offered was so heavy that “it might never have conveyed,” adds (via Twitter) that Memphis was asking for the Nets’ own 2025 second-round pick in return. Based on the current standings, those two selections are just 11 picks apart at No. 26 and No. 37, per Tankathon, and they could end up even closer than that if Brooklyn moves further down the standings.

As Stein explains, the Nets were more inclined to take the Lakers’ offer for Finney-Smith since it added three future second-round picks to their stash without requiring them to give up any draft assets of their own. It also didn’t include any guaranteed salary beyond this season, whereas the Grizzlies’ offer would’ve meant taking back John Konchar, whose deal is guaranteed through 2026/27.

Now that they’ve missed out on Finney-Smith, it wouldn’t surprise anyone around the NBA if the Grizzlies continue talking to the Nets and pivot to pursuing forward Cameron Johnson, according to Stein, who adds that Memphis is expected to continue shopping Konchar.

Brooklyn is said to be seeking multiple first-round picks for Johnson, but they were also asking for a first-round pick for both Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder and ultimately settled for second-rounders, Stein observes. That doesn’t mean they’ll take second-rounders for Johnson too, but it suggests the asking price of “multiple first-round picks” may come down a little before February 6.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from across the league:

Many league observers had been expecting the Lakers to pursue the Wizards duo of Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas and were surprised to see them make a deal with Brooklyn, according to Stein. Los Angeles could still technically make a deal for both of those two Wizards, but it would be difficult to land more than one of them without D’Angelo Russell‘s expiring contract. “I like the combo of Finney-Smith and (Shake) Milton better for the Lakers than the two Washington guys,” one longtime talent evaluator told Stein.
Citing team and league sources, Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirms that the Lakers will continue exploring the trade market for additional upgrades ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. For now, the Lakers’ plan is to assess Finney-Smith’s fit with the current group and make a decision close to the trade deadline on whether it makes sense to give up one or both of their tradable first-rounders (2029 and 2031) in another deal.
Given that Schröder and Finney-Smith were traded for second-round compensation, teams pursuing a first-round pick in exchange for their role-player trade candidates might have trouble getting the return they’re seeking, Stein notes, pointing to Bulls center Nikola Vucevic and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as a couple examples. Valanciunas, Brogdon, Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, and Raptors teammates Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown are a few of the players believed to be available for second-round picks, Stein adds.

Lakers Notes: James, Christie, Finney-Smith, Trade Assets

December 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers forward LeBron James, who’s been the league’s oldest active player since the start of the 2023/24 season, turns 40 on Monday. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes, James will become the first player in league history to suit up during his teens, 20s, 30s, and 40s. James will also become only the 30th player ever to appear in a regular season contest in his 40s.

“In some ways he’s a freak of nature,” league commissioner Adam Silver said of James. “I’ve been around a lot of great players and he’s one of the hardest-working players I’ve been around. I mean, he doesn’t take a day off. He seems to not take an afternoon off. He’s always working on some part of his body. You meet with him and he’s always soaking something or eating something with some contraption attached to him.”

The four-time league MVP continues to look like an All-Star while playing in his 22nd NBA season for the 18-13 Lakers. He’s averaging 23.5 points on .496/.357/.767 shooting splits, along with 9.0 rebounds and 7.9 boards per game.

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

Although Lakers swingman Max Christie started his third season a bit unsteadily, he has rounded into form of late. Prior to L.A.’s trade for three-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and point guard Shake Milton, Christie had emerged as a regular part of head coach JJ Redick‘s starting five. The arrival of Finney-Smith may change his role, but Christie has begun to deliver on the promise of the four-year, $32MM deal he signed to stay with Los Angeles over the summer. In a lengthy interview with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Christie acknowledged he felt increased pressure to perform after signing his first big NBA contract. “There are a lot of things that happen in the offseason where you get re-signed, I have expectations for myself,” he said. “I think I had too much emphasis on trying to play perfectly [early in the season], do all the right things, and that led to me kind of thinking all the time when I’m out there. I wasn’t flowing. I wasn’t free.” Christie has really made the most of his time back in the rotation over the past month. “It’s been really good so far, honestly. I look back at it and reflect on my whole career up to this point,” he said. “I hadn’t really played a lot, and then I was just trying to work and work and work.”
The Lakers surrendered three second-round draft picks to acquire Finney-Smith and Milton, in addition to the expiring $18.7MM deal of reserve guard D’Angelo Russell and second-year forward Maxwell Lewis. Zach Harper of The Athletic praises the deal for head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and projects that the 6’7″ Finney-Smith will immediately join the Lakers’ starting lineup, with Christie being moved back to the bench. Finney-Smith will add defensive length along the perimeter, plus a solid three-point shooting stroke. Harper is pessimistic that Milton will crack Redick’s rotation ahead of reserve point guard Gabe Vincent.
Just who gets demoted to the Lakers’ bench has yet to be determined. Jovan Buha of The Athletic thinks forward Rui Hachimura could become a reserve, meaning Max Christie would play alongside Finney-Smith in a new starting unit. Buha notes that the deal will help free up a little cap flexibility for Los Angeles, with the team now $3.5MM below the league’s restrictive second tax apron. Losing Russell means the Lakers are sacrificing some play-making while gaining defense and off-ball shooting. Los Angeles still has some trade assets at its disposal if it wants to continue making deals. In addition to two remaining second-round picks and three first-round pick swaps, the Lakers technically have three tradable future first-round draft selections, but can move only two at most due to the Stepien rule.

Lakers Acquire Dorian Finney-Smith In Four-Player Deal

December 29th, 2024 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:33pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from both clubs.

11:20am: The Lakers will trade D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

The second-rounders heading to Brooklyn will be Los Angeles’ own selections in 2027, 2030 and 2031, sources tell Charania. The ’27 pick being conveyed to Brooklyn is contingent on the ’27 first-round pick (top-four protected) L.A. owes Utah, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), as the Lakers will send the Jazz their ’27 second-round pick if the ’27 first-rounder lands in the top four.

Finney-Smith had been one of the most sought-after three-and-D players on this year’s market and will bring versatility to a team that has been looking to improve its defense. He’s having one of the best shooting seasons of his career, connecting at 45.9% from the floor and 43.5% from three-point range while averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per night through 20 games.

The 31-year-old forward is earning $14.9MM this season and has a $15.4MM player option for 2025/26 that he may be more likely to exercise if he’s part of a contending team in L.A. He could also decline the option in order to sign a longer-term deal with the Lakers or to test the free agent market.

Milton is signed through 2026/27, but only this season is guaranteed at $2.875MM. His salaries of $3MM for next season and $3.3MM for the following year won’t become fully guaranteed until the summer before each season.

Russell has an $18.7MM expiring contract, along with $700K in unlikely bonuses that will count toward the apron, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Lewis is making $1.9MM this year and has a $100K guarantee on his $2.2MM salary for 2025/26.

Russell spent time with Brooklyn early in his career and reportedly didn’t part on great terms when he was traded to Golden State in 2019. While he may be a buyout candidate, Russell’s $18MM+ salary would make him ineligible to join any team operating above either tax apron if he’s waived.

The Lakers were able to save some money in the deal and give themselves more flexibility under the second apron, Marks adds (Twitter links). They are currently within $30K of the second apron, but that number will rise to about $3.5MM once the deal is finalized and their projected tax bill will drop by about $11MM. Because they won’t have to aggregate their two outgoing salaries, the Lakers also still won’t be hard-capped at the second apron.

The trade will cost the Lakers three of the five second-round picks they had available to move, but they still have a pair of 2025 second-rounders, first-rounders in 2029 and 2031, and first-round pick swaps in 2026, 2028, and 2030 to offer in any future deals.

The Nets will continue their rebuilding process after sending Dennis Schröder to Golden State two weeks ago. They now project to have $65MM in cap space this summer, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), which gives them more ammunition to pursue high-level free agents and still re-sign Cam Thomas. Their cap room had previously been projected at around $50MM due to Finney-Smith’s player option.

Brooklyn will have 16 second-round picks and 15 first-rounders over the next seven years, Gozlan adds (Twitter link), giving them more draft equity than any other team. Taking on the extra salary leaves the Nets about $677K below the luxury tax for this season.

A report on Saturday night from Marc Stein indicated that the Nets and Grizzlies were actively involved in discussions that would send Finney-Smith to Memphis in exchange for a package centered around John Konchar and Luke Kennard.

The Grizzlies may have been willing to part with a first-round pick for Finney-Smith, but reportedly wanted to heavily protect that selection and sought second-round compensation in return. Stein states that the Lakers were able to top that offer by giving Brooklyn three second-round picks (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies/Nets Talks, Green, Wesley, Sengun

December 29th, 2024 at 3:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Before Brooklyn accepted the Lakers’ package, the Grizzlies offered Luke Kennard, John Konchar and a 2025 first-round pick (top-15 protected) to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and “second-round considerations,” reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Marc Stein, who first reported Memphis’ interest and subsequent active negotiations with Brooklyn regarding Finney-Smith, stated on Sunday afternoon (Twitter links) that the first-round pick was protected past the lottery. Stein also reported multiple times that Memphis was seeking unspecified second-round compensation in return.

If the 2024/25 season ended today, the Grizzlies’ 2025 first-round pick would land at either No. 26 or No. 27, per Tankathon, as they have the same record (22-10) as New York.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The injury-ravaged Pelicans continue to struggle mightily this season, currently holding an abysmal 5-27 record. Fair or not, head coach Willie Green will almost certainly be under pressure if and when the roster is healthy, but he says head of basketball operations David Griffin has been supportive to this point in ’24/25, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “He’s been great,” Green said of Griffin. “Just staying consistent with hoping our guys continue to get better. We understand the uphill battle that we face as a group with the amount of injuries that we’ve faced this season. Trying to have different lineups, shuffling guys in and out of the lineup. That’s what we are facing this year. Griff’s been great and been supportive. We’ll continue on that path as we progress.”
Third-year guard Blake Wesley has been one of the players squeezed out of playing time with acting Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson choosing to play nine players instead of 10, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). Wesley got some sporadic minutes with Tre Jones and other regulars injured, but now that Jones is back and the rotation has been shortened, the former first-round pick says he’s going to “stay ready” for when his name is called again. “I’m staying encouraged, staying positive, cheering on the guys,” Wesley said. “Because when my time comes, I want the guys cheering on me too.”
Rockets center Alperen Sengun has been regularly double- and even triple-teamed this season, and he showed why when Minnesota tried to stop him one-on-one on Friday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link). Despite Houston losing the game by one point, Sengun was largely excellent, recording 38 points on 16-of-25 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds in 41 minutes. “We just go game by game,” Sengun said. “When they’re doubling me, I’m just reading the right game, passing. And today they were just letting me play one-on-one so it was my day to go. And then I was aggressive start of the game. I kept that in all game.”

Grizzlies, Nets Having “Active Discussions” Regarding Dorian Finney-Smith

December 28th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies are engaged in trade talks with the Nets that could send Dorian Finney-Smith to Memphis, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Stein refers to the negotiations as “active discussions” and adds that the proposed deal is one he outlined in his recent column, with John Konchar and Luke Kennard going to Brooklyn in return. Konchar is making $6.165MM in the first season of a three-year contract and Kennard is on a one-year deal worth $9.25MM, so their salaries are a good match for Finney-Smith, who is earning $14.9MM this season and has a $15.4MM player option for 2025/26.

However, Stein points out that Kennard would lose his Bird rights if he approves the deal, which might limit his earnings when he becomes a free agent this summer. He can’t be traded without his consent, and he may be reluctant to join a rebuilding team in Brooklyn.

The Nets are asking for Memphis to include a first-round pick in the deal, Stein adds (Twitter link), while the Grizzlies reportedly want a second-round selection in return. NetsDaily passes along similar information, stating that the first-round pick might come in 2026 and adding that “protections are a concern” in finalizing the trade (Twitter link).

Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link) notes that 2026 is one of the few upcoming years when Brooklyn doesn’t already control an extra first-round pick and suggests that Memphis’ selection could gain some value due to swap rights if the Suns are coming off a bad season. The Grizzlies currently have the right to swap their own ’26 first-rounder with the least favorable of Phoenix’s, Orlando’s, and Washington’s picks.

Finney-Smith, 31, could provide a veteran three-and-D wing for the Grizzlies, who are second in the West at 22-10 and appear capable of making a long playoff run. He’s averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 games this season while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 43.5% from beyond the arc.

Eastern Notes: Finney-Smith, Celtics, Toppin, J. Johnson, Bagley

December 27th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith returned to the Nets‘ starting lineup on Friday vs. San Antonio after missing three games due to a left calf contusion, an injury he admitted was related to a left ankle sprain that cost him several games in November and early December, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“Same ankle, which kind of ran up my calf, changed the way I ran,” Finney-Smith said. “You know your body adjusts to pain, so I started running a little different. So it started causing me to irritate my calf. I’ll be all right. I’ve just got to be smarter, listen to my body sometime.”

Besides being an important part of Brooklyn’s starting lineup, Finney-Smith is considered a prime candidate to be traded before this season’s deadline, so the Nets will want to keep him healthy for both reasons.

Finney-Smith’s three-and-D skill set would be a fit for just about any contending team and he can become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end if he turns down his 2025/26 player option. With that in mind, the rebuilding Nets are expected to try to get what they can for him rather than risk losing him for nothing in the summer.

Here’s more from around the East:

The Celtics were missing a pair of starters on Friday vs. Indiana, with Kristaps Porzingis out due to a left ankle sprain and Jrue Holiday unavailable for a second straight game due to a right shoulder impingement (Twitter link). The defending champions weren’t hampered by the absences though, blowing out Indiana by a score of 142-105, led by Jaylen Brown‘s 44 points.
The Pacers were without forward Obi Toppin for Friday’s blowout loss. Head coach Rick Carlisle – who acknowledged on Thursday that Toppin would “probably miss some time,” per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star – said before Friday’s game that he doesn’t yet have a sense of a timetable for Toppin, but noted that he has always been a quick healer (Twitter link via Dopirak).
Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal Constitution explores the All-Star case that Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is making this season. Besides averaging new career highs in points (19.8), rebounds (10.3), and assists (5.5) per game, Johnson has posted impressive on/off-court numbers — Atlanta has a +0.9 net rating when he’s on the floor and a dismal -10.4 mark when he isn’t.
After injuring his right knee on Monday, Wizards big man Marvin Bagley III has been diagnosed with a sprain, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Bagley was out Thursday and figures to remain on the shelf for the foreseeable future, but he avoided a worst-case scenario, according to head coach Brian Keefe, who said he doesn’t expect the injury to be a season-ender, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (Twitter link).