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And-Ones: COVID-19, I. Thomas, Lakers, Bucks, S. Bradley

March 18th, 2021 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and NBPA announced on Wednesday that three of the 490 players tested for the coronavirus since March 10 returned confirmed positive tests. That’s relatively good news for the league, since there was some concern about players moving all over the country during the All-Star break before returning to their teams. It appears there hasn’t been a spike in COVID-19 cases following the break.

Meanwhile, as players and staffers around the league begin to receive vaccinations for the coronavirus, the NBA and the NBPA have agreed to relax certain protocols and restrictions related to the virus, as Baxter Holmes of ESPN details.

Fully vaccinated individuals no longer have to quarantine following exposure to COVID-19, while fully vaccinated teams won’t have to wear masks at their practice facilities, Holmes writes. Additionally, restrictions related to home visitors and in-restaurant dining are being loosened for those individuals and teams.

A player is considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after his final dose, while a team meets the criteria once 85% of its players and 85% of its staff members have been vaccinated, Holmes adds.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) has heard that the Lakers and Bucks are among the teams to watch if Isaiah Thomas gets another NBA opportunity. While Thomas continues to pursue an NBA comeback, he may have to wait until after teams see who’s available at the trade deadline and on the buyout market.
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic shares eight creative, hypothetical trades he’d like to see happen at the deadline, including a Hornets/Hawks swap that involves John Collins, Devonte’ Graham, and P.J. Washington, and a four-team trade that sends Gorgui Dieng to the Nets.
  • The Mavericks shared an extremely sad piece of news this week, announcing on their website that former NBA center Shawn Bradley was struck by a car in January while riding his bicycle, resulting in a traumatic spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed. Bradley has spent the last eight weeks hospitalized and undergoing rehab, but is said to be “in good spirits” and aims to use his platform to bring greater public awareness to the importance of bike safety.
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And-Ones: Trade Deadline Preview, Rising Stars Game, IT, Boogie

February 25th, 2021 at 9:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With a month to go before the NBA’s March 25 trade deadline for 2020/21, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) supplies a very informative breakdown of what moves all 30 NBA clubs could be looking to make, plus which teams will be prioritizing the present over the future and vice versa.

Marks speculates that several interesting names could be available via trade this year, from valuable veteran forwards like P.J. Tucker, Thaddeus Young and Aaron Gordon to recent All-Star guards on big-money expiring deals like Victor Oladipo, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • There will be no Rising Stars Game between rookies and sophomore pros this season at the March 7 All-Star Game in Atlanta, but the NBA will still name players to rosters on Wednesday, March 3, according to a league announcement. 20 first- and second-year players will be announced in total — 10 from the U.S. and 10 from international countries.
  • Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated takes a detailed look at the latest comeback attempt for free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas, who finally underwent a hip surgery last year to address an issue that had impacted his play since 2017. Beck contends that the 32-year-old, 5’9″ Thomas looked like his springier pre-injury self across two USA Basketball victories during a 2022 FIBA AmeriCup qualifier in San Juan, Puerto Rico last weekend. Thomas averaged 14 PPG and 2.5 APG during the contests.
  • After being waived by the Rockets earlier this week, center DeMarcus Cousins has cleared waivers to become an unrestricted free agent, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Houston apparently tried to trade Cousins, playing on a $1.62MM fully-guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract, to no avail.
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And-Ones: I. Thomas, Hezonja, P. Gasol, All-Star Bonuses

February 22nd, 2021 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA won two games in convincing fashion over the weekend, defeating the Bahamas and Mexico in the FIBA AmeriCup qualifying tournament, according to an Associated Press story. The team, which advances to the September 2022 tourney, featured familiar names such as Joe Johnson, Brandon Bass and Isaiah Thomas, who was hoping to use the event to boost his chances for an NBA comeback.

Thomas, who hasn’t played competitively since being traded to the Clippers and waived last February, scored 19 points in Friday’s game and nine on Saturday.

“The world knows I’ve got what it takes. So, it’s just about showing that I’m healthy,” he said. “My skill didn’t go anywhere, it was just about getting a hundred percent healthy, which I am right now.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Mario Hezonja, who was in training camp with the Grizzlies, has reached a deal to play for Panathinaikos in Greece, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The new contract will cover the rest of the season with an option for next year. The fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Hezonja played for the Magic, Knicks and Trail Blazers in five NBA seasons. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 53 games with Portland last year.
  • Veteran center Pau Gasol denied rumors over the weekend that he’s close to signing with Barcelona, but Spanish national team coach Sergio Scariolo hasn’t given up hopes of seeing him play again, relays Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. “It’s a rumor, obviously we hope to see Pau on a basketball court again,” said Scariolo, an assistant coach for the Raptors. “Our desire is to see him still play at the top level and we will keep our fingers crossed.”
  • With the All-Star reserves set to be announced Tuesday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a look at the five players whose contracts include bonuses for making the team. The largest, at $1.3MM, belongs to Jaylen Brown of the Celtics, who Marks believes is virtually certain to be selected. Jazz center Rudy Gobert, with a $1MM bonus, also seems like a sure thing. The Pacers‘ Domantas Sabonis ($1MM bonus) and the Knicks‘ Julius Randle ($945K) face more difficulty because of the competition in the Eastern frontcourt. Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who has been to six straight All-Star Games, would earn a $500K bonus for making it again, but he appears to have little chance of being chosen.
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And-Ones: I. Thomas, Trades, Lin, Cunningham

February 17th, 2021 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

While Isaiah Thomas is excited and honored to represent Team USA at the AmeriCup qualifiers in Puerto Rico this weekend, he admitted in a conversation with Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that he’s also viewing the event as an opportunity to showcase himself for NBA teams.

“My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA as soon as possible,” Thomas said. “This allows me to compete against other professionals, represent my country at the same time — which is an honor and a privilege — and ultimately show NBA teams that I’m back to myself and I’m 100% healthy. That’s why I chose to come here. When Team USA brought it to me, it was a no-brainer.”

As Reynolds notes, the games themselves won’t mean much for Team USA, which has already qualified for the 2022 AmeriCup tournament by going undefeated in earlier qualifying games. But they’ll be significant for Thomas, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since being released by the Clippers last February. Veteran teammate Joe Johnson said Thomas has looked “great” in practices.

“One thing I’ll say: In pick and rolls, I think he’s probably going to be unstoppable,” Johnson said of Thomas. “Bigs, I don’t know what they’ll do. Do you get out and hedge? He’ll go around you and split you. Do you try to catch him? He’ll pull up for the jumper. He has a great arsenal. It’s been fun to watch him play, man. I will tell you that.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the basketball world:

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Isaiah Thomas To Play For Team USA In AmeriCup Qualifiers

January 27th, 2021 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas has committed to playing for Team USA in the upcoming AmeriCup qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Team USA has technically already qualified for the 2022 AmeriCup tournament with a strong showing in previous qualifiers in 2020, but will still take part in next month’s event. The U.S. squad – coached by Joe Prunty, a longtime NBA assistant for the Suns, Bucks, Nets, and others – will face The Bahamas on February 19 and Mexico on 20.

Since undergoing a procedure last year to address a nagging hip issue, Thomas has talked repeatedly about wanting to return to the NBA, and said earlier this month that he has had discussions with multiple teams. He last played for the Wizards to start the 2019/20 season, but was traded to the Clippers at last February’s deadline and was subsequently waived.

Thomas, who will turn 32 in February, was still productive on offense in D.C. last season, averaging 12.2 PPG and 3.7 APG with a .413 3PT% in 40 games (23.1 MPG). However, the Wizards had a 120.2 defensive rating during his minutes, and he ranked 500th out of 503 players in defensive real plus-minus prior to the NBA’s hiatus.

As Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter), playing in a couple games for Team USA next month should present Thomas with a good opportunity to show that he’s healthy and effective.

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Isaiah Thomas Says He’s Discussed A Comeback With Several Teams

January 16th, 2021 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent guard Isaiah Thomas says he has talked to a few teams about a possible return to the NBA, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Thomas, who will turn 32 next month, has been out of the league since last February, when he was waived by the Clippers after they acquired him from the Wizards in a three-team trade. Thomas played 40 games for Washington last season, averaging 12.2 points and 3.7 assists while shooting 41.3% from 3-point range.

He underwent hip surgery in May and declared that it relieved the “relentless” pain he had been living with.

Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game for the Celtics during 2016/17, but he hasn’t been the same since suffering a hip injury midway through that season. He has played for four teams over the past three years.

As his comeback attempt continues, Thomas will have new representation, Haynes adds. After parting ways with Excel Sports Management earlier this month, Thomas said he recently hired Bernie Lee of Quartexx Basketball.

Thomas had apparently been hoping to return to the Celtics, particularly with starting point guard Kemba Walker out of action, according to Matt Vautour of MassLive. Thomas recently responded to a Boston Globe article about the team’s need for more bench scoring by posting, “I could definitely help with that! Ima just keep workin though.” 

However, Vautour notes that the emergence of rookie guard Payton Pritchard has made that unlikely, and Thomas has since deleted the tweet.

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And-Ones: Montgomery, Thomas, NCAA Tourney, 2021 Draft

January 5th, 2021 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Kentucky forward E.J. Montgomery, who was in training camp with the Bucks last month, has signed with Lithuanian team BC Nevezis, according to an announcement from the club (Twitter link).

After going undrafted in 2020 following his sophomore season with the Wildcats, Montgomery caught on with Milwaukee on a non-guaranteed camp deal, but was cut on December 16. While the Bucks may have, at one point, envisioned Montgomery as a potential G League affiliate player, the Wisconsin Herd opted out of the NBAGL’s bubble plan for 2020/21, opening the door for the 21-year-old to pursue another professional opportunity.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Isaiah Thomas and Excel Sports Management have parted ways, as the free agent point guard continues to seek an NBA comeback, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Presumably, Thomas will hire new representation to spearhead the effort to land him an NBA job.
  • The NCAA was forced to cancel March Madness in 2020, but the 2021 event is still scheduled to tip off in mid-March. According to a press release from the NCAA, the plan is for the entire tournament to take place in Indiana to reduce the coronavirus risk associated with travel.
  • Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spoke to a handful of player agents and team executives about what it looks like when a player requests a trade and how the process typically plays out behind the scenes.
  • Draft expert Jeff Goodman of Stadium has unveiled his big board for the 2021 NBA draft, which is headed by Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs. Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State), Jalen Green (G League Ignite), Evan Mobley (USC), and Jonathan Kuminga (G League Ignite) fill out Goodman’s initial top five. The same five prospects are atop ESPN’s big board, albeit in a different order.
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Atlantic Notes: Durant, Irving, Nets, DSJ, Celtics

December 28th, 2020 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Kevin Durant won’t be active on Monday night for the second game in the team’s first back-to-back set of the 2020/21 season, as Malika Andrews of ESPN writes. Durant had said over the weekend that he hoped to play in back-to-back games this season, despite coming off an Achilles tear, but he’s being held out tonight due to “injury recovery,” per the NBA’s official injury report.

“I definitely want to be able to play back-to-backs,” Durant said after Sunday’s game, per Andrews. “Get through ’em healthy and play my normal minutes, so we’ll see.”

While Durant may get a chance to play both halves of back-to-back sets later in the season, the Nets are clearly playing it safe with their top players to start the year. Kyrie Irving will also miss Monday’s game vs. Memphis for rest purposes, according to the club (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic).

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Alex Schiffer of The Athletic takes a look at how Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury will affect the Nets, noting that the team will have to change up its starting lineup and also may not have as many in-season trade options available without a healthy Dinwiddie to put on the table.
  • Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., who has appeared in just one of the team’s three games so far, will remain in New York to continue rehabbing his left quad contusion, per the club (Twitter link). The hope is that Smith rejoins the Knicks at some point during their four-game road trip, which begins on Tuesday in Cleveland and runs through next Monday in Atlanta.
  • The Celtics‘ bench – an Achilles heel for the team in 2019/20 – remains thin this season, especially with Kemba Walker unavailable, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn wonders whether the team would consider opening up a roster spot to create room for a veteran who can score, and suggests that Isaiah Thomas is one free agent who might be a fit.
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Kemba Walker To Miss Start Of Season

December 1st, 2020 at 8:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics point guard Kemba Walker will be sidelined until at least early January as he continues to rehab a left knee injury, according to a team press release.

After consulting several medical specialists in early October, Walker received a stem cell injection in the knee and was put on a 12-week strengthening program. He is expected to return to on-court activities early this month but he won’t be ready to play when the season begins.

Walker was hampered by left knee soreness prior to the stoppage of play in March and it continued to affect him during the restart. GM Danny Ainge admitted that team’s prized free agent acquisition in 2019 was “definitely not himself” during the playoffs.

Walker tried to gut it out and continued to play heavy minutes — he averaged 36.9 MPG in 17 postseason outings. He posted solid averages of 19.6 PPG and 5.1 APG during that span but his perimeter shooting suffered (31.0% from long range).

If Walker’s knee issues continues to linger, it could have a major impact on the team’s bottom line. He is due to make approximately $34.4MM during the upcoming season and $36MM in 2021/22. He has a $37.7MM option for the 2022/23 season.

However, Ainge believes Walker’s won’t miss too much time, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets. Ainge talked about Walker on the Toucher and Rich radio show.

“I’m not worried about Kemba. He’ll be back,” Ainge said. “It’s an opportunity for Marcus (Smart), Jeff Teague, Payton Pritchard.”

Ainge feels the team has plenty of depth at that spot and doesn’t plan to pursue former Boston All-Star and current free agent Isaiah Thomas.

The press release also revealed that center Tristan Thompson suffered a minor hamstring strain during an offseason workout prior to arriving in Boston, and his availability during the first week of camp will be limited. Boston officially signed the former Cleveland big man on Monday.

Guard Romeo Langford‘s rehab from right wrist is going according to plan, the release adds. He underwent surgery on September 22nd to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in the wrist and the projected recovery time remains 4-5 months.

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Free Agent Rumors: Batum, Thomas, Mudiay, Ferrell, Briscoe

November 23rd, 2020 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets plan to waive Nicolas Batum and use the stretch provision on his $27.1MM contract for the upcoming season in order to sign Gordon Hayward, unless they can figure out a sign-and-trade deal that would save them from stretching Batum.

Assuming he’s released, Batum shouldn’t have trouble finding a new home. His agent, Jeremy Medjana, told Basket Session that the Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, Bucks and Raptors are interested in signing him once he clears waivers (hat tip to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype). Batum, who has played for Charlotte the past five seasons, only appeared in 22 games last season.

Here are more free agency notes and rumors:

  • Former MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas said his latest hip procedure was a success and he’s eager to prove it, the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reports. Thomas says he feels like his former self in workouts. “I was blowing by people,” he said. “I haven’t blown by anybody since I had a Celtics uniform on.” Thomas was waived after the Wizards traded him to the Clippers in February and remains unsigned.
  • Reserve point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Yogi Ferrell are generating some interest on the free agent market, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Both players could likely be had for the veteran’s minimum.
  • Point guard Isaiah Briscoe hopes to return to the NBA, according to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Briscoe went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017, but made it onto the Magic’s roster for the 2018/19 season. He spent the 2019/20 season in Poland playing for King Szczecin. In 39 games with Orlando, Briscoe averaged 3.5 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 RPG, across 14.3 MPG.

Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this post.

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