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Southwest Notes: Murphy, Green, Sochan, Castle, J. Smith

January 18th, 2025 at 8:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans small forward Trey Murphy has developed into more than just an outside shooting threat during his fourth NBA season, writes Rod Walker of NOLA. Murphy, who is starting regularly while Brandon Ingram is sidelined with an injury, is averaging a career-high 21.5 points per game this season. He has also improved other aspects of his game, posting career-best numbers for rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

“I probably would have identified him as playing more like a specialist a year ago,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “But I see his game expanding, which I see as a great sign for the Pelicans and (coach) Willie (Green). Trey is a heckuva player. He’s an elite shooter and you can tell the shooting has added confidence in the rest of his game.”

Walker notes that Murphy has scored at least 30 points in two of the last four games. He has also collected 10 rebounds twice, one short of his career high, and saved two games with late defensive plays — a steal against Chicago and a block against Dallas. In addition, he set a franchise record by making 52 straight free throws before that streak ended Friday night.

“The sky’s the limit,” Dejounte Murray said. “It’s all about opportunity in the NBA. He got his opportunity and he’s not playing with it. He’s showing that he works at his game. He’s showing that he’s a confident guy and he’s also showing that he’s down for the challenge and opportunity.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Mavericks are among the teams with interest in Pelicans veteran Javonte Green, sources tell Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Dallas is exploring available wings on the trade market, Afseth adds, and Green is appealing because he can provide help on both ends of the court. A report earlier today said numerous teams are eyeing Green, who could be acquired via the minimum salary exception.
  • Jeremy Sochan has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Miami, but the Spurs expect him back on the court soon, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Acting coach Mitch Johnson said Friday that Sochan is “doing great” and is “very close” to returning from a back bruise. Rookie guard Stephon Castle, who replaced Sochan in the starting lineup, is averaging 23 PPG over his last three games. “As a group, we feel confident in the poise that he has and we trust him to go make those plays,” Harrison Barnes said of Castle. “They’re going to put differing matchups on him or whatever, but we him to be aggressive and we need to play offense through him at times.”
  • Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. has decided against having surgery on his fractured left hand, coach Ime Udoka told reporters before tonight’s game (Twitter link from Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). Udoka adds that letting the injury heal naturally may add a week or so to the recovery process.
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Rockets’ Jabari Smith Fractures Hand In Practice

January 3rd, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. fractured his left hand during Friday’s shootaround, the team announced today (Twitter link via Shams Charania of ESPN).

Jabari Smith Jr horizontal

The 6’11” big is expected to be sidelined for four-to-eight weeks, according to the Rockets.

The 21-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game this season across 33 contests, all starts. He has registered .435/.354/.867 shooting splits.

Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle reports that Smith will have to undergo surgery to address the break in his non-shooting hand. The timing of that procedure hinges on the club getting another opinion on the injury, which will help Houston determine the severity.

With Smith sidelined during a critical part of the 2024/25 season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka may look to replace the Auburn product with a defensive-oriented reserve forward like Tari Eason or Amen Thompson.

At 22-11 on the year, the Rockets currently occupy the Western Conference’s No. 3 overall seed, and are just a half-game behind the second-seeded Grizzlies.

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Texas Notes: Mavericks, Smith, Sengun, Jones

November 17th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Mavericks’ 110-93 victory over the Spurs on Saturday ended a four-game losing streak, which included an 0-3 road trip. At 6-7, Dallas is still struggling to find consistency just a few months after making a run to the 2024 Finals, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“(The players) have things that go on outside of the arena, and that’s always monitored (but) those things aren’t shared publicly,” head coach Jason Kidd said prior to the victory over San Antonio. “This has been an emotional week, starting in Denver, having an opportunity to win there and just the buildup of the game against Golden State with Klay (Thompson). We could be a little bit more concerned of not just the buildup, but what the effects are.”

As Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com notes, Dallas has been getting the best efforts from the opposition, night after night. New additions to the club are a bit perplexed by the club’s lack of a clutch gene this season.

“We’re still trying to figure it out,” small forward Naji Marshall said. “Stuff happens. Obviously it didn’t go in our direction, all we can do is get better from here. It’s still early in the season… We’re just having a rough patch right now, but we’ll definitely get through it.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

  • 2022 lottery Rockets lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. enjoyed something of a breakout performance in a 125-104 NBA Cup victory over the Clippers on Friday, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The 6’11” big man, who had averaged 10.5 points per game on 38.1% shooting in his first 12 games (all starts), scored 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds.
  • Fourth-year Rockets center Alperen Sengun continues to develop his game after signing a five-year, $185MM extension with the team last month, Feigen writes in another piece. Sengun notched his first triple-double of the season in Houston’s victory over the Clippers on Friday. His defensive growth has been a primary focus. “I do (a) good job,” Sengun said. “I do my best on defense, trying to help my teammates. Everybody is trying their best on defense. I’m just trying to help them more.” On Houston’s third-ranked defense, opposing players are connecting on a scant 42.9% of their looks when being guarded by Sengun. Head coach Ime Udoka singled out and praised the big man’s rim protection acumen.
  • After a 12-game absence, Spurs reserve guard Tre Jones came back from an ankle injury in the team’s loss to the Mavericks on Saturday, notes Jeff Macdonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The 6’1″ Duke product scored three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field, while also contributing four dimes and three boards.
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Texas Notes: Eason, Smith, Rockets, Thompson, Dinwiddie

November 3rd, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There was little doubt the Rockets would pick up the 2025/26 contract options of Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. However, both players expressed their appreciation, as The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen writes.

Eason had leg surgery in March.

“I’m very happy about that,” Eason said of the option decision. “I love this group, I love this city, I love this team. The fact that I have the opportunity to continue to be involved with these guys is truly a blessing. I’m very happy. Missing all that time, there’s a lot of questions, a lot of what-ifs. First major surgery for me, first injury for me, there’s a lot of question marks. But I think that they saw how serious I was in my work coming back and just how ready I was and eager I was to get back with the team. Seeing my work ethic, (the option decision showed) just the trust and faith was there.”

Smith also voiced his gratitude.

“It’s a blessing, everything is a blessing,” Smith said. “It’s just how you look at it. I’m really excited to know it’s another year I have in the league. Just trying to build on it.”

We have more on the Texas teams:

  • The Rockets are near the bottom of the league in shooting percentage but are still scoring at a respectable rate by getting offensive rebounds and forcing turnovers, according to Feigen. Smith isn’t concerned about the team’s 40.9 field goal percentage. “Just keep shooting,” he said. “It can be like that sometimes. I feel like we’re getting good shots. When I rewatch the games, it looks like all my shots are wide open. Looks like everybody’s shooting the right type of shots. It’s just a matter of making them, and I know that’s going to come. Five games into the season, you can’t overreact to it too much. We know we can make shots. We know we can shoot the ball. It’s just a matter of keep trusting and keep getting good shots.”
  • Klay Thompson is taking 12.8 shots per game, his lowest total since his rookie season. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd wants Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to get the ball in Thompon’s hands more often. “We’ve got to make sure that Klay’s involved,” Kidd said, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “I think here of late, you look at Kyrie and Luka, their attempts have definitely gone up. It’s just about being conscious of who’s on the floor. And when Klay’s on the floor, we need to make sure that we use him the right way.”
  • Spencer Dinwiddie‘s role with the Mavs has been shifting game-t0-game, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com notes. Dinwiddie, who is playing on a one-year contract, is trying to adjust. “To be honest, we’re figuring it out at the moment,” he said of his role. “I’ve been first off the bench some games and I’ve been told I wasn’t going to play some games. It’s early and we’re figuring all that out. I look forward to helping anyway I can.”
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Rockets Exercise Contract Options On Four Players

October 31st, 2024 at 8:05am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have picked up their 2025/26 four-year options on Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason’s contracts, as well as their third-year options on Amen Thompson’s and Cam Whitmore’s contracts, according to the Houston’s Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

None of the moves are surprising, considering Smith is a starter and the three others are second-unit players. Smith, the third pick of the 2022 draft, will make $12,350,392 next season. Eason, the 17th pick of the same draft, will bring in $5,675,766. Both will be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason.

Thompson, the fourth pick of last year’s draft, will make $9,690,212 next season. Whitmore, the No. 20 pick in that draft, will earn $3,539,976.

Houston has been busy making commitments to its young players. Alperen Sengun signed a five-year extension on Oct. 21, while Jalen Green inked a three-year deal on the same day.

Smith is currently averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game with Eason, Thompson and Whitmore are contributing a combined 21.6 PPG off the bench.

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Southwest Notes: J. Smith, H. Jones, Grizzlies, Edey

September 24th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2023, while the No. 2 pick in the ’22 class, Chet Holmgren, would have claimed the award in 2024 if not for Victor Wembanyama‘s historic season.

However, Rockets forward Jabari Smith – the third overall pick in 2022 – struggled in his first professional season, and while he improved his shooting percentages in year two, he hasn’t yet shown the kind of All-NBA potential that Banchero and Holmgren have displayed.

As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story, Smith just turned 21 in May and has intriguing tools to go along with a strong work ethic, seemingly making him a strong candidate for a breakout season in 2024/25.

Still, as Feigen acknowledges, the Rockets will want to make sure players like Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and Amen Thompson have the ball in their hands frequently, which may not leave a ton of opportunities for Smith to create his own scoring chances. He’ll still be relied upon largely as an off-ball floor spacer on offense, Feigen adds, so while a third-year leap is a possibility, it might be more realistic to expect continued steady growth from the former No. 3 overall pick.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Herbert Jones admitted it was a great feeling to make the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team last season, but the Pelicans forward doesn’t want to get complacent after earning that honor for the first time in 2023/24, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscription required). “It felt amazing,” Jones said. “At the same time, you are always trying to reach for more. After I saw the news, my initial thought was, ‘You have to do it again.'”
  • Will any of the Grizzlies players currently on Exhibit 10 contracts – Miye Oni, Yuki Kawamura, Maozinha Pereira, and Armando Bacot – stick with the team into the regular season? Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores that question, suggesting that the team’s relative lack of depth in the frontcourt could make Bacot the best bet to make the 18-man roster. If the Grizzlies were to promote a two-way player like Scotty Pippen Jr. to the standard roster, it could open up a two-way slot for a camp invitee such as Bacot, Cole notes.
  • In a separate story for The Commercial Appeal, Cole spoke to Purdue assistant coach Brandon Brantley about what to expect from former Boilermakers star Zach Edey, whom the Grizzlies selected with the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft. While there are questions about how some aspects of Edey’s game will translate to the NBA, the big man’s rebounding definitely won’t be an issue at the next level, according to Brantley. “Memphis is going to have a dude in that paint that’s going to hold that paint down,” Brantley said. “Usually guys that size will try to rebound their area. He rebounds outside of his area. It means something to him.”
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Western Notes: DeRozan, Rockets, Suns, D. Jones

August 12th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Kings wing DeMar DeRozan is staying sharp in California. DeRozan erupted for 54 points for the Mecca Cheaters in the Drew League championship game on Sunday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee relays. The Drew League is a pro-am event held every year in Los Angeles. DeRozan was named the game’s MVP after his team erased a 16-point deficit in the final five minutes and pulled out a one-point victory.

A free agent last month, DeRozan was acquired from the Bulls in a blockbuster, three-team deal.  His new contract with the Kings is worth approximately $74MM over three years.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Rockets are doing some early bonding, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jalen Green is hosting a players-only minicamp in Los Angeles this week with Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson among the teammates expected to show up.
  • The Suns are hiring Oronde Taliaferro as their director of scouting, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Taliaferro, who is expected to focus on college scouting, was previously a scout for the Nets.
  • The Thunder‘s Dillon Jones, the No. 26 overall pick, is one of the most interesting rookies in this class, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. Oklahoma City was interested in selecting Jones, a Weber State product, in the second round last year before he opted to return to college to improve his stock. The Thunder gave up five second-round picks in a deadline-deal with the Knicks to acquire the 26th pick. Jones could play a variety of positions for a coaching staff that enjoys tinkering with rotations and lineups.
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USA Basketball Announces 15-Man Select Team

June 28th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has announced in a press release that a 15-man Select Team will train with the U.S. Olympic squad as it prepares for the upcoming Olympics. The Select Team, which is made up mostly of younger players and some who have previous Team USA experience, will work out with the men’s national team in Las Vegas from July 6-8.

The members of the Select Team are as follows:

Perhaps the most notable name on the list is Flagg, who has committed to Duke and will begin his first college basketball season in the fall. He’s viewed as a strong candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Duren, Galloway, Murphy, Murray, and Pritchard were part of the U.S. Select Team that trained with the national team ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

It’s possible some of these players will use their Select Team experience as a springboard to represent Team USA in international competitions down the road. Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Haliburton are among the players on this year’s Olympic team that were members of a Select Team earlier in their respective careers.

The select team will be coached by Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, who will be joined by assistants Jim Boylen and Matt Painter. Boylen, a former Bulls head coach and current Pacers assistant, was Team USA’s head coach during the qualifying contests. Painter has been the longtime head coach at Purdue.

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Southwest Notes: Rockets, Clingan, Castle, Grizzlies

June 10th, 2024 at 9:23am CST by Arthur Hill

A wing player with size would be the perfect addition to the Rockets‘ current roster, Kelly Iko of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. He adds that the ideal player would be someone who can drive to the basket and create offense for himself and his teammates, pointing to San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson and Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan as examples, although they may not be obtainable.

Among realistic free agent targets, Iko names Nuggets shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Raptors swingman Bruce Brown. Both are veterans who can space the floor and fit into coach Ime Udoka’s defensive system, Iko writes. Brown dropped to 32.3% from three-point range this season after shooting 40.4% and 35.8% the previous two years, but Iko notes that Houston assistant coaches Royal Ivey and Tiago Splitter both worked with Brown in Brooklyn and may be able to help him regain his form. Iko contends Caldwell-Pope was worthy of an All-Defense nod this year.

Toronto holds a $23MM team option on Brown that has to be picked up by June 28, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be available in free agency. Caldwell-Pope has a $15.4MM player option with a June 29 deadline, and even if he tests the market, Denver figures to make a strong effort to retain one of the key members of its 2022/23 title team.

There’s more from the Southwest Division, all from Iko:

  • UConn center Donovan Clingan has been listed as the Rockets‘ pick at No. 3 in several mock drafts, but Iko isn’t convinced that he’s the best choice. Even though Clingan is a potential defensive anchor with a soft touch around the basket, Iko questions his fit alongside Alperen Sengun because neither is a proven three-point shooter. Iko notes that Houston had a top-10 defense this season without a reliable shot blocker, and Udoka likes having defensive versatility so he can adapt to the opponent. Even with the addition of Steven Adams, Iko expects the Rockets to employ smaller lineups next season with Jabari Smith seeing time at center.
  • According to Iko, the Spurs‘ perfect draft would include UConn guard Stephon Castle as No. 4 and a larger wing at No. 8, providing two more young talents to develop alongside Victor Wembanyama. Iko is concerned about Nikola Topic‘s latest ACL injury and says G League forward Matas Buzelis would be a much safer choice if he’s still on the board. Iko also likes Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard for San Antonio, but adds that an ideal situation would involve using the eighth and 35th picks to acquire a veteran guard like Dejounte Murray.
  • Iko advises the Grizzlies to trade down rather than trying to solve their need for a center by taking a project like Indiana’s Kel’el Ware at No. 9. Iko compares Ware to Christian Wood and suggests that Duke’s Kyle Filipowski could be a better fit later in the draft. Iko also considers a pair of potential trade scenarios with the Trail Blazers to land Robert Williams or Malcolm Brogdon.
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Southwest Notes: Harrison, Kyrie, J. Smith, Spurs

June 6th, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Luke Adams

When Mark Cuban, the majority owner of the Mavericks at the time, first reached out to longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison about the team’s general manager vacancy in 2021, Harrison declined an invitation to talk about the job, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. However, Harrison eventually decided to listen to what Cuban had to say and came around to the idea of accepting the top front office role in Dallas.

“We talked for an hour,” Harrison said of his initial conversation with Cuban. “He told me his process, which was going to go for a few weeks. And then the next day, he skipped the process and wanted to hire me. I think he was just thinking outside the box. And the one thing he always says is that I had a real job. He respected the background that I had at Nike and all the people that were in my organization, managing the budget and all that stuff. He always says, ‘You had a real job. You had a real job.’ So I think that was one of the things.”

During his time at Nike, Harrison established a relationship with Kyrie Irving, which came in handy at the 2023 trade deadline when the star guard became available with his stock near an all-time low following a handful of off-court controversies. As Amick details, that relationship emboldened Harrison to “ignore the outside noise,” as he puts it, and take a shot on Irving.

“I don’t want to call it a life raft or lifeline, but it was like family reaching out,” Irving told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “… This has been the greatest … portion of my career. To be able to now give wisdom and also speak from a place of experience. When you’re a young person, again, you’re trying to speed through life, you’re trying to get through everything.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Acting as an “NBA correspondent” at Wednesday’s NBA Finals media day, Rockets forward Jabari Smith asked Celtics star Jayson Tatum what advice he’d give to a young player entering his third season who feels like he hadn’t lived up to his pre-draft expectations. That characterization describes Smith, who made major strides in his second season but apparently believes he should have accomplished more after being drafted third overall in 2022. According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), Tatum advised Smith to avoid rushing the process. “It takes however long it takes,” Tatum said. “But as long as you work hard, you believe, you got the right support system — obviously, you do down in Houston; I know all those guys, coaches — everything will take care of itself how it’s supposed to.”
  • Kelly Iko and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic analyze the Spurs‘ options in the draft as they weigh how to best build around franchise player Victor Wembanyama. Vecenie loves the potential fit of UConn’s Stephon Castle next to Wembanyama, but says San Antonio should entirely rule out UConn’s other lottery talent, Donovan Clingan, since the two big men wouldn’t fit alongside one another. Vecenie also suggests that the Spurs should be open to trading down for extra value if Clingan is still on the board at No. 4 or even at No. 8.
  • Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) takes a closer look at Matas Buzelis‘ skill set and considers how he might fit with the Spurs, outlining the case for San Antonio to use one of its two lottery picks on the former G League Ignite forward.
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