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Fischer’s Latest: Hawks, Murray, Knicks, Wizards, Celtics

January 5th, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Echoing recent reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms that the Hawks are “certainly open for business” ahead of the trade deadline and says Atlanta has been one of the NBA’s most active teams in recent trade conversations.

According to Fischer, the Hawks have told multiple teams in recent discussions that the only untouchable players on their roster are guard Trae Young and forward Jalen Johnson. Notably missing from that group is guard Dejounte Murray, whom Atlanta has “made widely available,” sources tell Yahoo Sports.

While the pairing of Murray and Young in their backcourt hasn’t been as successful as the Hawks hoped, the former Spur would presumably still have significant value on the trade market, in large part due to the relatively team-friendly four-year extension he signed during the offseason. That deal, which begins in 2024/25, can be worth up to $120MM with incentives.

Pointing out that the Hawks control their own 2024 first-round pick and owe their 2025 first-rounder to San Antonio, Fischer suggests that it’s possible the team will move some veterans this year, add a 2024 lottery pick to a core headed by Young and Johnson, and look to get back to the playoffs next season.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Knicks made some calls to potential trade partners about veteran big men following Mitchell Robinson‘s injury, per Fischer, but after they added Precious Achiuwa in their trade with Toronto, rival executives now think the Knicks may be more focused on exploring backcourt trade targets ahead of the deadline. Fischer mentions Alec Burks of the Pistons and Malcolm Brogdon of the Trail Blazers as a couple possibilities, though it’s unclear if New York has actually expressed interest in either player.
The Wizards have let teams know that they’re open to trading veterans for draft assets, sources tell Fischer. That list of veterans may include Kyle Kuzma, who signed a new four-year contract with the club last summer, though there’s a sense that Washington would seek multiple first-rounders for the forward, Fischer writes.
The Celtics are expected to hang onto big man Luke Kornet through this weekend’s salary guarantee date, according to Fischer, who says that the team’s other non-guaranteed players – Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and Lamar Stevens – are also more likely than not to stick around through that deadline. Fischer adds that rival front offices are preparing for Boston to explore trades that improve the team’s bench.
In case you missed it, we also rounded up a few Pascal Siakam-related rumors from Fischer in a separate story.

Raptors Notes: Siakam, Trade Rumors, Quickley, Barnes

December 31st, 2023 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

After word of the OG Anunoby trade broke on Saturday, the general consensus among league insiders who spoke to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca is that the Raptors were just getting started, with multiple sources suggesting that the deal with the Knicks may be the first of several moves made by Toronto.

“It’s a reboot around Scottie Barnes, that’s for sure,” one source told Grange.

After previously reporting that league sources expect Pascal Siakam to be on the move sooner or later, Grange adds the Mavericks to the list of teams likely to to pursue the Raptors forward. The Hawks, Pacers, and Kings are the clubs that have been repeatedly cited as presumed suitors for Siakam.

Jalen Johnson was a player the Raptors coveted in previous talks with Atlanta, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, though the Hawks won’t be particularly inclined to include him in an offer in the midst of his breakout season. Along similar lines, the Kings have been unwilling to discuss former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, Scotto confirms.

As Scotto has previously observed, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, this year’s No. 8 overall pick, seems to fit the mold of the kind of young, controllable player the Raptors would like. Walker’s lack of playing time so far in his rookie season has some people around the league wondering if Indiana would give him up in a package for an impact player.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Finding a guard who is comfortable playing off the ball and who can space the floor alongside Barnes was a priority for Toronto, according to Grange, who says there’s a lot of enthusiasm among Raptors officials about what Quickley can bring to the team. “Quickley is the perfect pairing next to Scottie Barnes because of the shooting and floor spacing he’ll provide,” one rival executive told Scotto.
While the Raptors’ goal is to add pieces that better complement Barnes, the young forward declined to comment when asked about Saturday’s trade, which sent three of his best friends on the team to New York, Grange notes. “This is the NBA, that’s the thing, right?” Siakam said of the deal. “Like we got to be robots and just move on. Because that’s what it is. We get paid for it, right? So you have to move on… (but) it sucks. It’s not easy. For some people is the first time (they’ve been through it) but I’ve seen it happen. So I understand. … It’s a business and you learn about it every day, and every day you try to just be out there you know, like look out for yourself, look out for your teammates, and do the best that you can.”
Following a loss to the lowly Pistons on Saturday, the Raptors are 12-20 on the season, and postgame comments from Dennis Schröder indicated that the club isn’t exactly a “cohesive, well-oiled” machine, writes Grange. “When I got here, (head coach) Darko (Rajakovic) did a great job just putting this system into the organization,” Schröder said. “But I think we just got to follow that. Everybody just being unselfish, sharing the ball… to be a winning team, we need everybody, Even the guys who don’t really, really play. People got to be grateful, cheering on their teammates when they get a stop, when they get on the floor, dive, pick them up, being excited for one another. I don’t want to go deep into that, but I need to feel that because in the summer I did. … I went to war with all my brothers from the (World Cup champion German) national team. But we knew we had each other. I don’t feel it here yet like that.”

Southeast Notes: Griffin, Johnson, M. Williams, Wizards

December 28th, 2023 at 1:06pm CST by Rory Maher

After being inactive for the past eight games due to personal reasons, second-year wing AJ Griffin is back with the Hawks and spoke to the media on Thursday, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Yeah, I would say I’m glad to be back,” he said. “The team has been great to be able to support me through that time stepping away for a little, just for personal reasons. I definitely want to keep it brief and not put it all out there.”

Griffin added (Twitter link via Brad Rowland) that being back on the court and around the team was “kind of like opening a present for Christmas Day. That joy. Coming back and doing what you love and knowing that people just love being around you.”

The 16th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Griffin had a solid rookie campaign in 2022/23, averaging 8.9 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .465/.390/.894 shooting in 72 games, including 12 starts (19.5 MPG). However, he hasn’t played much so far in his second season, averaging just 9.2 MPG in 12 appearances.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Jalen Johnson‘s return to the Hawks will provide a needed boost to a team that went just 4-10 without him in the lineup, according to Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). Johnson, who missed a month with a distal radius fracture in his left wrist, recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a steal in 29 minutes during Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, his first game back from the injury. The former first-round pick will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the 2024 offseason.
Second-year center Mark Williams has missed the past eight games for the Hornets with a lower back contusion and is officially doubtful for Thursday’s contest against the Lakers, per the latest injury report. “He did more (Tuesday at morning shootaround) than he’s done for a while,” Clifford said of Williams, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “But I don’t think we have a definitive timetable.” The Hornets are 0-9 without Williams in the lineup this season.
The Wizards currently have the worst defense in the NBA and the team looked particularly listless on that end during Wednesday’s blowout loss to Toronto, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. The Raptors had gone just 3-10 over their past 13 games entering the contest, but scored 132 points while shooting 57.1% from the field last night. Rebounding issues continue to plague the 5-25 Wizards, Wallace notes, with Toronto winning the battle of the boards 53-34.

Injury Notes: Lively, Little, C. Martin, Smart, Hawks

December 25th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past four games with a left ankle sprain, Mavericks center Dereck Lively will be available tonight against Phoenix, Dallas announced (via Twitter). Marc Stein was the first to report that Lively was on track to return (Substack link).

The 12th pick of the 2023 draft, the 7’1″ Lively has made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 8.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.6 BPG while shooting 73.4% from the field in 23 games (25.3 MPG). The Mavs have gone just 1-5 without him this season, including 1-3 over the past four contests.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Suns wing Nassir Little has been upgraded from out to questionable for the matchup with Dallas, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Little, who is averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 16.2 MPG over 21 appearances, is dealing with left knee soreness.
Heat wing Caleb Martin sprained his right ankle and was ruled out for the remainder of Monday’s game against Philadelphia, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Miami was already shorthanded, with Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson all out for the Christmas Day contest.
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart is questionable for Tuesday’s contest in New Orleans, Memphis announced (via Twitter). Smart has been out since November 14 with a left foot sprain.
Rising Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is officially questionable for Tuesday’s game against Chicago, but he’s ready to return, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Star point guard Trae Young is also questionable with a right shoulder AC sprain, as Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter).

Injury Notes: J. Johnson, Robinson, Suggs, Tatum, Luka, Kawhi

December 23rd, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s optimism that injured Hawks forward Jalen Johnson could be back in action as soon as Tuesday vs. Chicago, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Johnson was in the midst of a breakout season before suffering a left distal radius fracture on November 25. In his 14 healthy games this year, the 22-year-old averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per night, with a .590/.421/.774 shooting line.

As Wojnarowski details, the Hawks’ performance, especially on defense, has nosedived since Johnson injured his wrist. The team is just 4-9 and ranks 29th in defensive efficiency without him. At 12-16, Atlanta in the mix for a play-in spot and currently sits percentage points behind Chicago for the No. 10 spot in the East.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Friday that the eight-to-10 week timeline to reevaluate Mitchell Robinson‘s ankle injury remains unchanged and wouldn’t confirm that the team expects the center to miss the rest of the season. However, Thibodeau also didn’t deny that Robinson will be out for the year, simply stating that the club will know more once he’s reevaluated in February.
Still without starting point guard Markelle Fultz, the Magic are down another starting guard. Jalen Suggs, who is battling a sprained left wrist, missed Thursday’s game in Milwaukee and has been ruled out for Saturday’s contest in Indiana, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Gary Harris will get a second consecutive start tonight in place of Suggs, who said on Thursday that he doesn’t anticipate missing much time with the injury, per Beede.
A pair of All-Stars are back in action today after a one-game absence. Jayson Tatum (left ankle sprain) is available for the Celtics, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), while Luka Doncic (left quad strain) is no longer on the injury report for the Mavericks, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (left hip contusion), on the other hand, is missing a second consecutive game on Saturday vs. Boston (Twitter link via Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times).

Scotto’s Latest: Raptors, Pacers, Hawks, Markkanen, Hornets, More

December 22nd, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Rival executives believe Pascal Siakam is more likely to be traded than OG Anunoby if the Raptors decide to shake up their roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In fact, teams looking for help on the wing think Toronto “will do whatever it takes” to retain Anunoby as a free agent in 2024 — he’s widely expected to decline his $19.9MM player option for next season.

Scotto reports that top front office executives from the Pacers and Hawks had extensive conversations with Toronto’s brass at the NBA G League’s Winter Showcase in Orlando this week. Both teams have consistently been linked to the Raptors for several months, Scotto notes.

If the Raptors trade Siakam, they’d be looking for young players and draft capital in return, according to Scotto, with the goal of retooling around Scottie Barnes and Anunoby.

To that end, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, could be a name to watch in trade talks. He hasn’t played much as a rookie this season, but he’s had some strong performances in the G League. Scotto also hears the Hawks would prefer to keep Jalen Johnson, who was having a breakout third season before sustaining a fractured wrist (he was recently cleared to resume practicing in full).

Here are more rumors and notes from Scotto:

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been the subject of some trade speculation this season, but Scotto is the latest reporter to reiterate that the Finnish star is expected to stay put. According to Scotto, there are three reasons for that: Markkanen wants to remain with the Jazz, the cost of acquiring him could be exorbitant, and he could renegotiate and extend his contract in the offseason, which would bypass 2025 free agency. Multiple executives told Scotto the idea of a possible Markkanen trade was “wishful thinking.”
There’s a “strong belief” among rival executives that the Hornets will make front office changes “by next season at the latest,” Scotto writes. If president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak is fired or moved to a different role, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Wizards senior VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk are potential candidates to replace him, league sources tell Scotto. As Scotto writes, both Peterson and Schlenk previously worked with new Charlotte co-owner Rick Schnall in Atlanta.
Kings guard Keon Ellis and Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. are among the top candidates to be promoted to standard deals from their current two-way contracts, per Scotto. Cleveland has an open roster spot and wouldn’t necessarily need to release anyone to give Porter a raise (and make him playoff-eligible), while Sacramento has Juan Toscano-Anderson on a non-guaranteed deal.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Melton, Reed

December 20th, 2023 at 8:10pm CST by Rory Maher

If the Raptors want to remain competitive, they need to play Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby more minutes, argues Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Grange points out that Barnes’ year-over-year minutes are virtually unchanged despite the noticeable improvements he’s made in his third season, while Siakam — who led the league in minutes per game each of the past two seasons — and Anunoby are both playing fewer minutes in 2023/24. That three-man group has a plus-1.3 net rating, compared to the team’s overall minus-1.5 mark.

New head coach Darko Rajakovic has been reluctant to extend his top players beyond the 38-minute mark, however.

“One thing that we cannot overlook is… we have (had) a pretty healthy roster this season,” said Rajakovic. “That’s a testament to our medical staff but also us working together to try to manage those minutes. I always look at the long-term benefits for the player, for the team, for the organization and for everybody. I think that every single night running guys to 38, 40 minutes, it’s really, really hard. But on certain nights if that happens, it happens.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca considers potential trade targets for the Raptors, focusing on solid young player who have a chance to become stars. Pelicans wing Trey Murphy, Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson are three of the five players Murphy mentions.
Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton sustained a left thigh contusion in the first half of Wednesday’s contest against Minnesota and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the team announced (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports). Melton, who has started every game for the 76ers while averaging 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals, will be a free agent in 2024.
With Nicolas Batum (hamstring) and Robert Covington (illness) both out for Wednesday’s game, Sixers backup center Paul Reed said he was ready to play in the frontcourt alongside Joel Embiid if necessary, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The two big men shared the together for 62 seconds in Monday’s loss to Chicago, Pompey notes. “I’ve got to make sure I’m ready to be out there again with [Embiid], if need be,” Reed said. “… I wish we were able to spend more time out there [Monday], so we can have a better rhythm.”

Hawks Announce Several Injury Updates

December 20th, 2023 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has been cleared to resume practicing in full, the team announced today in a press release, adding that Johnson’s status will be updated “as appropriate.”

Johnson was in the midst of a breakout season before suffering a left distal radius fracture on November 25. In his 14 healthy games this year, the 22-year-old averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per night, with a .590/.421/.774 shooting line.

The Hawks have gone 3-8 without Johnson and have a +4.6 net rating when he’s on the court this season, which is the highest mark for any player on the roster. The fact that he seems to be nearing a return is great news for the slumping club.

Here are a few more injury updates announced today by the Hawks:

Hawks rookie guard Kobe Bufkin, who fractured his left thumb on November 2, has also been cleared to practice in full. His recovery timeline was said to be eight-to-10 weeks from the date of his injury, which occurred approximately seven weeks ago, so it sounds like his return isn’t far off.
Another rookie, forward Mouhamed Gueye, underwent a CT scan on his right low back stress fracture on Monday and has been given the go-ahead to begin light on-court individual work. Gueye isn’t close to returning, however, with Atlanta announcing he’ll be reevaluated four weeks from now.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has missed the past two games due to right ankle inflammation, received treatment on Tuesday and is questionable to play in Wednesday’s game vs. Houston.
Reserve forward AJ Griffin remains unavailable for personal reasons and will miss a fifth consecutive game on Wednesday. The 2022 first-rounder hasn’t been a part of the Hawks’ regular rotation this season, averaging just 9.2 minutes per game in 12 appearances.

Hawks’ Jalen Johnson Out At Least 3-4 Weeks

November 26th, 2023 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

1:53pm: While Charania’s reporting (detailed below) suggested that testing on Johnson’s wrist didn’t show a fracture, the Hawks stated in a press release that the forward has been diagnosed with a left distal radius fracture.

However, the team’s announcement doesn’t necessarily contradict the recovery timeline provided by Charania. According to the Hawks, Johnson will be reevaluated in about three or four weeks.

11:30am: Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is expected to miss four-to-six weeks due to a left wrist injury, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Atlanta will have to get by without one of its most important players until at least late December – and possibly until sometime in January – there’s some good news, according to Charania. Testing on Johnson’s wrist showed no fractures or a need for surgery, which would’ve sidelined him for even longer. Charania refers to it as a “best-case scenario” (Twitter link).

As we outlined earlier today, Johnson left Saturday’s game vs. the Wizards about two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter after taking a hard hit from Kyle Kuzma as he attempted to complete a fast-break dunk (video link). Johnson fell into the stanchion and landed on his left hand, which he immediately grabbed in obvious pain. After taking his free throws, he exited to the locker room and didn’t return.

Johnson had gotten off to an extremely strong start for the Hawks this season, establishing himself as a dynamic two-way player after having been known primarily for his defense in his first two NBA seasons.

Entering Saturday’s contest, the 21-year-old had averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per night (14 games), with a .590/.421/.774 shooting line. He came off the bench a few times early in the season, but had started Atlanta’s past 10 games.

In Johnson’s absence, the Hawks figure to lean more heavily on De’Andre Hunter and Saddiq Bey, with second-year forward AJ Griffin moving up the depth chart and perhaps playing more regular minutes.

Eastern Notes: J. Johnson, Thompson, Niang, Bagley

November 26th, 2023 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson will undergo further testing on his left wrist, which he injured during Saturday’s win in Washington, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Johnson left the game about two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter after taking a hard hit from Kyle Kuzma as he attempted to complete a fast-break dunk (video link). Johnson fell into the stanchion and landed on his left hand, which he immediately grabbed in obvious pain. After taking his free throws, he exited to the locker room and didn’t return.

The Hawks haven’t provided any updates on the injury since ruling out Johnson for the rest of Saturday’s game. He’ll be further evaluated in the coming days, a source tells Williams.

If he’s forced to miss time, it would be a blow to the Hawks, who have benefited from a breakout year from Johnson so far in 2023/24. Entering Saturday’s contest, the 21-year-old had averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per night (14 games), with a .590/.421/.774 shooting line.

[UPDATE: Johnson Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks]

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Only two players in NBA history who are 6’6″ or shorter have ever averaged at least 10 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steal per game over the course of a season (Charles Barkley and Gar Heard). Pistons guard Ausar Thompson is flirting with that feat through 16 games (9.8 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.1 SPG), which makes him something of a unicorn, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic, who says the rookie likes the label. “I’m a unicorn, even if it doesn’t appear that way because of how people see ‘unicorns’ in their head, physically,” Thompson said. “What I’m out there doing, as you pointed out, only two people have done it before.”
Now a member of the Cavaliers, forward Georges Niang faced his former team this week and spoke about how much he enjoyed his time with the Sixers, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It felt like home while I was here,” Niang said during his return to Philadelphia. “It’s a place that I’ll always enjoy coming back to. … It jolted me into the next part of my career. So I’m super thankful for the organization, the fans, the people, staff. It was an amazing place to be.” Niang also praised former teammate Tyrese Maxey and suggested the experience the 76ers gained from going through the Ben Simmons saga in 2021/22 helped them navigate James Harden‘s trade request this year.
Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III is playing some of the best basketball of his career this season, making a career-high 58.6% of his shots from the floor, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press details. Bagley credits a newfound focus on his mental health as one important reason for his strong start, noting that he has given up social media and is meditating when he can.