Javonte Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Pelicans’ Javonte Green Generating ‘Healthy’ Trade Interest

January 18th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are receiving “healthy” trade interest in veteran wing Javonte Green, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Green, 31, remained available on the free agent market for most of the summer before signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans in late August to help fill out their standard roster.

While he wasn’t necessarily projected to play a significant role, Green has seen the floor early and often this season for the Pelicans, who have dealt with a serious of injuries to starters and top reserves and have yet to have a fully healthy roster.

In 38 games (14 starts) for New Orleans, Green has averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 21.7 minutes per night, registering a solid shooting line of .469/.385/.776. The 6’4″ swingman is considered a solid, versatile defender who can match up with bigger wings and forwards.

Green also has trade appeal due to his contract, which can be acquired using the minimum salary exception without requiring a matching salary in return. All 29 other teams – outside of a small group who are operating less than $2.09MM away from their hard cap for the season – would have the ability to trade for Green, including first- and second-apron clubs.

Trading Green and replacing him after the trade deadline with a player on a prorated minimum-salary contract would help the Pelicans slightly reduce their payroll. That’s an important factor to consider, given that New Orleans has never paid the luxury tax and certainly won’t want to do so for the first time this season for a roster that’s currently 11-32. The Pelicans are currently operating about $1.4MM above the tax line.

Celtics Notes: Close Call, Tatum, Porzingis, J. Green

January 13th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics, who were booed by their home fans during Friday’s loss to Sacramento, narrowly avoided a more embarrassing defeat Sunday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 8-32 Pelicans stayed even with the defending champions for a full 48 minutes and only lost when CJ McCollum‘s last-second floater bounced off the rim.

It continued roughly a month of inconsistent play for Boston, which is now 9-7 over its last 16 games, but coach Joe Mazzulla realizes that stretches like this should be expected during a long season.

“Every season is different, our journey [also]‚” he said. “With that being said, if you take a look at the perspective, there are things that we’re doing well. Most important is winning the game and making the necessary plays even when things aren’t going well. Every season brings on different challenges. Every season brings on different opportunities and the situation we’re in right now, we’ve got to just fight through it.”

New Orleans was more formidable on Sunday than its record would suggest. Zion Williamson was in the lineup for the second time since returning from a hamstring strain, and Trey Murphy was back after a three-game absence with a sprained left ankle. They teamed up with Dejounte Murray for the first time this season, and the three of them ignited the Pelicans’ offense by combining for 72 points.

The night was still a positive one for the Celtics, as Washburn notes that they gained a full game in the standings on top-seeded Cleveland for the first time since November 29.

“Maybe you don’t want to play your best basketball at the beginning of January,” Jayson Tatum said. “We’ve been through this before. We’ve still got a lot of time left to get back to our identity. It’s not supposed to be easy and we’re getting everybody’s best shot. New Orleans played really well. I don’t think they played like that all the time. But it was a good test for us. That’s just how it’s going to be.”

There’s more from Boston:

Tatum had a technical foul rescinded from a January 2 game at Minnesota, Washburn adds in a separate story. After being called for a foul, Tatum reacted with a hand slap, which has gotten him T’d up several times. However, he insisted that he was frustrated with himself rather than the call, and the league agreed.
Injuries have prevented Mazzulla from using his preferred starting five as much as he would like, and he has compared it to a training camp setting as he tries to get Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White on the court at the same time, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis, who missed the start of the season while recovering from surgery, is optimistic that he’s ready to be a regular fixture in that lineup. “The first game I came back against the Clippers (on Nov. 25), it felt pretty natural,” he said. “Boom, I was right in. But then, again, I’m out, I’m in, I’m out a little bit. Not playing my best basketball, not being as efficient. That adds up a little bit to the team. But now I look forward to having a good, long stretch of being healthy and getting in a good rhythm and us hitting our stride.”
Former Celtic Javonte Green could be a worthwhile trade target before the February 6 deadline, suggests Brian Robb of MassLive. The 31-year-old swingman has been averaging 21.3 minutes per night for the Pelicans, but his playing time might decline now that the team is healthier. He holds an expiring minimum-salary contract and likely won’t have a future in New Orleans. Robb sees him as someone who could provide wing depth for Boston at the price of a second-round pick or two.

Javonte Green Signs With Pelicans

August 22nd, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

AUGUST 22: Green’s addition is now official, the Pelicans have announced (Twitter link).

AUGUST 20: The Pelicans are signing free agent Javonte Green, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 6’4″ wing with power forward versatility closed last season with the Bulls.

According to Charania, the deal is for one year. William Guillory of The Athletic adds that it will be a guaranteed minimum-salary contract (Twitter link). Since Green has five years of NBA service, his deal will pay him $2,425,403 while counting for $2,087,519 against the cap.

Green went undrafted in 2015 but caught on with the Celtics ahead of the 2019/20 season. He spent one-and-a-half years with Boston before being traded to the Bulls.

The Radford product was a key part of the 2021/22 Bulls, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 65 games (45 starts). He wasn’t re-signed by the team after his contract expired in 2023 but he eventually caught back on with the organization last season when he signed a pair of deals with the Bulls to close out the year.

In his nine games last season, Green averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. In 195 career games, he holds averages of 5.4 points and 3.1 boards while shooting a .541/.345/.754 line.

Once Green’s deal is official, the Pelicans will have a full 15-man roster of standard contract players, with 13 guaranteed salaries. All three of their two-way spots are also occupied.

With Jonas Valanciunas out of the fold, New Orleans added several bigs to their bench in Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic and Daniel Theis. While Green doesn’t have the same size as those players, he provides another strong rebounding presence (6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes).

Patrick Williams Signs Five-Year Deal With Bulls

July 6th, 2024 at 2:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6: The Bulls have officially re-signed Williams, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JUNE 29: Free agent forward Patrick Williams will re-sign with the Bulls for $90MM over five years, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The fifth season will be a player option, tweets Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Williams, 22, was expected to be a cornerstone of the franchise when Chicago selected him with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. He hasn’t lived up to that billing due to injuries and inconsistent play, but executive Arturas Karnisovas decided to make keeping him a priority as part of his effort to build a younger and more athletic roster.

Williams received a $12.97MM qualifying offer this week, making him a restricted free agent. That means the Bulls could have matched any offer he received, but they opted to bypass that possibility by negotiating a new deal before free agency begins Sunday evening.

A stress reaction in Williams’ left foot cut short his season and forced him to undergo surgery in February. He averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 43 games, but he wasn’t able to play after January 25.

A report this week indicated that the Bulls were optimistic about their chances of working out a new contract with Williams. The Thunder were believed to be among the teams that had interest in pursuing him.

Williams will get a healthy raise after earning $9.8MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract. When he and the Bulls discussed a possible rookie scale extension last fall, the forward turned down a four-year, $64MM offer and was believed to be seeking something closer to De’Andre Hunter‘s contract (four years, $90MM), per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. This new deal represents a compromise for the two sides.

Central Notes: Green, Bulls, Ball, Mitchell, Bucks, Flynn

April 6th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Rory Maher

In his first game after signing a rest-of-season contract that made him eligible for the postseason, Bulls swingman Javonte Green had the best performance of his career in Friday’s victory against the Knicks, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

The 30-year-old finished with careers highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 10-of-14 from the floor while contributing a pair of steals and a block in 33 minutes.

“He’s one of those guys you want to have on your team,” DeMar DeRozan said of Green. “For him to bounce back in a tough year for him just trying to get back healthy and for him to be doing what he’s been doing since he came back is amazing. We all know what to expect from Woo. Every time he goes out there, he plays like he’s 6-9 and he does anything and whatever for the team. … He’s one of a kind. I’m glad to have him back.”

While Green provided a much-needed boost and a feel-good story, the win was marred due to ankle injuries to Coby White and Alex Caruso, who both left the game and were unable to return, Johnson adds. The two starters were able to walk on their own after the game and seemed to be in “good spirits,” though head coach Billy Donovan said the team would have to await further testing to learn the extent of the injuries.

Here’s more from the Central:

Appearing on 670 The Score (YouTube link), LaVar Ball — the father of injured Bulls guard Lonzo Ball — projected his son could start playing 5-on-5 with full contact in August or September, as Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago relays. “I’m thinking at least four or five months. Four or five months where he can really get dialed and do what he do,” LaVar said. That projection aligns with what Donovan said about Lonzo’s recovery last month, Taylor notes. Ball, who hasn’t played since January 2022, has undergone three knee surgeries over the past two-plus years, but the team is cautiously optimistic he could return next season.
If the Cavaliers fail to make a deep playoff run and Donovan Mitchell declines a contract extension, would they entertain the possibility of trading him this summer? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores that topic, listing five potential landing spots for the All-Star guard if Cleveland goes that route.
The Bucks were expected to be a title contender, and they’re still (barely) clinging to the No. 2 seed in the East. However, they’ve been playing their worst basketball of the season at the absolute worst time, dropping five of their past six games, including three straight to Washington, Memphis and Toronto — three teams at the bottom of the standings — with only five regular season games remaining, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. After Friday’s loss to the Raptors, who had dropped 15 straight games, Bucks players said they’re not panicking, but they’re frustrated, as is their head coach. “The last three were against three bad teams. To me, that’s inexcusable. For all of us,” said Doc Rivers, who is now just 15-16 with Milwaukee since taking over mid-season. “As I told them, this is on me. I gotta figure out what we gotta do to play at a higher pace.”
Pistons guard Malachi Flynn has averaged 5.4 points on .386/.337/.749 shooting in 208 career regular season games (14.2 MPG). He had one of the most unexpected 50-point games in NBA history on Wednesday, shooting 18-of-25 from the floor while being plus-14 in 34 minutes in an eight-point loss to Atlanta. In Friday’s loss to Memphis, the former 29th overall pick fell back to Earth, notes John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), going 0-of-12 from the field and scoring three points (all at the free throw line) while being minus-13 in 23 minutes. If Detroit issues him a qualifying offer, Flynn will be a restricted free agent this summer; otherwise, he’ll be unrestricted.

Bulls Sign Javonte Green, Waive Terry Taylor

April 4th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have signed swingman Javonte Green for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

Chicago used a hardship exception to sign Green to a 10-day contract on March 23, but needs to clear a 15-man roster spot in order to sign him to a rest-of-season deal. To make room for him, the team has waived forward Terry Taylor.

By signing a standard contract, Green is now eligible for the postseason, including the play-in tournament. Chicago is currently tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta.

Green has spent parts of three seasons with Chicago. He was limited to 32 games last season due to a knee injury, which required surgery.

Green signed a training camp deal with Golden State in October, but was waived a few days later. He also appeared in 10 regular season games with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz this season.

In his first 10 days with the Bulls, the 30-year-old appeared in three games, averaging 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per night.

Taylor has been out of the rotation most of the season. He has appeared in 31 games but only averaged 6.1 minutes in those outings. Terry had a $2MM salary this season and a $2.2MM non-guaranteed contract for next season.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Turner, Strus, Green

March 28th, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Assuming he remains healthy, Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is on track to appear in 69 games this season. Haliburton has noted in the past that he felt he returned a bit soon from a hamstring injury, in part because he knows he needs to appear in 65 contests in order to qualify for postseason honors, writes Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Specifically, the Indiana phenom is hoping to land on an All-NBA team, which would increase the value of his five-year, maximum-salary contract extension worth roughly $245MM. Otherwise, he’ll make $204.5MM.

“It’s no secret what’s at stake for me personally this year, and for us [as] a group,” Haliburton told Vardon and Amick. “So I feel like I’m looking to help lead this group. And if I’m playing like this and we’re still winning, I don’t care. It doesn’t bother me. I’ll get over it because obviously I’m doing enough to help us win. But when we’re not winning and I’m doing this, then that’s when it can really get to me.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Haliburton and Pacers center Myles Turner seem to have unlocked an elite pick-and-roll chemistry, writes Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “They understand the attention that they bring to themselves,” power forward Obi Toppin said of the fearsome twosome’s tandem attack. “They understand the attention that they bring to themselves. They allow other people to play on the ball to get them open. That helps them tremendously.”
Cavaliers shooting guard Max Strus is back from a knee injury, but a playoff-bound Cleveland club is struggling down the home stretch of the regular season, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. To wit, the Cavaliers recently dropped a game to a banged-up, lottery-bound Hornets squad on Wednesday, 118-111. “We just didn’t play hard,” Strus said. “Nobody wanted to play defense tonight. That was our problem. Can’t lose to teams like this at this point in the season. Is what it is. Gotta take it on the chin and hopefully get back at it on Friday.” He scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor, which included 5-of-10 shooting from deep. He also chipped in four rebounds and two steals.
In a 125-99 blowout win over the Pacers on Wednesday, Bulls wing Javonte Green saw his first game action since rejoining Chicago on a 10-day deal. Players and fans alike seemed happy he was back in Bulls red, notes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Green was tasked during his initial nine-minute stint with defending the much taller Indiana power forward Pascal Siakam, but he did his best to pester the two-time All-Star. The 6’4″ vet, who finished the night with a game-high +26 mark in 19 minutes, got an ovation from the United Center faithful when he first was subbed into the contest. “It means a lot,” Green said. “Especially coming from this city, the city that really gave me an opportunity to showcase my talent during the game.”

Bulls Notes: White, Green, Caruso, Terry

March 24th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Coby White returned to the Bulls‘ lineup this week after missing three games with an injured right hip, but he hasn’t fully recovered from the brief absence, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Coach Billy Donovan cited “timing” as an issue after White shot 3-of-11 from the field in Saturday’s loss to Boston, and the fifth-year guard agrees that he has work to do in that area.

“At this point of the season when you miss a week it feels like a lot longer than that,” White said. “So for me I don’t want to force it. Just let the game come to me. I’m just trying to go out there and contribute any way I can right now.”

The bigger picture for White is that he has likely changed the organization’s view of the roster with his performance this season, Cowley adds. After signing an extension last summer, White has enjoyed a breakout year, averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists through 68 games and becoming a candidate for Most Improved Player honors.

“Obviously the summer, him signing a long-term deal, we made the commitment to him that we wanted him to be here,” Donovan said. “What Coby has done you would want to create organizationally a runway for him to continue to grow, continue to develop. But I haven’t necessarily had the discussion where it’s been, ‘Wow, we got this guy and now we’ve got to do this.’”

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls used the hardship exception to sign Javonte Green to a 10-day contract on Saturday, Cowley confirms in a separate story. Green, who has appeared in 113 games with Chicago over the past three seasons, hasn’t been promised any playing time in this latest opportunity, according to Cowley, and he understands what’s expected of him. “Just be myself,” he said. “Obviously, the Bulls know what I bring to the table.” Green also told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that he’s confident in his right knee after undergoing an arthroscopic debridement in January 2023. “Just tried to strengthen the quad and strengthen the area that I had discomfort in,” he said. “That was a long process, six months.”
Alex Caruso is hoping to be ready for Monday’s game against Washington after injuring his left ankle Saturday night, Johnson states in a separate story. Caruso walked to the locker room after getting tangled up with Boston’s Al Horford with 6:54 left in the second quarter, but he was able to return and played through discomfort in the second half.
Second-year guard Dalen Terry is taking on a larger role with an injury-filled roster, notes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Terry said he has taken inspiration from watching White develop into an accomplished player. “It’s all mental,” Terry said. “It’s all just blocking out the noise and trusting yourself. Just keep faith. Keep believing in what you’re going to achieve.”

Bulls Sign Javonte Green To 10-Day Deal

March 23rd, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 23: Green has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Bulls, according to a press release from the team.

MARCH 22: The Bulls plan to sign free agent wing Javonte Green to a 10-day contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

It will be a reunion between the two sides, as Green spent parts of three seasons with Chicago, most recently in 2022/23. The 30-year-old was limited to 32 games last season due to a knee injury, which required surgery.

Green signed a training camp deal with Golden State in October, but was waived a few days later. He has appeared in 10 regular season games with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz in ’23/24, averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .489/.355/.824 shooting in 22.2 MPG.

Green, who went undrafted in 2015 out of Radford and spent four years playing professionally in Europe before catching on with Boston in 2019, averaged 6.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .547/.360/.780 shooting in 97 games with the Bulls from 2021-23 (46 starts, 20.6 MPG). He’s known as a strong athlete and defender who plays bigger than his size, somewhat similar to Gary Payton II.

The Bulls currently have a full 18-man roster, but Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams have been ruled out for the season, and rookie Julian Phillips is expected to miss at least two weeks with a foot issue. That means Green will almost certainly be signed via the hardship exception.

As a four-year veteran, Green will earn $124,425 over the course of his 10 days with the Bulls.