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Northwest Notes: Wolves, Jokic, Braun, George

February 17th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves arrived at the All-Star break with the best record in the West, and they’re determined to finish the season as the conference’s top seed, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. It’s an accomplishment that Minnesota has achieved only once in its history — during the 2003/04 season — but it appears to be within reach. The Wolves are a game-and-a-half ahead of Oklahoma City, and their 20 road wins are the highest total in the league.

“It matters if you’re trying to project everything forward,” coach Chris Finch said. “You want every advantage possible. If you have the best record, then of course you get home court, but it’s too far out to really bank on anything.”

Being in contention for the top spot is a major accomplishment for Minnesota, which had to battle through the play-in tournament last season before being ousted in five games in the first round. Rudy Gobert, who has experience as a No. 1 seed with Utah, said it’s important to keep focusing on business and not get distracted by the standings.

“I can feel that we have a purpose,” he said. “Personally, I came here to help this team win a championship. But last year, it was kind of like a lot of adversity. We realized early on that it probably was not going to be that year, but we could feel that we had the potential. And this year, from day one of training camp, it was a different focus, different mindset. We learned from everything that happened last year, and it made us grow.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nikola Jokic isn’t a fan of the NBA’s new 65-game minimum for players to qualify for postseason awards, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The Nuggets center believes it puts pressure on players to take the court when they shouldn’t, adding that it likely factored into Joel Embiid‘s meniscus injury. “We saw what happened with Joel,” Jokic said. “… I just don’t like it, how it forces players to play even if they’re injured if they want to achieve something.”
Nuggets guard Christian Braun has been dealing with a series of injuries dating back to October, according to Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. The latest is a sprained left ankle that robbed Braun of his explosiveness and made him grateful for the week-long break. “I don’t want to sit here and make any excuses, but it hasn’t been great,” Braun said. “But I feel all right … I think this this break for me, personally, will be great for my body. I think that’s the biggest thing for me right now, is getting my body back. (It) hasn’t felt great all year.”
Jazz point guard Keyonte George has been through an up-and-down rookie year, but coach Will Hardy has put him back in the starting lineup to see what he can do, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. George turned in his best game Thursday with 33 points and a rookie record nine three-pointers. “He’s very talented. He plays well with the rest of the guys in our starting unit,” Hardy said. “We just thought it was time to put him back in the lineup.”

Warriors Attempted To Get Lakers To Consider LeBron Trade

February 14th, 2024 at 7:21am CST by Luke Adams

Prior to last Thursday’s trade deadline, the Warriors tried – unsuccessfully – to convince the Lakers to consider sending superstar forward LeBron James to Golden State, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

The Warriors’ pursuit of James occurred at multiple levels, per ESPN’s reporting. Klutch Sports client Draymond Green contacted agent Rich Paul in an effort to solicit his help getting LeBron on board with a move to Golden State, while Warriors owner Joe Lacob reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. touched base with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.

Ultimately, the same answer came back from all involved parties — the Lakers had no interest in trading James, and the four-time MVP had no interest in going anywhere, as Paul stated six days ahead of the deadline.

As Wojnarowski and Shelburne outline, the Warriors’ pursuit stemmed from the fact that James seemed to be frustrated by the Lakers’ up-and-down first half. He hinted at those frustrations in some comments to the media and posted a cryptic tweet consisting only of hourglass emoji.

When Lacob reached out to Buss, she told the Warriors owner that while she had no interest in trading LeBron, that she would check in with him and Paul to gauge their thoughts.

Sources tell ESPN that Buss has “operated with the mindset that she wants her star players content with the franchise,” so if he had been unhappy with his situation in Los Angeles, the team would have been open to changing its stance. That wasn’t the case, however, as Paul told both Lacob and Dunleavy that his top client wanted to remain a Laker.

ESPN’s report doesn’t include any details about the package the Warriors would have offered for James, but since the goal was to pair him with Stephen Curry and Green was involved in the recruiting, we can at least safely assume those two wouldn’t have been on the table. Beyond that, there are many permutations Golden State could have explored — an offer involving Chris Paul and/or Andrew Wiggins, plus prospects and draft picks, seems most likely, given that the Dubs reportedly weren’t interested in moving Klay Thompson.

According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, the Warriors weren’t the only team to check in on James prior to the trade deadline. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey also inquired on LeBron’s availability, though that’s a common practice for Morey, who also contacted the Suns to ask about Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and/or Bradley Beal, per ESPN.

As ESPN’s duo explains, the Warriors situation was a little different because it began at the ownership level and included a conversation with Paul, whereas Morey is known around the league for making “bold” long-shot trade inquiries. When Morey asked the Lakers about LeBron, Pelinka responded by inquiring about the availability of reigning MVP Joel Embiid, which ended their brief conversation, sources tell Woj and Shelburne.

James will have a decision to make this summer on a 2024/25 player option worth $51.4MM. While he’s considered likely to either pick up that option or sign a new deal with the Lakers, suitors like the Warriors and Sixers may get a chance to pursue him again at that time.

Sixers Notes: Buyout Market, Hield, Embiid, Springer

February 10th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Sixers acquired Buddy Hield from the Pacers on Thursday, which helps them with shooting and scoring, but Philadelphia needs to focus on getting back some toughness and defense on the buyout market, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Some of that toughness was lost when the team traded Patrick Beverley to the Bucks, according to Pompey, but the Sixers made that move with the confidence they’d be able to land guard depth via free agency.

All signs point to Hornets point guard Kyle Lowry landing in Philadelphia. Lowry, who is expected to be bought out after the Heat traded him in exchange for Terry Rozier earlier in the season, previously played for Nick Nurse on Toronto’s 2019 title team and is a Philadelphia native. While the Lakers are another potential destination, the Sixers feel good about bringing him in, according to Pompey.

Philadelphia has three open roster spots after the deadline and adding another center to the mix should be another priority, Pompey writes. With Joel Embiid out due to a long-term injury, Paul Reed and Mohamed Bamba are holding down the fort at the center position. Not many pure centers are on the buyout market yet, but Robin Lopez and Danilo Gallinari are among big men who were recently bought out. Bismack Biyombo is another option on the free agency market.

We have more notes on the Sixers:

The Sixers are enthusiastic about the acquisition of Hield, whom general manager Daryl Morey believes is the best player among those traded on Thursday, according to Pompey. “I felt like he gave us exactly what we were looking for, which is that he’s one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history,” Morey said. “We really like what he adds to the team and we feel like our healthy group, our playoff rotation, with Buddy Hield is right there with everyone in the entire league.” Morey also pointed out that not many bigs were traded, and the reason the Sixers didn’t address that position via trade was due to a lack of options.
Morey is hopeful Embiid will be back this season after suffering a meniscus injury that is expected to keep him out of action for one or two months, according to PHLY Sports’ Derek Bodner (Twitter link). “We’re hopeful,” Morey said. “Feedback has been more good than bad…so we’re hopeful, and we’re building the team to make it better this year. We’re hopeful he can get back to that [MVP level]. We feel we got a real shot.“
Philadelphia surprised some by trading away 21-year-old guard Jaden Springer, who seemed to just be coming into his own, for a second-round pick. Morey explained the decision by saying the Sixers felt Springer may not be ready to contribute in the playoffs by the end of his rookie contract, while the second-round pick they got for him could potentially be used to trade for a veteran next season, according to Bodner (Twitter link). “We want things that can help us out on the court now with Joel,” Morey said (Twitter link via PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck). “... For me, the Jaden thing was successful.“

And-Ones: Embiid, NBA Cup, Taxpayers, Sochan, Rising Stars, More

February 9th, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, who texted Sixers center Joel Embiid this week to say hello and wish him well in his recovery from knee surgery, remains hopeful that the reigning MVP will be able to play in this summer’s Olympics, writes Dan Gelston of The Associated Press.

“Our fingers are crossed he’ll be healthy this summer and able to play,” Kerr said. “He’s an amazing player and we’re really excited to have him be part of the program.”

While the Sixers are hopeful that Embiid will be able to return before the end of the season and compete in the playoffs, it wouldn’t be surprising if the big man decided to forgo the Olympics and take the summer to rest and recuperate, given the nature of his injury. There’s still plenty of time to figure out his plan though, since the Paris games are still over five months away.

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

The NBA’s in-season tournament will have a new name going forward, according to the league, which announced on Thursday in a press release that the event will be known as the NBA Cup and will be sponsored by the airline Emirates. NBA referees will also begin wearing Emirates patches on their uniforms later this month, per the announcement.
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) breaks down what the luxury tax figures for 2023/24 look like after the trade deadline, noting that nine of the 10 teams projected to be taxpayers a month ago either shed salary or stood pat. The Sixers and Pelicans ducked out of the tax, while the Suns were the only one of those 10 teams to increase their payroll. The 22 non-taxpayers currently project to receive $11.5MM apiece this offseason, Marks adds.
Spurs sophomore Jeremy Sochan has replaced injured Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe in next weekend’s Rising Stars game, the NBA announced in a press release. The league also shared (via Twitter) the results of the Rising Stars draft, with coaches Jalen Rose, Pau Gasol, and Tamika Catchings building seven-man rosters from a 21-player pool.
Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan would be open to the possibility of playing in Europe later in his career, he said during an interview with Toni Canyameras from Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to BasketNews). Jordan specifically named Barcelona as a team that would pique his interest, since he loves Spain.
John Hollinger of The Athletic shares some observations on the trade deadline, noting that many of the would-be buyers didn’t have the assets necessary to take a big swing this week.

Trae Young, Scottie Barnes Named 2024 All-Stars

February 6th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes have been named All-Stars, according to the NBA, which announced the two players as Eastern Conference injury replacements (press release).

Young and Barnes will take the spots previously held by Sixers center Joel Embiid (knee) and Knicks forward Julius Randle (shoulder). Both players are sidelined with injuries that are expected to keep them on the shelf well beyond the All-Star break.

Young, 25, has been one of the NBA’s top scorers and play-makers once again in 2023/24, averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 36.6 minutes per game across 45 appearances. He’s also making 38.4% of his three-point attempts, which would be a career high.

Young’s Hawks are just 22-28 so far this season, which presumably hurt his case in the initial round of All-Star voting. That’s also the case for Barnes, who is having a terrific third season despite Toronto’s underwhelming 17-33 record.

Barnes is averaging career highs in points (20.2), rebounds (8.1), assists (5.8), and blocks (1.5) per game, as well as three-point percentage (36.5%). With Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam no longer on the roster, the former Rookie of the Year is now the unquestioned centerpiece of the Raptors’ long-term plans.

Young was selected as an injury replacement despite the fact that he’s replacing a frontcourt player, signaling that the league felt he was the Eastern Conference’s most notable snub. It’s his third All-Star nod, while Barnes is a first-time All-Star.

Embiid was initially voted a starter, so East coach Doc Rivers will have to select one of the conference’s reserves to replace the reigning MVP in his starting lineup.

Joel Embiid To Be Reevaluated In Four Weeks Following Knee Procedure

February 6th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 6: The Sixers announced today that Embiid underwent a procedure on the lateral meniscus in his left knee on Tuesday and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks (Twitter link via Wojnarowski).

As we relayed on Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that an absence of one or two months is viewed as a best-case scenario for Embiid.

FEBRUARY 4: Sixers superstar and reigning Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid will undergo a corrective procedure this week to repair a left meniscus injury and is expected to miss an extended period of time, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

A timetable is expected to be established after the surgical procedure. Embiid was diagnosed this weekend with a displaced flap — a tear — of his left meniscus.

At minimum, an extended absence by Embiid will likely impact the Sixers’ seeding for the playoffs. It could derail the Sixers’ season if Embiid cannot come back and play effectively by the postseason.

His injury could also play a major role in the front office’s approach to the trade deadline, which looms on Thursday afternoon.

Embiid will be ineligible for any postseason awards under the new 65-game rule to qualify for individual honors.

Embiid was considered the frontrunner for the MVP award again in 2023/24, with superlative statistics across the board: a league-high 35.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.8 BPG on .533/.366/.883 shooting in 34 games (34.0 MPG).

The 76ers are 30-18, but they’re 26-8 when Embiid plays and just 4-10 without him. They have lost five of their last six games, with the only exception occurring on Thursday when Tyrese Maxey erupted for 51 points against Utah.

Paul Reed has been starting in Embiid’s absence with Mohamed Bamba backing him up. Coach Nick Nurse has also used a number of smaller lineups.

Embiid suffered the injury during a Tuesday matchup between the Warriors and Sixers, when Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg. The incident took place in the fourth quarter and Embiid left the court under his own power.

The seven-time All-Star missed three games early last month due to knee soreness before sitting out matchups against the Nuggets and Trail Blazers on Saturday and Monday, respectively, due to the same issue.

Embiid, 29, is under contract through at least 2026, with a player option for 2026/27.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Maxey, Harris, Drummond, Deadline Approach

February 5th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As Joel Embiid prepares for surgery, Sixers coach Nick Nurse said the reigning Most Valuable Player is experiencing a range of emotions, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“I think he’s probably a little up and down to be honest with you,” Nurse said on Monday. “But I get some pretty positive vibes, which is why I say he’s up. Some encouraging things. And then there’s time when he’s probably about what you would be like.”

Embiid will soon undergo lateral meniscus surgery for a tear in his left knee. He’s expected to miss an extended amount of time but a firm timetable can’t be established until the surgical procedure is complete.

“There’s some tough moments to go though, thinking about what could be and what’s going to happen next, the road to recovery and all that kind of stuff,” Nurse said. “You know you got to take a positive spin on it. Anybody in life in an illness or sickness has got to say ‘I’m going to bounce back and I’m going be ready, right?’ I get some of that from him, too.”

We have more on the Sixers:

Embiid will miss at least a month, no matter how well the surgery goes and how limited the damage is to his knee, Shams Charania reported on the Run It Back FanDuel show (video link). “I’m told that the hope is that Embiid misses one to two months. I’m told that’s the best case, minimum scenario,” Charania said.
While Embiid is on the mend, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris will have to take on more responsibilities, Paul Reed and Mohamed Bamba will need to hold the fort in the middle, and wings such as Nicolas Batum will have to pitch in, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
A reunion with Andre Drummond? Pompey believes the Sixers should target the Bulls’ backup center in trade talks. Drummond backed up Embiid during the 2021/22 season.
Along the same theme, Pompey discusses other potential trade targets, as well as detailing the expiring contracts and draft capital Philadelphia could use to make moves before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Stein’s Latest: Lowry, Hayward, Washington, Green, Bucks, Wright, Drummond

February 4th, 2024 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets are engaged with multiple teams, looking to move Kyle Lowry‘s $29.7MM expiring contract before Thursday’s trade deadline, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

Lowry was acquired from Miami last month as part of the Terry Rozier deal. The Magic are among the teams that have expressed exploratory trade interest in Lowry, Stein states.

If they’re unable to deal him, the Hornets could look to buy out Lowry. The Sixers and Lakers, as well as the Magic, would have interest in him if he winds up on the buyout market, Stein notes, adding that ncertainty regarding Joel Embiid‘s knee issue would not automatically rule out Philadelphia’s pursuit of Lowry if he’s bought out.

Here’s more tidbits from Stein:

The Hornets could also deal Gordon Hayward’s expiring $31.5MM contract this week but if he remains on the roster beyond the trade deadline, it’s unlikely a buyout will be pursued. Charlotte hasn’t ruled out re-signing the veteran forward this summer, and if he’s bought him out, Hayward would have to forfeit his Bird rights.
The Hornets have their sights set on Josh Green if the Mavericks seriously pursue forward P.J. Washington in trade discussions, Stein reports. However, there’s some buzz that the Clippers are also eyeing Washington despite their limited trade assets. The Mavericks are prioritizing power forwards over small forwards as they look to shore up size and defensive issues. They’ve also been linked to the Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma.
The Bucks have limited resources after all the moves they’ve made in recent years — including the Damian Lillard blockbuster — but they are still very active in the trade market. Milwaukee doesn’t have any first-rounders to deal, while Bobby Portis ($11.7MM this season) and Pat Connaughton ($9.4MM) are the only players making significant money besides the team’s stars who might attract interest in a potential move. However, Stein senses Milwaukee will do something before the deadline.
The Nuggets are searching for backcourt depth and the Wizards’ Delon Wright is one possibility, according to Stein.
The Bulls could look to trade Andre Drummond and his modest $3.36MM contract for draft capital, per Stein.

Joel Embiid Still Weighing Treatment Options For Knee

February 3rd, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers star Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with a displaced flap — a tear — of his left meniscus and is still discussing treatment options with his doctors and the team, two sources familiar with the matter tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Rest and rehab or surgery are the two options being considered, according to Charania and Vardon.

It sounds like a decision will be made by Monday, per The Athletic. If Embiid were to undergo surgery, he would be out for an extended period of time; there are different types of surgeries for a torn meniscus, with varying recovery timelines.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that Embiid would be held out over the weekend while the team sorted out a plan of treatment. At the time, it was called a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee, but further testing has reportedly revealed a tear.

Regardless of what decision is made, it sounds like Embiid’s odds of repeating as MVP in 2023/24 are slim to none. He will miss his 14th game today and can miss no more than 17 games to qualify for postseason awards like MVP.

Embiid was considered the frontrunner for the award again in 2023/24, with superlative statistics across the board: a league-high 35.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.8 BPG on .533/.366/.883 shooting in 34 games (34.0 MPG). He has posted a .645 true shooting percentage this season.

More importantly, Philadelphia will obviously miss its best player if Embiid is out for a substantial amount of time. On the season, the 76ers are 30-17, but they’re 26-8 when Embiid plays and just 4-9 without him.

Embiid suffered the injury during a Tuesday matchup between the Warriors and Sixers, when Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg. The incident took place in the fourth quarter and Embiid left the court under his own power.

The seven-time All-Star missed three games early last month due to knee soreness before sitting out matchups against the Nuggets and Trail Blazers on Saturday and Monday, respectively, due to the same issue.

Embiid, 29, is under contract through at least 2026, with a player option for 2026/27.

Sixers Star Joel Embiid Suffers Lateral Meniscus Injury

February 1st, 2024 at 7:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Sixers star center Joel Embiid suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee and will be held out through the weekend while the team sorts through a treatment plan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). There’s still some uncertainty about how team doctors, specialists and Embiid will move forward to treat the injury, but they’ll use the next few days to figure out a plan, Wojnarowski tweets.

Embiid suffered the injury during a Tuesday matchup between the Warriors and Sixers, when Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg. The injury took place in the fourth quarter and Embiid left the court under his own power.

The seven-time All-Star missed three games early last month due to knee soreness before sitting out matchups against the Nuggets and Trail Blazers on Saturday and Monday, respectively, due to the same issue.

Having won the Most Valuable Player award last season, Embiid has a strong case for MVP again this season. He’s averaging a career-high 35.3 points this season, leading the Sixers to a 29-17 record entering Thursday. In 34 games so far this season, Embiid also maintained averages of 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8. blocks while shooting 53.3% from the field and 36.6% from deep.

It’s unknown exactly how much time Embiid will miss, but he was already ruled out of the Sixers’ Thursday night game against the Jazz, his 13th game missed this season. Players can miss no more than 17 games to be eligible for postseason awards, like MVP.