Joel Embiid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Brantley, NBA Awards, Seattle, Brogdon

March 5th, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA player Jarrell Brantley has been sued by Russia’s UNICS Kazan after he left the country, Ian Begley on SNY.tv tweets. The Russian club has sued Brantley for $250K after he returned to the U.S. with his wife and infant daughter. The forward will pursue G League opportunities but he could be blocked from playing in that league because he requires permission from Kazan. Brantley played 37 games with the Jazz from 2019-21.

We have more from around the basketball world:

It’s a coin flip between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic in the race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, Zach Harper of The Athletic opines. Ja Morant has moved up to the third spot with his offensive outbursts in recent weeks. Harper updates his rankings on numerous postseason awards in his column.
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell is confident the NBA will return to the city, but the league denied that any expansion plan is in the works, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes. “The odds are high,” Harrell said. “We’re very intentional about it. I chase down rumors and I chase down actual people in a position to make that happen. I feel good about our opportunity.” A league spokesman told NBC Sports that there’s “no truth” to a report that expansion is on the front burner this offseason.
Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has some interest in playing for the Polish national team and the country’s basketball federation will try to make it a reality, according to a Eurohoops.net report. Brogdon’s connection to Poland comes from his wife, who has Polish roots and relatives who live in the country.

Atlantic Notes: Flynn, Sixers, Tatum, Celtics

March 4th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors backup point guard Malachi Flynn has stepped up in the absence of All-Star Fred VanVleet, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Flynn had an outstanding game on Monday against the Nets, putting up 18 points on 11 shots with four rebounds, five assists, two steals and zero turnovers in 34 minutes. He finished a game-high plus-42.

“He played great,” said head coach Nick Nurse. “Malachi kept his head up, kept his head in it and when he’s had any opportunities, whether it’s first half, second half, garbage, whatever, he’s played with what I consider some IQ, some toughness, some organization and that’s what led us to that decision [to start Flynn] tonight.”

The second-year guard has struggled to crack the team’s rotation this season, but he’s finally getting the chance to show what he can do with VanVleet sidelined with a knee contusion that’s been bothering him since before the All-Star break.

“I think my main thing is just trying to be aggressive — not necessarily to score or to pass, just being aggressive and seeing what the defense gives you and just kind of reading them and then going off of that,” Flynn said, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

Flynn had another strong performance during Friday’s 103-97 loss to Orlando, notching 20 points, three rebounds, eight assists and zero turnovers in 39 minutes.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Sixers dared to dream big and it’s paying off, according to Dan Devine of The Ringer. James Harden has created easier shots for the entire team, including MVP candidate Joel Embiid, and second-year guard Tyrese Maxey has been outstanding. The Sixers have won five straight (four with Harden) and hold a 39-23 record after defeating the Cavs 125-119 on Friday. Philadelphia has jumped up to the No. 2 seed in the East.
Star Jayson Tatum has stepped up and become a vocal leader for the Celtics, per Taylor Snow of Celtics.com. “He has taken a step forward in that regard,” said Al Horford. “He is being more vocal. He’s letting us know what he’s thinking, how he’s feeling. For me, it gives me a lot of confidence, and it’s encouraging to know that he has my back. He’s obviously really trying to win, he’s trying to do things the right way … Seeing him that excited, that engaged, it’s a good sign for our group.”
The Celtics remained patient with head coach Ime Udoka and now they’re reaping the rewards, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes. Udoka was recently named the Eastern Conference’s coach of the month for February after leading Boston to an 9-2 record. It’s taken time for the players to adjust to Udoka’s hard-line coaching style. “That’s what really matters, that they’re letting us coach them,” Udoka said, per Washburn. “They’re letting us push them and learning and growing throughout the season and kind of what we thought we’d have when we got healthy. Credit to them for allowing us to coach them hard. That’s what they asked for and they’ve been great with it.”

DeAndre Jordan Signs With Sixers

March 3rd, 2022 at 7:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 3, 7:58pm: The Sixers have officially signed Jordan and ended Cauley-Stein’s 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release. Jordan will earn a rest-of-season salary of $592,103, while Philadelphia takes on a cap hit of $374,126.

MARCH 3, 1:55pm: Jordan is expected to sign with the Sixers unless a team claims him off waivers prior to the 4:00pm CT deadline Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). A waiver claim is considered unlikely, says Wojnarowski.

The Sixers plan to release Willie Cauley-Stein from his 10-day contract a couple days early in order to sign Jordan, Wojnarowski tweets. Cauley-Stein’s 10-day deal had been on track to run through March 5.

FEBRUARY 28: The Sixers are the frontrunners to acquire DeAndre Jordan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, though the timing of such a move will have luxury tax implications.

The Lakers are waiving DeAndre Jordan in order to add free agent guard D.J. Augustin. Once Jordan hits the waiver wire, his veteran’s minimum contract could be claimed by any team. Philadelphia, which has the seventh-best record in the league, is low in the pecking order.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (Twitter link), Philadelphia currently has a projected $13.19MM tax bill and that would rise to $16.1MM if the team claims Jordan and his $1.66MM cap hit.

If the Sixers wait for Jordan to pass through waivers with the hope no other team claims him, they could sign him for the prorated veteran’s minimum. In that scenario, their projected tax bill would only increase to $13.8MM.

The Sixers have been seeking a veteran center to back up Joel Embiid since trading Andre Drummond to Brooklyn in the Ben Simmons–James Harden blockbuster. They acquired Paul Millsap in that deal but Millsap, 37, is 6’7”’ and a natural forward. They also signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day deal but may view Jordan as a better option.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Williamson, Sims, Anunoby, Morey, Harden

February 26th, 2022 at 9:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The speculation over Zion Williamson‘s future with New Orleans has Knicks fans dreaming of acquiring the 2019 top pick. Williamson’s former coach and current TV analyst Stan Van Gundy scoffs at the notion that big-name players want to go to New York, Ethan Sears of the New York Post relays.

“No matter how many times people have proven they don’t want to play for the Knicks, the Knicks have this idea that everybody in the league wants to play for the Knicks,” Van Gundy said on the Dan Le Batard Show. “Now, what is the last time it actually happened that somebody came and tried to get their way to New York? Like, never in the last 20 years? But still the Knicks and Knicks fans think everybody is trying to get to the Knicks. I’m not saying [Zion] won’t end up there — there’s all kinds of ways people can end up somewhere — but this idea that everybody wants to be a New York Knick, I mean if that were the case, then they wouldn’t be as bad as they’ve been for the last 20 years.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau played rookie center Jericho Sims ahead of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson on Friday, which may signal a shift in philosophy, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Thibodeau typically relies on veterans, so it was unusual to see a late second-round pick get 18 minutes of playing time. “We’ll see how it unfolds. Taj did a good job for us,” Thibodeau said. “Nerlens did a good job for us. Jericho, the opportunities that he’s had, he’s played well. So just let him get in there; let him gain some more experience.”
Raptors forward OG Anunoby will get a second opinion on his injured finger, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. An X-ray revealed that Anunoby had a fractured right ring finger and would miss some games. The trip to the specialist will presumably clarify a recovery timeline.
James Harden, who made his Sixers debut on Friday, wanted to play with Joel Embiid “for a long time,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “James is a basketball genius,” Morey said. “And he’s been wanting to play with Joel for a long time. I think he’s always thought Joel was, like, the perfect guy to pair with him.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Sixers, Knicks, Durant, Simmons

February 22nd, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Five-time Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid admitted that he considered quitting basketball entirely during his rookie year, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid was drafted by the Sixers in 2014 with the third pick out of Kansas, but didn’t suit up for Philadelphia until the 2016/17 season. Surgeries for a navicular bone in his right foot delayed Embiid’s NBA debut for two years while he grieved the death of a family member off the court.

“You look back at my first year after the surgery,” Embiid said. “Obviously, I lost my brother at that time, too. Going back to Cameroon, I really wanted to stop playing basketball and really retire because at that point you just had surgery, and everybody is talking about ‘You’re not going to make it’ or ‘You’re never going to play in the league,’ and, obviously, the loss of my brother was big. I wanted to give up. I almost did. It was hard.”

The 28-year-old has since become one of the most dominant centers in the NBA, and is currently building a convincing MVP case with a terrific and mostly healthy season thus far. He is averaging 29.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG and 4.5 APG through 46 games this season. Embiid boasts shooting splits of .495/.369/.813.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

While the identities of four Sixers starters are fairly clear heading into the home stretch of the 2021/22 NBA season, the team has several options for the fifth starting role, per Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice. With James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and Embiid entrenched in the club’s starting lineup. Neubeck considers whether they’d be best complemented by the defensive attributes of Matisse Thybulle, the corner three-point shooting of Danny Green or Furkan Korkmaz, or the size advantage of Georges Niang.
With a 25-34 record, the Knicks face an uphill battle to even make the play-in tournament this season. Fred Katz of The Athletic wonders at what point second-year New York head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose job may be in jeopardy this summer, may opt to prioritize developing the team’s youth over less-than-meaningful victories. Katz also theorizes about the potential markets awaiting 2022 unrestricted free agent center Mitchell Robinson, and forward Cam Reddish, whom the Knicks could either opt to extend this summer or allow to reach restricted free agency next year.
Nets team president Sean Marks expects stars Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons to join the team on the hardwood fairly soon, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Depending when they go, we’ve got to see how they respond to days like [Tuesday], and we’ll go forward with this,” Marks said. “It’s probably going to be tough, to be honest, to be playing in the next three or four days. But we’ll see how it all plays out.”

Joel Embiid: “Play Speaks For Itself” In MVP Race

February 19th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid believes he should be the favorite in this year’s Most Valuable Player race, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Embiid, who finished second in last year’s voting, has the stats to back up his claim. He’s leading the NBA in scoring at 29.6 points per game while pulling down 11.2 rebounds and dishing out a career-best 4.5 assists per night. He has Philadelphia near the top of the Eastern Conference at 35-23, despite the season-long distractions caused by the absence of Ben Simmons before he was traded last week.

“I don’t want to push for the whole thing, but the way I’ve been playing speaks for itself,” Embiid said. “Especially with everything we went through, the drama this whole year, obviously missing a big piece and then everything that happened to our team and the way our team is set up.

“So I knew had to take my game to another level whether it was offensively, defensively or playmaking and I’ve got great teammates that are coming in every single day and giving their all on the floor. But it always goes back to winning. As long as we win I’ll be at that level and have a chance to win it all and win the MVP. But to answer your question, the play speaks for itself. Every single night that’s what I’ve been doing offensively and defensively and I don’t plan on stopping.”

Embiid finished slightly ahead of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in an ESPN straw poll of MVP voters conducted over the past week. Embiid may be able to expand his game after the All-Star break when he teams up with former MVP James Harden, who was acquired from the Nets in the Simmons trade. If they can lead Philadelphia to the top spot in the East, Embiid’s case for MVP honors will get even stronger.

Embiid also told reporters that he believes he can still reach another level because of improved conditioning over the last two seasons.

“That level is the last two years I really worked on my body and the results are showing,” he said. “I still feel like I’m not there. I’m not close to where I want to be when it comes to my body, so I feel like once I get to that level, a lot of times, most of the time, I play I’m 100 percent, but to be asked to do everything offensively and defensively it takes a toll, it’s hard.

“There’s not a lot of guys that can do that in the league, so I really believe once I get to that level … I don’t get a lot of respect when it comes to my defense. So, I want to be able to be this great offensive player and I already think defensively I’m up there but I really want to earn that respect when it comes to defense, but it takes a lot. It takes your body to be in the best shape possible and I think that’s where I got to get to.”

And-Ones: MVP Race, I. Thomas, Draft, I. Clark

February 17th, 2022 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The top two finishers in last season’s MVP voting appear to be the top two candidates for this year’s award too, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Bontemps recently conducted a straw poll of 100 media members and found that Sixers center Joel Embiid narrowly – and unofficially – leads Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic in the MVP race.

As Bontemps details, Embiid received 45 first-place votes from the poll respondents, while Jokic got 43. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (nine), Suns guard Chris Paul (two), and Warriors guard Stephen Curry (one) were the other players who got first-place votes. Interestingly, Embiid was the only player to show up on all 100 five-player ballots, while Jokic was left off five.

Curry received 94 first-place votes when Bontemps conducted a similar straw poll in December, but the veteran sharpshooter has slowed down since his hot start, while players like Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo have made stronger MVP pushes.

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

Free agent guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to rejoin the Grand Rapids Gold – the Nuggets‘ G League affiliate – after the All-Star break, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Thomas had a very brief stint in Grand Rapids in December, scoring 42 points in his only NBAGL game before getting called up to the NBA. Thomas signed 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Mavericks before returning to the open market.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has published a new 2022 mock draft, while Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his top-50 big board. Both draft experts currently have Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren at No. 1 and Jabari Smith of Auburn at No. 2, with Purdue’s Jaden Ivey moving up to No. 3 ahead of Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
Veteran guard Ian Clark, who has 330 regular season appearances on his NBA résumé and won a title with Golden State in 2017, has signed with the Sydney Kings, the Australian team recently announced in a press release. Clark played in 60 games for New Orleans in 2018/19, but has been out of the NBA since then.

Ben Simmons: No One To Blame For Situation With Sixers

February 15th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

At his introductory press conference with the Nets today, Ben Simmons said he doesn’t blame anyone in Philadelphia for the way his relationship with the Sixers ended. Addressing the media for the first time in more than 250 days, Simmons said he’s looking forward to playing again after the trade that sent him to Brooklyn last week.

Although there were reports that Simmons was upset over comments made by coach Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid following the seventh game of last season’s second-round loss to the Hawks, Simmons emphasized that the mental health issues that caused him to pull away from the team started long before that.

“For me, it was just making sure mentally I was right to get out there and play again,” he said (video link). “That’s something I’ve been dealing with, and it wasn’t about the fans or coaches or comments made by anybody. It was just a personal thing for me. That was earlier than that series or even that season that I was dealing with, and that organization knew that. So it’s something that I continue to deal with, and you know, I’m getting there and getting to the right place to get back on the floor.”

Simmons’ answer was much shorter when asked about Embiid — he responded, “No, I did not,” when asked if he talked to his former teammate after the trade was announced (video link). Embiid expressed frustration over Simmons’ situation more than once this season, notes Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia, so it’s not surprising that they didn’t have anything to say to each another when Simmons left.

The Nets don’t have a date set for Simmons’ expected debut, but he said he’s “starting to ramp it up” to get ready to return to the court, according to an ESPN story. He told reporters that he hopes to be in uniform March 10 when Brooklyn travels to Philadelphia.

Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, offered thanks to the Sixers and their fans for supporting him during the six season he played in Philadelphia, the ESPN article adds. He said he spoke with Rivers, general manager Elton Brand and teammate Tobias Harris after the trade went through.

He also expressed excitement about teaming up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, saying the combination “is going to be scary.”

Simmons went through his first shootaround with his new team Monday night and joined his teammates on the bench afterward, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Coach Steve Nash said it will be a “joint decision” between Simmons and the Nets’ staff on when he resumes playing.

“We have to put him in a position to have the necessary conditioning underneath him and to feel safe with it,” Nash said. “And then he also has to feel confident and comfortable that the time has come. So whenever that is, hopefully there’s a great partnership on those decisions.”

Eastern Notes: Suggs, Heat, Hornets, Harden, Embiid

February 13th, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by JD Shaw

Magic rookie Jalen Suggs is pushing the pace for his team this season, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando lost to Phoenix 132-105 on Saturday, but Suggs still finished with a 20-point, 10-assist effort.

“I liked the pace of the game,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Suggs. “His ability to push the ball up the floor. He got a lot of guys easy shots being able to get out in transition [and] attacking before the defense was set. I really like his aggressiveness.”

Suggs also grabbed six rebounds in the contest, immediately pushing to run the break. His work came in just 26 minutes of action. The 20-year-old is holding per-game averages of 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists on the season, shooting 37% from the floor.

Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:

The Heat were content with standing pat at the trade deadline, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The team did clear a roster spot by trading KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City, but Victor Oladipo‘s looming return should serve as a valuable upgrade. “I thought everyone was pretty safe this year on our team,” Tyler Herro said. “In past years, we’ve made pretty significant moves and people didn’t really know what move we were going to make. But I felt like this trade deadline was a little bit more clear. We’re first in the East. We feel like we made all our moves in the offseason and I think this roster is good enough to compete with anybody. I think that’s why we didn’t make any moves.”
The upcoming All-Star break is coming at a good time for the Hornets, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes, noting how the team could use a reset. Charlotte is 3-7 in its last 10 games. “I feel like we just got to put it together,” Terry Rozier said. “Whatever that means, however people take it. But the season is about ups and downs and at home we’re just not getting wins right now.”
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines why he believes the James Harden–Joel Embiid pairing will flourish for the Sixers at first. Pompey also explores whether it could advance past the initial stage, as both Harden and Embiid don’t hold championship experience. Philadelphia acquired Harden and veteran Paul Millsap last week, sending Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks to Brooklyn.

Joel Embiid: “I’m Glad That Everybody Has Moved On”

February 12th, 2022 at 8:20am CST by Rory Maher

Sixers MVP candidate Joel Embiid spoke to reporters, including Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, following the team’s 100-87 victory over the Thunder Friday night, and said he’s happy to not have to talk about Ben Simmons anymore, and is glad that everybody has moved on. In case you missed the blockbuster trade, Simmons was dealt to Brooklyn as part of a package that brought James Harden to Philadelphia.

“I’m happy that I’m not going to be answering any more questions about that subject,” Embiid said. “It’s good that, not just for me, but my teammates, the whole organization. The whole year it was pretty annoying with the whole situation, but I’m glad that everybody has moved on. I wish everybody the best in whatever they want to accomplish, but I’m focused on winning games here and trying to win a championship.

“You look at the history being on the court, what we did in the regular season, we were dominant. So it’s unfortunate that winning was not the biggest factor. It’s unfortunate that for him, having his own team and I guess being a star was more of his priorities. But I always thought that everything was great, the fit was great. But unfortunately Ben thought that it wasn’t. But we all move on.”

As Neubeck points out, Simmons won’t be the main star in Brooklyn, but it’s still a fresh start for a player whose time was clearly over in Philadelphia, and Embiid’s comments only solidify that their pairing had run its course. Embiid said he’s excited to form a dynamic partnership with Harden, and opposing teams will be left scrambling to decide which player to focus on.

“I think the way to look at it, every single time I touch a ball, there’s a double or triple team which is gonna make my teammates and [Harden] even better,” Embiid said. “So now you really got a choice. Are you going to double me or are you going to double him? You got to make that decision and based on every game it might change.

“Other teams might want to take me out of the game or other teams might want to take him out of the game. So we just adjust and then we just go from there…it’s exciting. I never played with someone like that. So I’m just excited for the new challenge and try to go and get it done.”

Coach Doc Rivers said the move makes the Sixers championship contenders and he’s prepared for the pressure that comes along with that, even though he’ll be rushed to get Harden acclimated to compete against the likes of the Suns, Bucks and Heat, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“No one else can put no more pressure on myself than I do,” Rivers said. “It will never happen. I’m in this to win. I’ve always been in this to win. When you get into that, when you make that decision, you understand there’s going to be pressure with it. And there should be. Because if there wasn’t, everybody would be champions. I think the reason we did this deal is so we can jump into the fray.

“I think [we are good enough],” Rivers continued. “I don’t know. That’s something we’ll find out. We did it with the belief we do, obviously. “We don’t have a lot of time. The Phoenix’s of the world and teams, Milwaukee and Miami, they’ve been together, Milwaukee three years, four years, as a group. So we have to get it done quickly.”