Karl-Anthony Towns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Jokic, KCP, Jazz, Messina, Towns

May 2nd, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While most NBA fans look forward to Tuesday evening’s announcement of the 2022/23 Most Valuable Player, Nuggets star and MVP finalist Nikola Jokic claims he’s not exactly waiting on that news with bated breath. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, Following a huge Game 2 on Monday (39 points, 16 rebounds), Jokic said that, weather permitting, he’d like to be “in the swimming pool” when the NBA reveals this season’s MVP.

“I don’t really think about it,” Jokic said. “Like zero interest.”

Jokic has certainly had the most impressive postseason of the three finalists, given that Joel Embiid has missed two of five Sixers games due to a knee injury and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Bucks were upset by the eighth-seeded Heat in round one.

Of course, MVP voting was completed before the playoffs began, but teammate Jamal Murray and head coach Michael Malone pointed to Jokic’s Game 2 performance as a perfect example of why he has won two MVP awards and deserves a third. According to Youngmisuk, Malone said on Monday that if Jokic doesn’t win this year’s award, he intends to tell the star center that he’s “he’s the MVP in my eyes.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s big night on Monday (41 minutes played, 4-of-4 on three-pointers) served as reminders of why the Nuggets wanted him so badly last summer and how instrumental he has been to the team’s success this season, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required). “KCP does everything for us,” Denver guard Bruce Brown said. “Me and him kind of in the same role. … He’s the only champion in here, so I learn as much as I can from him.”
The Jazz‘s coaching staff is said to be undergoing offseason changes, and former Spurs assistant Ettore Messina – who worked alongside Will Hardy in San Antonio from 2015-19 and is now a head coach in Italy – was recently identified by Sportando as a possible target. Asked by Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune about the rumor, Messina neither confirmed nor outright denied it. “Eric, I do not have much for you,” he told Walden in a text message. “I am enjoying what I’m doing with (Olimpia) Milano.”
Should the Timberwolves seriously consider the idea of trading Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason? Chris Hine of The Star Tribune explores that question in detail, discussing why it might make sense while also presenting the arguments against such a deal.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Randle, Grimes, Hart

April 28th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are expected to be aggressive in trying to add talent this summer and could be a leading contender if the Timberwolves decide to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy. A league source told Deveney that Towns would have interest in going to New York and speculated that it’s just a matter of time before the Knicks try to make it happen.

Deveney points out that Towns already has ties to the organization in team president Leon Rose, who is his former agent, and head coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Towns for two and a half seasons in Minnesota. The Wolves’ early playoff exit, combined with New York’s surge into the Eastern Conference semifinals, creates even more motivation for the move to happen, Deveney adds.

Towns has one more season before his four-year, $224MM super-max extension kicks in, which will place a tremendous strain on the Wolves’ finances. Trading him might be the best option for avoiding the strictest provisions of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“No matter the success this year, the Knicks are going to keep being aggressive,” an Eastern Conference executive told Deveney. “So you’d want to start with RJ Barrett there. But you can send (Obi) Toppin, you can send (Quentin) Grimes, (Miles) McBride. They do not want to trade (Immanuel) Quickley but if the target is Towns, maybe they would change that. You’d play Towns at the 5 if you were New York so they’d probably have Mitchell Robinson in the deal, and he could go to a third team. A lot of possibilities and Minnesota might be a better team by putting it all on (Anthony) Edwards and getting the right pieces from that mix.”

There’s more from New York:

No timetable has been set for a return by Julius Randle, who reinjured his left ankle in Wednesday’s game, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Thibodeau said Randle was limited in Friday’s practice to shooting, lifting weights and doing cardio work in the pool. He’s considered day-to-day ahead of the start of New York’s second-round series with Miami on Sunday afternoon.
Grimes, who missed the past two games with a right shoulder contusion, is optimistic that he’ll be ready for the series opener (video link from SNY.tv).
The Knicks and Heat have been through some legendary playoff battles, but Josh Hart said that won’t have any effect this year’s series (video link). “It was 23, 27 years ago,” Hart told reporters. “Most of our guys weren’t even born yet. For us, those are the war stories of the past. We’ve got our own path.”

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Edwards, McDaniels, Free Agents

April 26th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves‘ experiment of playing two big men together has been questioned ever since Rudy Gobert was acquired from Utah last summer to team with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even though Minnesota was eliminated from the playoffs in five games, coach Chris Finch‘s comments show that the organization is committed to making the pairing successful, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“They’re both really incredibly good basketball players,” Finch said after Tuesday’s Game 5 loss. “With the skill level that KAT has, for sure, there’s no reason basketball-wise that it shouldn’t work. There’s a lot of things we can talk about about why the learning curve was so steep for it. But the most important thing is we have a big enough body of work, I think we can properly evaluate it. I still remain extremely confident we’re able to maximize those guys.”

Finch indicated that he’ll consider changes to the offense this summer, and Krawczynski notes that Towns and Gobert will have an opportunity to work together during the offseason. Towns had an illness at the start of training camp and missed 52 games during the season with a calf injury, so their acclimation process was interrupted.

Krawczynski observes that the Wolves took a step backward in rebounding despite having two natural centers in their starting lineup. He states that being outrebounded in last year’s playoffs prompted the deal for Gobert, but Minnesota fell to 27th in rebounding percentage this season after finishing 21st last year.

“It’s going to take a lot better habits from our perimeter players boxing out, to be quite honest with you,” Finch said of the rebounding issue. “It has to be a big point of emphasis.”

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

An extension for Anthony Edwards will be among the team’s offseason priorities, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link). The All-Star guard is eligible for a five-year deal worth a projected $207MM, but that could rise to $249MM if he makes an All-NBA team. Marks points out that a maximum-salary extension for Edwards would make Minnesota the only team with three max players when it kicks in during the 2024/25 season. The Wolves will also consider a rookie scale extension for forward Jaden McDaniels, who is considered a candidate to make an All-Defensive team, Marks adds.
Trade speculation surrounding Towns, whose four-year, $224MM super-max extension takes effect in 2024/25, could get much louder over the next year, per Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. Towns will become trade-eligible in July, and Gozlan points out that he’s a logical trade option if the Wolves want to keep Edwards and McDaniels and there’s no market for Gobert.
The Timberwolves may find it too expensive to keep both Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell in free agency, Gozlan adds. He expects Reid to get offers for the full mid-level exception, which is projected to be $52.5MM over four years.

Western Notes: Lindsey, Udoka, Borrego, Westbrook, Holmgren, Blazers, Towns

April 17th, 2023 at 9:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are in advanced discussions with former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey to join the organization as a special assistant to GM Nico Harrison, Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports (via Twitter). Harrison has been seeking an experienced sounding-board voice to join the front office in a consultant’s role, dating to last offseason.

Following their failure to make the playoffs, the Mavericks have a pivotal offseason that includes trying to re-sign Kyrie Irving and finding ways to improve the roster, despite limited trade assets and salary cap issues.

We have more on the Western Conference:

The Rockets will interview former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka for their head coaching job on Wednesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. They interviewed former Hornets head coach James Borrego on Monday for their head coaching job, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The Rockets have already interviewed former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and are expected to interview a number of experienced head coaches and prominent assistant coaches in their search to replace Stephen Silas.
Russell Westbrook is unlikely to be suspended for Game 2 of the Clippers’ series against the Suns, Chris Haynes of TNT tweets. Westbrook had a verbal altercation with a fan during halftime of Game 1 on Sunday.
Chet Holmgren missed the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot but the Thunder big man is ready to get back on the court, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, says most of the recovery and rehab process is behind him. “I’m pretty much past the rehab part of this journey,” Holmgren said, “and now I’m progressing more into the 5-on-5 stuff and kind of taking away any restrictions that I have to this point.”
There could be a major change with the Trail Blazers’ guard rotation, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes. General manager Joe Cronin must decide whether Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are part of the team’s long-term plans. Either or both could be traded for the All-Star level talent that Damian Lillard craves. Conversely, Simons and Sharpe could be the backcourt starters if Lillard is dealt and Portland goes into a full rebuild.
The Timberwolves will look to bounce back from their 29-point loss to top seed Denver when they play Game 2 on Wednesday. They’ll need a huge series from Karl-Anthony Towns to have any chance in the series, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details.
The matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets could show just how far the Timberwolves are from becoming a true contender and whether the Towns-Rudy Gobert pairing can get them to that point, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines.

Injury Notes: Wolves, Murray, Middleton, George

April 14th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Timberwolves will have both of their three-time All-Star big men active for Friday’s final play-in game against the Thunder, Minnesota announced (via Twitter). Rudy Gobert (back spasms) and Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) were upgraded from questionable to available and will start, per the team.

Wolves guard Jaylen Nowell, who was previously questionable with left knee tendinopathy, will also be active. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News was first to report (via Twitter) that Nowell would be ready to go.

In an interesting rotational change, the Wolves are inserting Nickeil Alexander-Walker into the starting lineup for the first time to defend his cousin, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“They’re cousins, so there should be familiarity there but we like Nickeil’s ability to go get him full court and his size on him,” head coach Chris Finch said before the game (Twitter link via Alan Horton of Wolves Radio).

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray continues to be hampered by a nagging right thumb sprain on his shooting hand, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscriber link). “I’m still thinking about it,” Murray said. “I’m full participating (in practice). It’s just sore. Every catch, every shot, I’m always fiddling with it trying to make it feel better, but it’ll be OK.” Denver’s second-leading scorer has been dealing with the injury for a few weeks, Singer adds, but he’s otherwise healthy and feeling ready for the playoffs.
Khris Middleton, a three-time All-Star for the Bucks, was a full practice participant on Thursday, according to an Associated Press report (link via ESPN). Middleton experienced discomfort in his right knee on April 5 against Chicago, causing him to leave the game early. Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton were partial practice participants, per The AP — both players are dealing with right ankle sprains, causing them to miss the final few games of the regular season (four for Allen, three for Connaughton). The Bucks will face the Heat in their first-round playoff series after Miami defeated Chicago and advanced as the No. 8 seed in the East.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Law Murray of The Athletic, that star wing Paul George, who has been out since March 21 after suffering a right knee sprain, is making progress in his recovery. However, the team won’t rush him back for its first-round series against Phoenix, with Lue saying the Clippers need George to be “close to 100 percent” in order to prevent a possible re-injury. While there’s no official timeline for George’s return, a source tells Murray the veteran forward is targeting a potential second-round return, assuming the Clippers advance (Twitter link).

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Back, Anderson, Offseason

April 13th, 2023 at 6:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert rejoined the team on Thursday after being suspended for Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Lakers, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press.

However, Gobert remains hampered by the back spams that he was experiencing on Sunday when he got into an altercation with Kyle Anderson that led to his suspension. He said he probably wouldn’t have been able to suit up on Tuesday either way, and his status for Friday’s matchup against the Thunder is up in the air.

“‘Still pretty sore, still not moving like I would like to be able to move, but small progress every day,” Gobert said.

Gobert, Jaylen Nowell (left knee tendinopathy) and Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) are all questionable for Friday’s game, the team announced (via Twitter).

As for his relationship with Anderson, Gobert says they’ve moved past the incident, according to Campbell.

“We both apologized to each other and you move on. That’s life,” Gobert said. “It’s different when you have millions of people all watching videos and have an opinion on things that happened, but that we can’t control. What we can control is the respect that we have for each other and our relationship.

“I still love Kyle. He’s still my brother. I tell people, ‘Sometimes you fight with your family. Sometimes you fight with people that you have a lot of love and respect for.’ It’s life. No one is perfect. Mistakes happen and then you grow and you move on.”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Anderson told reporters prior to Tuesday’s game that he and Gobert had moved on by Sunday night, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “We definitely hashed it out,” Anderson said. “That happens all the time in sports. I feel like people are acting like they’ve never seen it before. We’re grown men. We’re able to put it behind us. We both want to win. We spoke about it that night and just seeing how everything is playing out is kind of lame, honestly. We’re teammates at the end of the day. I don’t want it to be a Kyle vs. Rudy thing. That’s never the case. I always got my teammates’ back, and we moved on.”
Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune downplays the significance of Friday’s play-in game against the Thunder, as he doesn’t think the Wolves stand a chance against the top-seeded Nuggets anyway even if they win and advance as the No. 8 seed. However, Souhan does believe it could be a critical moment in Gobert’s career, writing that the center’s “remarkable immaturity” on Sunday was just the latest in a string of questionable decisions the 30-year-old has made over the past few years.
The altercation between Gobert and Anderson wasn’t the only unfortunate incident on Sunday — Jaden McDaniels punched a wall out of frustration after picking up a couple early fouls and broke his hand. Did those events — combined with the team’s inconsistent play and a limited sample size of the Gobert/Towns pairing — make the Wolves’ offseason plans even more complicated? Michael Rand and Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune explored that topic in a recent podcast.
Anderson’s on-court versatility and strong defense were key factors in the Wolves finishing with a winning record in 2022/23 despite missing Towns for most of the season. Anderson’s blunt yet effective communication style also played a role in the team’s success, as Hine writes for the Star Tribune.

Northwest Notes: Thunder, KAT, Malone, Nuggets, Nnaji

April 6th, 2023 at 2:48pm CST by Rory Maher

As the NBA’s youngest team, the Thunder have didn’t have high external expectations entering 2022/23. However, their rebuild has taken significant steps forward thanks to a strong foundation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams, and Seerah Sohi of The Ringer believes that Oklahoma City might have the most interesting team in the league.

Despite prioritizing player development over immediate success, the Thunder — who still possess several additional draft picks in the future — find themselves in the play-in mix with just two games remaining on their schedule. Sohi points out that Chet Holmgren, last year’s No. 2 overall pick, is scheduled to return next season and could fill a void in the middle. She also notes that the team’s situation seems similar to Memphis a few years ago — a rising upstart that might shoot up the standings in ’23/24.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

After attempting just three shots in the Timberwolves‘ worst loss of the season on Sunday against the tanking Trail Blazers, Karl-Anthony Towns spoke to head coach Chris Finch to ensure they would be on the same page going forward, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We had a conversation,” Towns told reporters after scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in an essential victory over the Nets. “We have a great relationship, so that conversation obviously paid dividends tonight. We had a good conversation about philosophies. We got it done today.”
Head coach Michael Malone ripped the Nuggets‘ effort against the Rockets after getting blown out on Tuesday night, calling the team “soft,” according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “We had a chance to clinch number one (seed) tonight and we talked about it this morning, the opportunity at hand,” Malone said. “And we definitely did not take that opportunity seriously because the way we played tonight was unacceptable playing like that, this late in the year. If that’s how we’re going to play, we’ll be out in the first round. Easy. Easy.” The Nuggets wound up clinching the top seed in the West for the first time in franchise history last night after Memphis lost to New Orleans.
Nuggets big man Zeke Nnaji missed his second straight game on Tuesday due to a knee injury, but it’s not considered serious, reports Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports (Twitter link). The third-year forward/center is expected to return to the team’s second unit for the postseason.
Nnaji (right knee sprain) and the Nuggets‘ entire starting lineup — Jamal Murray (right thumb sprain), Nikola Jokic (right calf tightness), Michael Porter Jr. (left heel injury management), Aaron Gordon (right shoulder inflammation) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (non-COVID illness) — are listed as questionable for Thursday’s matchup with the Suns, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter links).

Western Notes: Kessler, Watson, Morant, KAT

April 3rd, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz center Walker Kessler will likely miss the rest of the regular season after entering the league’s concussion protocol, a source tells ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).

The 21-year-old sustained the injury when he was inadvertently elbowed by teammate Talen Horton-Tucker as Horton-Tucker drove to the basket, causing Kessler to fall backward. The play occurred during the third quarter of Utah’s loss at Brooklyn on Sunday.

Kessler, the No. 22 overall pick of the 2022 draft, has been one of the league’s best rookies in 2022/23. He leads the NBA in field goal percentage (72.0%), is second in block percentage (8.5%), fourth in blocks per game (2.3), and is second among rookies in rebounds per game (8.4) while also chipping in 9.2 points per game in 74 contests (23.0 minutes).

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports doesn’t expect Peyton Watson to be in the Nuggets‘ playoff rotation, but the young wing has shown in the last two games that he’s a terrific athlete with plenty of defensive upside, compiling 13 rebounds and five blocks over 47 minutes against Phoenix and Golden State. Watson, the No. 30 overall pick last year, has spent most of the season with Denver’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, but Wind writes that people within the organization believe the rookie could make All-Defensive teams in the future.
For his part, Watson says he’s not taking his opportunity for granted and believes he’s ready to contribute, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. “This is a big responsibility that coach is trusting me with,” the Nuggets rookie said. “I’m grateful for it all and I’m going to continue to work. I’m not satisfied.”
Due to the Rose Rule language included in his rookie scale extension, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant would earn a projected $233,160,000 if he makes an All-NBA team again this season, compared to $194,300,000 if he doesn’t. Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commericial Appeal takes a look at Morant’s chances of making one of the three All-NBA teams, writing that the star’s eight-game suspension shouldn’t be held against him from a merit standpoint, as he has already appeared in more games than last season. However, Morant faces stiffer competition with so many guards having strong seasons, and if he does make it, which is far from a lock, he might be the sixth and final guard selected, according to Giannotto.
Timberwolves power forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns has seen his status downgraded to questionable ahead of Minnesota’s next contest, Tuesday against the Nets, the team announced (Twitter link). Towns just recently returned to the club’s lineup after a four-month absence due to a Grade 3 calf strain.

Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this report.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Terry, Jokic, Trail Blazers

April 3rd, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

A disastrous week for the Timberwolves culminated with Sunday’s loss to the tanking Trail Blazers, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota dropped its third straight game despite facing a Portland team that was missing nearly all of its regular rotation players, leaving the Wolves likely headed to the play-in tournament if they reach the postseason at all.

The most concerning thing about the game was the lack of involvement from Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with eight points and took just three shots from the field. The Timberwolves have been focused on getting Towns more comfortable in the offense after missing 52 games with a calf injury, but he appeared as disjointed as he was early in the season when he was first learning how to play alongside Rudy Gobert. Krawczynski notes that Minnesota ranks 27th in offensive efficiency since Towns returned two weeks ago.

“We talked a lot about KAT trying to fit into the flow of the offense, and I think he was a bit too passive tonight,” coach Chris Finch said. “So we needed him to still stay aggressive. I thought in his second shift when he went out there, he drew a lot of fouls, but he wasn’t aggressive throughout the rest of the opportunities.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Twenty years after trying to join the Jazz as a player, Jason Terry is making an impact as an assistant coach, notes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Terry signed an offer sheet with Utah in 2003, but the Hawks decided to match it. Now he’s part of Will Hardy‘s coaching staff, explaining that he loves being around the game. “I’ve done a variety of things,” Terry said. “But I get the most joy and excitement out of being on the front lines, being in the fire with the guys — film sessions, training, and then in-game, just trying to manage the game and put them in a position to be successful out there on the floor.”
Nikola Jokic missed his third straight game Sunday with tightness in his right calf, and Mike Singer of The Denver Post suggests that the Nuggets might consider sitting him out for the rest of the regular season (Twitter link). Denver’s magic number to clinch the top seed in the West is down to one, and it may be more beneficial to make sure Jokic is rested and healthy for the playoffs.
Now that the Knicks have clinched a playoff spot, the Trail Blazers are assured of getting New York’s first-round pick this summer, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. The selection that Portland acquired in a February trade was lottery protected.

Northwest Notes: Reid, Towns, Conley, Lillard, Samanic

April 1st, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Naz Reid is a perfect component in the free-wheeling offense that Timberwolves coach Chris Finch prefers, and his absence was evident in Friday’s loss to the Lakers, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Reid is expected to undergo surgery and miss six weeks after fracturing his left wrist this week.

Finch said the offense lacked “flow” without Reid, who had averaged 18.1 PPG over his last eight games. The team missed Reid’s quick decision-making, Hine notes, and shot just 32% from the field in the second half as it dropped an important game to a rival in the Western Conference playoff race.

The loss of Reid comes while Minnesota is still adjusting to Karl-Anthony Towns, who returned to action 10 days ago. Finch believes the Wolves may be trying to force the ball to Towns too often, and Mike Conley has been working individually with Towns to find the best way to integrate him into the offense.

“Having him back in the mix and him implementing into what we’re already doing is, I wouldn’t say challenging, but it’s the obstacle that we’re trying to (overcome),” Conley said. “How can we get us to space the floor properly. How can we cut? What plays? Plays change when you bring a guy like KAT in. Stuff that we run for him now as opposed to we weren’t running those plays before, so it’s just finding the balance.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Conley talks about the challenges he faced after being traded in midseason for the first time in his career. Although Conley has stabilized the Timberwolves since being acquired from the Jazz in February, he rarely gets to see his wife and three young sons, who are still living in Utah.
Appearing Friday on the Dan Patrick Show (video link), Damian Lillard said the Trail Blazers made the choice to shut him down for the rest of the season (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “I wouldn’t say it’s my decision at all,” said Lillard, who appeared in 58 games this season. “I think maybe the team protecting me from myself. … Every time that I’ve had some type injury like that kind of get irritated or aggravated or something like that, it’s come from just like a heavy load, and stress, and just, you know, going out there and trying to go above and beyond. So, you know, I would say just; there is something there, and also them just trying to protect me from myself as well.” Lillard also reiterated his loyalty to the organization, saying he’s still determined to bring a title to Portland.
Luka Samanic is grateful to get another shot at the NBA with the Jazz, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Before signing a 10-day contract with Utah, the former first-round pick hadn’t appeared in an NBA game since the Spurs waived him before the start of last season.