Kevin Huerter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

COVID-19 Updates: Doncic, SGA, Robinson, Hawks, Nuggets, More

January 1st, 2022 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks star Luka Doncic has cleared the league’s health and safety protocols, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Doncic, who hasn’t played since December 10, missed a combined 10 games due to a left ankle injury and his time in the protocols. He’s expected to meet his teammates in Oklahoma City and may return to the court on Sunday.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber may also be able to exit the protocols in time for Sunday’s game, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Dallas, which has five other players still in protocols, managed to go 5-5 without Doncic and is holding onto eighth place in the Western Conference.

Here are more updates on players entering and exiting the protocols:

The Thunder will face the Mavs tomorrow without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been placed in the protocols, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Rookie guard Josh Giddey has been cleared to return.
Center Mitchell Robinson has entered the protocols, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). He becomes New York’s fifth player to be sidelined due to COVID-19.
Nate McMillan is the latest head coach to be placed in protocols, the Hawks tweeted. Assistant Joe Prunty will serve as acting head coach while McMillan is action (Twitter link from Wojnarowski). Atlanta’s Sharife Cooper, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Onyeka Okongwu and Delon Wright are all out of protocols and are expected to be with the team for Monday’s game at Portland.
David Adelman, acting head coach for the Nuggets, is joining Michael Malone in protocols, Wojnarowski tweets. Popeye Jones will run the team tonight in Houston.
Kings center Richaun Holmes has also entered the protocols, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The Hornets have gotten Miles Bridges and PJ Washington back from protocols, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Both are considered questionable for Sunday’s game against Phoenix. Vernon Carey Jr. has entered the protocols for Charlotte, however, Boone tweets.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo is the latest member of the Bucks to enter the protocols, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Clippers guard Luke Kennard has been placed in protocols, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The team issued a statement on coach Tyronn Lue, who entered the protocols while in Canada, saying, “We are working on the safest way to get him back home.” (Twitter link)

Hawks’ Huerter, Warriors’ Lee Placed In Protocols

December 22nd, 2021 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks guard Kevin Huerter and Warriors guard Damion Lee are the latest additions to the long list of NBA players in health and safety protocols.

Huerter is the sixth Atlanta player to be sidelined because of COVID-19, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He joins Trae Young, Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who have all entered the protocols since Sunday.

Huerter is averaging 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists through 28 games. The Hawks had been hoping he could carry a larger share of the scoring load with so many rotation members out of action.

Atlanta is also without De’Andre Hunter, who is recovering from an injury to his right wrist, and Solomon Hill, who’s sidelined with a torn right hamstring. Lance Stephenson and Malcolm Hill, who were both added to the roster today under the hardship provision, are expected to be available for tonight’s game with the Magic.

“It’s an adjustment that we have to make, we can’t allow this to be a distraction,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We have a game to play tonight. We have to come out with that energy and that effort we’ve been talking about, no matter who is in uniform. We have to play this game harder than we’ve played here lately. We’ve got to execute better, even though we’ve got a few new faces that will be out on the floor.”

The Warriors are listing Lee as being in the protocols in their latest injury report, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He becomes the third Golden State player affected, joining Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Lee has been a dependable bench player for the Warriors, averaging 8.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25 games.

Eastern Notes: Hunter, Reddish, Jackson, Strus, Hornets Front Office

November 15th, 2021 at 6:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With De’Andre Hunter sidelined a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery, the Hawks will naturally rely more on Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish at the wing spot, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Coach Nate McMillan will likely shorten his rotation with Hunter out.

Kirschner also notes both Hunter and Reddish are eligible for rookie scale extensions before the start of next season and it will be challenging to keep both due to luxury tax bill concerns. The Hawks should consider flipping some of their young talent for an established second star, Kirschner adds.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Pacers rookie big man Isaiah Jackson was assigned to the G League Fort Wayne Mad Ants to continue rehabbing a knee injury, according to James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star. Jackson hyperextended his left knee against Toronto on October 27. “He’s doing better,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s going to … start doing some live practice stuff with the Mad Ants, and we’ll see. He may join us later in the week, but we’ll have to see.”
Heat reserve Max Strus missed five games due to a sprained left knee and has shown signs of rust since returning, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He shot 3 of 10 from 3-point range and committed three turnovers in his first two games back. “I need to get conditioned,” Strus said. “I haven’t been able to run a lot. So I need to get my wind back. Things are just a little fast. So I just got to find my rhythm again. That will come with just playing, so I’ll be back in no time.”
The Hornets have made three front office promotions. Buzz Peterson was named senior VP of basketball operations and assistant GM, Larry Jordan was elevated to VP of player personnel and David Duquette was named an assistant GM, according to a team press release. All three have been with the organization for 10 or more years.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Hornets, Riley, Butler

October 31st, 2021 at 2:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 3-3 Hawks have yet to recapture the momentum that propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. With an intimidating schedule coming up in which Atlanta will play several 2021 playoff teams, Kirschner offers his thoughts on how the club can adjust.

While forwards Cam Reddish and John Collins have exhibited plenty of growth, other key Hawks players have struggled a bit. Point guard Trae Young is struggling to adjust to the league’s new free throw rules, while shooting guard Kevin Huerter is struggling to connect from deep.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hornets have already enjoyed a promising start to the 2021/22 season, writes Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. New additions Ish Smith and Kelly Oubre have fit in well thus far, with Oubre connecting on a solid 35.7% of his three-point looks. 2022 restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges has taken his scoring to borderline All-Star heights, and Boone is pegging his future contract in the $100MM vicinity. When it comes to perimeter depth, Boone observes that Cody Martin, Jalen McDaniels, and Nick Richards are also improving.
The hot start of the Heat has Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wondering if team president Pat Riley has finally nailed the club’s supporting lineup around All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The club has wholly recalibrated its frontcourt depth around Adebayo, and the early results have paid dividends thus far. The addition of former Raptors All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry has made a huge defensive impact on Miami, though his offense is struggling so far. Sixth man Tyler Herro also appears to have taken a leap in his third season.
Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler has thrived alongside new addition Kyle Lowry. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald wonders if Butler has been newly maximized as a player alongside the former six-time All-Star point guard.

Southeast Notes: Li. Ball, Bridges, Huerter, Heat

October 22nd, 2021 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Hornets signed and subsequently waived LiAngelo Ball before the regular season began, procedural issues will prevent the team from making Ball an “affiliate player” for the Greensboro Swarm, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

NBA teams can secure the G League rights of up to four affiliate players by signing and waiving them before the season begins, then having those players sign NBAGL contracts. In Ball’s case, he signed his G League contract before the Hornets signed him, explains Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. That’s why Charlotte can’t make him an affiliate player.

Ball will now be eligible to be selected by an team in Saturday’s draft, and he could actually be one of the more intriguing targets in a somewhat thin draft pool. Greensboro currently holds the 14th, 23rd, and 26th picks in the first round and could use one of those to select Ball — if he falls that far.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said this week that he believes a playoff spot is a realistic goal for the team this season, and added that the lack of a rookie scale contract extension for Miles Bridges by no means suggests the club doesn’t want to retain him long-term. “We love Miles Bridges,” Kupchak said, per Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. “… We did have conversations with his representative — up until the last minute. And the decision was made to let’s just wait and see how the season plays out. And we’ll approach it again in the spring when we’re able to talk.”
Hawks swingman Kevin Huerter, who signed a four-year, $65MM contract extension earlier this week, is excited about the fact that the team locked up several members of its core – including Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela – to long-term deals this offseason, as Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details. “We signed a lot of people to a lot of money this offseason. … As players, it speaks a lot,” Huerter said. “They kind of put their money where their mouth was. … There’s a lot of guys locked in for a couple years now as we try to make some noise.”
The Heat are starting the season without a 15th man on their roster because carrying another player would push them over the luxury tax line. However, team president Pat Riley said ownership would be willing to go into the tax this season if the Heat show they’re a legit contender and it makes sense to do so. “(Not) paying the tax, it’s never been a mandate, but it’s always been on my mind,” Riley said, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I’m not just going to say, ‘Every year we’re going into the tax,’ and then we don’t win and (team owner) Micky (Arison)‘s writing these big checks. I don’t think that’s fair. But, when we have a real contender, which I think we have, then we’ll entertain that. I think we’ll entertain it this year, too.”

Hawks, Kevin Huerter Complete Four-Year Extension

October 18th, 2021 at 5:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:54pm: Huerter has officially signed his extension, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

4:31pm: The Hawks and Kevin Huerter have agreed to terms on a four-year rookie scale extension worth $65MM, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal is fully guaranteed, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

This continues Atlanta’s trend of locking up its young core. Trae Young signed a five-year max extension in August. John Collins inked a five-year extension this summer and Clint Capela received a two-year extension.

Overall, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link), the franchise has handed out more than $400MM in contracts this offseason — Young’s $172.5MM, John Collins’ $125MM, Huerter’s deal and Capela’s $46MM. Atlanta could certainly be confronted with luxury tax issues in future years but the ownership group appears willing to do whatever it takes to keep their top players in the fold.

Huerter, 23, is one of the team’s key wing pieces. He’s a 37.6% 3-point shooter over the first three years of his career. He averaged 11.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 3.5 APG last season in 69 regular season games, including 49 starts. During the Hawks’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, he started 10 of 18 games and averaged 11.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 2.8 APG.

Huerter’s extension is similar to the one the Clippers wing Luke Kennard received last winter.

Extension Rumors: Bridges, Huerter, Shamet, A. Holiday

October 13th, 2021 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have engaged in discussions about a possible rookie scale contract extension for forward Miles Bridges, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Bridges is one of 18 players who remains eligible for a rookie extension up until the October 18 deadline.

Scotto says that some people around the NBA believe $20MM per year would be the floor for Bridges on a new deal. That’s the same price that has been frequently projected for another Bridges with a similar skill set: Mikal Bridges of the Suns.

Here are a few updates from Scotto on possible rookie scale extensions:

The Suns and sharpshooter Landry Shamet have been having ongoing conversations about a possible extension, with one source suggesting that the odds of the two sides reaching a deal are about 50-50, says Scotto. Shamet has yet to appear in a regular season game for his new team, but Phoenix had reportedly coveted him for a while.
Scotto suggests that Hawks wing Kevin Huerter could get “Joe Harris type of money,” adding that some people around the league think Huerter’s value is in the neighborhood of $18MM annually. Harris signed a four-year, $72MM contract with Brooklyn during the 2020 offseason.
The Wizards and Aaron Holiday aren’t discussing an extension, but Washington likes the 25-year-old and will likely evaluate him over the course of the 2021/22 season, according to Scotto.
Extensions for Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and Bulls swingman Troy Brown appear unlikely, per Scotto.

Southeast Notes: Hachimura, Magic, Huerter, Walker

October 12th, 2021 at 8:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Wizards power forward Rui Hachimura has returned to D.C. after a weeks-long excused absence due to personal reasons, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Hachimura, 23, averaged 13.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 57 games for Washington during the 2021/22 season.

Hughes notes that the 6’8″ third-year player, a 2019 lottery selection out of Gonzaga, will now have to wait to clear COVID-19 protocols. He missed several weeks with the Wizards during the club’s 2021/22 training camp/preseason. The team expects him to return within a few days.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Magic have announced several promotions within their front office, per a team press release. Matt Lloyd and Anthony Parker have been promoted to prominent roles for the club, with Lloyd upgraded to the title of vice president of basketball operations and Parker to assistant GM.
Hawks shooting guard Kevin Huerter appears to be confident he’ll receive a rookie contract extension before the October 18 deadline, following a terrific showing in the Eastern Conference playoffs with Atlanta, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Kirschner notes that, during the 2021 offseason, Huerter had a left ankle procedure to treat long-term soreness that had afflicted him throughout the 2020/21 season. “I think both sides are saying the right things and want to get something done,” Huerter said. “I’m as confident as I’ve ever been. I think both sides want to get something done. It’s obviously just coming up with the right value.” The 23-year-old, drafted with the No. 19 pick out of Maryland in 2018, averaged 11.9 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.3 RPG and 1.2 SPG in 69 games for Atlanta last year. He posted a shooting line of .432/.363/.781.
The Capital City Go-Go, NBA G League affiliate of the Wizards, will add rookie small forward Kyree Walker, tweets Jordan Schultz of Boardroom. Schultz mentions that Walker could be considered for the Wizards’ open two-way player slot. The Wizards previously had been preparing to add Walker to their training camp roster and may still sign him to an Exhibit 10 contract to secure his NBAGL rights.

And-Ones: Training Camp Questions, Vaccination Rate, Rule Change, Austin

September 30th, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Bobby Marks of ESPN recently broke down the biggest training camp questions facing all 30 NBA teams. Marks also provides camp rosters and projected depth charts for every team. He’s keeping a close eye on the rookie-scale extension deadline (Oct. 18) for several players and teams, including Kevin Huerter of the Hawks, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies, Collin Sexton of the Cavs, and Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges of the Suns. The article is worth checking out in full for all ESPN+ subscribers.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

The COVID-19 vaccination rate for NBA players has risen to 95%, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The figure includes players that have received one dose, sources tell Wojnarowski, and thus are not yet considered fully vaccinated.
The NBA Board of Governors formally approved a change to automatic late-game out-of-bounds reviews, the league tweets. Those plays will now only be reviewable by coach’s challenge, as we previously detailed. The change is an effort to improve the flow of end of games, which had become onerous and disruptive.
Shams Charania of The Athletic interviewed former Baylor Bears star Isaiah Austin, a projected first round pick of the 2014 draft, who was ruled ineligible to compete as a player after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. Austin will finally achieve his dream of making it to the NBA — in a front office role.

Hawks Notes: Huerter, Okongwu, Bogdanovic, Hunter, Capela, Collins, Hill

September 27th, 2021 at 1:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are engaged in extension talks with Kevin Huerter, and coach Nate McMillan hopes an agreement can be reached before next month’s deadline, tweets Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Speaking at Media Day, McMillan said the Hawks are “crossing their fingers” that a new deal will happen and the team is laying a foundation by signing core players to long-term contracts this offseason.

Huerter also expressed hope, telling Spencer, “We’re still working. It’s something we’ve kind of worked through throughout the summer. Mostly I let my agent and (general manager Travis Schlenk) handle (it). Obviously I hope to get something done, but there’s no guarantees.” (Twitter link).

Huerter continues to rehab from offseason ankle surgery, and said he’s “95% healthy” heading into the start of training camp (Twitter link).

There’s more from Atlanta:

Onyeka Okongwu tells Spencer that he hopes to be ready to play in December (Twitter link). The second-year center underwent surgery in July to fix a torn labrum in his right shoulder and was given a six-month timetable for recovery.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela entered the offseason with health concerns, but McMillan expects them all to be ready for the October 21 season opener, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. However, McMillan doesn’t plan for them to see much playing time in the team’s four preseason games. Bogdanovic experienced soreness in his right knee during last season’s playoffs, but recently said he feels completely healthy. Hunter had surgery on his right knee in June, while Capela had to get a PRP injection in his Achilles tendon. He told reporters that he played through an Achilles injury last season (Twitter link).
Re-signing restricted free agent John Collins was an offseason priority in Atlanta, but he revealed today that he never talked with any other teams, Kirschner adds (Twitter link). Collins reached a five-year, $125MM deal to stay with the Hawks.
Veteran forward Solomon Hill said his close relationship with McMillan influenced his decision to re-sign with Atlanta (Twitter link). “I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Hill said.