Khris Middleton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Hornets, Magic, Middleton, Fields, Raptors

January 7th, 2023 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets and Magic are among the seemingly lottery-bound teams who have yet to show much aggressiveness in trade discussions involving veterans, multiple sources tell Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

“One of the unintended consequences of the play-in tournament is a chilling of the trade market,” one Eastern Conference executive told Pincus. “When almost the whole league can make the (play-in), you just don’t have as many sellers in December or January. End of the month, we’ll see more action leading into February.”

According to Pincus, the fact that virtually no teams are attempting to create cap room for the summer of 2023 could also be a factor in slowing down the in-season trade market.

“Nobody wants cap space this summer,” a Western Conference executive said. “The really bad teams are so bad, they can keep their (quality veterans) too. There aren’t any fire sales like we saw last year with Portland, but (even) that was for the purpose of retooling.”

While it’s true that we haven’t seen much action yet, we still have more than a month until the February 9 trade deadline arrives, so it’s too early to draw too many conclusions about this season’s market — I expect more sellers to emerge in the coming weeks and plenty of trades to be made as the deadline gets closer.

Here’s more from around the East:

Khris Middleton will accompany the Bucks on their four-game road trip that begins on Monday in New York, but head coach Mike Budenholzer was noncommittal when asked if the star forward would play at all during the trip, which runs through next Saturday. Asked if there was any concern that Middleton’s right knee soreness might be an issue that requires surgery, Budenholzer simply replied, “No” (Twitter links via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).
At age 34, Hawks general manager Landry Fields is one of the youngest heads of basketball operations in the NBA, but his rise through the front office ranks at such a young age became possible only because his playing career ended prematurely, as Howie Kussoy of The New York Post (subscription required) writes in a feature on the former Knicks wing. “I look back and I’m super proud of the fact that I was able to get to the NBA and experience some of that NBA success, Fields said. “… But there’s also this sadness to it. I was really thinking there’d be so much more. I thought there’d be 10-plus years in the NBA.”
The player development magic that has helped make the Raptors successful in the past has vanished this season, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. The team doesn’t have enough reliable rotation players to complement its top guys and has had to rely too heavily on its starters, as Koreen and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca observe.
While some of those top Raptors players, such as Fred VanVleet, are seemingly having down years, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca argues that the Raptors have failed VanVleet more than he has failed the team — the former All-Star point guard has had to carry too substantial a workload due to Toronto’s lack of solid backcourt depth.

Health Updates: LeBron, Walker, Prince, Bucks, SGA

January 4th, 2023 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James has been helping to keep the Lakers in the play-in race, averaging 36.6 points per game on 58.5% shooting during the club’s 3-2 road trip that wrapped up on Monday.

However, James won’t be available when the Lakers return home and host the Heat on Wednesday. He has been ruled out for the game due to a non-COVID illness, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Lakers guard Lonnie Walker will also miss his third consecutive contest, McMenamin adds. Previously listed as out due to a tailbone contusion, Walker is now on the injury report with left knee soreness.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince intends to make his return to action on Wednesday night vs. Portland, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Prince, who was dealing with a right shoulder subluxation, last played on November 23 — he has missed Minnesota’s last 20 games.
After playing on Tuesday night vs. Washington, Jrue Holiday (non-COVID illness) and Joe Ingles (left knee injury management) have been ruled out for the second half of the Bucks‘ back-to-back set on Wednesday in Toronto, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Khris Middleton (right knee soreness) and George Hill (non-COVID illness) will also remain sidelined.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed Tuesday’s game due to a non-COVID illness, but he’s not on Wednesday’s injury report, so it appears he’ll be available tonight in Orlando, tweets Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder.

Central Notes: Antetokounmpo, Holiday, LaVine, Drummond, Mitchell

January 3rd, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday are both available to play for the Bucks tonight against Washington, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. Antetokounmpo sat out Sunday’s loss to Washington due to left knee soreness. Holiday has not played since Christmas Day due to a non-COVID illness.

The Bucks have listed Khris Middleton (right knee soreness) and George Hill (non-COVID illness) as out.

We have more from the Central Division:

Zach LaVine, in the first season of a five-year max contract, admits he needs to do a better job giving consistent effort on the defensive end, he told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “That might just be finishing plays as well as the possession goes on,’’ the Bulls’ wing said. “Getting a rebound, one more contest, one more rotation, one more effort … and you know, you can take that on the chin and say, ‘Yeah, there’s been possessions where if I have to make that last rotation, I have to give a better effort toward that.’ That’s something I do have to be better at.’’
Bulls center Andre Drummond thought he’d spend his entire career with the team that drafted him, the Pistons, he told Mike Curtis of the Detroit News (subscription required). “For me, (Detroit) was always a place that I thought I was going to be for my entire career. But, it didn’t go that way,” he said. “They had other plans; I think they wanted to restart their team again and it’s never any hard feelings. I know the way of the business. It’s always love. I love (Pistons owner) Tom Gores. I love his family. I love the city of Detroit and I love the staff there.” Drummond played seven-and-a-half seasons with Detroit before he was traded to Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell‘s 71-point eruption on Monday has washed away his disappointing postseason performances with Utah last season, Michael Pina of The Ringer writes. The 25-year-old Mitchell has been as efficient offensively as he’s ever been during his career. If he can sustain that, the Cavaliers got a special talent that rarely gets traded, particularly before the player reaches age 30.

Injury Updates: Payne, Shamet, Jovic, Green, Antetokounmpo, Holiday, Middleton, Hill

January 1st, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns reserve guards Cameron Payne (right foot strain) and Landry Shamet (sore right Achilles) have seen their statuses updated to probable for Monday’s game against the Knicks, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link). Payne has been unavailable since December 13, while Shamet has been sidelined since Christmas Day.

Long-term, Phoenix is still without All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker (groin strain) and power forwards Cameron Johnson (right meniscus surgery) and Jae Crowder. Crowder has been away from the Suns all season while hoping for a trade.

We have more injury-related news:

While getting some run with the Heat‘s G League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, rookie Miami power forward Nikola Jovic has been sidelined with back spasms, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
Mavericks shooting guard Josh Green (sprained right elbow) remains shelved for a Monday matchup against the Rockets, the team announced (Twitter link). The elbow was reportedly reassessed on Friday. Dallas also confirmed that Dorian Finney-Smith (right adductor strain), expected to miss at least another week, and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring surgery), out indefinitely, remain unavailable.
The Bucks could be missing their three best players on Sunday night as they square off against the Wizards, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter). Khris Middleton (sore right knee) and Jrue Holiday (non-coronavirus illness) will miss the contest against Washington, while All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore left knee) and reserve point guard George Hill (non-coronavirus illness) are both questionable to play.

Central Notes: Bogdanovic, Middelton, Lopez, Haliburton

December 25th, 2022 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons may have the league’s worst record, but that won’t deter Dwane Casey from proclaiming that Bojan Bogdanovic deserves All-Star recognition, Mike Curtis of the Detroit News writes.

“I hope people don’t look at our record as a rebuilding team and punish him for that because to me, Bogey’s an All-Star,” the Pistons’ head coach said. “I’ve coached a lot of offensive players in my career when you talk about (Dirk) Nowitzki, (DeMar) DeRozan, a lot of those guys, Kevin Garnett. Offensively, he’s right up there with those guys as far as scoring the basketball.”

Bogdanovic, who signed a two-year extension with the Pistons early this season, is averaging a team-high 20.8 points.

We have more from the Central Division:

Bucks forward Khris Middleton made his long-awaited return from wrist surgery early this month, but now swelling in his knee has sidelined him, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “I would say way better than I was last week when I stopped playing,” Middleton said Saturday. “A lot of swelling in my knee went down. Just taking it day-by-day. Just trying to make sure the next time I go back out there I’ll be out there for the long run.” Middleton missed his fifth consecutive game on Sunday, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
Bucks center Brook Lopez was sidelined much of last season due to a back injury. Lopez has not only been healthy this season, he has emerged as a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He told Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated that he’s humbled to be in that discussion. “Absolutely it would mean something, it would be a great honor,” Lopez said. “I’ve had a very interesting career arc. The changes I’ve had to make to my game to stay in the league, I’m proud of that and I’m proud of the player I’ve become. It would definitely be an honor.”
Tyrese Haliburton was held to one point the first time the Pacers faced the Heat this month. The rematch was way different, as he erupted for 43 points and set a franchise-record with 10 3-pointers on Friday. Haliburton felt he had something to prove to Miami, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star relays. “Last time we played these guys, they really had me in check,” he said. “I just had to come out here and respond the right way.”

Injury Updates: Middleton, Maxey, Booker, Wright, Tate

December 23rd, 2022 at 7:58pm CST by Rory Maher

After making his season debut on December 2 following offseason wrist surgery, Bucks wing Khris Middleton has now missed four consecutive games with right knee soreness. Head coach Mike Budenholzer provided an update on Middleton’s status ahead of Friday’s game against the Nets, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I think, I would say he is making progress, probably not at the rate we had hoped,” Budenholzer said. “To be able to get work in, to be ready to play — it’s really still, he only played I think four, five games — so there’s still that being ready for an NBA game and all that goes into that. So, we’ll see how the next 24, 48 hours go. … But I think overall we’re encouraged. And I think he’s in a good place and he’ll play when he’s ready. It’s a long season. We have to be patient. It’s hard for Khris. It’s hard for us, but just keep the big picture in mind always.”

While Budenholzer is typically vague when giving health updates, hopefully the fact that Middleton’s knee has been slow to respond doesn’t keep him out of action for much longer. Through seven games (24.6 MPG), the three-time All-Star is averaging 11.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 4.4 APG.

Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers isn’t confident that Tyrese Maxey will return for Sunday’s matchup against the Knicks, but he provided an encouraging update on Friday, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He’s making great progress,” Rivers said. “[He] had a great workout [Thursday], so he’s close.” The third-year guard has been sidelined since November 18 after suffering a foot fracture.
Suns star Devin Booker has been dealing with groin soreness since Saturday’s victory over New Orleans, with Friday marking his third straight missed game. Head coach Monty Williams isn’t sure when the shooting guard will be back in action, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). “He’s been shooting the last couple of days. Not moving as much, but is progressing a bit…he’s chomping at the bit. As you can imagine, Book’s frustrated when he can’t play,” Williams said, adding that he wouldn’t speculate about whether Booker would play on Sunday.
The Wizards announced that guard Delon Wright, who has missed the team’s past 29 games with a hamstring injury, would be back in action on Friday against Sacramento, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Wright should bolster the Wizards’ defense, which ranks 22nd in the NBA.
Jae’Sean Tate has been sidelined since October 30 due to a right ankle injury, having made just three appearances for the Rockets thus far this season. However, head coach Stephen Silas said on Friday that the forward’s return “looks like it will be pretty soon,” tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Central Notes: Livers, Bulls, Mitchell, Bucks, Duarte

December 17th, 2022 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons forward Isaiah Livers suffered a setback while attempting to return from a shoulder injury, the team announced on Friday in a press release. According to the Pistons, Livers had advanced to the “end stage” of his rehab process, but reaggravated the AC joint in his right shoulder during a workout. Livers will take a step backward in his rehab work and will be reevaluated in approximately two or three weeks by the Pistons’ medical staff, according to the team.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Asked on Friday after the Bulls fell to 11-17 if the front office erred by bringing back nearly the same roster as last season, head coach Billy Donovan said he doesn’t feel that way, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I think the character in that locker room is really, really good,” Donovan said. “I just think that with the adversity that happens in the game, we have to collectively have more resolve.”
The Cavaliers will host the Jazz on Monday and then visit Utah in early January, but Donovan Mitchell will likely make another trip to his former team’s city in February for the 2023 All-Star Game, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, who says no Eastern Conference guard has been better than Mitchell this season. “Donovan’s essentially elevated their entire situation here,” Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle said on Friday after Mitchell scored 41 points to help defeat his team.
The Bucks will be without Khris Middleton on Saturday vs. Utah due to right knee soreness, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links). Giannis Antetokounmpo has also been added to the team’s injury report as questionable due to left knee soreness.
Pacers wing Chris Duarte, sidelined since November 4 due to ankle sprain, appears to be on the verge of returning to action at the NBA level. Duarte has played two games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League as part of his rehab and could be back with the Pacers in time for Sunday’s contest vs. New York, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

Joe Ingles “Close” To Making Bucks Debut

December 11th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks spent their $6.479MM taxpayer midlevel exception on forward Joe Ingles over the summer despite the fact he was rehabbing from a torn ACL after undergoing surgery in February.

Ingles is “close” to making his Milwaukee debut, coach Mike Budenholzer told Eric Nehm of The Athletic on Sunday (Twitter link). Ingles has been assigned to the G League Wisconsin Herd twice this week for practice reps.

“I think it’s fair to say he’s getting close. I mean, if you’re playing with our G League group and you’re playing five on five and live action — but again, part of the questions towards the end of (Khris Middleton‘s rehab) is, you’ve got to get to a conditioning level to be ready to play in an NBA game,” Budenholzer said. “You’ve got to get kind of, I would say, a significant number of reps of just playing and doing things and building up just everything it takes to go into playing an NBA game. So, hopefully, somewhere there is an answer for you.”

Middleton made his season debut on Dec. 2 after rehabbing from wrist surgery. Middleton suffered a minor left ankle sprain in a loss to Houston on Sunday, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.

Over the summer, Ingles expressed optimism he could get back in action by mid-December. It appears that timetable is just about right, though Budenholzer was vague regarding how much conditioning Ingles would require before he’ll suit up.

Ingles was dealt to Portland at the trade deadline in February after he was injured but never suited up for the Trail Blazers. All 590 of his career NBA games came with the Jazz. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 assists in 24.9 minutes while appearing in 45 games last season.

Ingles could become a valuable reserve, especially with wings Pat Connaughton and Jordan Nwora both struggling offensively.

Central Notes: Middleton, Mitchell, Rubio, Livers

December 3rd, 2022 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Khris Middleton returned to the court Friday for the first time since the playoffs, and the Bucks responded with a season-high 129 points, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Middleton hadn’t played since suffering an MCL sprain to his left knee in the first-round series against Chicago. He also had wrist surgery in July.

“It felt really good to be back out there with the guys competing, playing,” Middleton said. “Just a range of emotions. Been through a lot these last couple months — happy, sad, anxious, nervous. To finally get out there and play and get a lot of those nerves past me, it felt pretty good.”

Milwaukee has the league’s second-best record, but ranked 17th in offensive efficiency without one of its most reliable perimeter scorers. Middleton reminded Bucks fans what they’ve been missing with 17 points and seven assists in 27 minutes Friday night.

“He makes the game look so easy,” Jrue Holiday said. “The way he plays, it’s kind of like nobody is out there, just him. It’s like a drill. It’s definitely good to see him back out there, wish we could’ve got the win for him. But he makes the game look effortless.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Donovan Mitchell feels like his career has been revived after an offseason trade to the Cavaliers, per Brian Dulik of The Associated Press. Mitchell is averaging 28.7 PPG through 21 games while shooting career highs of 49.4% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range. “This is no shot at my guys in Utah, but I’m having fun again and that goes a long way,” he said. “This group has a bunch of guys who want to learn and who want to be great. Sometimes a new beginning is all you need. I’ve fit in here because I’ve filled a void.”
Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio was able to play 3-on-3 this week as he recovers from ACL surgery, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “He’s got a doctor’s appointment coming up soon, where we’re looking to see where he’s at,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
Pistons forward Isaiah Livers will miss some time with a shoulder sprain he suffered in Thursday’s game, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link). Coach Dwane Casey didn’t provide a projected timetable for Livers, who has started the team’s last seven games.

Central Notes: Turner, Sabonis, Lopez, Middleton, Allen

December 1st, 2022 at 2:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers center Myles Turner is enjoying a career season now that he is fully entrenched at the five spot for Indiana, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.

The 12-9 Pacers have enjoyed a surprisingly solid start to 2022/23, and Turner has been a big part of that. The 6’11” big man out of Texas is averaging a career-high 17.1 PPG on a shooting line of .528/.377/.808. He is also pulling down a career-high 8.3 RPG, while chipping in 2.6 BPG and 1.5 APG.

“The past three or four seasons, I’ve been playing the four position,” Turner explained. Former frontcourt mate Domantas Sabonis manned the center role while Turner played mostly as a power forward. “I feel better naturally at the five. Things have just opened up for me. There’s more opportunity out there on the floor.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Sabonis, now with the Kings after a deadline deal last season, reflected on his new home and suggested that the trade sending him from the Pacers to Sacramento was a win-win, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “We’re doing great here,” Sabonis said of his 11-9 Sacramento squad. “I was traded here to turn things around and change the franchise. I feel like we’re on a great start, there’s a lot of season left. Tyrese [Haliburton] is playing amazing, he’s playing at an All-Star level. It looks like they’re having a lot of fun. Yeah, it worked out for both sides.”
Bucks center Brook Lopez is looking forward to the return of All-Star teammate Khris Middleton, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Middleton is expected to make his 2022/23 season debut for Milwaukee Friday at home against the Lakers. The team without Middleton seems to have barely missed a step, and is currently the No. 2 seed in the East with a 15-5 record. “We’ve been playing the way we are, and we haven’t had an All-Star, All-NBA guy like that, just tops at his position,” Lopez reflected. “That’s scary. Obviously, we want Khris to take his time, make sure he’s healthy, get right and everything, but that’s an exciting prospect to think about.”
All-Star Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen continues to rehabilitate a low back contusion, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). “From what I understand he’s gotten better and then it’s just a matter of how quickly he can progress,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Allen’s health. “It’s been slow, obviously, it’s not where he wants it to be where he’d be able to play. He’s been doing things in the water and trying it out even on game days to see, and we just won’t put him out there when he’s not in position to protect himself.”