Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Lauri Markkanen

Jazz Trade Donovan Mitchell To Cavaliers

September 8th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 8: The Jazz officially confirmed the trade of Mitchell in a press release. “Our entire organization wishes him every success in his future,” team owner Ryan Smith said in the release. “Once a Jazzman, always a Jazzman.”

SEPTEMBER 3: The Mitchell trade is now official, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“The acquisition of Donovan Mitchell presented us with an incredible opportunity to bring one of the NBA’s most dynamic young All-Stars to Cleveland,” general manager Koby Altman said in the press release announcing the move. “Already a special and proven talent at just 25 years old, Donovan brings a competitive mentality that organically fits with the core group of this team.”

SEPTEMBER 1: The Cavaliers have agreed to a trade with the Jazz and will acquire star guard Donovan Mitchell, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Cleveland is sending three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps to Utah as part of the deal. Lauri Markkanen, first-round pick Ochai Agbaji, and Collin Sexton are also headed to the Jazz in the blockbuster trade, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Sexton is a restricted free agent, so he’ll need to be signed-and-traded as part of the agreement. His new deal with the Jazz will be worth $72MM over four years and will be fully guaranteed, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

The three first-round picks going to Utah will be in 2025, 2027, and 2029, since Cleveland already owes its lottery-protected 2023 first-rounder to Indiana, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. The Jazz will have the ability to swap first-rounders with the Cavs in 2026 and 2028, tweets Wojnarowski.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 first identified the Cavaliers last week as a team with interest in Mitchell, and Ian Begley of SNY.tv subsequently reported that Cleveland had “touched base” with Utah about the three-time All-Star guard.

Still, today’s news comes as a major surprise. Begley reported last Friday that the Cavs were removing themselves from the Mitchell negotiations, while Brian Windhorst of ESPN said Cleveland had made it clear to the Jazz in their earlier discussions that Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen weren’t on the table. That seemingly made it difficult for the Cavs to meet Utah’s asking price.

However, the Cavs’ package will include most of the other noteworthy assets at their disposal, including all their tradable first-round picks, this year’s No. 14 overall selection (Agbaji), and Sexton, who is just one year removed from averaging 24.3 PPG and 4.4 APG on .475/.371/.815 shooting in 60 games (35.3 MPG).

As good as Sexton was in 2020/21, Mitchell represents an upgrade at the shooting guard position in Cleveland. In his last two seasons, he has averaged 26.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game in 120 appearances (33.6 MPG), with a shooting line of .444/.368/.849 shooting line. He’ll earn a $1.68MM trade bonus as part of the deal, Marks notes (via Twitter).

With a core of Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen, the Cavs will be led by a pair of star duos — an offensively-minded pairing in the backcourt and a rim-protecting duo in the frontcourt.

All of those cornerstone players will be under contract for at least the next three years. Garland signed a new five-year extension this offseason, Mobley’s rookie contract runs through 2025, Allen is in the second year of a five-year contract, and Mitchell is locked up through at least the 2024/25 season (he has a player option for ’25/26).

With their three-for-one trade, the Cavs no longer have to worry about a logjam on their 15-man roster and should, in fact, have one open spot to fill. Once the deal is official, they’ll have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade on non-guaranteed deals. They’ll also create a $3.9MM trade exception in the swap and remain $2.47MM below the tax line, according to Marks (Twitter link).

The Knicks had long been viewed as the frontrunners for Mitchell, but they were never willing to offer more than two unprotected first-round picks (in addition to other protected first-rounders), per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Unprotected first-round picks and swaps had been the trade chips that Danny Ainge and the Jazz coveted most, as was the case when they acquired a similar return in exchange for Rudy Gobert earlier this summer.

The Knicks and Jazz reportedly reached an impasse earlier this week when the Knicks set an informal Monday night deadline to either agree to a Mitchell trade or extend RJ Barrett, who was being discussed as a possible centerpiece in several permutations of a Mitchell deal. New York ultimately decided to sign Barrett to an extension, which complicated salary matching in a potential trade due to the poison pill provision and brought those trade talks to a temporary halt.

While there was an expectation that the Knicks and Jazz would reengage in the coming weeks, their stalemate opened the door for Cavs general manager Koby Altman to circle back to Utah general manager Justin Zanik, according to Wojnarowski, who says (via Twitter) the two teams “reassembled” a deal they’d been discussing in previous weeks.

The Jazz are now in full rebuilding mode, having traded their two All-Stars in the two most significant deals of the NBA offseason. Taking into account the trades for Mitchell, Gobert, and Royce O’Neale, Utah has acquired eight future first-rounders this summer, and all but one of those picks is unprotected (the eighth is top-five protected). The Jazz also acquired three pick swaps and a pair of players who were drafted in the first round this June (Agbaji and Walker Kessler).

While the Jazz appear to be in teardown mode, their four-year investment in Sexton suggests he’s a major part of their long-term plans. Fischer had reported back in July that Utah was exploring a possible sign-and-trade for the 23-year-old, so he has been on the club’s radar for some time.

Sexton is coming off a lost season due to a torn meniscus, but should be fully healthy this fall and has shown in his first four NBA seasons that he’s capable of becoming one of the league’s highest-scoring guards. Utah also views Markkanen and Agbaji as keepers going forward, tweets Wojnarowski.

Once the trade is official, the Jazz will have 17 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so more roster moves – either cuts, trades, or both – will be coming before opening night. Veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Malik Beasley, and Jordan Clarkson could still be on the trade block.

While it shouldn’t have much of an impact on their roster moves, it’s also worth noting that the Jazz will face a hard cap of $156.98MM for the rest of the 2022/23 league year once they formally sign-and-trade for Sexton. For now, they’re $1.7MM below the tax line ($150.27MM), tweets Marks.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

More Than 30 NBA Players On Track To Suit Up For EuroBasket

August 18th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.

EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.

The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.

It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.

Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:

There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.

A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.

Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Cavs To Hold Player-Led Mini-Camp In Los Angeles

August 12th, 2022 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

A number of Cavaliers players will meet next week in Los Angeles for a voluntary mini-camp, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that All-Star guard Darius Garland and Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley are helping to organize the workouts.

Sources tell Fedor that the majority of Cavs players are expected to participate, though some of the team’s international players may not make it to L.A. due to overseas obligations, including to their national teams. That group includes Lauri Markkanen, Cedi Osman, and Raul Neto.

Collin Sexton also won’t be attending the mini-camp, since he’s still a restricted free agent and isn’t under contract with the Cavaliers, Fedor notes.

A number of clubs around the NBA hold voluntary offseason mini-camps to help improve team chemistry and to prepare for the season. As Fedor writes, LeBron James used to organize them during his Cleveland days, and handed off that responsibility to Kevin Love in recent years.

Love spoke at the end of the 2021/22 season about possibly holding a mini-camp in Austin or Nashville, according to Fedor, who says the possibility of player-led workouts taking place in Nashville next month remains on the table.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Cavs’ Wade Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out For Season

March 28th, 2022 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers forward Dean Wade has undergone surgery to address the meniscus injury in his right knee, the team announced today (via Twitter). According to the Cavs, Wade will miss the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported last Monday that Wade sustained a partial meniscus tear in his right knee and would be out for at least several weeks. It appears the 25-year-old and the team took some time to determine the best course of action for the injury and determined that surgery was the right choice.

Wade, who has been with the Cavs since the 2019/20 season, averaged 5.3 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 51 games (19.2 MPG) for the club this season, posting a .456/.359/.667 shooting line and making 28 starts.

Wade is one of a handful of Cleveland rotation players who have gone down with injuries in 2021/22. Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio both suffered season-ending knee injuries earlier in the season, while All-Star center Jarrett Allen has been out since March 6 due to a fractured finger. Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Lauri Markkanen have all had short-term absences for the team as well.

The Cavs hold a $1.93MM team option on Wade for 2022/23, which they’ll likely pick up as long as they expect him to be available for most or all of next season.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Simmons, Nets, Cavaliers, Bitadze

March 7th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons won’t play on Thursday in Philadelphia, but he’s expected to be with the team at Wells Fargo Center, reports Shams Charania of Stadium (video link). Simmons figures to face plenty of vitriol from the Sixers faithful, but it will likely be diluted to some extent by the fact that he’ll be on the bench rather than on the court. According to Charania, there’s optimism that Simmons will make his Nets debut later this month.

  • If the Nets were to win a title this year, it would be bad for the NBA, argues Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Brooklyn has “blatantly treated the regular season as a waste of time,” according to Bondy, who notes that Kyrie Irving essentially chose not to play in over half of this season’s games, while the team traded a superstar for a player (Simmons) who will require a ramp-up process of more than a month.
  • Having sustained both a quad contusion and a fractured finger in Sunday’s game, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has reportedly been ruled out indefinitely. While the team hasn’t issued an update on Allen’s status, Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen sound prepared to adjust their roles if the All-Star big man misses time, as Kelsey Russo of The Athletic relays. “Kevin Love would play in my position; it would just shift down the line,” Mobley said. “Lauri could also play four more often because it would be less. But we still got like three bigs, me, K-Love and Lauri. So we’re still a very big team, and I feel like we can still play a similar way as we have.”
  • Pacers center Goga Bitadze had a career night on Sunday with 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting, as James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star writes. The third-year center, who hasn’t been a regular part of Indiana’s rotation since being drafted in the first round in 2019, has a chance to prove his value down the stretch before becoming extension-eligible this summer.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Cavaliers Notes: Markkanen, Garland, LeVert

February 23rd, 2022 at 10:20pm CST by Rory Maher

After several weeks of rehabbing his injured right ankle, Lauri Markkanen is eager to help the Cavaliers make a playoff push, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com relays. Markkanen suffered a high ankle sprain on Jan. 22 against Oklahoma City and has missed Cleveland’s last 11 games.

Markkanen was a full participant in practice Wednesday and is listed as probable for the team’s game Thursday. A source told Fedor that the Cavs are preparing as if the forward will return Thursday at Detroit. Markkanen said he was relieved that the injury wasn’t as serious as he initially thought and is excited to be back.

“I’m excited,” Markkanen said when asked about his impending return. “We always talk about playing meaningful games after the All-Star break and it’s definitely every game matters. I just love doing it with these guys and can’t wait to get out there.

“We have a great group of guys and we’re a great team. We just have to bring it every night, no matter who we are playing and we gotta play Cavaliers basketball every night. I think we’re going to be fine if we do that and play together. We definitely need everybody at this point of the year. Going to need everybody’s contribution on the court. Have to be focused, especially with Eastern Conference being so tight. Every game matters. Have to be locked in.”

The Cavs currently hold the fourth seed in the East with a 35-23 record.

Here’s more from Cleveland:

  • While the team received good news with Markkanen’s return appearing imminent, Cleveland will be without Darius Garland and Caris LeVert on Thursday, Fedor writes in a separate article for Cleveland.com. Garland continues to have lower back soreness, while LeVert suffered a sprained right foot after he stepped on a teammate’s foot during Tuesday’s practice.
  • Sources tell Fedor that LeVert’s injury isn’t serious and he’s considered day-to-day. He did not practice on Wednesday. During the All-Star break, coach J.B. Bickerstaff had been contemplating starting the newly-acquired LeVert alongside Garland in the backcourt. Bickerstaff is still trying to figure out where LeVert is most comfortable on the court. “Had some conversations about where he’s comfortable, where he likes the ball, places where he’s had most success in his past,” Bickerstaff said. “I think we have a great understanding of how we can get it done. The next thing becomes actually going out and doing it. That involves the other four guys that are on the floor with him, and understanding how they build that chemistry. Our picture is clear, we just need the experience and the minutes together to make it successful.” Developing that chemistry will have to wait with LeVert sidelined.
  • Garland’s situation is much trickier, Fedor details. He was able to participate in All-Star weekend, where he was named to the team for the first time, but his lower back will need to be managed for the remainder of the season, sources tell Fedor. Garland has been dealing with the soreness since Jan. 9, and the pain can pop up during any type of contact. With the nature of his injury, in most cases Garland would need two weeks of rest to allow for proper healing, treatment and recovery, per Fedor’s sources. However, Garland doesn’t want to miss that much time, and the Cavs need him to win games. They will continue to closely monitor how he’s feeling and try to give him rest days during the season so he’s in good shape for the playoffs — assuming they make it.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Cavaliers Notes: LeVert, Rondo, Bickerstaff, Markkanen

February 12th, 2022 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

It didn’t take long for Caris LeVert to show the Cavaliers that he can help close out games, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Indianapolis Star. Acquired in a trade with the Pacers on Monday, LeVert hit four baskets late in Friday’s game to snuff out a rally by his former team. With Darius Garland sidelined by injury, the Cavs turned to LeVert for crunch-time scoring in his second game with the team.

“(Coach J.B. Bickerstaff) was trusting me all game to be honest with you,” LeVert said. “I was missing some easy bunnies around the rim, and he kept the faith. … I knew I would find my rhythm late in the game. It’s everything when your teammates have that much confidence in you.” 

Levert, who suddenly finds himself in a playoff race, has been a welcome addition to Cleveland’s offense because of his ability to create his own shot. This is the second straight year that LeVert has been traded, and he acknowledged that the constant rumors were getting to him.

“It’s hard to play in games and think about where you’re gonna be in the next couple of days, so that situation was extremely tough,” he admitted. “Honestly, I was just ready for it to be over. Whether I was staying in Indiana or getting moved wherever, I was just like, ‘I can’t wait for this damn deadline.’ Because you hear rumors every single day, and we’re human beings. At the end of the day, it’s not just (NBA) 2K.”

There’s more from Cleveland:

  • LeVert didn’t ask to leave Indiana, but there were indications that he was an uncomfortable fit in coach Rick Carlisle’s offense, Lorenzi adds. LeVert suggested to Jarrett Allen during Friday’s game that he’s much happier in his new situation. “He was telling me on the bench ‘You know man it just feels so good to be able to play just free, play free with this type of team, not have to worry about some guy glaring you down,’” Allen said.
  • Another Cavalier who welcomed a change of scenery this year is Rajon Rondo, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Acquired from the Lakers in early January, Rondo has been playing 21.7 minutes per game since the deal. He calls Bickerstaff his “dream coach,” and it appears the feeling is mutual. “I have the ultimate amount of confidence in him,” Bickerstaff said. “Regardless of the time he’s been with us, you watch his career as a whole and you see all the things that he’s done in this league and the respect you have for those things that he’s done, those things that impact winning. It’s not a game that’s just about numbers, it’s a game of ‘How do I orchestrate this to help this team win?’ He’s done that for a really long time.”
  • Lauri Markkanen, who hasn’t played since January 22 because of a sprained ankle, worked out on the court before Friday’s game and is being considered day to day, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Cavaliers, Bucks, Pistons, Washington Jr.

January 25th, 2022 at 5:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen suffered a sprained ankle on Saturday and multiple sources told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that “The Finnisher” is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. Markkanen left the arena on crutches and in a walking boot following Cleveland’s 95-93 win over New York on Monday.

In Markkanen’s absence, Dean Wade returned to the starting lineup. Although Wade has only seen sporadic action this season, appearing in 33 out of 48 games, coach J.B. Bickerstaff has entrusted the 25-year-old big man to be an injury-replacement starter. Wade has started 17 games, with the Cavs holding a respectable 9-8 record in those contests, Fedor writes.

“We’re confident we’ve got guys who can fill that spot,” Bickerstaff said. “We will play some more traditional lineups because of who’s available, but the style that we play and the system that we play shouldn’t change much. We’re comfortable with Dean Wade in that position.

“He takes care of business every single day. We have a trust in him that we know when his number’s called, he’s going to be ready to go. That’s not easy to do. You see guys who are in and out of the lineup, they have a hard time. He understands where his opportunities are gonna come and the job that he has to do, and what he needs to do to go out and handle that. Obviously, he made big shots for us down the stretch.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
  • Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, who’s out for the season following meniscus surgery in his left knee, is making solid progress in his recovery and hasn’t ruled out returning to the court if Cleveland makes the postseason, according to Fedor in a separate article for Cleveland.com. Sources within the team don’t expect Sexton to be back for a potential playoff run, but they also know not to count him out, as the fourth-year guard is known for having an outstanding work ethic.
  • Eric Nehm of The Athletic provides a trade deadline primer for the Bucks, noting that Milwaukee is limited in potential deals by being a luxury tax team. He believes Robert Covington, Larry Nance Jr. or P.J. Washington could theoretically fit well with the team, but creating the frameworks for those trades is difficult. Goran Dragic, Thaddeus Young, Robin Lopez and Mike Muscala are names to watch on the buyout market, according to Nehm.
  • Rod Beard of The Detroit News explores five things to watch from the Pistons during the second half of the season.
  • Pacers rookie guard Duane Washington Jr., who’s on a two-way contract, set an Indiana rookie record with seven three-pointers in the team’s 117-113 loss at New Orleans on Monday, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star writes. Washington brings positivity and enthusiasm wherever he goes, according to coach Rick Carlisle. “He has a real grateful vibe,” Carlisle said. “Every day he comes in with a smile on his face, a real positive view of the world in general and he loves to play basketball. He loves to work at being a great teammate, and he plays the game in a very pure way.”
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Lauri Markkanen Believed To Have “Pretty Significant” Ankle Sprain

January 22nd, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen left tonight’s game with what trainers believe is a “pretty significant” sprain of his right ankle, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Markkanen was injured on a collision with four minutes left in the second quarter and had to be helped to the locker room. A source tells Fedor that the team’s medical staff examined his ankle, but not his knee or Achilles. More information won’t be available until further testing is conducted.

Markkanen was trying to defend Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a drive to the basket, but landed awkwardly on his right leg and fell to the court. He was on the floor for a while, grabbing the ankle in pain, and couldn’t put much weight on it as he headed to the locker room.

The 24-year-old has been an important part of the turnaround for the Cavs, who were fifth in the East at 27-19 entering tonight’s game. Markkanen is averaging 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games this season, and Fedor notes that he is shooting 41.4% from three-point range through 10 games in January.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Vucevic, Donovan, Pickett, Livers, Markkanen

December 12th, 2021 at 8:04pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is confident he’ll work his way out of a slump, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Vucevic most recently shot 3-of-15 in a loss against Miami, struggling to make shots inside the paint, in the mid-range areas, and behind the arc.

“I got some post-up and hook shots that I’ve made a career of, and nothing was falling for me,’’ he explained. “I look at all the games, and really I don’t have an explanation of what’s going on with my shot. It’s something I was always very consistent with and really good at my whole career – I was always a 50% shooter – so I don’t know.

“It’s just very disappointing for me because I’m trying to just be there for my team and do what I need to try and help us win, and I’m not doing that right now. I’m coming up short for my teammates and that’s the most frustrating part. When you lose and you don’t play well, you feel like it’s even more of your responsibility.’’

The Bulls are currently missing nine players due to health and safety protocols, meaning they badly need Vucevic’s production. The team acquired him and Al-Farouq Aminu (now a free agent) from Orlando last season, giving up Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter and two first-round picks.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Bulls coach Billy Donovan refuses to use COVID as an excuse, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “We’re not the only team dealing with this,” Donovan said. While Chicago isn’t the only team dealing with an outbreak, the Bulls have certainly been hit the hardest. Nevertheless, the club has maintained a .500 record in its last 10 games and is currently 17-10.
  • The Pistons called up Jamorko Pickett and Isaiah Livers from their G League affiliate on Sunday, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. The decision was made shortly after the team announced that Jerami Grant would miss at least six weeks with a thumb injury.
  • Lauri Markkanen‘s obligation to serve in the Finland military isn’t expected to impact his NBA availability, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype writes. Markkanen has started in 19 games for the Cavaliers, who own the fifth-best record in the East at 16-12.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts