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And-Ones: Luka Trade Offers, Coaches, Lithuania, Howard

April 9th, 2025 at 8:50am CST by Rory Maher

In an article for ESPN.com (Insider link), Bobby Marks examines what the other 28 NBA teams could hypothetically have offered the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, who was sent to the Lakers in February in arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history.

Marks’ exercise comes with a couple of caveats. The first is that a Doncic trade may have fallen apart had every team been able to make a bid for the superstar guard, which is why Dallas was so determined to keep its talks with Los Angeles quiet. The second is that the hypothetical offers are based on each team’s financial restrictions as of February 1, the day before the trade.

Which teams could have offered the Mavericks the most compelling combinations of win-now players and draft assets? According to Marks, the Cavaliers (Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, 2031 unprotected first-round pick) and Rockets (Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, Reed Sheppard, unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 via Phoenix) could have put the best packages together for Doncic (Cleveland would have been required to take back Maxi Kleber as well for salary-matching purposes, Marks notes).

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

  • In a story that was released before the Nuggets fired Michael Malone, Zach Harper of The Athletic listed four other head coaches who could be on the hot seat, with Mike Budenholzer of the Suns considered the most likely to be dismissed.
  • Confirming a report from BasketNews.com, Linas Kleiza said on his podcast (YouTube link) that Domantas Sabonis is unlikely to compete in this summer’s EuroBasket due to personal reasons (hat tip to EuroHoops.net). Kleiza, a former NBA player who is now general manager of the Lithuanian national team, also said that Jonas Valaniunas and Matas Buzelis are expected to compete in this year’s tournament.
  • Georgia businessman Calvin Darden Jr. was recently sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for cheating former NBA star Dwight Howard out of $7MM in a phony scheme to purchase the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, reports Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press. Darden was also convicted of stealing $1MM from former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate scam. Darden was found guilty in October of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering charges.
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Southwest Notes: Missi, Reeves, Sheppard, Castle

March 29th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Amid everything that has gone wrong for the Pelicans this season, they seem to have found a long-term solution at center, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. They weren’t expecting an immediate impact from Yves Missi after he fell to the 21st pick in last year’s draft, but he’s been proving since training camp that he can contribute and may be headed for a spot on the All-Rookie team.

Guillory notes that the Pelicans were planning to open the season with a starting lineup that didn’t include a traditional center. If that didn’t work, they signed veteran big man Daniel Theis as a backup plan. But Missi quickly showed that he could handle the job, and he’s started 62 of the 68 games he’s played.

“He’s been a huge positive for us all year. Coming into the season, his role wasn’t where it is now, but he kept working, kept earning trust from the coaching staff and his teammates,” coach Willie Green said. “Even though we haven’t been that successful as a team this year, Yves’ development has been a big success for us.”

Missi is averaging 9.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 26.9 minutes per night. Guillory points out that he leads all rookies in total rebounds, is tied with Miami’s Kel’el Ware for the most double-doubles, and is behind only Portland’s Donovan Clingan in blocked shots. The injury woes that decimated the Pelicans’ season will continue, with Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy all uncertain for the start of training camp this fall, but they can count on Missi’s presence in the middle.

“It’s tough. It’s different than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Missi said of his rookie season. “The funny thing is, looking back to (the start of the season), if you told me then, ‘Yeah, you’re going to do this and that during your rookie year,’ no way I would’ve believed it.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Rookie guard Antonio Reeves wasn’t aware that he made 12 straight shots over a recent three-game stretch, but that shooting touch is a major reason why the Pelicans drafted him, per Rod Walker of NOLA. The second-round pick has split the season between the NBA and the G League, but he’s been getting more playing time with New Orleans lately. “He’s doing fantastic,” Green said. “The thing he’s doing is building on what he already has. He really comes in and works on his shots. We see that carry over when he does play. And he’s becoming a really good defender.”
  • After missing 11 straight games with a fractured right thumb, Rockets rookie guard Reed Sheppard has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s contest, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Sheppard has been struggling to earn playing time all season, and he’s not guaranteed any minutes as Houston tries to hold on to second place in the West. “We’ll see,” coach Ime Udoka said. “(The rotation) does tighten toward the end of the season, for sure, and kind of implementing him back in there in these last eight (games) might be tough with the time he’s missed. But we also do want to see him get some live action. So whether he gets some practices in the G League or whatever it is to get that in, being that we don’t do as much here, we’ll see.”
  • Spurs guard Stephon Castle continued his push for Rookie of the Year honors on Thursday with 22 points, a season-high 11 rebounds, and eight assists in a narrow loss to Cleveland, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. “He kept us in the game at moments,” Keldon Johnson said. “It’s only up from here. I feel like he’s already a special talent, but I feel like the sky’s the limit for Steph. I feel like the game is already slowing down for him, but once he keeps growing — he works his ass off — he’s going to be great.”
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Injury/Health Notes: Lillard, Tatum, Jokic, Sheppard

March 26th, 2025 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

After initially being listed as out last week due to calf soreness, Damian Lillard was experiencing discomfort and pain inconsistent with a typical calf strain, according to Eric Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who hear from a source that the Bucks guard sought clarity on the cause.

That prompted a “rigorous discovery process” that ultimately involved Lillard meeting with five of the country’s top hematologists, either in person or via Zoom, with each of those specialists receiving his MRIs and sonograms. Lillard, who was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his calf, began taking blood thinners last Friday, per The Athletic’s source, and the early indications are that the treatment is working well.

In a separate story for The Athletic, Nehm explores how the Bucks will get by without Lillard, noting that leaning on defense is probably their best path forward. That effort begins with having a strong perimeter defender like Ryan Rollins starting in place of Lillard.

“Obviously, nobody is going to be Dame but Dame,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said earlier this week. “But (Rollins) has done a great job coming in, being himself and finding a niche, that like Dame, only he can do. It’s specifically Ryan. He comes out there and he makes a difference in his way. He gets into guys, defends them full-court, picks up 94 feet.”

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • The Celtics‘ injury report for Wednesday’s game in Phoenix is another sign that Jayson Tatum‘s ankle injury isn’t significant. Tatum isn’t expected to play vs. the Suns, but he hasn’t officially been ruled out yet — he’s listed as doubtful (Twitter link).
  • Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has missed the team’s past five games, has been upgraded to doubtful for Wednesday’s matchup with Milwaukee (Twitter link via DNVR Sports). Jokic’s initial injury report designation last week indicated he was dealing with both a right elbow contusion and a left ankle impingement, but only the ankle issue is still listed, which suggests the elbow is no longer a problem.
  • Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard, out since March 6 with a fracture in his right thumb, had a scan on Sunday that showed good calcification around the fractured bone, according to head coach Ime Udoka, who said on Tuesday that Sheppard would be reevaluated in four or five days. Sheppard is still wearing a splint on the thumb part-time, but he takes it off when he works out, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
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Southwest Notes: Edwards, Nunez, McCollum, Sheppard, Morant

March 24th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Two-way Mavericks player Kessler Edwards is expected to be active for the 50th time this season on Tuesday against the Knicks, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets.

That will make Edwards ineligible to be activated again this season under a two-way deal. The hard-capped Mavs can sign him to a standard contract on April 10. The team can’t do it any sooner because it’s only about $51K away from its first-apron hard cap.

Edwards has appeared in 39 games (17 starts), averaging 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per contest.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Spurs have been keeping close tabs on stash-and-draft prospect Juan Nunez, Eurohoops.net relays. “I know we’ve had a lot of people visiting him in Spain and interacting with the Barcelona organization,” interim head coach Mitch Johnson told Mundo Deportivo. “We have a great relationship from everything I’ve heard, that’s what I know about it. I know we’re very aligned in terms of his development and experience there, and we want to continue helping him grow as a young player.” The 36th pick of last year’s draft, Nunez recorded 25 EuroLeague appearances for Barcelona, averaging 5.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. The point guard’s season was cut short by a knee injury.
  • Following a 40-point outing against the Pistons, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum was rested in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, according to a team press release. Bruce Brown (return to play reconditioning) and Zion Williamson (low back contusion) were also listed among the players who were ruled out against injury-riddled Philadelphia.
  • Rockets lottery pick Reed Sheppard did some shooting at practice without a brace on his fractured thumb, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He was injured on March 7 and was expected to miss at least four weeks. He’ll still be out for at least another week, Lerner adds.
  • Ja Morant will miss his fifth straight game due to a hamstring strain when the Grizzlies face Utah on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets.
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Reed Sheppard Out At Least Four Weeks With Thumb Fracture

March 8th, 2025 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets rookie guard Reed Sheppard will miss at least the next four weeks due to a fracture in his right thumb, writes Sam Warren of The Houston Chronicle.

Meeting with reporters before tonight’s game, coach Ime Udoka said Sheppard hurt the thumb while “slapping down” in an attempt to steal the ball from the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson during Thursday’s contest. Sheppard was able to continue playing after the contact and his hand wasn’t bandaged following the game, according to Warren.

Udoka said Sheppard will have his thumb in a splint for the next four weeks to give the fracture time to heal. He added that it’s fortunate that the fracture occurred in the top joint of the thumb, rather than the lower joint, which would have carried a longer recovery timeline.

With a little more than five weeks remaining in the regular season, Sheppard may not be able to return before the start of the playoffs.

The No. 3 pick in last year’s draft, Sheppard got off to a slow start and was sent to the G League for a few games in the middle of the season. He has been more productive since being called back up to the NBA in early February, averaging 11.8 minutes and 4.0 points per game over the past month and scoring a career-high 25 points Monday at Oklahoma City.

Sheppard was selected to appear in the Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend. For the season, he’s averaging 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 45 games while shooting 33.2% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range.

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Southwest Notes: K. Jones, Whitmore, Sheppard, J. Green, Wembanyama

March 5th, 2025 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

It only took one game for Kai Jones to join the Mavericks‘ long injured list, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Jones, who signed a two-way contract on Monday, was ruled out of tonight’s game at Milwaukee about an hour before tipoff due to a quad strain.

Jones had a productive debut with Dallas Monday night, coming off the bench to score 21 points and grab eight rebounds in 34 minutes. He provides a much-needed addition to the front court with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively sidelined by injuries. All three are set to be reevaluated on Thursday, but it’s possible none of them will be close to returning.

Even without the injury, Jones’ availability would have been limited because of the restrictions that come with his two-way contract. His 50-game limit is pro-rated, so he can only be active 11 more times for the rest of the season unless the Mavs convert him to a standard deal, which they can’t do until April 10 because of their hard cap situation.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard were both outstanding on Monday at Oklahoma City as the Rockets were missing five rotation players, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Whitmore had 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks, while Sheppard contributed 25 points and five assists. Both players have been on the fringe of Houston’s rotation lately and were happy to get the opportunity. “It felt great,” Sheppard said. “Just getting the chance to be out there and play. It was a lot of fun getting a rhythm and flow, up and down. Being able to knock down some shots and get some assists. Really fun game. We didn’t win and that part sucks, but being out there with the guys and battling was fun.”
  • Rockets guard Jalen Green has gotten better at protecting the ball while improving his play-making skills, Iko adds. Green averaged 4.4 assists per game in February, the best one-month performance of his career, and he’s in the 54th percentile in turnover percentage while being in the 99th percentile in usage rate. “It’s a process that he improved on last year,” coach Ime Udoka said. “But understanding — especially on a night where guys are missing — he’s going to be the focal point of a defense. Continue to work on it, improve in that area. It’s something we’ve really stressed to him and he’s gotten better at.”
  • Mark Medina of Sportskeeda talked with several doctors who specialize in blood clots about their prognosis for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Those medical experts are guardedly optimistic that Wembanyama will be able to recover and return to a normal playing schedule next season.
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Southwest Notes: Jackson, Thompson, Sheppard, Sengun, Wembanyama

February 15th, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Making his second All-Star appearance in three years, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. is living out a childhood dream, writes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Jackson, a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors, used to imagine himself in the All-Star spotlight when he was learning the game as a child.

“When I went in my yard, I liked to pretend I was KD (Kevin Durant), T-Mac (Tracy McGrady) or Kobe (Bryant),” Jackson said. “I just imagined being one of those superheroes on the court. I think this feeling is way better than how I imagined it, honestly. It’s more meaningful. It’s way more impactful. Especially when you have your family with you. You don’t think about all those other things and how many other people are going to be happy about this with you.”

The new All-Star format could give Jackson a chance to face two of his Grizzlies teammates Sunday night, Cole adds. Rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey were both on the team that won Friday’s Rising Stars event. They’re not paired up with Jackson’s team in the semifinals, but they could meet in the final round if they both advance.

“I want to dunk on both of them,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard were also in the Rising Stars tournament as the latest representatives of the Rockets, who’ve had at least one player involved every year since 2022, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. They were on opposite sides in one of Friday’s semifinals, as Thompson got the satisfaction of dunking on his teammate, but Sheppard’s squad came away with the victory. “The Rockets do a good job of getting young guys and making them better,” Sheppard said. “And Amen is an unbelievable talent, unbelievable guy. So being able to be out there with him today was a lot fun.”
  • Rockets center Alperen Sengun, a first-time All-Star, credits coach Ime Udoka for pushing him and the team in the right direction, Lerner adds in a separate story. Udoka sped up the rebuilding process in Houston by leading the Rockets to a .500 finish last season, and he currently has them fourth in the West. “We were just going over there and just playing,” Sengun said at his All-Star press conference. “Then Ime just came and changed everything for us, and he teach us to how to win.”
  • A lack of competitiveness has been a problem in recent All-Star Games, but that won’t be an issue for the Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Wembanyama has become known for his desire to win at everything he does, and he’ll take that attitude into Sunday night. “I guess it’s maybe innate,” he said. “But it was definitely encouraged in our family’s culture around sport, of course. But I don’t know. I just feel lucky to have that will to stay true to myself.” Wembanyama and Chris Paul were disqualified from tonight’s Skills Challenge for flouting the rules (Twitter video link).
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NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event

January 28th, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.

The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):

Rookies

Sophomores

G League Players

* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.

As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.

A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.

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Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Zion, JJJ, Morant

January 13th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A three-game stint in the G League helped rebuild the confidence of Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The No. 3 pick in last year’s draft has struggled with his shot, connecting at 32.2% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. As a result, his playing time has dropped sharply, with just two brief appearances since December 26.

Coach Ime Udoka explained that Sheppard was assigned to Rio Grande Valley to give him a chance to run an offense and learn how to be more aggressive in creating shots for himself.

“I would say reps are hard to come by in short-minute stints,” Udoka said. “You’re not going to get those looks and what you’re used to getting your whole life, obviously, in high school and Kentucky, not getting the same amount of minutes or reps. And so you can’t live or die on making one or two shots a game. And so for us, when we went with the more veteran lineup, we decided to get him some live action. … But more so than confidence of missing shots, was taking the shots and he passed up some and we wanted to get this aggressive mindset back.” 

The move had an immediate impact as Sheppard exploded for 49 points on 34 shots in his first G League game. He averaged 35.5 minutes, 30.7 points, 8.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds on 46.3% shooting during his time with the Vipers before being recalled Sunday to practice with the Rockets. The G League club doesn’t play again until Friday, and it hasn’t been determined if Sheppard will return there.

“I think I learned a lot,” he said. “I think the biggest thing was just getting my confidence back, going down and being able to get up and down the court. Kind of play free, play loose, really, just play the game of basketball and enjoy it. You know, the NBA is different. There’s a lot of great players, so being able to go down and get some reps and just get the confidence back up and stuff, it was a lot of fun this week.” 

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Pelicans‘ one-point loss Sunday at Boston shows what the roster might be capable of doing when it’s fully healthy, notes Rod Walker of NOLA. Zion Williamson was impressive on both ends of the court, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals. “The five steals jump out at you right away,” coach Willie Green said. “That means his activity was pretty high. He ignited our break, our transition opportunities when he was getting steals. His rebounding was really good. It’s good to have him on the floor. When he’s on the floor, we are a better team.”
  • Scotty Pippen Jr. is pushing for teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. to earn a spot on the All-Star team, per Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. Jackson has helped the Grizzlies overcome numerous injuries and remain among the top three teams in the West. “I feel like Jaren’s one of the most unstoppable players in the league,” Pippen said. “So, credit to him. He’s been working, you know, really hard, so he’s been doing well.”
  • In their latest injury report, the Grizzlies are listing Ja Morant as questionable for tonight’s game at Houston due to an illness (Twitter link).
  • In case you missed it on Sunday, there’s been “nothing substantive” between the Grizzlies and Nets regarding a trade involving Cameron Johnson, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
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Western Notes: Kawhi, Morant, Sheppard, Blazers

January 9th, 2025 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he was in full support of star forward Kawhi Leonard stepping away from the team to be with family who had been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Lue added that “a few people on the staff” were also impacted by the fires and weren’t with the team in Denver on Wednesday.

“You definitely have to take care of home,” Lue said. “And so (Leonard) totally had my support, 100%. Going back, checking on his family and kids and making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”

Leonard is still rounding into form after missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from an offseason procedure on his knee. Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic, the two-time Finals MVP said his first two games back have felt like his “preseason.”

“I’m happy the knee is responding well. That’s what I’m more focused on than anything,” Leonard said. “But, you know, it’s hard to not want to be as aggressive as I want to be on the floor. It’s going to be a time to come. Once my lungs and my legs get there, start building up, I’ll start really assessing my play and seeing what I need to do better.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since December 27 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Houston, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Memphis has lost three of the five games Morant has missed within the last couple weeks, so his return – whether it comes on Thursday or in another game or two – will be a welcome one.
  • After being assigned to the G League this week for the first time, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard responded exactly like you’d want a No. 3 overall pick to respond, racking up 49 points, eight 3-pointers, and eight assists in his first game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. Sheppard has had a hard time establishing himself as a regular rotation player this season for a deep Houston squad, but Tuesday’s performance in his NBAGL debut was a reminder of his upside as a scorer and shooter.
  • In his latest mailbag, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) discusses various Trail Blazers topics, with a focus on trade scenarios. Highkin believes it would be in the Blazers’ best interests to move Jerami Grant before the February 6 deadline, though he acknowledges that trades involving players on big contracts have become more challenging in the current CBA landscape. Highkin still considers Grant the most likely of Portland’s top trade candidates to be moved, ahead of (in order) Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton.
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