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Hornets’ Nick Richards Out Indefinitely With Rib Fracture

November 5th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets starting center Nick Richards will be sidelined for multiple weeks due to a right first rib cartilage fracture, the team announced in a press release.

An MRI revealed the extent of the injury. He suffered it during an on-court collision in the first half against the Celtics on Friday.

Richards will be evaluated on an every other week basis to monitor progress toward a return to basketball activities. The team will provide its next update on his status following its November 17 road trip.

Richards was averaging career highs in points (11.0), rebounds (10.0) and blocks (2.4) through five starts this season. He appeared in 67 games, including 51 starts, last season despite battling ankle and foot injuries. He averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per night.

Richards in the second year of a three-year, $15MM contract.

The injury severely depletes Charlotte up front. There’s still no timetable for center Mark Williams, who is recovering from a strained tendon in his left foot.

Moussa Diabate‘s role will expand and the Hornets will also be forced to used smaller lineups with forwards Grant Williams and Taj Gibson manning the middle. Diabate, a 2022 second-round pick, is on a two-way contract.

Charlotte is off to a 2-5 start and will carry a three-game losing streak into its home game against Detroit on Wednesday.

Southeast Notes: KCP, Black, Gibson, Hornets, Wizards

October 16th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic haven’t been major players in free agency in recent years, having focused on building through the draft and re-signing their own players. However, they made a rare splurge over the summer, signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66MM contract.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley is pleased with the way Caldwell-Pope is fitting in with the team this fall, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The two-time champion has immediately established himself as a leader who isn’t afraid to offer guidance to the Magic’s rookies and veterans alike.

“He does it in such subtle ways,” Mosley said. “We do drills every day with recognizing spacing on the floor, and he’s constantly talking to our wings about filling the corners. Why? Because it’s so important to keep that corner filled because it gives the other guys room to operate and play. He does it by example but then he’s going and having individual conversations with guys about the importance of the ‘why’ you do it.”

Besides providing veteran leadership and championship experience, Caldwell-Pope will provide much-needed floor spacing for an Orlando team that ranked second-last in the NBA in three-point attempts per game (31.3) last season.

“It just helps having more shooting out there,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said of his new teammate. “Having someone that has played a lot of important games, knows defenses, can talk the different coverages and give us pointers. … So we’re more organized out there.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Magic guard Anthony Black had a solid rookie season in 2023/24, establishing himself as a member of the rotation by making 33 starts and averaging 16.9 minutes per game in 69 outings. With Markelle Fultz no longer on the roster, Black is poised to take over more point guard duties in his second NBA season and his teammates believe he’s ready for that challenge, as Beede outlines for The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “He looks a lot better,” forward Paolo Banchero said. “Just from year one to year two, you can tell he’s way more comfortable out there. He has a lot more command of himself and others on the court.”
New Hornets big man Taj Gibson is providing the kind of veteran presence the team has lacked in recent years, says Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte is carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Gibson on a partially guaranteed deal, but the expectation is that the club will find room for him on the 15-man regular season roster. Head coach Charles Lee said the Hornets are “so grateful” to have the 39-year-old around. “I can see why he’s such a popular guy,” Lee said. “He’s such a phenomenal person. I think he’s added a lot to our locker room. From a human standpoint, I think that his professionalism brings another level of structure and routine, and the guys have a ton of respect for him because of what he has accomplished as a player.”
In a separate story for The Charlotte Observer, Boone takes a look at the new, state-of-the-art practice facility the Hornets are building across the street from Spectrum Center. The city of Charlotte is providing $30MM for the project, with team ownership expected to cover the remaining costs.
Some minor preseason injuries have given Wizards head coach Brian Keefe the opportunity to experiment with new lineup combinations in the weeks leading up to the season, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who notes that Keefe has deployed a different starting five in each of the team’s past three games.

Southeast Notes: Jovic, Adebayo, Gibson, Morgan, Da Silva

July 20th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

An injury prevented Nikola Jovic from facing Bam Adebayo in Wednesday’s exhibition game between Serbia and the U.S., but the Heat teammates are hoping to square off when the countries meet again July 28 in their Olympics opener, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jovic is making progress in his recovery from a sprained left ankle and fractured toe that has sidelined him throughout the pre-Olympic process, Chiang adds, and there’s optimism he’ll be ready to return by next weekend.

“I think it would have been a great moment for me and Niko to play against each other,” Adebayo said after Wednesday’s meeting. “I’m definitely going to reach out to him, check up on him. I want him to get healthy because he’s on the good side. Need him to get healthy for the season.”

Jovic suffered the injury while participating in a drill at Miami’s Kaseya Center last month. A source tells Chiang that the Heat are confident he’ll be fully recovered by the time training camp begins in early October.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After signing a one-year deal with the Hornets, Taj Gibson is looking forward to being a veteran leader with a new organization. In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Gibson talks about imparting the knowledge that he has picked up during his 15 NBA seasons. “It was very special for me coming in, because I came into the league in an era when we had multiple veterans on our team that taught you how to be a professional, how to look out for your teammates, how to be tough,” Gibson said. “There were times I would look at the bench and the vets would always give me that look or give me that dinner after a tough game. And it was really beneficial for my career because my career was able to go a long distance.”
Matt Morgan‘s perfect shooting night in the Summer League will give him more attention as he tries to land a two-way NBA contract or a new deal in Europe, per Eurohoops. The Hornets guard, who played for the London Lions last season, made all 11 of his shots from the field, including seven three-pointers, in Friday’s win over Portland.
First-round pick Tristan Da Silva has teamed with last year’s first-rounders Anthony Black and Jett Howard to give the Magic a formidable Summer League trio, observes Josh Cohen of NBA.com. Da Silva believes getting minutes alongside Black and Howard will be beneficial once the season starts, and he complimented team officials for easing his transition into the NBA. “They make it really easy,” he said. “They welcomed me with open arms since day one. Great people, great organization, easy to be around and easy to connect with. From a basketball standpoint, I feel like a lot of the stuff that we did in college (at the University of Colorado) is also applicable to the NBA level from a concept standpoint. So, I feel really comfortable out there.”

Hornets Notes: Chemistry, Bridges, Gibson, Jackson, M. Williams, Black

July 17th, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Grant Williams, and several other Hornets players were in attendance at Tuesday’s Summer League game alongside new president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and player enhancement coach Kemba Walker, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Summer League head coach Josh Longstaff said it “speaks volumes” to have the team’s veterans in the building “coaching up” and “cheering on” the Summer League squad, while guard Nick Smith Jr. added that it felt good to have “my big brothers (there) to support us.”

“It’s special, man,” Grant Williams said. “We are just trying to support one another, make sure we understand that team is first and team matters and really, really just committed to getting better and improving and making it a premier organization in the league.”

There are other signs of positive vibes around the organization this summer, according to Boone, who notes that co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin hosted a dinner event on Monday night in Las Vegas that included all of the Hornets’ players as well as a significant number of team personnel. Veteran big man Taj Gibson, the newest member of the roster, was among those impressed, Boone writes.

“It was really nice,” Gibson said. “To be honest with you, just meeting the ownership alone … First you see the ownership, the ownership is so welcoming. Those gentlemen, their energy is just vibrant in how they move and how they already circled and brought all the pieces together last night. It was like a family reunion, because that’s how relaxed we were. Talking, laughing, talking about what it’s going to be like. It was great, just to have that dialect.”

Gibson added that the team’s budding chemistry was on display at the event: “I’ve been to many of those dinners where every guy is over there, guys are over there. But (Monday) night, everybody was mixing. Everybody.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

Bridges’ new three-year, $75MM contract with the Hornets has a descending structure, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The deal, which is fully guaranteed with no options, is worth $27,173,913 in 2024/25, exactly $25MM in ’25/26, and $22,826,087 in ’26/27.
Gibson’s one-year, minimum-salary deal is partially guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Gibson is assured of receiving at least $1,082,270 and would lock in his full $3,303,771 salary if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee deadline of January 7.
While the signings of Gibson and Seth Curry bring the Hornets’ roster count to 15 players on standard contracts, that number could dip to 14 soon, Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer, noting that Reggie Jackson is considered unlikely to open the regular season with the team. The expectation is that Jackson will be cut at some point to allow him to try to catch on with a team closer to contention, according to Boone.
In a pair of exclusive interviews, Boone spoke to Hornets center Mark Williams about his efforts to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2023/24 season and to two-way player Leaky Black about his desire to earn a place on Charlotte’s standard 15-man roster.

Hornets Sign Taj Gibson To One-Year Deal

July 13th, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Rory Maher

8:23pm: Gibson’s signing is official, the Hornets announced in a press release.

9:51am: The Hornets intend to sign veteran big man Taj Gibson to a one-year, $3.3MM contract, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Based on the reported terms, Gibson will receive the veteran’s minimum for a player with 10+ years of experience ($3,303,771), while Charlotte will carry a $2,087,519 cap hit.

The 26th pick of the 2009 draft, Gibson has spent the past 15 seasons in the NBA. He had a long stint with Chicago to open his career before playing for Oklahoma City, Minnesota, New York (twice), Washington and Detroit. He finished the 2023/24 season with the Pistons.

Gibson, 39, is no longer a top-tier reserve or a starter like he was in his prime, but he’s still highly valued for his locker-room presence, professionalism and leadership.

Charlotte has a new front office led by head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and a new head coach in Charles Lee. The team has repeatedly mentioned work ethic as a point of emphasis this offseason, which is something Gibson is known for.

The 6’9″ forward/center holds career averages of 8.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 965 regular season games, including 450 starts (23.5 MPG).

Pistons’ Stanley Umude Out For Season With Fractured Ankle

March 22nd, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Pistons wing Stanley Umude will miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season after sustaining a hairline fracture of his right ankle on Wednesday vs. Indiana, the team announced in a press release.

Umude’s injury will not require surgery and he’s expected to make a full recovery, per the Pistons.

A second-year guard/forward, Umude spent most of this season on a two-way contract with Detroit before the team converted him to a standard deal last month. The Pistons hold a minimum-salary team option on the 24-year-old for ’24/25.

Umude appeared in 24 games in ’23/24, averaging 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds with a strong .440/.453/.906 shooting line in a small sample size (12.8 MPG). Amid injuries to several rotation players, including Ausar Thompson (blood clot) and Isaiah Stewart (right hamstring strain), who are also done for the season, Umude had started the past two games, playing a career-high 34 minutes on Monday vs. Boston.

Simone Fontecchio (left great toe contusion), Taj Gibson (right hamstring soreness) and Quentin Grimes (right knee contusion) are the other Pistons who have been ruled out for Friday’s rematch with the Celtics.

Tosan Evbuomwan, Evan Fournier and Troy Brown are among the players who could receive more playing time on the wing for a shorthanded Detroit squad.

Taj Gibson Signs With Pistons For Rest Of Season

March 16th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 16: Gibson has officially signed a rest-of-season contract with the Pistons, the team announced today (via Twitter).

MARCH 15: Veteran big man Taj Gibson will sign with the Pistons for the remainder of the 2023/24 season, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As Woj notes, Gibson’s 10-day deal with Detroit will expire at midnight ET. He’s expected to sign his rest-of-season contract on Saturday.

Gibson, 38, spent a portion of this season with the Knicks, having signed a non-guaranteed contract with the team in December.

The 15-year veteran was waived on January 7 before his full salary could become guaranteed, then returned to New York on a pair of 10-day deals in January and February. However, the club opted not to bring him back on a rest-of-season contract when the second of those deals expired.

At this point in his career, Gibson is most valued for his veteran leadership and presence in the locker room, though he did appear in 16 games for the Knicks this season, averaging 1.0 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 10.3 MPG. He didn’t play at all for Detroit during his first 10 days with the team.

Once Gibson officially signs his new contract tomorrow, the Pistons will have 14 players on standard deals, which means they’ll still have an opening on their 15-man roster.

Central Notes: Mathurin, Gibson, Pistons Guards, Bulls

March 10th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Losing Pacers reserve shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin for the year will have an intriguing ripple effect on the team’s bench as it prepares for the postseason, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

As Dopirak notes, Indiana is now without two of its top-scoring reserves from the start of the season, between Mathurin and Buddy Hield, who was dealt to the Sixers at the trade deadline. Forward Doug McDermott, the Pacers’ own sharpshooting acquisition added at the deadline, continues to rehabilitate his right calf strain, though he’ll be a big part of the bench when he does play. Rookies Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker seem likely to get significantly more responsibility as the season winds down.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Workaholic new Pistons veteran power forward Taj Gibson, 38, is over a decade older than most of his new teammates. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes that the 10-53 club appreciates Gibson’s daily grind, even in his 15th NBA season, and hopes that he can inspire the Pistons’ young, talented lottery pick core. Gibson is on a 10-day deal, so there’s no guarantee he’ll remain with in Detroit for the rest of the season.
The Pistons’ decision to, at last, stagger young guards Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey so that one of them remained on the floor at all times seemed to work wonders on Thursday in a 118-112 win over the Nets, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Head coach Monty Williams opted to employ a lineup of Cunningham alongside his second unit in the third quarter that really helped the club hold serve against Brooklyn.
Young Bulls guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu have each taken big leaps in their development this season, with White in particular enjoying a breakout year. A lot of their growth has happened with star shooting guard Zach LaVine, the team’s priciest player, sidelined due to injury. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic thinks the improvement of the young guards could be negatively impacted by a LaVine comeback next year, and wonders if the Chicago front office will look to offload the two-time All-Star.

Central Notes: Middleton, Vucevic, Craig, Gibson

March 7th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bucks wing Khris Middleton, out since Feb. 6 with an ankle injury, spoke to reporters for the first time since his injury, writes Jim Owczarski of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Middleton said he couldn’t think of a worse ankle sprain he’d had than this one in terms of the pain he’s experiencing.

“After it happened I tried to play, run it off a little bit, see if it was going to loosen up or whatever. Just didn’t. Didn’t feel comfortable,” Middleton said. “Went into the back, tried to get re-taped, and as soon as I took my shoe off it just blew up. So had to shut it down.”

He said the process of recovery has taken longer than he’s hoped, but that he has seen improvement. He also said he wouldn’t rule out playing on Milwaukee’s road trip that ends against Sacramento on March 12. The only obstacle left before Middleton is able to return is continued swelling, according to Owczarski.

Middleton knows he needs to play soon to be able to get back to normal form in time for the postseason. He began the year on a minutes restriction and has only played three games under Doc Rivers. With only 19 games remaining in the regular season, Middleton, who is averaging 14.8 points per game this season, is eager to get back into game action.

“I want to get back out there,” Middleton said. “I need to be playing. I’ve been on a minute restriction most of the year so at this point I just need to be on the court. So, I’m fighting every day that I can.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Nikola Vucevic has been one of the team’s best defenders over the last three years, and the numbers back that claim up, writes Joe Cowley of Chicago Sun-Times. Vucevic consistently ranks among the team leaders in defensive rating, and Donovan likes the way he can utilize the 13th-year big man. “He’s not going to be as good as [Timberwolves center] Rudy Gobert in drop, but we felt comfortable switching with him in certain situations and putting him on different guys, and he understands how to gap and move his feet,” Donovan said. “He’s a smart defender. I would say he’s played very well for us defensively.“
Bulls forward Torrey Craig, who hasn’t played since Feb. 14 and has played just six games since Dec. 16, made his return to the lineup against the Warriors on Thursday. According to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson (Twitter link), he was on a restriction of 12-to-16 minutes.
The Pistons signed Taj Gibson to a 10-day deal on Wednesday after he spent time with the Knicks earlier this season. Head coach Monty Williams explained the signing, saying that he envisions Gibson helping young players like Jalen Duren (Twitter link via The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III). “I just like having another veteran guy around our team,” Williams said, per Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “You look at Evan [Fournier] and how he’s had an impact on the floor and some other areas. I told the guys how you approach your career can pay dividends down the road. He’s had a 15-year-career.“

Pistons Sign Taj Gibson To 10-Day Deal

March 6th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

10:01am: Gibson’s 10-day contract is now official, the Pistons confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). It will run through next Friday, March 15.

8:42am: The Pistons are set to sign veteran big man Taj Gibson to a 10-day contract, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Gibson, 38, spent a portion of this season with the Knicks, having signed a non-guaranteed contract with the team in December.

He was waived on January 7 before his full salary could become guaranteed, then returned to New York on a pair of 10-day deals in January and February. However, the club opted not to bring him back on a rest-of-season contract when the second of those deals expired.

At this point in his career, Gibson is most valued more for his veteran leadership and presence in the locker room, which is presumably why the Pistons want to add him to their young roster. However, he did appear in 16 games for the Knicks this season, averaging 1.0 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 10.3 MPG.

The Pistons recently opened up a pair of roster spots by waiving Mike Muscala and Shake Milton, so they’re only carrying 13 players on standard contracts. Even after signing Gibson, they’ll still have an opening on their 15-man roster.

Gibson will earn $183,704 over the course of his 10 days with Detroit, while the club carries a cap hit of $116,075.

Assuming the deal is finalized on Wednesday or Thursday, he’ll be under contract for the Pistons’ next five games before the team would have to decide whether to re-sign him or let him go.