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Pacific Notes: Nurkic, Ayton, Beal, Klay, Wiggins, Harden

November 22nd, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

While one game isn’t enough to determine winners and losers of a trade, the Suns‘ victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday served as a reminder of why Phoenix traded former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton for a handful of role players led by Jusuf Nurkic, writes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

Nurkic, Grayson Allen, and Nassir Little all played key roles in the victory, with Nurkic in particular bouncing back from a slow start to have a big game. The veteran center finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, and was a plus-17 in 29 minutes.

Ayton, who was a minus-33 in 31 minutes for the Blazers, is getting an opportunity to play more of a starring role in Portland, while Nurkic is happy to take a back seat to his superstar teammates in Phoenix, according to Bourguet, who suggests those roles suit the two big men based on what they hope to accomplish in the near future.

“It’s not like I’m a main player here, man, [like] I’m just gonna take the ball and do whatever I want,” Nurkic said. “I feel like people need to understand I’m here to sacrifice and do all the little stuff that they need for the game and winning basketball.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Andscape’s Marc J. Spears shares the second diary installment from Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is currently on the shelf with a back injury and said he shares fans’ frustration that the team’s big three has yet to play together. “We want it to happen more than anybody,” Beal wrote. “So, we’re all working diligently…to make sure that happens. … Before you know it, we’re all going to be clicking. And when this thing is healthy and the train is rolling, we’re going to be steaming away.”
Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins haven’t looked quite like their usual selves so far this season, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to the two former All-Stars as “championship players” and indicated that he’s willing to be “really patient” with them, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points on Saturday and Thompson put up a season-high 20 on Monday, Kerr suggested that patience is beginning to pay off. “I think you will see a different Wiggs from here on, and I think the same thing’s going to happen with Klay,” he said.
What has been the key for helping James Harden get comfortable with the Clippers? “Constant communication,” according to Harden and head coach Tyronn Lue, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes. Lue said his experience with Harden has been one he went through with the Clippers’ other stars too. “(They) all want to have a relationship and constant communication with the head coach and just try to figure out what they see, what the coach sees and how we can put it all together,” Lue said.

Pacers, Lakers First Teams To Clinch Tournament Quarterfinal Spots

November 22nd, 2023 at 7:21am CST by Luke Adams

The first two quarterfinalists for the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament were determined on Tuesday, as the Pacers‘ win over Atlanta and the Lakers‘ blowout of Utah ensured that both clubs will advance to the knockout round of the tournament.

Indiana, the winner of East Group A, is 3-0 in round robin play and holds the tiebreaker over the 2-1 Cavaliers due to their head-to-head record. Cleveland remains in the hunt for the East’s wild card spot.

As for the Lakers, they’ve played their full round robin slate in West Group A and won all four games, with a +74 point differential. The club has secured home court advantage for the quarterfinals and is in strong position to claim the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed.

Only two other undefeated teams are left in the West and those two clubs – the Kings and Timberwolves – will have to face each other this Friday. If either Sacramento or Minnesota finishes with a 4-0 record in group play, point differential would be the tiebreaker to determine seeding — the two clubs are only +16 and +10, respectively, through two games and would probably need a pair of blowout victories to pass the Lakers.

By making the quarterfinals, the Pacers and Lakers have clinched per-player bonuses worth at least $50K. The value of those bonuses would increase to $100K if they advance to the semifinals, $200K if they make the final, and $500K if they win the entire tournament. The Lakers haven’t been shy about referring to that prize money as a motivating factor, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN notes.

“It’s not a run-of-the-mill regular-season game,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said after Tuesday’s win. “They’re well aware. That purse is pretty attractive. … Guys like money. … Not like it, they love it. That incentive right there — it’s huge.”

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and head coach Rick Carlisle said this week that they appreciate the fact that the in-season tournament has given a young club – which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020 – a chance to compete in meaningful games.

The Pistons, Wizards, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, and Spurs have been eliminated from quarterfinal contention, but every other team technically remains alive. The full in-season tournament standings can be found here.

Brogdon, Henderson Close To Returning

November 20th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz second-year center Walker Kessler, who is recovering from a left elbow ulnar collateral ligament sprain, continues to make progress and has been cleared to begin basketball contact this week, according to a team press release. Kesseler sustained the injury during Utah’s season-opening game against Sacramento on Oct. 25 but continued to play through it for seven games. He will be reevaluated in one week.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon should return to action very soon and rookie Scoot Henderson could also be in uniform sometime this week, according to coach Chauncey Billups, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets. Brogdon has been sidelined since Nov. 8 with a hamstring injury, while Henderson — the third pick in the draft — hasn’t played since Nov. 1 due to an ankle sprain.
Cason Wallace, the 10th pick of the draft, made his second start for the Thunder on Sunday in place of injured Jalen Williams, sideline reporter Nick Gallo tweets. Wallace played 21 minutes but only took two shots and scored two points. He’s averaging 7.3 points in 22.9 minutes through 14 games.
Timberwolves owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore will have tough decisions to make regarding the team’s luxury tax issues if Minnesota has a strong season, The Athletic’s Sam Amick notes. If the Wolves don’t prove to be an elite team with their current core group, significant changes will be very likely. However, Timberwolves officials insist the incoming ownership group would not be averse to paying the tax going forward if the roster proves worthy of that kind of commitment.

Blazers’ Ish Wainright Out 4-6 Weeks With Knee Sprain

November 18th, 2023 at 4:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers forward Ish Wainright is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after being diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his left knee, the team announced in a press release. An MRI revealed the injury.

Wainright, 29, was cut by the Suns just before the 2023/24 season started, as Phoenix was facing a roster crunch. Portland claimed his non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract off the waiver wire.

A former Baylor Bear who went undrafted in 2017, Wainright played professionally overseas before making it to the NBA in 2021. He appeared in 60 games for the Suns last season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per night. His shooting line was .370/.329/.839.

Wainright was sidelined for Portland’s first eight games due to a right calf strain — the fact that he was injured again so soon after returning from that injury is an unfortunate development. He has made two appearances thus far for the Blazers, playing five total minutes.

Since Wainright hasn’t been a rotation regular, his absence won’t necessarily impact other players receiving minutes, but it will make the Blazers even more shorthanded — they’re already playing without Scoot Henderson (ankle), Anfernee Simons (right thumb surgery) and Malcolm Brogdon, who missed his fourth straight game on Friday due to a hamstring injury.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Camara, Fontecchio, Kessler, Kamagate

November 18th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, like Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, was fined $25K for his role in an altercation early in a game between Minnesota and Golden State that ended with Draymond Green ejected and later suspended. However, according to The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine, Gobert wasn’t satisfied with the league’s ruling and said this week that he planned to appeal his fine.

“You know every situation is different, but to me that was more than just a reaction,” Gobert said. “That was a personal attack. Me being fined when I chose to, when I was being a peacemaker and I chose to keep my hands up while I was being assaulted, is shameful. Shameful. And I’m gonna appeal that fine.”

Immediately following Tuesday’s fracas, Gobert called Green out.

“Clown behavior, and I’m proud of myself for being the bigger man again and again,” Gobert said after the altercation. “And yeah, [Green] doesn’t even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight. I did whatever I could to keep my cool and then show that I wasn’t making the situation worse, and I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done, because that’s just clown behavior. Not much to say. It’s clown behavior.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The 3-9 Trail Blazers have been searching for more physicality, size and rebounding in their starting lineup and may have found it in second-round rookie Toumani Camara, according to OregonLive’s Aaron Fentress. Camara has started the past three games for Portland, replacing Matisse Thybulle. While Portland lost all three games, Camara’s impressive rookie season is continuing. In his three starts, he’s averaging 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. “Tou is going to be who he is going to be no matter if he’s starting or not,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s going to be the same guy. He’s going to scrap, he’s going to claw, he’s going to rebound. He’s going to protect the rim a little. He’s going to always be who he is.“
Simone Fontecchio feels more comfortable with the Jazz in his second season with the team, even if the minutes haven’t come yet, according to The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd. Fontecchio had been bouncing around international rosters, along with playing for the Italian national team, before joining the Jazz. The fact that Utah had other international players that Fontecchio could relate to was huge for his acclimation. “He has an ability to really stay ready,” coach Will Hardy said. “Whether he plays a ton of minutes or whether he plays zero. Obviously his threat of shooting is is great for us. But I’m more excited about all the the other things that he does — crashing the glass, changing things on the floor, he is a great cutter, and he really has a toughness about him that I think our team needs.“
Jazz center Walker Kessler is out for around two weeks with a UCL injury that usually requires Tommy John surgery. UCL injuries in basketball are a bit rare, but it’s a positive sign Kessler was diagnosed with a sprain and not a tear, according to The Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden. Walden broke down the injury with a doctor, concluding that ligament isn’t used often in basketball, and the injury shouldn’t be worrisome.
The Nuggets selected Ismael Kamagate with the 46th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He’s currently playing his first EuroLeague season with Milan and got to play with the Nuggets in Summer League this past season, averaging 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks across four starts. Though he admitted to Eurohoops.net that playing in the NBA is his dream, he’s willing to be patient. “We just have to not rush the process, because that’s how to can lose yourself. Take your time, do what you can do. In the team, everybody can do everything. You have to master what you do better, and that’s what I learned this summer,” Kamagate said.

Robert Williams Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

November 13th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 13: Williams underwent right knee surgery on Monday to reconstruct a torn ligament after he sustained a patellar dislocation., the team tweets. Williams is expected to make a full recovery for the 2024/25 season.

NOVEMBER 10: Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams will have to undergo season-ending right knee surgery, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He’s expected to go under the knife early next week and to be fully recovered for the 2024/25 season, Woj adds.

Wojnarowski previously reported that Williams would require surgery, but said on Monday that the center’s camp and medical professionals were still discussing what type of procedure would be necessary.

The Athletic reported on Monday that one option would be a cleanup procedure with a two- or three-month recovery timeline, while the other option would be a season-ending procedure that would repair bone and ligament damage in Williams’ right kneecap.

It appears Williams will take the latter route.

It’s a devastating blow to a promising young player who has already been significantly impacted by health problems since entering the NBA as the 27th overall pick in 2018.

Entering this season, the 26-year-old had been limited to 209 of 390 possible regular season games in his first five years in the NBA as a Celtic. He’ll appear in just six of 82 in his first year in Portland.

In his healthiest season, 2021/22, Williams nearly averaged a double-double (10.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG) to go along with 2.2 blocks per night and a 73.6% field goal percentage.

Williams was part of the package that Portland received from Boston this fall in exchange for Jrue Holiday. According to Wojnarowski, there were some teams around the NBA hoping that the Blazers would put Williams back on the trade block prior to the 2024 trade deadline — an in-season move seems extremely unlikely now.

The Trail Blazers have one open spot on their standard 15-man roster that could be used to add more frontcourt depth. They have about $5.3MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so they could comfortably sign a free agent to a minimum-salary deal without becoming a taxpayer.

As Marks observes, Portland could also apply for a disabled player exception, which wouldn’t give the team another roster spot but could provide another cap exception to make a trade, signing, or waiver claim later in the season. If granted by the NBA, that exception would be worth $5,785,715, half of Williams’ salary.

Grant Thrust Into Role Of No. 1 Option

November 12th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Damian Lillard traded and Anfernee Simons injured, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant is averaging a career-high 22.8 points through eight games. Grant was the focal point of Detroit’s offense in 2020/21, when he averaged 22.3 PPG, so he’s familiar with being a No. 1 option. Yet it remains an unusual role for him.

“I’m pushing Jerami to shoot it more because we need it,” Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups told Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “A lot of times he has opportunities and it’s not his nature to do so.”

Grant signed a five-year, $160MM contract with the Blazers this summer.

Jamaree Bouyea Signs Two-Way Contract With Trail Blazers

November 12th, 2023 at 2:14pm CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 12: Bouyea’s two-way contract and Mays’ promotion to the standard roster are now official, Portland has confirmed in a pair of press releases.

NOVEMBER 11: The Trail Blazers plan to sign free agent guard Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link). Portland is creating a two-way opening for Bouyea by converting Skylar Mays to a standard deal.

A 6’2″ point guard who went undrafted in 2022 out of San Francisco, Bouyea signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami last summer and was waived before the 2022/23 season started. Although he spent most of his rookie season in the G League, he did play five NBA games for the Heat and Wizards while on 10-day contracts, averaging 3.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG and 0.8 SPG in 14.2 MPG.

The 24-year-old had a major role for the Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami’s affiliate) last season, averaging 17.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .527/.321/.709 shooting across 38 Showcase Cup and regular season contests (35.0 MPG). Bouyea signed a two-way deal with the Heat this summer, but was waived a couple months later, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Portland’s 18-man roster will be full once Mays is promoted and Bouyea is signed.

Scoot Henderson To Miss 2-3 More Weeks With Ankle Injury

November 11th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 11: The Trail Blazers announced in a press release that Henderson will miss another two or three weeks while the bruising heals.

NOVEMBER 10: Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick of this year’s draft, is expected to miss a couple more weeks due to a right ankle bone bruise, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

As Charania notes, Henderson sprained his ankle on Nov. 1 against Detroit and has been sidelined ever since, missing the past three games with the injury.

If he returns in exactly two weeks, the 19-year-old will have missed 10 games — the Blazers play seven times over the next 14 days.

It’s normal for rookies — especially teenagers — to have slow starts to their NBA careers, and that certainly has been the case for Henderson.

Through five games (28.8 minutes), he’s averaging 8.8 points and 2.2 rebounds on a .346/.095/.857 shooting line, with nearly as many turnovers per game (4.0) as assists (4.6).

With guards Henderson, Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring strain) and Anfernee Simons (thumb surgery) all sidelined, head coach Chauncey Billups gave Skylar Mays extended run in Wednesday’s overtime loss to Sacramento and he played well, posting 18 points (on 8-of-15 shooting) and 11 assists in 37 minutes.

Mays, a former second-round pick, is on a two-way contract with Portland.

Blazers Convert Skylar Mays To Standard Contract

November 11th, 2023 at 1:25pm CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 12: Mays’ promotion is official, the Blazers confirmed in a press release.

NOVEMBER 11: Trail Blazers guard Skylar Mays is receiving a promotion from his two-way deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Mays will be converted to a standard contract.

Portland’s backcourt has been hit hard by injuries early on in 2023/24, with Scoot Henderson (ankle), Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring strain) and Anfernee Simons (thumb surgery) all missing time. In their stead, head coach Chauncey Billups turned to Mays on Wednesday at Sacramento and he played well, recording 18 points (on 8-of-15 shooting), 11 assists (against three turnovers) and two steals in 37 minutes of action.

As Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report observes (Twitter link), the Blazers have an open standard roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Mays. Converting him will make Mays eligible to appear in every game for Portland — players on two-way deals can only be active for up to 50 games, Highkin notes.

Mays, who played four years of college ball at LSU, was the 50th overall pick in the 2020 draft and spent his first two professional seasons with the Hawks. He was on two-way contracts until being promoted to Atlanta’s standard 15-man roster during the final week of the 2021/22 regular season.

The 26-year-old spent most of last season in the G League, but caught on with Portland at the end of ’22/23. He impressed the club in his six games, averaging 15.3 PPG on excellent .500/.462/.923 shooting splits, while also chipping in 8.3 APG, 3.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG. The Blazers signed him to a two-way deal on October 1.

Portland will reportedly use its newly created two-way opening to sign Jamaree Bouyea, as we detailed in a separate story.