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Northwest Notes: Blazers, Sharpe, SGA, Nowell, Edwards

January 13th, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow has been out since December 21 after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain. He’s making progress in his recovery, but he’s out for at least two more weeks, Portland announced in a press release.

The Blazers also provided an injury update on forward Nassir Little, who has been sidelined since November 29 with a hip fracture. There’s no official timeline for his return, but he has begun on-court contact work, per the team.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Shaedon Sharpe‘s development is an exercise in patience, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. The No. 7 overall pick of the 2022 draft didn’t play any games in his one year at Kentucky, which makes him behind the curve in some regards. Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups says the 19-year-old won’t get minutes he doesn’t earn. “That’s going to be his year all year,” Billups said, per Fentress. “We as a staff have to have a level of patience with Shae and so do our veterans. But as I tell him, and our veterans tell him, ‘We’re trying to be the best team that we can be. We don’t have time to wait on you. You didn’t go to a team that is trying to lose and get the No. 1 pick. That’s not our situation. You have to catch up.’”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a brilliant season for the Thunder and helped lead the team to back-to-back road victories over the Sixers and Bulls on Thursday and Friday. After Thursday’s victory, Gilgeous-Alexander expressed confidence about the team’s future, according to Thunder sideline reporter and digital editor Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “I think we’re gonna be a really good team a lot sooner than other people do,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So I think it’s it’s pretty easy for me – I see the growth every day. I’ve seen the growth in the last five months, year, two years. And I’m super excited about it.” The Thunder are currently 20-23, the No. 11 seed in the West.
Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer, but he’s not pleased with his season thus far, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “Not going well,” he said. Nowell, who shot 39.4% from deep last season, is shooting just 28.5% from behind the arc through 42 games. Head coach Chris Finch believes the 23-year-old is making things difficult on himself. “I think he’s trying to force himself into the game,” Finch said. “What it’s doing probably is bleeding over into the great looks that he’s getting. He’s trying to get himself going by taking some tough shots out there with a lot of hands in his face and then when the ball comes back, or a different situation where he’s shooting it open, particularly from three, he hasn’t seen that go in.”
In the same story from Hine, Finch said Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is dealing with a “deep bruise” in his left hip, but the former No. 1 overall pick has been “cleared of all tests.” Veteran guard Austin Rivers commended Edwards’ willingness to play through the injury, Hine tweets. “It just sets a tone like this dude’s invested. He’s here. This guy’s playing through injuries, no matter. The Houston game, a lot of guys would just sit out, like, ‘Hey, we’ll win without him.’ But Ant came out there and really showed us,” he said.

No Extension Talks Yet, But Grant Not Planning To Leave Blazers

January 7th, 2023 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

Six months have passed since Jerami Grant was traded from Detroit to Portland, which means the Trail Blazers‘ forward is now eligible for a contract extension that could be worth up to $112.65MM over four years.

Negotiations between general manager Joe Cronin and Grant’s agent Mike Kneisley haven’t yet gotten underway, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. However, Quick says there was optimism from “all corners of the organization” on Friday about the possibility of Grant remaining in Portland long-term, including from the forward himself.

“I definitely like it here; love it here,” Grant said. “The guys have been very welcoming, it’s definitely a family environment, everybody is super cool, got good guys on the team, great organization — Joe, (head coach) Chauncey (Billups), everything. I’m definitely enjoying it here.”

When told that his comments didn’t paint the picture of a situation a player would want to leave, Grant laughed and replied, “I ain’t really plan on leaving.”

As Quick outlines, Blazers star Damian Lillard and Grant became close when they played for Team USA at the 2020 Olympics. As U.S. teammates, they discussed ways to get Grant to Portland, and Lillard said on Friday that it “wasn’t the plan” for the 28-year-old to leave Portland as a free agent.

According to Quick, Lillard doesn’t believe that Grant – who has played for five teams since entering the NBA in 2014 and has never spent more than three seasons with a single franchise – will be looking for another change of scenery as a free agent this summer.

“I’m sure at this point in his career he’s looking for a home,” Lillard said. “He’s not looking to be on another team, so in my mind, I just assume it’s more than likely that he’ll be back.

“… I think (Grant) understands it’s a good situation for him,” Lillard added. “He’s been able to play free … the game has come pretty simple for him … we’ve welcomed him. Right now we are 19-19, but we are capable of being a winning team … It’s a good situation for him, and that speaks louder than anything else.”

The Blazers have until June 30 to sign Grant to an extension and would be in the driver’s seat even if he opts for free agency, since they’d be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team — four years and $112.65MM are Grant’s in-season limits, but Portland could offer up to $233MM over five years in free agency. The possibility of exceeding $28MM per year on his next contract could be a consideration for Grant, who will also weigh his family, his role, and his team’s chances to compete for a title, writes Quick.

“It’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, that’s why I’m kind of taking my time right now,” Grant said.

Shaedon Sharpe Intends To Participate In 2023 Dunk Contest

January 5th, 2023 at 10:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trail Blazers rookie shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe is set to partake in the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sharpe has made 29 dunks thus far this season, tweets Clutch Points.

Portland selected the 6’6″ swingman out of Kentucky with the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft. The 19-year-old has emerged as an exciting athletic addition off the bench for the Trail Blazers. Through 36 games this season, he is averaging 7.9 PPG on .477/.348/.625 shooting splits, along with 2.5 RPG, in 19.7 MPG.

All-Star Weekend will tip off on February 17 this year in Salt Lake City. The dunk contest will be one of three events during the weekend’s Saturday night slate on February 18, along with the Skills Challenge and the 3-Point Contest.

GPII Dealing With Sprained Right Ankle

January 4th, 2023 at 10:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II made his season debut on Monday and the team definitely appreciated his “all-out effort,” writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. “Most teams don’t have a guy like him,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. Unfortunately, the free agent addition was ruled out in advance of Wednesday’s loss to the Wolves, as he’s dealing with a right ankle sprain (Twitter link).

Gary Payton II Expected To Make Blazers Debut Monday

January 1st, 2023 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Gary Payton II is expected to make his Trail Blazers debut on Monday. He is not listed on the team’s injury report for their home game against Detroit (Twitter link).

Payton signed a three-year, $26MM contract with the Trail Blazers as an unrestricted free agent in July, then had core muscle surgery during the offseason. Payton was a key rotation player on the Warriors’ championship team and the Blazers anticipate that he’ll serve a similar role behind Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.

Payton, 30, struggled to find a team that would give him a steady role until he emerged as a defensive force for Golden State. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 71 regular season games, including 16 starts. He also appeared in 12 postseason games, including a pair of starts. Payton also played for Milwaukee, the Lakers and Washington but never appeared in more than 29 games the previous five seasons.

Portland could use the boost, as it used an eight-man rotation in its last game due to illness and injuries. Justise Winslow won’t play on Monday due to a left ankle sprain while starting center Jusuf Nurkic and reserves Keon Johnson and Greg Brown are listed as questionable due to illness.

Warriors Notes: DiVincenzo, Poole, Payton, Jerome, Wiggins

December 31st, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

In Friday’s win over Portland, Donte DiVincenzo had his most impactful performance since signing with the Warriors during the offseason, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. With 45 seconds left and Golden State leading by two points, DiVincenzo stole the ball from Damian Lillard and followed that with a three-pointer to put the game out of reach.

DiVincenzo got off to an uneven start with his new team, but he has moved into the starting lineup in the wake of injuries to Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins. He has helped to stabilize the team’s perimeter defense and recorded four steals on Friday night.

“He’s a winner,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, two-time NCAA champion. NBA champion with the Bucks. Competes every second of every play. Great rebounds. Just constantly moving toward the ball. Plays with so much energy and activity, and then he’s fearless. He knocks down that big 3. He was 0-for-3 from 3 going into that shot, and it didn’t phase him at all.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Jordan Poole had a game-high 41 points Friday as he continues to fill the scoring void left by Curry’s absence, Slater adds. Poole has produced hefty point totals in the team’s last five wins, and Slater believes his ability to fill in for Curry influenced Warriors management to give him a contract extension.
Gary Payton II still hasn’t played this season, but the Trail Blazers guard picked up his championship ring during Friday’s visit to Golden State, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Draymond Green was excited to make the official presentation to his former teammate. “To understand GP’s journey, to see him go and get his money, but most importantly to see what he was able to contribute to a championship — I’m extremely excited and honored to be the person that’s presenting him something that will matter and that nobody can take for the rest of your life,” Green said.
Ty Jerome was flattered to be called “a poor man’s Steve Nash” during an interview on Warriors Postgame Live (video link). Jerome signed with Golden State after being waived by the Rockets in October, and he says the team’s style of play is a perfect fit for his skills.
Wiggins was able to take part in a 3-on-3 session Friday morning and Kerr is “hopeful” that he’ll be able to play Monday, Johnson tweets.

Blazers’ Winslow Expected To Miss At Least Two Weeks

December 27th, 2022 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow, who exited last Wednesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City due to a left ankle injury, has been officially diagnosed with a grade 2 ankle sprain, the team announced on Monday night in a press release.

Portland didn’t provide a formal timeline for Winslow’s potential return, but indicated he’ll be reevalauted in two weeks, so it’s safe to assume he’ll remain sidelined through at least the first week of January.

Winslow has already missed the Blazers’ last two games. Even if he’s able to return as soon as he’s reevalauted on January 9, he’ll remain on the shelf for another five contests.

Winslow isn’t part of Portland’s starting lineup when the team is fully healthy, but has started 11 of his 29 games this season and ranks sixth on the team with 26.8 minutes per contest. Although his offensive production – 6.8 points per game on .409/.311/.714 shooting – is modest, he’s a versatile defender and solid play-maker (3.4 APG) who grabs a few rebounds per night (5.0).

With Winslow and Nassir Little (hip fracture) unavailable, the Blazers will have to lean more heavily on reserves like Shaedon Sharpe, Trendon Watford, and Keon Johnson in the short term. Offseason signee Gary Payton II is also believed to be nearing his season debut and should provide additional depth off the bench.

And-Ones: Suns’ Sale, Expansion, Udoh, Ignite, Warkentien

December 24th, 2022 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

There wasn’t a ton of trade chatter at the G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas this past week, but the news of the Suns‘ sale to Mat Ishbia generated plenty of discussion, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Specifically, the franchise’s $4 billion valuation raised eyebrows, given how far above recent projections it was.

As Hollinger explains, that eye-popping sale price led to speculation on two fronts. For one, there were conversations about whether other franchises could find their way onto the market — for instance, Paul Allen‘s estate appears content to exercise patience before eventually opening the bidding on the Trail Blazers, but it’s possible the Suns’ valuation could help expedite that process. Hollinger adds that there have also been whispers over the years about whether Michael Jordan will sell the Hornets.

Perhaps more importantly, the Suns’ high sale price could be good news for the prospect of NBA expansion. As Hollinger observes, the existing 30 team owners are more likely to agree to bring in two new partners if their cut of the expansion fee high enough to offset their losses from splitting the NBA’s TV deal and other sources of revenue 32 ways instead of 30 ways. The Suns selling for $4 billion increases the odds of expansion fees for teams in cities like Seattle and Las Vegas reaching the neighborhood of $4-5 billion, says Hollinger.

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

Former NBA lottery pick Ekpe Udoh is resuming his playing career in Japan, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando, who relays that the big man has signed with the Shimane Susanoo Magic. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Udoh appeared in 384 total NBA games, but hasn’t played in the league since the 2018/19 season.
Scoot Henderson wasn’t available for the G League Ignite during the league’s Winter Showcase event in Las Vegas this past week, but Jeremy Woo of SI.com got a chance to scout several other Ignite players, including London Johnson, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko, and Mojave King. Woo shares several of his key takeaways on the Ignite’s non-Henderson prospects, identifying Miller and Cissoko as players who have a chance to be selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft (Johnson will be draft-eligible in 2024).
Veteran NBA executive Mark Warkentien, who won an Executive of the Year award in 2009 as the Nuggets‘ head of basketball operations, has passed away at age 69 (Twitter link via the Nuggets). Warkentien most recently worked in the league as a special assignment evaluator for the Thunder. We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to his family and friends.

Northwest Notes: Lillard, SGA, Gobert, Edwards, Markkanen

December 23rd, 2022 at 11:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Point guard Damian Lillard has spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers, and despite publicly stating multiple times that he intends to spend the rest of his career in Portland, his name has been featured in trade rumors off and on for years. Lillard recently gave some advice to Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been the subject of similar speculation.

“The grass is not always greener on the other side,” Lillard said, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

“You never know what it’s going to look like or how the next team might view you, especially when you’ve had some injuries like he’s had,” Lillard continued. “You just don’t know. Also I would tell him a lot of these people that are saying ‘free him’ and all of these things or whatever, they are not the people that are going to have to live with the consequences if it doesn’t work out. They’re not gonna ever have to walk in his shoes.”

Lillard also complimented Gilgeous-Alexander’s excellent start to the 2022/23 season, per Mussatto.

“He’s coming into his own,” Lillard said. “I can remember when I was younger and I became the leader of a team. … I see that he’s in that stage. He’s trying to show what he can do — almost like a coming out party for him.

“He’s having a great season. He’s playing confident, he’s playing well for the team and it’s fun to watch, just not when it happens against us.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Timberwolves continue to have an up-and-down season. They won three straight with Rudy Gobert sidelined with an ankle injury (though they were playing three similarly inconsistent opponents in the Thunder, Mavs and Bulls), and have now dropped two straight with him back. Still, Gobert says he’s pleased with the team’s effort, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I’m really happy about the way we come in every day working, putting in the extra work,” he said. “And then when it’s game time, I’m really happy with the physicality, the competitiveness. I think that’s what’s going to take us as far as we can go.”
Anthony Edwards has shown improvement as a play-maker for the Timberwolves, and La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune believes the 21-year-old has higher upside in that role than Karl-Anthony Towns. Edwards still needs to find more consistency, but it would be a good thing if Edwards becomes the face of the franchise sooner rather than later, according to Neal.
Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has a strong case to become a first-time All-Star, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. He says been striving to achieve that goal for years. “I’ve said this publicly before, but absolutely it has always been my personal goal. Obviously I’ve got team goals and I’m always gonna push those first, but like at an individual level that’s always been my goal. Not just to be one of the guys in the league, I want to make it to the top,” Markkanen said. Through 32 games (33.8 MPG), he’s averaging a career-high 22.8 PPG, along with 8.1 RPG and 2.1 APG. He’s also posting career-best marks from the field (53.3%) and from three-point range (43.8%).

Winslow To Undergo MRI On Ankle; GP II Hopes To Make Debut Next Week

December 22nd, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Justise Winslow suffered a left ankle injury in Wednesday’s loss to the Thunder and is expected to undergo an MRI, sources tell Haynes. The Trail Blazers forward is an unrestricted free agent in 2023 and is a rotation regular for Portland. On the bright side, Blazers guard Gary Payton II hopes to make his season debut next week, per Haynes, which is in line with a report last week from Shams Charania of The Athletic.