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Pacific Notes: Richards, Russell, Christie, Ballmer

January 18th, 2025 at 10:12am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Suns addressed a position of need by trading for Nick Richards on Wednesday, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes. According to Bourguet, the Suns value the Kentucky product for his athleticism, defense, rebounding and size, along with the fact that he’s under contract for next season at a team-friendly price (a non-guaranteed $5MM).

In recent games, Phoenix has been at a disadvantage on the offensive glass, which Richards will help address. The former Hornet is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 56.1% from the field in 21 games (nine starts) this season.

Suns players and coaches expressed excitement about being able to add Richards into their organization, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Head coach Mike Budenholzer said Richards was expected to meet the team Friday in Detroit and that he foresees the center making his Suns debut Saturday against the Pistons.

“We’re excited about adding Nick and what he can bring to our team and how he can impact the game defensively around the rim,” Budenholzer said. “On the boards on both ends of the court. Screen setter. Just that kind of seven-foot size, athleticism can always be impactful.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • On Friday, ahead of his first matchup with the Lakers after being traded back to Brooklyn, D’Angelo Russell expressed that he was appreciative of his time with Los Angeles, but that he was ready to move on, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). He called his second stint with the Lakers a “blur.” Russell scored 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the matchup on Friday night but missed a potential game winner.
  • Kings head coach Doug Christie is a massive part of the franchise’s history, having been a key starter and contributor for the 2001/02 Sacramento team that fell in the Western Conference Finals to the Lakers. Now, under the interim Christie, the Kings have climbed from 13-19 to 21-20 and are firmly back in the postseason picture following the departure of coach Mike Brown. The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson explores Christie’s journey from his tenure as a player to his time as an assistant for the team beginning in 2021.
  • Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie Ballmer, co-founders of the Ballmer Group, pledged an initial $15MM to help combat the Los Angeles wildfires, they announced on their website. “We love L.A. and are committed to supporting the communities affected by the devastating wildfires,” the statement reads. “In coordination with our local partners, Ballmer Group will contribute to addressing immediate food and shelter needs in the community and supporting our first responders.  … We’ve dedicated an initial $15 million in emergency funding for the many people impacted by these fires, particularly in the historic, racially diverse community of Altadena.” The full list of organizations and efforts they’re providing support for can be found on their site.
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And-Ones: G. Williams, Harlan, Yang, Trade Deadline

January 16th, 2025 at 1:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Former SuperSonics star Gus Williams passed away on Wednesday nearly five years after suffering a major stroke, writes Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. Williams was 71 years old.

A 6’2″ point guard whose nickname was “The Wizard,” Williams played 11 seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, SuperSonics, Bullets (Wizards) and Hawks. He spent six seasons in Seattle, helping guide the team to its lone championship in 1979.

Williams made two All-Star and two All-NBA appearances with the Sonics, averaging 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 477 regular season games (34.1 minutes per contest).

The former USC star was even better in the postseason, averaging 23.2 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.8 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 69 playoff games during his time with Seattle, including 29.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.0 SPG in the ’79 NBA Finals.

Our condolences go out to Williams’ family and friends.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Kevin Harlan is nearing a deal to call NBA games for Amazon Prime Video starting with the 2025/26 season, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Harland, 64, has been with TNT Sports for decades, but the network is in its final season as an NBA media rights holder. Harland would be Amazon’s No. 2 play-by-play announcer behind Ian Eagle, Marchand adds.
  • Chinese prospect Hansen Yang, who has aspirations of entering his name in the 2025 NBA draft, has signed with Klutch Sports Group and will be represented by CEO Rich Paul, among other agents, reports Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). A 7’1″ center, the 19-year-old Yang is averaging 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 blocks in 31 games this season with the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association.
  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines what every NBA team would do if the trade deadline were today, while ESPN insiders Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, Andre Snelling and Chris Herring (subscription required) come up with five hypothetical trades that could change the title race. Pelton’s three-team proposal involves Jimmy Butler landing with the Kings and DeMar DeRozan heading to the Heat.
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Eighteen More Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2025 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Wednesday, January 15, which means that a total of 18 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is above the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Wednesday:

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.

That group includes Kings forward Doug McDermott, who becomes trade-eligible on Thursday, Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser (trade-eligible on January 23), Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (Jan. 26), Grizzlies big man Jay Huff (Jan. 28), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (Feb. 2), and Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (Feb. 5).

Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including stars like Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, and Jamal Murray.

Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

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Pacific Notes: Payton II, Green, Monk, Wildfire Donations

January 13th, 2025 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors guard Gary Payton II is on track to return to action on Wednesday. Payton, who hasn’t played since Christmas Day due to a calf strain, scrimmaged on Sunday and worked out on Monday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. He has appeared in 28 games this season, including four starts.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Draymond Green sat out the Warriors‘ three-point loss to Toronto on Monday. He participated in the team’s practice on Sunday but was not at Monday morning’s shootaround due to an illness, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. He has been listed on the injury report due to a back injury. Coach Steve Kerr doesn’t think Green’s back issue is a major concern. “I remember a couple of years ago, I think ’22 season, he missed 15-20 games when the back flared up, so we just have to stay on top of it,” Kerr said. “Training staff is doing a great job with him, and Draymond has done a great job of just doing his rehab and making sure he’s keeping himself in good shape. I think he should be fine going forward.”
  • The streaking Kings may not have Malik Monk on Tuesday. He’s listed as questionable against Milwaukee due to right groin soreness, Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets. Monk has been a huge part of Sacramento’s seven-game winning streak. He’s averaging 23.3 points and 7.8 assists per game so far this month.
  • Los Angeles’ 12 pro sports teams — including the Lakers and Clippers — have pledged to donate more than $8MM to those affected by the state’s wildfires as well as those fighting the fires, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. The contributions will be donated to a variety of organizations.
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Domantas Sabonis, Darius Garland Named Players Of The Week

January 13th, 2025 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings center Domantas Sabonis and Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for games played between January 6-12, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link).

Sabonis, the Western Conference’s winner, spearheaded a 3-0 week for Sacramento by averaging a staggering 22.0 points, 20.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.3 blocks on .610/.750/.769 shooting in his three appearances (42.4 minutes per game).

The NBA’s leading rebounder for the third straight season (14.2 RPG), the Lithuanian big man had a monster double-double in Friday’s victory at Boston, scoring 23 points and pulling down a career-high — and franchise record — 28 rebounds.

After losing six straight games, the last of which came after firing Mike Brown and promoting interim head coach Doug Christie, the Kings have reeled off seven consecutive victories. Three-time All-Star Sabonis has thrived during the team’s dramatic turnaround, averaging 19.9 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 7.0 APG and 0.9 BPG on .600/.588/.714 shooting in 37.9 MPG.

Garland, who won the East’s award, averaged 26.0 PPG and 7.7 APG on an excellent .528/.409/.929 shooting line in helping lead Cleveland to a 2-1 record last week (32.3 MPG). On the season, the 24-year-old is a fraction of a percent below the vaunted 50/40/90 club (.498/.429/.917 shooting splits) for the Cavaliers, who hold the best record in the league at 33-5.

It’s the second time this season that Garland has been named the East’s Player of the Week — he also won the award on November 11.

According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Sabonis’ teammates DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, Anthony Edwards, Jaren Jackson Jr., Alperen Sengun and Russell Westbrook. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Zach LaVine, Garland’s teammate Evan Mobley, Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter link).

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Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Christie, Green, Clippers

January 13th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

DeMar DeRozan had a typical fourth quarter performance Sunday night in Chicago, but this time he beat the Bulls instead of helping them win, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Playing at the United Center for the first time since being traded to the Kings in July, he scored nine of his 21 points in the final 12 minutes as Sacramento pulled out a five-point victory.

DeRozan punctuated his final three made shots with a stare and a few comments directed at the Bulls’ bench, but he said there are no hard feelings and he enjoyed the three years he spent with the team.

“The first moment I came here, I tried to give my all to this organization, to this city. And I think it showed,” he said. “You can’t fake it when you’re genuinely putting everything into representing the Bulls. I embodied the culture of Chicago, everything. I think when people see that, you get the genuine reaction in return.”

DeRozan received a warm reception from the Chicago crowd, which cheered him in pre-game introductions and again when a tribute video was played during a first quarter time out. After the game, Bulls players spoke about the difference DeRozan made for the franchise.

“A guy like that always leaves a big impact, more so for the kind of guy he is, how he carries himself,” Nikola Vucevic said. “You always respect people like that. It was great for everyone to have him here for all these years, but especially for the young guys, they were able to learn a lot from him about the game, how to carry yourself on and off the court, what to do and how to prepare, the mental aspect, a lot of things that we can all learn from him and carry on throughout the rest of our careers.”

There’s m0re from the Pacific Division:

  • The Kings picked up their seventh straight win on Sunday as they continue to benefit from the simplified offense Doug Christie installed when he replaced Mike Brown as head coach, observes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento had just seven turnovers and allowed three points off of them. “(Christie is) calling basically three or four plays,” Domantas Sabonis explained. “One for DeMar, one for Foxy (De’Aaron Fox) and one for me. He’s trusting his main guys to create the advantage and then everyone plays off that.” 
  • The counseling that Draymond Green received during last season’s indefinite suspension has helped him learn how to control his anger, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Green also confirms that he contemplated retirement last season, but that’s no longer in his plans. “He’s always been so passionate,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “And when he goes wrong and his passion gets away from him, it turns into anger. … He’s in a good place family-wise; he’s a great dad. He loves his kids. He recognized last year how much his actions impacted his young kids. He doesn’t want his kids seeing him in that light. And it’s easy for everybody on the outside to say, well then don’t do that stuff. But he is a force of nature and as competitive as any person I’ve ever seen. His game lives on the edge of passion and rage, and he has to find that balance. And he’s found it this year.”
  • The Clippers have to put aside a major distraction to concentrate on tonight’s game with Miami, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Many of the players and coaches were directly affected by the massive wildfires that hit Los Angeles and the surrounding area last week. “At the end, we’re pros,” Nicolas Batum said Sunday. “We have a game to play. We have to win so we have to get back to it. We had two great practices the last two days. Basketball-side, we lost four of the last five so we need a win tomorrow. We got a stretch at home that we need to take care of so it’s going to be a big one against Miami tomorrow so we got to focus on that and try to win the game.”
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Bulls Notes: Ball, Dosunmu, DeRozan, Karnisovas

January 12th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a narrow 124-119 loss to Sacramento on Sunday, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball made his first start since January 14, 2022. As Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, a grateful Ball – who started all 35 of his outings in 2021/22 in his first year with the Bulls was happy for the opportunity to at least temporarily reclaim that role.

“[I’m] thankful for everybody that stuck with me, appreciative of the organization for riding with me the whole way and just seeing it all come full circle,” Ball said.

The UCLA alum underwent three surgeries to repair a meniscus issue in his knee and missed the two-and-a-half seasons. This season, Ball had previously only played under a minutes restriction off the bench.

Across 26 minutes of action on Sunday as a starter, Ball scored 15 points and handed out three assists. Starter Coby White was sidelined with a neck injury.

“Whatever you need from him, he’s always ready to play,’’ Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said of Ball.

There’s more out of the Windy City:

  • Bulls sixth man guard Ayo Dosunmu, who if healthy would have started over Ball, has been sidelined since December 23 with a calf injury. According to Williams, Dosunmu continues to rehab the ailment and inch closer towards an on-court return. ‘‘We’ve gotten a really good response from the ramp-up,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘There’s a few more days they want to continue on that, just to see how he responds. With some of the hurdles we’ve wanted him to cross, he’s responded pretty well.’’
  • Kings swingman DeMar DeRozan reflected on the end of his three-year Bulls run during his first game back in Chicago on Sunday, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. The six-time All-Star unpacked how things ended between him and the Bulls last summer, when he ultimately agreed to join Sacramento on a three-year, $73.9MM deal via sign-and-trade. “Sometimes the way the business of basketball works, a lot of stuff becomes out of both sides’ control,” DeRozan said. “But with that, just got to appreciate the time that was spent there. I gave it my all, all three years.” With the victory Sunday, DeRozan’s Kings won their seventh straight game. Sacramento is now 7-1 under interim head coach Doug Christie.
  • The next few weeks ahead of the February 6 NBA trade deadline could ultimately either make or break Bulls team president Arturas Karnisovas’ stint leading the front office, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. At 18-21, Chicago occupies the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of Philadelphia for the last play-in tournament spot. The team boasts several veteran players on tradable contracts and has a limited ceiling with its current roster. Poe notes that Karnisovas remaining relatively inactive at a critical transaction point once again would represent a potentially disastrous approach for Chicago. The Bulls haven’t made the playoffs in two years and appear unlikely to break through this season. That said, they will not have their own draft pick this summer if it falls outside the top 10, so it may behoove them to get worse in a hurry. Poe writes that the team hasn’t had significant talks about offloading former two-time All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, and is reportedly open to trading anyone on its roster. White and Dosunmu, two solid young players on reasonable deals, have surprisingly not received much trade interest yet, per Poe.
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Pacific Notes: Fox, Kings, Warriors, O’Neale

January 12th, 2025 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is available to play on Sunday against Chicago, tweets Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee.

Fox, who last suited up on January 3, rejoins a red-hot Sacramento squad that has won six straight games in total, including the past three without him. James Ham of The Kings Beat considers whether the team’s recent run of success is sustainable.

Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

  • The Kings are spending far less time scrimmaging so far under new head coach Doug Christie, which has been well received by the players, Biderman writes for the Sacramento Bee. “Talking to some of the guys who play heavier minutes, they definitely feel more fresh to start games,” Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter said. “I think even mentally, just the grind of the season, we’re already in January, and you get to this point in the season, you play a lot of games. As much as it’s a physical grind, it’s a mental grind. Being halfway there and needing every win, in some ways we pump the brakes a little bit, but still trusting us to get our work in.”
  • After missing games on Thursday and Friday for personal reasons, Andrew Wiggins will be back in action for the Warriors on Monday in Toronto, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters today (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). Stephen Curry and Draymond Green practiced on Sunday and are also set to return on Monday after sitting out Friday, while Gary Payton II (calf strain) is listed as questionable to play for the first time since Christmas Day. Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury) will remain out, Kerr said.
  • Suns forward Royce O’Neale (left ankle sprain) appears on track to return from a six-game absence on Sunday vs. Charlotte. He has been upgraded to probable, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
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Kings’ McNair Talks Christie, Goals, Trade Deadline, More

January 10th, 2025 at 11:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Friday to NBC Sports California’s Mark Jones, Kings general manager Monte McNair briefly addressed the team’s decision to fire Mike Brown, stressing that he appreciates the veteran coach and has the “utmost respect” for him.

However, as Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports California writes, McNair was more focused on discussing the job that Doug Christie has done since taking the reins from Brown, praising the interim head coach for the love he has for the organization and the “passion” he has brought to the role.

“What I think he brings to the table is his optimism, his playing experience and what he feels he needs to give to those players because that’s what he needed when he played,” McNair said. “And right now, I think the guys have really responded to that.”

The Kings won their sixth straight game on Friday and are now back to .500 at 19-19, putting them firmly in the thick of the postseason race in the Western Conference. In his conversation with Jones, McNair made it clear that getting back to the playoffs after missing out last season is a priority for the team.

“I would say our goals haven’t changed,” McNair said, per Rodriguez. “We want to get to the playoffs. We want to continue to make noise there. I think what we’ve done is we’ve put ourselves in a bit of a hole. We’ve started to climb out of it but there’s more work to be done. We’re really right now on the fringes of the play-in, that’s certainly one way into the playoffs, we’ve seen teams take that path away and make some noise in the playoffs, so if that’s the pathway we have to go through, we’ll do that.

“But ideally, we’ll find a way to get into the top six and get a little rest going into the playoffs. But that’s what our goal continues to be, both this year and going forward.”

Here are a few more highlights from the Kings’ GM:

On the front office’s thought process with the February 6 trade deadline nearing:

“I think the first thing we’re looking at is we made a big change, so what does the team look like? We’ve seen a little bit of that, but we want to see a little bit more about how this team responds and exactly what we have. We’re always looking, that’s our job in the front office, we always got to find ways to improve this team especially in the Western Conference where it feels like every year there’s 10, 11, 12 teams that you got to compete with.

“Early returns have been good, we want to continue to see that. And then we’re about three or four weeks out from that decision point, and we’ll see if there’s a way to improve the team and keep climbing the standings.”

On whether the new CBA will make it difficult for the Kings to find a deal they like:

“I think teams are looking to improve, and there’s a lot of creative folks out there. We have quite a few in our front office. So it certainly puts some constraints on how you can maneuver, but I think we are well positioned with our current position and I think other teams continue to be creative to find ways that they can do it. You can’t stand still in this league for too long and you got to continue to find ways to make your team better.”

On the desire to add more talented defenders without sacrificing offense:

“I think we’ve seen Keon (Ellis) take some tougher assignments, so when he’s out there he can do it. At the same time, we’re continuing to look for two-way guys because what we don’t want to do is just solve one issue and open up another. So we want guys like Keegan (Murray), like Keon, like a lot of the other guys on our roster that can produce on the offensive end and then go and guard these tough guys on the defensive end. So we’ll continue to look for those guys. We’ll continue to challenge the guys that we have here to take on those responsibilities.

“And I think, certainly of late, we’re top five in defense over the last 10 days or so, and 15th or 16th on the season. Our goal is to be top half of the league and we’re right there.”

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Pacific Notes: Durant, Kawhi, Kings, Warriors Injuries

January 10th, 2025 at 10:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Friday to reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns star Kevin Durant was asked about the team’s roster-building philosophy under new team owner Mat Ishbia. A series of aggressive roster moves since Ishbia’s arrival, starting with the acquisition of Durant in 2023, has left Phoenix with few draft assets and a limited ability to seek out additional upgrades, but the veteran forward lauded the team’s owner for his aggressiveness and willingness to spend big.

“I appreciate people that want to put in the work to try to get on that road to a championship level,” Durant said. “It’s hard. As we’ve seen, it’s tough, but just putting yourself in a position to try to do something. A lot people don’t even try to do stuff out here to be great. So I can appreciate somebody like Mat and the rest of the staff and the whole organization trying to put the players in successful positions to see what it’s like to go on the road to win a championship. Not a lot of franchises do that for their players.”

Durant also addressed teammate Bradley Beal‘s recent move to the bench, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). Durant noted that Beal’s playing time as a sixth man (31.3 MPG) is similar to what he was seeing as a starter (33.4 MPG) and suggested that the new role should give him more scoring opportunities.

“I feel like he’s just comfortable and understanding where his shot’s gonna come from,” Durant said of Beal, who has a pair of 25-point outings in his first three games as a reserve.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has rejoined the team after taking a brief leave of absence to be with family affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard would have been available to play on Saturday vs. Charlotte, per Murray, but that game has been postponed, so the Clippers won’t be back in action until at least Monday.
  • In a pair of stories for The Sacramento Bee, Jason Anderson explores why the Kings‘ fortunes have changed as of late under new head coach Doug Christie and Chris Biderman recaps the team’s latest impressive victory, a convincing road win over the defending champion Celtics that included a franchise-record 28 rebounds from center Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento is now back to .500 after falling to 13-19 on December 28, a day after Mike Brown‘s dismissal.
  • Warriors guard Gary Payton II (calf strain) has a chance to play on Monday for the first time since Christmas Day, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Friday’s loss to Indiana (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). However, Kerr isn’t sure whether Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury management) or Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons) will be available for that game in Toronto.
  • As for Stephen Curry (bilateral knee injury management) and Draymond Green (back soreness), it sounds like the two veteran Warriors will be able to return on Monday, but Kerr cautioned that the team will continue to manage both players’ health, adding that Curry has had some fluid build-up in the knee (Twitter link via Youngmisuk).
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