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Texas Notes: Washington, Kidd, Spurs Rookies, Popovich

December 22nd, 2022 at 11:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rookie Rockets point guard TyTy Washington Jr. has emerged as a quick study early in his NBA career, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Washington, selected with the No. 29 pick in the 2022 draft out of Kentucky, grew from his experience rehabilitating a left knee sprain with Houston’s NBA G League affiliate club, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

“With me being out because of my injury, going down to the G League definitely helped me get in a rhythm, get back into shape, back up to speed, stuff like that,” Washington said. “I spent a lot of time, especially when I was down there in the G League, before practices, after practices, working out … just to get my wind up.”

Feigen writes that Washington used his time with the Vipers to adjust to the physical nature and quickness of players at the NBA level.

“Part of [the thinking behind sending Washington to the Vipers] was he just had to get back into basketball shape, which he did,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said. “But also, just to get used to the speed of the game and physicality, I think it helped. He is still going through that. You could see moments in the first couple games he got a little shocked by some of the speed and physicality, but every rookie does… He has an extraordinarily high basketball IQ.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

The NBA fined Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd $25K this week following a heated conversation with a referee in the third quarter of Dallas’s 116-106 road loss to the Timberwolves on Monday, the league announced in a press statement (Twitter link). Kidd was given two technical fouls and was ejected from the contest.
The Spurs seem to be giving their rookies additional time to develop on the floor, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. As San Antonio goes all-in on its rebuild, the team has exhibited an openness to giving its three 19-year-old first-year players more run, per McDonald. Those rookies include power forward Jeremy Sochan, small forward Malaki Branham, and, eventually, injured shooting guard Blake Wesley. “We’re in a position where rookies are playing now,” guard Devin Vassell said. “So they’ve just got to take advantage of the opportunities.”
Longtime Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has expressed his gratitude for being nominated to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “It’s not something you think about growing up or while you are coaching,” the 73-year-old, who has led San Antonio to six NBA Finals appearances and five championships since taking over in 1996, reflected. “It’s not something you aspire to. It’s out of the realm of possibility. You just sort of do your job. It’s not top of mind, that’s for sure… To be nominated for something like that with any group is pretty flattering and pretty amazing.” Six-time All-Star Spurs point guard Tony Parker has also been nominated for inclusion in the 2023 class.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Trade Market, LeBron, Bryant, Christie

December 21st, 2022 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The foot injury that Anthony Davis suffered last week has decreased the chances that the Lakers will gamble on a major trade, multiple sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. He adds that the only exception would be if the team can acquire a young star that it believes can succeed alongside Davis over the next few years.

Even before the Davis injury, the Lakers’ front office wasn’t confident that there was a trade available that would turn the team into contenders, Buha states. He suggests the most likely current scenario is a deal that would include some combination of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and a protected first-rounder in either 2027 or 2029 in exchange for a 3-and-D wing or a combo forward.

Along with the players who have already been linked to the Lakers in trade talks, Buha’s sources point to the Suns‘ Jae Crowder, the Rockets‘ Eric Gordon, the Pistons‘ Alec Burks, the Hornets‘ Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr. and the Spurs‘ Josh Richardson and Jakob Poeltl as players to watch.

There’s more on the Lakers, all from Buha:

LeBron James has posted four straight 30-point games, but his playing time is starting to become a concern. He’s averaged 39.2 minutes over the past five games, and the Lakers need to be careful that they don’t rely too heavily on him. Buha notes that James, who will turn 38 next week, ranks sixth in minutes per game among players with at least 50 total games over the past two seasons.
The loss of Davis has been eased somewhat by the emergence of Thomas Bryant. Buha states that Bryant was considered “almost unplayable” before Davis got hurt, but he’s averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last three games while shooting 61.1% from the field and 55.6% from three-point range. The 25-year-old center joined the Lakers during the offseason on a veteran’s minimum contract and will be a free agent again next summer.
Rookie shooting guard Max Christie recently moved into the rotation and may be playing well enough to stay there. The second-round pick provides a much-needed 3-and-D option for coach Darvin Ham, and he’s one of the best rebounders among the team’s guards.
The starting backcourt of Beverley and Dennis Schroder hasn’t performed well, and Buha wonders why Ham keeps playing them together. The Lakers are minus-50 in 161 minutes when they’re on the court at the same time, and their skills seem to be redundant.

Scotto’s Latest: Porzingis, LaVine, Trent, Pacers, Spurs

December 21st, 2022 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Two NBA executives who spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe that if he remains healthy and productive this season, Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis could be in line for a three- or four-year contract worth about $30MM annually on the open market next summer. Porzingis holds a $36MM player option for 2023/24, but would likely decline that option and accept a modest pay cut next season if it meant securing a lucrative long-term deal.

With Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma both potentially on track for 2023 free agency, the Wizards may have to make some decisions in the coming weeks about their current roster’s ceiling and how committed they are to this core. The team holds Porzingis’ and Kuzma’s Bird rights, but both players would be unrestricted free agents, so Washington wouldn’t be able to fully control the process. If the Wizards are worried about losing Porzingis and/or Kuzma next summer, it would make sense to gauge their value in advance of February’s trade deadline.

According to Scotto, the Wizards believe their roster is more talented than their 12-20 record suggests and are hoping to get an extended look at a fully healthy group before making any decisions about personnel changes.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Bulls, Raptors, and Wizards are among the teams being monitored closely by rivals in case they pivot to selling. Multiple clubs, including the Knicks, are keeping a close eye in particular on Bulls guard Zach LaVine, says Scotto. LaVine has reportedly not seen eye-to-eye with the organization this season after signing a five-year, maximum-salary contract in July.
Multiple NBA executives who spoke to Scotto at this week’s G League Showcase “unanimously” consider Gary Trent Jr. the Raptors‘ most likely trade candidate. Trent is widely expected to turn down his 2023/24 player option (worth $18.8MM) and seek a multiyear deal. Two executives told Scotto they think Trent can get $20MM+ per year as a free agent, and there’s skepticism around the NBA that Toronto will want to retain him at a price exceeding $20MM annually.
With the Pacers and Spurs still well below the salary floor, multiple executives believe the two clubs will be on the lookout for opportunities to take on unwanted contracts – along with draft compensation – at this season’s deadline, per Scotto.

Adam Silver Addresses Expansion As NBA Returns To Mexico City

December 17th, 2022 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Commissioner Adam Silver received several questions about expansion before the Heat and Spurs played Saturday in Mexico City, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The league used to travel to Mexico frequently, but because of the pandemic, today marked the first NBA game in the country since 2019.

At a news conference prior to tip-off, Silver was peppered with questions about Mexico City someday being considered for an expansion team. His responses echoed comments made by NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum last month, saying the league isn’t ready to add teams, but the city will be a strong contender whenever that happens.

“In terms of Mexico City, I believe you’re doing all the things necessary to demonstrate to the league that ultimately we may be in position to house an NBA team here,” Silver said. “Certainly from a travel standpoint it’s very accessible, time zone wise, of course.”

Mexico City has hosted more than 30 NBA games in a relationship with the league that spans three decades. The G League’s Mexico City Capitanes recently began playing in Arena CDMX, which is considered to be an NBA-quality facility.

Silver cited research showing there are 30 million NBA fans in Mexico and said he hopes that number will increase as the country gets more media access to games.

“I’ll add one factor that I wouldn’t have thought of even when I was here in 2019,” Silver said. “We’re seeing a faster transformation to streaming than I would have predicted even a few years ago, and when you move to streaming platforms and you’re talking to these partners that are very much global, I think the addition of a team, for example, in Mexico might have a very different impact and relevance to them than maybe a historical U.S.-based media partner.”

Many of the players who participated in this year’s trip to Mexico City were impressed by what they saw, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. On Friday, they attended a Capitanes game where the crowd cheered intensely from start to finish while beating drums and chanting the team’s name.

“It was crazy,” said Spurs rookie Blake Wesley. “I was like, ‘How is it this many people for a G League game?’ I enjoyed it. It was fun.”

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who has been involved in many of the NBA games in Mexico, believes the city has earned consideration when the league decides to expand.

“That’s above my pay grade to decide where the teams go, but I know they love it,” he said. “It’s a viable place for such an endeavor, and I have no doubt that Adam and his crew are doing everything they can to decide whether that should happen.”

Spurs Notes: Rebuilding, Brown, Poeltl, Primo

December 17th, 2022 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs have created “optionality” as they consider the best path toward rebuilding, general manager Brian Wright told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Wright explained that the organization has the ability to improve through the draft, trades or free agency.

San Antonio has one of the league’s worst records at 9-20 and figures to be among the teams with the best odds for the No. 1 pick and Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs also have a surplus of draft assets already in place following the Dejounte Murray deal with Atlanta, and they have veterans such as Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson who should be in demand before the February 9 trade deadline. The team is also more than $30MM under the salary cap and could have up to $60MM in cap space next summer.

“In a season like this one with the draft, everything gets overmagnified about tanking or anything like that,” Wright said. “It’s never been about that, and it won’t ever be about that. You’re younger and this is a league where you have to learn how to win, and it takes time. It takes the standards and habits and repetitions and doing the right thing, and that’s what this coaching staff has done for a long time, and that’s what these players are learning right now. We will get there.”

There’s more on the Spurs:

Bringing Brett Brown back in June gave the coaching staff someone with plenty of experience in rebuilding, MacMahon adds. Brown served as head coach in Philadelphia during the “Process” years and understands what it takes to construct a team from the ground up. “Everything revolves around development,” he said. “It’s a big word. It’s not just, ‘Now they’ve got a jump hook.’ It’s growing them up with NBA habits and terminology and educational stuff on scouting.”
Poeltl was able to play Saturday after missing seven straight games with a bone bruise in his right knee. That allowed the Spurs to have their preferred starting five available for the first time since November 26, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.
Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the NBA “worked in conjunction with the Spurs” on the investigation of Joshua Primo, who is accused of exposing himself to a team psychologist, per Tom Orsborn of The San-Antonio Express News. Silver said the subsequent lawsuit, which was settled out of court, shows that the league needs to work to protect the safety of its employees.

Wesley Cleared To Play; Bassey Gets First Career Start

December 16th, 2022 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs rookie guard Blake Wesley will be available on Friday for the Austin Spurs’ game in Mexico City, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. A knee injury has sidelined Wesley since October 30 and limited him to just two NBA appearances so far this season, but it sounds like he has been cleared to return.
Waived by Philadelphia during the preseason, Charles Bassey made his first career start on Wednesday for the Spurs and admitted after the game that he was “a little bit” nervous. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) details, Bassey got into early foul trouble and mishandled a couple passes from Doug McDermott in the pick-and-roll. “He just flat-out dropped a few of them; he told me that,” McDermott said. “I told him, ‘I am going to continue to throw it to you, because you are setting great screens. You are either going to have a shot or you are going to have a dunk. So don’t overthink it.'”

Fischer’s Latest: Poeltl, Vucevic, Beverley, Bey, More

December 14th, 2022 at 11:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Spurs center Jakob Poeltl will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in 2023, and he’s looking forward to having more say in his future.

“I’ve never been in this situation where unrestricted free agency is coming up. It’s a cool situation for sure, because in the NBA, a lot of times you are — I don’t want to say stuck — but it feels like you’re a little bit of a pawn. They can just trade you around wherever they want,” Poeltl told Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “It’s not the mentality you should have while you’re playing, but it’s the reality of it. Your contract can get passed around, more or less, whenever and however they want. So it’s nice to be in this situation where you can kind of decide your own fate and evaluate what’s going to be the best situation for me.”

Assuming Poeltl remains a Spur past the trade deadline, which certainly is not a given, Fischer writes re-signing with San Antonio “appears to be an option he will strongly consider.” Fischer polled league executives to gauge how much the 27-year-old might fetch on the open market, and the range was between $15-25MM annually.

The Raptors continue to be listed as a potential trade suitor for their former player, sources tell Fischer.

Here are some more trade rumors from Fischer:

The Bulls are not currently discussing a contract extension with center Nikola Vucevic, sources tell Fischer. He adds that Chicago never seriously considered renegotiating his deal. According to Fischer, the Bulls have been telling rival teams inquiring about trades that “they believe they can make the playoffs when healthy.” However, the latest report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski might damper that prospect.
The first-round pick the Lakers offered the Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic was “heavily protected,” according to Fischer, who hears from sources that Patrick Beverley hopes to rejoin the Timberwolves if he’s dealt to a rebuilding club like Detroit and reaches a buyout agreement. Beverley and Kendrick Nunn were included in L.A.’s offer for salary-matching purposes.
Multiple rival teams tell Fischer that the Pistons are seeking an unprotected first-rounder for forward Saddiq Bey. The 23-year-old still has one additional year left on his rookie scale contract after being selected with the No. 19 pick of the 2020 draft. He’s having a down season from three-point range, but is getting to the free throw line at a career-best clip.
The Knicks were “eager” to make a deal before December 9 so they could have potentially aggregated incoming salaries again before the February 9 deadline, sources tell Fischer. One of their early targets was Rockets guard Eric Gordon, per Fischer. Houston continues to seek a future first-round pick for the 33-year-old, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle reported earlier on Wednesday.
Sources tell Fischer that the Pacers are looking for an upgrade at power forward to join their young core, and he believes Indiana could be a potential destination for Hawks big man John Collins. Fischer hears from sources that the Pacers are giving the impression that they’re open to extending Myles Turner, though there hadn’t been any recent talks on that front prior to Turner switching agents. However, Fischer says Turner “would certainly be amenable” to continuing his career in Indiana.

Raptors Notes: Core, Trade Options, Poeltl, Shooting Woes

December 14th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors remain high on their core of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby and believe that quartet is a strong foundation for an elite team, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

If the front office is sincere in that belief, it would make sense to aggressively seek out an upgrade on the trade market prior to this season’s deadline to complement those core players, perhaps using a future draft pick or two, Grange argues.

Grange points to Spurs center (and former Raptor) Jakob Poeltl as an ideal target for Toronto, based on his ability to protect the rim on defense and finish at the rim on offense. Poeltl is also on an expiring contract and has full Bird rights, making him a logical option for the Raptors, who want to maintain their cap flexibility while having the ability to invest in a player they like. Given Toronto’s shooting woes, the team could also talk to San Antonio about veteran forward Doug McDermott, Grange notes.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Within his Sportsnet.ca story linked above, Grange says the Raptors are believed to be making calls with “some more urgency than would otherwise be expected from a management group that tries to keep things low key.”
The Raptors are one of the NBA’s lowest-ranked teams in terms of both three-pointers per game (25th) and three-point percentage (26th), prompting Eric Koreen of The Athletic to explore what they can do address their shooting woes. While it would help if certain players – like VanVleet, Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. – bumped their three-point rates to their career averages, acquiring another shooter should also be something the team seriously considers, as Koreen outlines.
Despite falling below .500 following two ugly losses in Orlando, the Raptors remain optimistic that better days are ahead, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We can’t hit the panic button. I know that a lot of people do hit that panic button real quick but (we’re) not doing that,” Siakam said. “… There’s no finger pointing. We’re all in this together. No matter what’s happening, those guys in here, I love them and I want everyone to succeed, I want us to succeed as a team. I think we’ve all got to do it together. Everyone’s in this together and we’ve gotta get out of it together.”
In case you missed it, we passed along a series of injury updates on Raptors frontcourt players on Tuesday.

Blake Wesley Partipates In G League Practice

December 13th, 2022 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs rookie guard Blake Wesley was assigned to the G League Austin Spurs on Tuesday for practice, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News tweets. He’s expected to return to the NBA team on Wednesday. Wesley could soon be back in action after being sidelined since late October with an MCL sprain. At that time, he was expected to be out six-to-eight weeks, so it appears he’s progressing as scheduled.

Spurs Sign Stanley Johnson, Waive Alize Johnson

December 13th, 2022 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

3:07pm: The Spurs have officially signed Stanley Johnson, the team announced in a press release.

11:04am: The Spurs have waived big man Alize Johnson, who was on a non-guaranteed contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Johnson initially signed with San Antonio two weeks ago when the club was seeking frontcourt depth following injuries to forward Jeremy Sochan and center Jakob Poeltl. During his brief tenure in San Antonio, he logged 30 minutes across four games, scoring seven points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Poeltl, who has a bone bruise in his knee, isn’t taking contact yet, so he’s probably still a ways off from playing, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. However, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News notes (via Twitter), Sochan returned to action on Monday, reducing the need for Johnson, who hadn’t appeared in the Spurs’ last two games.

With their newly opened 15th roster spot, the Spurs intend to sign free agent swingman Stanley Johnson to a one-year contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Stanley Johnson recently signed a G League contract and joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s affiliate. He has appeared in three games since then and was off to a slow start, averaging 2.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 3.0 APG in 19.2 minutes per game. The 26-year-old has converted just 2-of-16 field goal attempts, including 1-of-11 three-pointers.

Stanley Johnson appeared in 48 games for the Lakers last season, starting 27 of them and averaging 6.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.7 APG on .466/.314/.716 shooting in 22.8 minutes per contest. He’s primarily known for his defensive versatility and the energy he brings to the court, having never made much of an impact on the offensive end.

The last two players the Spurs have signed to fill their 15th roster spot – Jordan Hall and Alize Johnson – have been on non-guaranteed deals, so it seems likely that Stanley Johnson’s contract will also be non-guaranteed. However, Charania’s report doesn’t confirm that.