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Five Key Stories: 1/26/20 – 2/1/20

February 1st, 2020 at 7:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:

The NBA was devastated this week by the death of one of its greatest stars. Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas, California, that also took the life of his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people. Tributes to the 41-year-old star have been pouring in from players, league dignitaries and others who knew him, and the NBA elected to change the format of its All-Star Game as a way to honor Bryant.

Reserves were announced to fill out the rosters for the Feb. 16 All-Star Game in Chicago. The Wizards‘ Bradley Beal, the Suns‘ Devin Booker and the Bulls‘ Zach LaVine were among this year’s most notable snubs.

The NBA revised its salary cap and tax line projections for next season, making both a little lower than originally anticipated. Current revenue figures project the cap to be at $115MM, down from an expected $116MM, while the tax line will fall from $141MM to $139MM. The final numbers will be determined in July.

Knicks guard Elfrid Payton and two Grizzlies players were suspended after a scuffle late in Wednesday’s game. Payton’s suspension was for pushing Jae Crowder, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marko Guduric were each docked one game for leaving the bench.

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a moderate ankle sprain for the second time this season. He is expected to miss six games, and his availability for the All-Star Game is in question.

Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:

Carmelo Anthony expressed a desire to finish his career with the Trail Blazers. He will be a free agent this summer after signing a one-year deal with the team.
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday has told management that he doesn’t want to be traded. Holiday would draw a lot of interest on the trade market, but he prefers to be part of the long-term picture in New Orleans.
Derrick Rose expressed the same sentiment to the Pistons, telling the front office that his first choice is to remain in Detroit. The organization is reportedly seeking a lottery pick from teams that are interested in Rose.
The Hawks are among several teams that called the Rockets about Clint Capela. It would reportedly take an “overwhelming” offer for Houston to trade its starting center.
LaMelo Ball, who is in contention for the top pick in the 2020 draft, left his Australian team. He has been sidelined with a foot injury for several weeks.
The Magic were denied a disabled player exception for Jonathan Isaac. The decision may mean Isaac is expected to recover from his injuries before June 15.
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo returned to action after missing more than a year with a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee.
Raptors guard Norman Powell is sidelined indefinitely with a fracture in his left hand.
The Kings may try to fix their relationship with Dewayne Dedmon rather than trade him. Dedmon was fined in December for going public with a trade request.
Several teams reportedly have interest in signing 32-year-old forward Trevor Booker, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2017/18 season.

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Community Shootaround: Mock All-Star Draft

January 24th, 2020 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced its 10 All-Star starters on Thursday night, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James headlining the group.

While five starters were selected from each conference, the East and West won’t square off in the All-Star game, as the NBA will once again conduct an All-Star draft. Top vote-getters Giannis and LeBron will serve as team captains for a second consecutive year and will essentially participate in two separate drafts, selecting from the eight-player starter poll before moving onto the 14-player pool of reserves.

We don’t know yet which reserves will round out the All-Star rosters, but now that the starters have been announced, we can speculate about how the first part of the All-Star draft might play out.

Here’s the eight-player starter pool that Antetokounmpo and James will be selecting from:

Luka Doncic, G (Mavericks)
James Harden, G (Rockets)
Kemba Walker, G (Celtics)
Trae Young, G (Hawks)
Anthony Davis, F/C (Lakers)
Kawhi Leonard, F/C (Clippers)
Joel Embiid, F/C (Sixers)
Pascal Siakam, F/C (Raptors)

Our discussion question today is a two-parter: We want to know what you think the draft should look like if Giannis and LeBron are each trying to build the best lineups possible, and what it actually will look like after various allegiances are taken into effect.

For instance, it’s probably a safe bet to assume that LeBron – who was the leading overall vote-getter and figures to get the No. 1 pick – won’t pass on his teammate Davis. After all, a year ago, LeBron faced half-joking accusations of tampering when he selected the then-Pelican with his first pick in the reserve round.

Veteran basketball writer Tom Ziller tried his hand at predicting how the All-Star draft will actually play out, starting with James selecting his fellow Lakers star. But it might be more fun to imagine what the draft would look like if Giannis and LeBron were both solely focused on winning the game and building the best roster possible. Would Davis still be LeBron’s first pick or would he lean toward someone like Leonard? Would Harden be picked a whole lot higher than he was a year ago?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts on what the 2020 All-Star starter draft will – or should – look like!

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Five Key Stories: 12/8/19 – 12/14/19

December 14th, 2019 at 9:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:

The Heat suspended Dion Waiters for the third time this season. The latest ban is six games for failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination. Although Waiters hasn’t played this season, Miami is unlikely to try to terminate his contract.

The G League will expand to Mexico City next season. An announcement was made Thursday that Capitanes, which is currently part of Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, will join the G League starting in 2020/21.

The Nets waived Iman Shumpert, even though the veteran swingman had played well since joining the team last month. Brooklyn needs an open roster spot once Wilson Chandler becomes eligible to be activated again following his 25-game suspension.

Former NBA commissioner David Stern was hospitalized after suffering a sudden brain hemorrhage Thursday. Stern, who ran the league for 30 years, collapsed at a restaurant in Manhattan and had emergency brain surgery.

The Rockets’ protest of a loss in San Antonio was denied by the league. Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that the referees missed the call on a James Harden dunk that was disallowed, but ruled that Houston had plenty of time to overcome the mistake.

Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love reportedly prefers to join his hometown Trail Blazers if he gets traded to a contender. However, his hefty contract may make him difficult to move.
Two potential lottery picks playing in Australia both suffered injuries this week. LaMelo Ball will miss approximately four weeks with a bruised foot, and R.J. Hampton is expected to be out for about the same amount of time with a hip flexor injury.
The Trail Blazers applied to the league for a disabled player exception after a season-ending Achilles injury to Rodney Hood. The Wizards are seeking a DPE for C.J. Miles, who had wrist surgery last week.
Cavaliers rookie Dylan Windler suffered a setback as he tries to recover from a lower leg stress reaction. He will be held out of on-court basketball activities and re-evaluated in two weeks.
The Hornets‘ PJ Washington had his rookie season interrupted by a fractured finger. He’s not expected to return until after Christmas.
Marcus Morris said he doesn’t want to be traded despite the Knicks‘ disastrous start. The veteran forward came to New York on a one-year contract over the summer.
In light of several reports that the Knicks plan to pursue Toronto executive Masai Ujiri, Raptors chairman Larry Tanenbaum vowed that Ujiri is “here to stay.”
A number of teams are keeping their eyes on Pelicans center Derrick Favors to see if he hits the trade market after the team’s slow start.
The Rockets are reportedly interested in acquiring forward Robert Covington from the Timberwolves.
The Wizards are expected to guarantee Jordan McRae‘s contract for the rest of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixers Notes: Thybulle, Simmons, Embiid

December 3rd, 2019 at 12:17pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Rookie Matisse Thybulle has special skills for a defender but his discipline is what is going to allow him to play more minutes for the Sixers, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes.

“I should have a higher tolerance level to endure his wild decisions defensively,” head coach Brett Brown said after the team’s contest against the Jazz. “Because they are punishing. This league is so unforgiving when you just forget, ‘Oh, I left Joe Ingles, I forgot he could shoot, and I’m just going to make any play I want — And oh, my bad.’ [Thybulle] is getting better at that and I have to allow him to get better at that.”

If Thybulle had joined the Sixers three or four years ago, he’d have plenty of court time to experiment and grow. However, this is not “The Process” version of the Sixers any longer. The stakes are much higher as the team looks to make its first NBA Finals appearance since 2001.

“I’m always reminding myself, if we woke up tomorrow and it’s April 15th, would I feel comfortable that I’ve grown him the way that I should? And I need to do more, and better, sort of within the confines of what I’ve just said,” Brown said.

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

Thybulle, whom the team traded up in the 2019 draft to nab, isn’t taking his playing time for granted. The rookie is using his court time to learn from his mistakes and gain the reps needed to be a contributor on a playoff team. “Just being out there and seeing it live, I think, is huge,” Thybulle said (via Bodner in the same piece). “Most of these games, it’s my first time [playing against a team]. We played against [Utah] twice now, so I had a better feel for the guys. And just with each game, I get a better feel for the pace and what I can get away with, with the refs or with help-side and those types of gambles.”
With Ben Simmons and Thybulle on the squad, the Sixers have options when defending opposing perimeter threats, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia explains. The duo shared defensive duties guarding Utah’s Donovan Mitchell on Monday and held him to just 6-for-19 from the field.
Some around the league aren’t thrilled with Joel Embiid and his antics on the court. Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke wasn’t shy when given the platform to discuss the big man’s style (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). “I hate that team…I think Embiid gets away with a bunch of crap the league ignores,” Burke said of Indiana’s recent matchup with the Sixers.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/21/19

November 21st, 2019 at 8:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Wizards assigned Isaac Bonga, Admiral Schofield, and Justin Robinson to the Capital City Go-Go, the team announces on its Twitter feed. Bonga was recalled later today, as the team only sent him down for practice.
The Raptors are sending Dewan Hernandez back to the Raptors 905, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. Hernandez saw action with the NBA club on Wednesday.
The Thunder have recalled Justin Patton from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team’s website relays. Patton has played six minutes for the Thunder this season.
The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Derrick Walton Jr. to the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team announces. Kabengele was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2019 draft (selected by Brooklyn and traded to Los Angeles).
The Jazz have recalled Miye Oni and Nigel Williams-Goss from the Salt Lake City Stars, per the team’s Twitter feed. Oni has seen action in four G League games this season while Williams-Goss has played in two games.
The Rockets recalled Gary Clark from the Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Clark should see playing time this weekend with the Rockets facing a back-to-back and Danuel House likely to be sidelined.

Five Key Stories: 11/2/19 – 11/9/19

November 9th, 2019 at 8:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:

Kawhi Leonard‘s load management plan drew a lot of complaints this week when it wiped out a potential matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the league decided that the way the Clippers are handling their new star is within the rules. However, the NBA office later fined the team $50K for making conflicting statements about Leonard’s health.

Paul George is targeting next week to make his debut with the Clippers. He has been sidelined since having surgery on both shoulders over the summer and wasn’t able to participate in a five-on-five practice until today. George is expected to start playing either Wednesday in Houston or Thursday in New Orleans.

The Hawks lost one of their brightest young stars when John Collins was suspended 25 games for violating the league’s anti-drug program. Collins contends he took a supplement that was “contaminated with an illegal component” and plans to appeal the suspension, which would keep him off the court until December 23.

Heat guard Dion Waiters, who has been at odds with the organization since a preseason argument with coach Erik Spoelstra, had a medical incident on a team flight Thursday night. Waiters reportedly passed out on the plane and suffered a seizure when he was awakened. He hasn’t played yet this season.

Memphis center James Wiseman, considered a possibility for the top pick in the 2020 draft, was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, but played Friday after obtaining an “emergency temporary restraining order.” The issue involves money that Tigers coach Penny Hardaway gave to Wiseman and his family to help them move to Memphis last year.

Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:

The Warriors‘ rash of injuries to star players continued with the news that Draymond Green suffered a torn ligament in his left index finger. He’s expected to miss a “few games.”
The Raptors lost Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to long-term injuries. Lowry will miss at least two weeks with a fracture in his left thumb, while Ibaka is out indefinitely with a sprained right ankle.
The Raptors will also be without Patrick McCaw for at least four weeks after he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Trail Blazers center Zach Collins will be sidelined at least four months after opting for surgery on his injured shoulder.
Former Rockets forward/center Kenneth Faried is reportedly close to signing a one-year deal with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in China.
The Magic filled their open two-way slot by signing former LaSalle guard B.J. Johnson.
Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman told reporters that he has no intention of trading Kevin Love.
The Clippers received some good news on their proposed Inglewood arena as a lawsuit to block the project was denied by a Superior Court judge.
Former Klutch Sports clients Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris signed with Roc Nation Sports.
Despite a string of injuries to frontcourt players, the Trail Blazers don’t plan to address the shortage with a trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: Ballmer, Ariza, Caruso, Howard

September 14th, 2019 at 2:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $100MM in the city of Inglewood, California this week, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.

The investment was created as part of the city’s new arena development agreement, with the Clippers labeling it as the largest funding commitment for community programs related to a sports or entertainment venue in California.

“We’re close to a residential neighborhood and we are being very mindful,” Ballmer told ESPN in July about building a potential arena in Inglewood. “Investing well into the community, being a good citizen of the community. No homes need to get moved but we need to be a good neighbor.”

Ballmer’s proposal for a new Clippers arena, according to Youngmisuk, would include a corporate headquarters, team training facility, sports medicine clinic and much more.

“I want it to be beautiful,” Ballmer said. “But I want it to be about basketball. I want it to be comfortable. But I want it to be about basketball.”

There’s more today out of the Pacific Division:

James Ham of NBC Sports Sacramento examines how Trevor Ariza could fit in a crowded Kings rotation this season. Ariza, a veteran 3-and-D forward, signed a two-year, $25MM deal to join the Kings in free agency this past summer.
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com discusses several Lakers-related items in his mailbag, including the possibility of Alex Caruso starting at point guard this season. Caruso was better than Rajon Rondo while playing alongside LeBron James last season, though head coach Frank Vogel also has the option of testing Quinn Cook at starting point guard in training camp.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examines whether former All-Star Dwight Howard could help solve the Lakers‘ depth issues at the center position. Howard is expected to fill in the role that injured center DeMarcus Cousins was supposed to fill before tearing his ACL, likely playing back-up center behind JaVale McGee to start the season and controlling the team’s interior presence on defense.

Atlantic Notes: Randle, Dudley, Scott, Nets

August 25th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ Julius Randle got a head start on building chemistry with his new teammates during workouts last month in Los Angeles, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle, who signed a three-year, $63MM contract, is among seven free agent additions in New York, along with rookies RJ Barrett and Ignas Brazdeikis.

“It’s important for us to get to know each other, spend time together on the court before training camp starts,” Randle said. “There’s a lot of new pieces. Everyone’s going to be trying to figure out their role. Coach (David Fizdale) is going to do a great job of helping us through that. If we want to be a good team and have a chance, we have to jump-start that process ourselves.”

From an individual standpoint, Randle is working this summer on becoming a more efficient scorer and is watching a lot of tape to try to improve defensively. He believes people who are expecting another losing season in New York are undervaluing the team.

“It’s easy to do that because the last couple of seasons have been hard,’’ Randle said. “It’s easy to underestimate us. But we’re a deep team. We’re a very deep 1-to-15 with guys who can play. If they underestimate us, I don’t care.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Jared Dudley was interested in signing with the Celtics, but the team believed it already had enough wings and wanted to keep a roster spot open, reports Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Boston College alum wound up joining the Lakers on a one-year deal.
Sixers forward Mike Scott is looking forward to having Al Horford as a teammate again, writes Lauren Rosen of NBA.com. Scott broke into the league with the Hawks in 2012/13 when Horford was one of the stars in Atlanta. “Not only is he a great player, he’s a great person,” Scott said. “You love to play with people like that. He’s humble, he’s grateful, he knows his role.”
The NBA Board of Governors is expected to address Joe Tsai’s purchase of the Nets next month, according to a NetsDaily article. The sale shouldn’t affect any of the basketball operations, but changes may be coming on the business side of the organization.

And-Ones: LaMelo, G League Draft, Gentile, Blair

August 22nd, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

LaMelo Ball was extremely impressive during the Drew League pro-am in Los Angeles, writes Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. The younger brother of Lonzo Ball will spend the upcoming season in Australia and has a chance to be one of the top picks in the 2020 draft.

After seeing him in action, Woo states that LaMelo has a chance to be the best player in the family. He’s already 6’6″ at age 18 and is a much better scorer than Lonzo was at the same age. Woo describes LaMelo as “an excellent passer” with an effective change-of-pace move and a “quicker, cleaner release” on his shot than his brother has.

Woo also got a first-hand look at Cade Cunningham, whom he calls “best high school prospect regardless of class.” The 6’7″ point guard appears to be headed to Kentucky, North Carolina or Oklahoma State and could be the first player drafted in 2021.

The G League draft will be held October 26, tweets Adam Johnson of Two Ways and 10 Days. It’s happening later than usual because the start of the NBA season was pushed back a week to accommodate players in the FIBA World Cup. The expansion draft for the Erie BayHawks will take place next week (Twitter link). Existing teams will be permitted to protect as many as 12 players and cannot lose more than two.
Alessandro Gentile is negotiating a contract with Virtus Bologna in Italy, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The Rockets held Gentile’s draft rights for several years before waiving him last October. Carchia adds that the offer has “a lot of clauses that the player has to accept.”
Former NBA forward DeJuan Blair can’t fulfill the contract he signed with Italian team VL Pesaro earlier this month because of a doping suspension, Carchia writes. Blair failed an anti-doping test during the 2017/18 season, but wasn’t aware because FIBA sent the notification to the wrong email address. Blair was selected by the Austin Spurs in last year’s G League draft.
Quincy Miller failed a physical with KK Cibona and had his contract voided by the Croatian team, according to Carchia (Twitter link). Miller spent three seasons in the NBA and participated in a free agent mini-camp with the Timberwolves last summer.
Cleanthony Early, who played two seasons with the Knicks, has signed with Atomeromu Se in Hungary, relays Dario Skerletic of Sportando.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Carmelo, Rozier, Payton

August 14th, 2019 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The chemistry problems that plagued the Celtics last season don’t appear to be a concern now that Kemba Walker has replaced Kyrie Irving in the Boston backcourt, writes Sekou Smith of NBA.com. Walker is getting to know three of his new teammates — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart — while preparing for the FIBA World Cup, and it sounds like they’re off to a great start.

“They’re just some really good young dudes and I just enjoy being around them,” Walker said. “And the age difference is really crazy to me. J.T. is like 21 and J.B. is 22 and Marcus is 25. And I’m 29 and feeling like, wow, this is cool. It sounds crazy. I remember when I was 21 in this league. I was a rookie and just trying to figure it all out. And these guys are young vets already. Like I said, it’s crazy.”

Age difference was a recurring theme in Boston last season as Irving frequently criticized his younger teammates and talked to the press about how tough it is to be a leader. Walker has raved about the work ethic that Tatum, Brown and Smart are showing and how quickly they’ve adapted to the international game.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Carmelo Anthony‘s presence in summer workouts with Nets players doesn’t mean Brooklyn plans to sign him, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Nothing to it,” a source close to Anthony said. “There’s several guys (playing) that aren’t Nets, but friends and other NBA players.” Team officials and Anthony’s agent, Leon Rose, refused to comment.
Terry Rozier, who signed with the Hornets last month, tells Lewis in a separate story that there are no hard feelings between him and Irving after their tumultuous time with the Celtics. “A lot of people don’t know how great of a person he is,” Rozier said. “A lot of people think I hate Kyrie. And a lot of people think that me and Kyrie not cool, but we text, and I text him right before free agency.”
Knicks GM Scott Perry had been pursuing Elfrid Payton for a long time before signing him in July, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Perry, who acquired Payton for the Magic in a draft-night trade in 2014, attempted to bring him to New York at the 2018 trade deadline. “I’m very aware of Scott’s interest,’’ said Payton’s father, Elfrid Payton Sr. “He’s showed confidence in him and always kept track of him when he left. He’s always someone who really believed in him. Somebody invested in you like that and knows you, that’s a big thing.”

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