Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Damian Lillard Expects To Miss Time With Calf Strain

November 20th, 2022 at 11:27am CST by Arthur Hill

11:27am: An MRI showed that Lillard’s injury is in a different area than his last calf strain, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. The team will be careful with Lillard, and he will be given as much time as he needs to recover (Twitter link).

8:42am: Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will likely be sidelined again after leaving Saturday’s game with a strained right calf, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes in a subscriber-only story. It’s the second time this season that Lillard has suffered a calf strain, with the last occurrence forcing him to miss four games.

Lillard told reporters that the calf doesn’t feel as bad as it did when he hurt it on October 26, but he’s upset to be dealing with injuries again after missing most of last season with a core muscle issue.

“I sat for 10 months, basically,” he said. “I prepared myself to come back and be out there. I might have missed two games in my career one time for having a calf injury. And now, just having to deal with this is frustrating. Especially with the start that we’ve had.”

Lillard tweaked the calf in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Utah while taking a jump shot in the third quarter. He felt the calf tighten as he ran back on defense and removed himself from the game as a precaution. He said he might have continued playing if the game had been more meaningful, which Fentress notes that he also said the last time he hurt his calf.

“I didn’t want to make it worse and then be in the same situation that I was before,” Lillard said.

Lillard had hoped to go back into the game, but team trainers advised against it after examining him. The Trail Blazers have been careful with their star guard since he returned to the lineup on November 7, Fentress adds. Lillard played again on November 9, but was held out the next night to reduce the risk of reaggravating the injury.

“I’ve got to respect what they say and I also can’t be a fool and fight my way through everything and hurt myself worse,” Lillard said. “It’s a hard thing to do because that’s not what I want to do. I’m always going to try to play. But once it’s done, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Lillard underwent an MRI Saturday night and there’s no indication from the Blazers how long he might be out of action. Portland will start a four-game road trip Monday in Milwaukee.

Kyrie Irving Will Return On Sunday

November 20th, 2022 at 10:49am CST by Arthur Hill

Kyrie Irving has completed all the Nets‘ requirements and has been cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the Grizzlies, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Irving will have missed eight games during his suspension, which was imposed November 3 for his online promotion of an antisemitic film and his failure to issue a clear apology during multiple media sessions. He was given several conditions that he had to comply with, including meetings with commissioner Adam Silver, team owner Joe Tsai and Jewish leaders in the Brooklyn area.

Irving talked to reporters for about 13 minutes this morning and took questions as Nets general manager Sean Marks looked on, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN (Twitter link). Irving began by offering “deep apologies” for his actions and once again stated that he doesn’t hold any antisemitic views. He added that he’s learned a lot from his conversations over the past two weeks, as he stated in an exclusive interview with Ian Begley of SNY.

One of the questions Irving received today is why he’s apologizing now, but didn’t in his first meeting with the media after the controversy began, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I was rightfully defensive that there was an assumption that I could be antisemitic or that I meant to post the documentary to stand side by side with all the views of the documentary,” Irving explained. “I was defensive initially. I think it was inappropriate, the way it was released in the way that is somehow pinned me in the corner as it’s I was guilty of something and as if I was this antisemitic person, this label that was placed on me.” (Twitter link)

The Nets confirmed Irving’s status for tonight’s game and issued a statement about the incident, Friedell tweets.

“Kyrie took ownership of his journey and had conversations with several members of the Jewish community,” the statement reads. “We are pleased that he is going about the process in a meaningful way.”

Ja Morant Incurs Mild Ankle Sprain

November 19th, 2022 at 3:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has incurred a Grade 1 left ankle sprain, the team has announced (via Twitter).

Morant sprained the ankle on Friday night during the team’s 121-110 win against the Thunder, and needed assistance as he headed off the court and back to the team locker room. According to the Grizzlies, Morant is considered “week-to-week” at present, so it sounds like he’ll miss at least the next few games.

The 10-6 Grizzlies are now without both of their high-scoring starting guards, as shooting guard Desmond Bane is still unavailable due to his sprained big right toe.

Through 14 games, Morant has averaged 28.6 PPG with a .465/.391/.792 slash line. The 23-year-old All-NBA guard is also chipping in 7.1 APG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.1 SPG.

As Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com reports (Twitter link), Memphis posted a 20-5 record without Morant. That was due in part to the production of Bane, who will be simultaneously unavailable for at least a handful of games in this upcoming stretch.

Tyrese Maxey Out 3-4 Weeks With Foot Fracture

November 19th, 2022 at 3:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has suffered a small bone fracture in his left foot, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Sources inform Woj (via Twitter) that Maxey will be sidelined for at least three-to-four weeks with the ailment.

Maxey first injured the foot during a 110-102 victory over the Bucks Friday night, and was wearing a walking boot after the game. The team then had Maxey undergo imaging to determine the extent of the injury.

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets, the Sixers are now going to be missing both pieces of their starting backcourt. James Harden continues to recover from a foot strain and remains on track to return to the floor for Philadelphia early next month. In the meantime, even more of the scoring burden figures to fall to Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid.

A 6’2″ combo guard, Maxey had been enjoying a career season in his first 15 games with the club this year, averaging 22.9 PPG on .462/.422/.738 shooting splits, along with 4.4 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

Kevin Love Fractures Thumb

November 19th, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran power forward Kevin Love has sustained a right thumb hairline fracture, the Cavaliers have announced (via Twitter). The team adds in a statement that the injured digit will undergo daily assessments, which suggests at least that this may not be an issue that keeps Love sidelined long-term.

The 34-year-old, a former five-time All-Star, has settled nicely into a backup role for the 9-6 Cavaliers thus far this season, playing behind starting power forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen.

Through 15 healthy games, the 6’10” power forward/center out of UCLA is averaging 11.3 PPG on .425/.409/.861 shooting. He is also pulling down 7.4 RPG and handing out 2.6 APG.

If Love does have to miss time, another longtime league vet, seven-foot backup center Robin Lopez, could be leaned upon for additional relief minutes.

Love, who won a title as a starter with Cleveland in 2016, injured his thumb during the third quarter of the team’s Friday night 132-122 overtime victory over the Hornets. He is considered doubtful to suit up against the Heat on Sunday.

Cade Cunningham Out Indefinitely, Surgery A Possibility

November 19th, 2022 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

10:44am: Cunningham is feared to have a stress fracture in his left shin, according to James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic, who say the Pistons and Cunningham remain hopeful that the injury will get better with rest.

If the pain continues to linger, it’s possible surgery will be necessary, but Cunningham is trying to “turn over every stone” before deciding to take that route, per The Athletic’s duo.

Cunningham is currently considered to be out indefinitely, Edwards and Charania add.

9:59am: The Pistons and second-year guard Cade Cunningham have been trying to determine whether or not surgery will be required to address Cunningham’s injured left shin, according to veteran reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Cunningham has missed Detroit’s last five games (all losses) due to what the team is referring to as “left shin soreness.” Based on Stein’s report, it sounds like it must be more than a simply a contusion if surgical treatment is under consideration.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cunningham was averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in his first 12 games (33.3 MPG), though his shooting numbers (.415/.279/.837) were a little below last season’s marks.

Cunningham was considered one of this year’s top breakout candidates, and the Pistons signaled their intent to push for a play-in spot when they acquired forward Bojan Bogdanovic from Utah in September. However, the club is off to a 3-14 start and currently ranks dead last in the NBA standings. As Stein notes, if Cunningham has to go under the knife, he’d be out for an extended period, making it even more challenging for the Pistons to be competitive this season.

It’s unclear if there’s a timeline for the franchise and its 21-year-old centerpiece to come to a decision on how his injury will be treated. For now, he remains unavailable, with no set timeline for his return.

Zach LaVine Frustrated By Late-Game Benching

November 19th, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls star Zach LaVine was on the bench for the final three minutes and 43 seconds of the team’s 108-107 loss to Orlando on Friday and was “obviously frustrated” when he spoke to reporters after the game about the decision, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

LaVine had scored just four points on 1-of-14 shooting in his first 25 minutes and was a team-worst minus-19 on the night. When head coach Billy Donovan replaced him with Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls were down 101-97. The team subsequently went on a 10-2 run before ultimately losing the game on a Jalen Suggs three-pointer with five seconds remaining.

“That’s Billy’s decision. He gotta lay with it,” LaVine said, per Johnson. “Do I agree with it? No. I think I can go out there and still be me even if I miss some shots. But that’s his decision. He has to stand on it.

“I’ve missed a lot of shots, man. But I’ve had a lot of games where I played terrible and in four to five minutes, I can get 15, 16 points. I just wasn’t able to shoot the next shot.”

In addition to his struggles on offense, LaVine looked “a step slow” on defense, according to Johnson. The two-time All-Star said he wasn’t sure whether he’d talk to Donovan to seek out an explanation for the decision, but the Bulls’ head coach offered one voluntarily during his own postgame media session.

“He had a tough night shooting and I thought that group really fought their way back into the game,” Donovan said, referring to the five-man unit of Dosunmu, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, and Javonte Green. “I played DeMar the whole second half. He seemed like he was fine physically. I came back to Zach and it was one of those games for him. He just didn’t have a great game. Great players, it happens. He cares deeply about the team. He just wasn’t playing well.

“… I’m sure he’s really disappointed. He’s a really, really competitive guy. I love working with him every day. He’s about the team. I know how much he puts into it and how much it means to him,” Donovan continued, adding that he wasn’t worried about the move having any long-term ramifications.

“The ramifications of him not being out there, to me, I was trying to do what was best for our team in that moment. That’s my job and my responsibility. I thought that was the best decision at the time. To me, I don’t look at it as anything else other than a one-off game. I know he wanted to be out there. There probably aren’t very many games in his career that he hasn’t been out there in those minutes. But that group was playing well.”

LaVine is coming off an eventful summer in which he underwent left knee surgery and also signed a five-year, maximum-salary contract worth approximately $215MM. He has missed a few games already this season as the Bulls manage his recovery from that surgery and has yet to fully hit his stride — his 20.7 points per game and 41.5% shooting percentage are his lowest marks since he averaged 16.7 PPG on 38.3% shooting in an injury-shortened 2017/18 season, his first year in Chicago.

Although LaVine wasn’t thrilled by having to watch the deciding moments of a close loss – the Bulls’ fourth in a row – from the sidelines, he said on Friday night that he’ll try to move past it.

“Obviously, I have to do a better job at the beginning of the game. I gotta make my shots,” LaVine said. “But you play a guy like me down the stretch. That’s what I do. Do I like the decision? No. Do I gotta live with it? Yeah and be ready to put my shoes on and play the next game.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Montrezl Harrell Involved In Postgame Altercation

November 19th, 2022 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

Having made just 4-of-15 free throw attempts in an eight-point loss in Philadelphia on Friday night, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo came back out onto the Wells Fargo Center court after the game, hoping to make 10 shots in a row from the foul line before calling it a night.

However, as detailed in reports from Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Joe Vardon of The Athletic, and Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, after Antetokounmpo had made seven consecutive free throws, Sixers big man Montrezl Harrell came and took the ball away on Giannis’ eighth attempt. Harrell and Sixers player development coach Jason Love refused to give the ball back to Antetokounmpo, who wanted to finish his shooting routine and reportedly told Harrell that there was room for both players to shoot.

“This isn’t f—ing Milwaukee,” Harrell shouted at Antetokounmpo, according to The Athletic. “Get that s–t out of there.”

Unable to get the ball back from Harrell and Love, Antetokounmpo left the court and returned with two new balls to continue shooting free throws. By that point, however, Sixers arena workers had positioned a large ladder in front of the basket Giannis had been using. When the staffers refused to move the ladder out of the way, Antetokounmpo tried to shove it aside and ended up knocking it over, as captured in a Twitter video.

Antetokounmpo ultimately did finish his foul shooting while Harrell worked out at the other end of the court and continued to shout at him. Once Giannis left the court for good, his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo came out and spoke to Harrell, according to Vardon, who says Harrell told Thanasis, “I’ll beat your a–“ and “You better send that s–t back to the locker room.”

Harrell, believed to be upset that Giannis was preventing him from doing his own on-court postgame work on the 76ers’ home court, left without speaking to reporters. Giannis – described by both Vardon and Owczarski as “agitated” – discussed the incident at length.

“Obviously I had a very bad night from the free throw line,” Antetokounmpo said, per Owczarksi. “Now, I take pride in getting better every single day. After the game I decided to go try and make some free throws. My goal, every time I step on the line is to make 10 in a row and I was shooting free throws. I was at seven, I think. A player, I don’t want to mention names, and a coach, basically told me to leave the court, while behind me there was another space to do their routine.

“I respect every player. I know some players don’t play now, they want to get some extra work, want to work on their skills and stuff, and I said, obviously we can shoot together. They told me no, this is their court, I should leave. I was like, ‘I have three more free throws, I was at seven, I want to try to make 10 in a row.’ I shot my eighth one. Came and took the ball away from me and I was very surprised. I feel like it’s very unprofessional. I would never take the ball away from a professional athlete when he’s trying to do his job.”

Harrell did post a tweet late on Friday night, briefly explaining his side of the interaction: “Aye make sure you get the complete story I ask the man can he get off the court so I can workout they had to change the court over he ignore me so hey that’s what you get! Respect is respect! GOODNIGHT!”

As for the video that showed him pushing down the ladder that arena staffers had put in front of the basket, Giannis said he wasn’t trying to disrespect anyone.

“Did I meant to push the ladder all the way down? I totally did not. I think I pushed it and it got caught and fell,” Antetokounmpo said. “But people are going to make it look the way they want it to look. I know what happened.

“I don’t know if I should apologize because I don’t feel like I did anything wrong, except the ladder just fell. I feel like it’s my right for me to work on my skills after a horrible night from the free throw line. I think anybody in my position that had a night like me would go out and work on his free throws. And if they didn’t, they don’t really care about their game.”

It’s unclear at this point whether or not any of the players involved in the postgame incident will be fined by the NBA.

Hawks Talking John Collins Trades; Suns, Jazz Interested?

November 18th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

7:00pm: The Jazz have also shown recent interest in Collins, Charania said in an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link).

3:06pm: John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 disputes Charania’s claim that the Suns are a potential suitor for Collins, tweeting that Phoenix doesn’t have interest in the veteran forward.

Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that the Suns and Kings had a discussion about Barnes over the summer, but with Sacramento playing well and Mike Brown a fan of the veteran forward, the Kings don’t intend to move Barnes.

10:09am: Hawks big man John Collins, who has been the subject of trade rumors multiple times in recent years, is considered available once again this season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, the Hawks have opened “preliminary” trade talks involving Collins, with the Suns among the teams showing interest in the 25-year-old. Sources tell The Athletic that a Collins trade doesn’t appear imminent, and Charania cites executives who believe it could take weeks or months for the Hawks to find a deal they like — if they move him at all.

Collins was considered a trade candidate during the year leading up to his restricted free agency in 2021, but signed a five-year, $125MM contract to remain in Atlanta. That deal did little to quiet the trade rumors surrounding him though — those rumors popped up again at the 2022 trade deadline and during this past offseason, prompting Hawks general manager Landry Fields to tell reporters on Media Day in September that Collins was “still here for a reason.”

In 15 games so far this season, Collins has struggled to produce consistently. His average of 12.6 points per game is his lowest since his rookie year, and his .493 FG% is a career-worst mark, as is his .227 3PT%. Still, given his track record, the power forward should bounce back and will be an intriguing trade target for any team looking to acquire an impact frontcourt player.

As Charania notes, the Hawks have been one of the primary suitors for Suns forward Jae Crowder and have been engaged with Phoenix in trade talks in recent weeks, so it’s plausible the two teams could come together for a bigger deal involving both Crowder and Collins.

In order to match Collins’ salary, Phoenix would have to include at least one more mid-level type contract besides Crowder’s expiring deal. Dario Saric ($9.24MM expiring contract) and Landry Shamet ($9.5MM in 2022/23, plus $21.25MM across two more guaranteed years) would be the top candidates.

However, the Suns may be averse to the idea of taking on Collins’ long-term contract, according to Charania. He’s owed $23.5MM in 2022/23 and nearly $52MM in the following two seasons, with a $26.6MM player option for ’25/26. With the Suns facing a possible ownership change, it’s unclear how comfortable they are adding more big long-term financial commitments to their books.

In addition to Collins, the Suns have expressed interests in forwards such as Harrison Barnes of the Kings, Kyle Kuzma of the Wizards, and Kenyon Martin Jr. of the Rockets, sources tell Charania. Phoenix has also reportedly engaged in Crowder-related trade talks with the Bucks, with one report suggesting Milwaukee is the frontrunner to land the veteran forward.

Sixers Gauging Interest In Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle

November 18th, 2022 at 5:47pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers have begun preliminary check-ins with rival teams to discuss who may or may not be available in trades, and Tobias Harris is among the players who have been discussed, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com provides more context on Charania’s minor rumor involving Harris, writing that there have been a lot more trade talks than normal prior to December 15, when most free agents signed in the offseason become trade-eligible, and “Harris’ name has been has been discussed quite a bit already.”

Neubeck also hears that Matisse Thybulle is drawing interest from opposing teams, and expects the fourth-year swingman to be a fixture in trade rumors leading up to the February deadline.

Harris’ name has popped up multiple times in the rumor mill over the past couple years, but as Neubeck notes, his salary — which pays him $37.6MM this season and $39.3MM in 2023/24, the final year of his contract — makes him difficult to move. Harris is a solid player, but just isn’t valued at what he currently makes, and replacing his production while likely not getting equal value in return doesn’t make much sense for a contending club like the Sixers, Neubeck adds.

Harris will miss Friday’s home game against Milwaukee with left hip soreness, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

As for Thybulle, he is one of the most unique players in the NBA because he’s an elite defender — he earned All-Defensive nods each of the past two seasons — but a major negative on offense. That makes his value difficult to gauge, because he was a liability in last season’s playoffs and has struggled mightily to start ’22/23, averaging just 1.5 points on .296/.188/.333 shooting (small sample size) in 13.1 minutes per night across 13 games.

Thybulle will be a restricted free agent next summer after failing to reach a rookie scale extension with Philadelphia. The former 20th overall pick will earn $4.4MM in the final season of his rookie contract.

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