Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Pelicans medical updates on CJ McCollum and Jose Alvarado

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the following medical updates:

CJ McCollum, who was diagnosed with a small pneumothorax in his right lung, was re-examined yesterday. Medical imaging showed positive healing. He will be re-evaluated at a later date.

Jose Alvarado, who sustained a right ankle sprain during an offseason workout, continues to make good progress in his return to play progression. Alvarado has returned to light on-court work and is expected to return to full team practice in the next 1-2 weeks.

Dillon Brooks goes wild in Rockets win over Kings

Per the Sacramento Bee:

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks threw up three fingers and stared down the Sacramento bench after hitting a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Kings. Brooks blew the Kings a kiss moments later after burying another long ball to seal Sacramento’s fate.

Brooks had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 107-89 victory over the Kings before a sellout crowd of 18,055 at Toyota Center in Houston. Brooks made 9 of 14 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range, both coming during a decisive stretch late in the fourth quarter.

“(Brooks) got in a rhythm,” Kings guard Davion Mitchell said. “He had a really good game. He hits shots. He got comfortable. He’s a basketball player. We’re all competitive and he hit shots. He’s going to talk trash. If he wasn’t hitting shots, he wouldn’t be doing the same thing, so it’s OK. We’ll live with the results and we’ll see them again.”

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Reflections from Chet Holmgren on Steph Curry

Per NBC Sports Bay Area:

Chet Holmgren proved himself a worthy adversary for the Warriors on Friday night, but it wasn’t the first time the Oklahoma City Thunder phenom has impressed Steph Curry on the court.

After Golden State’s 141-139 victory over OKC at Paycom Center in the NBA In-Season Tournament opener, the 21-year-old reflected on facing Curry for the first time after attending the SC30 Select Camp as a high schooler in 2019.

“First time playing against him in the NBA, obviously touched on it earlier but great players over there, and he’s one of them,” Holmgren told reporters of Curry after the game. “Definitely got to know where he is at all times. It’s a cool first full-circle moment, I guess you could call it, you know, going to his camp however many years ago it was and now being in the league with him and playing and competing.”

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On the development of Michael Porter Jr.

Per the Denver Post:

The old cliché about defending champions evolving from hunters to the hunted has meaning that’s two-fold in the case of Michael Porter Jr.

As opponents attempt to identify any potential weak spots they can exploit on Denver’s championship roster, Porter’s checkered history as a defender might stand out. The Nuggets generally switch one through four in their starting unit, so it’s easy enough for teams to hunt a one-on-one matchup against Porter for their top scorer. Then play iso-ball.

The problem is, Porter isn’t playing like someone who should be hunted at the defensive end.

One of the smoothest 3-point shooters in the NBA is shooting 18 for 68 at his speciality since the start of the NBA Finals in June — that’s 26.5% over an 11-game stretch — but the story of his 2023-24 season so far is the same as his Finals arc.

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Heat starting lineup has been ever-changing so far this season

Per the Sun Sentinel:

Considering the Miami Heat have started an NBA-high five lineups in six games, perhaps Erik Spoelstra should be taken at his word about Kevin Love being shuffled out of Friday night’s mix not necessarily meaning the veteran forward has been shuffled out of the Miami Heat’s consciousness.

But what Friday night’s victory over the Washington Wizards showed was that with Love out of the starting lineup there isn’t necessarily a role as a reserve, with Thomas Bryant playing as the reserve in the power rotation and small ball largely ruling the night in Spoelstra’s rotation.

“Look, nobody likes being 1-4, losing four straight. It sucked,” Spoelstra said of the record the Heat took into the Wizards game. “I hate having to make those kind of decisions, because from everybody outside, it looks like it’s an indictment on one particular player. It’s not. It’s really not.

“I hated having to make that move, because Kevin brings so much from a spirit and connection and leadership standpoint. But this is just a move for now.”

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Pelicans sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, waive Kaiser Gates

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a two-way contract.

And in a corresponding move, the Pelicans have waived forward Kaiser Gates.

Robinson-Earl, 6-9, 230, has appeared in 92 games (56 starts) over the past two seasons with Oklahoma City, averaging 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist. The Villanova product holds career shooting averages of .427 from the floor, .344 from deep, and .781 from the foul line.

The New Orleans roster stands at 17, including three two-way players.

Kings forward Trey Lyles out with calf injury

Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles injured his left calf during warmups of the Kings preseason game vs. the Golden State Warriors on October 18.

Multiple imaging studies confirmed Lyles suffered a left calf strain. Lyles continues to progress through return to play protocol.

Lyles will not travel to Houston with the team and he will be ruled out for the next two games.

Clippers trade Filip Petrusev to Kings for Luka Mitrovic

The Sacramento Kings have acquired forward Filip Petrušev and cash considerations in a trade with the L.A. Clippers for the draft rights to forward Luka Mitrović.

Drafted in the second round (20th pick, 50th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers, Petrušev played two seasons for the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 2018-20, averaging 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Serbian native then spent three seasons in Europe, averaging 12.8 points, 1.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Warriors exercise contract options on Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody

The Golden State Warriors have exercised the fourth-year contract options on forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Moses Moody.

Kuminga, 21, is averaging 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.00 steal and 21.6 minutes in three games this season. Selected by Golden State with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he became the youngest player in Warriors history to reach the 1,000-point plateau last season surpassing, Joe Smith. Kuminga owns career averages of 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 18.9 minutes in 140 games (28 starts).

Moody, 21, is averaging 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.50 steals and 19.4 minutes in four games (one start) this season. He was selected by Golden State with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and owns career averages of 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 12.6 minutes in 119 games (15 starts). Moody has scored in double figures in eight of his 15 starts.

Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.