Caris LeVert and Pacers set to face Nets

Caris LeVert showed great promise as a young NBA talent coming up with the Nets. His NBA journey resumes now that he recently made a successful Pacers debut. Via the NY Daily News:

Caris LeVert has recovered from his kidney surgery in time to give the Nets a blast from the past. The Nets traded LeVert to the Rockets in the James Harden trade, and when the Rockets subsequently traded him to Indiana for Victor Oladipo, the Pacers discovered a cancerous growth on his kidney.

LeVert returned on the two-month anniversary of his diagnosis and has played in both of the Pacers’ last two games. He scored 13 points in his Indiana debut then scored 17 points in his new team’s Monday loss to the Nuggets.

LeVert, who is starting in Indiana, will host a very different Nets team on Wednesday than the one that traded him, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs and seven years worth of draft assets in a megadeal earlier this season.

Through two games for the Pacers so far, LeVert put up 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 28.0 minutes per outing.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens says no, he is not seeking the Indiana University coaching job

There was no harm in asking Celtics coach Brad Stevens a question that appears to have a simple answer. Via Boston.com:

On Tuesday, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked by Marc Bertrand on 98.5’s Zolak and Bertrand if he was leaving the Celtics for the recently vacated Indiana University Bloomington coaching job.

“I am not,” Stevens said…

Stevens said he knows Archie Miller, who was recently fired by the Hoosiers. Miller’s firing prompted a column by the Indy Star’s Greg Doyel imploring Indiana to hire Stevens.

That settles that. For now.

Galen Robinson Jr. wins 2020-21 G League Sportsmanship Award

Austin Spurs guard Galen Robinson Jr. has been selected by NBA G League players as the winner of the 2020-21 NBA G League Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award, which honors the player who best represents the ideals of character and conduct as a teammate on the court and in the locker room.

In his second NBA G League season, Robinson (6-1, 190, Houston) averaged 7.8 points, 6.4 assists and 1.38 steals in eight games after being acquired by Austin from the on-site available player pool on Feb. 19. Robinson made an immediate impact by handing out a career-high 14 assists in his season debut, a 122-107 loss to the Delaware Blue Coats on Feb. 21. He also recorded season highs of 14 points and three steals in Austin’s 102-88 win over the Long Island Nets on March 2.

Robinson played 30 games for Austin during the 2019-20 season, averaging 8.1 points and 5.4 assists. He scored a career-best 24 points in a 117-114 win over the Northern Arizona Suns on March 6, 2020. In 38 career NBA G League games, Robinson has averaged 8.0 points and 5.6 assists.

The Sportsmanship Award honors the late Jason Collier, who exemplified the qualities of a great teammate during his career in the NBA G League and the NBA. A 2003-04 All-NBA G League First Team selection, Collier was preparing to begin his sixth NBA season at the time of his death in 2005.

Each participating NBA G League team nominated one player for the 2020-21 Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award. NBA G League players voted for the winner from the list of nominees. Westchester Knicks forward Andrew White III and Long Island Nets guard Shannon Scott finished tied for second place.

Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award Winners

2020-21: Galen Robinson Jr. (Austin Spurs)

2019-20: Ivan Rabb (Westchester Knicks)

2018-19: Gabe York (Lakeland Magic)

2017-18: C.J. Williams (Agua Caliente Clippers)

2016-17: Keith Wright (Westchester Knicks)

2015-16: Scott Suggs (Raptors 905)

2014-15: Renaldo Major (Bakersfield Jam)

2013-14: Ron Howard (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

2012-13: Ron Howard (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

2011-12: Moses Ehambe (Iowa Energy)

2010-11: Larry Owens (Tulsa 66ers)

2009-10: Andre Ingram (Utah Flash)

2008-09: Will Conroy (Albuquerque Thunderbirds)

2007-08: Billy Thomas (Colorado 14ers)

2007-08: Roger Powell (Arkansas RimRockers)

2006-07: Ime Udoka (Fort Worth Flyers)

CJ McCollum set to return for Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers’ backcourt is about to get a lot more potent. Via the NBA.com/blazers:

After finishing off the first half of the season with three-straight wins, the Portland Trail Blazers have struggled in their three games since the All-Star break.

But help is on the way.

After missing the last 25 games with a broken bone in his left foot, Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum is expected to return to the lineup when the Trail Blazers begin a five-game homestand by hosting the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Blazers are 22-16 this season, which is the 6th best record in the Western conference.

In 13 games played, McCollum is averaging 26.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Heat center Bam Adebayo set to return

Star Heat center Bam Adebayo is set to return after playing just one game so far in March. Via the Sun Sentinel:

For Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, the past two weeks have provided the unlikely combination of boredom and joy.

He said Tuesday that is why he is glad to be back in the mix after missing four games with knee tendinitis.

Asked after the morning shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena what it was like to be reduced to spectator, having not previously missed a game due to injury the past two seasons, he said, “bored as hell.”

But he said the Heat going 4-0 during that span took away some of the edge.

“I mean, obviously seeing my teammates win and have that joy, you want to be part of that,” he said. “So, I was sitting there and I’m bored as hell.”

The 21-18 Heat, after a slow start to the season, are on a roll as of late.

Adebayo this season is averaging 19.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. He last played on March 2, in a loss to the Hawks.

A glance at the Timberwolves as the NBA trade deadline approaches

Better days for the Timberwolves will presumably be ahead. Via the Star Tribune:

Gersson Rosas made no secret when he took the job as Timberwolves president that the primary way he was going to restructure the Wolves was through trades.

Minnesota has never been a free-agent destination in the NBA, and Rosas wasn’t naive enough to think he could change that overnight for big-ticket players. Instead, trades, the way Rosas’ former team in Houston became a contender in landing James Harden, were going to drive the roster overhaul.

D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Ricky Rubio and Jarred Vanderbilt all came to the Wolves via trade, and the draft pick that eventually turned into Jaden McDaniels also came in a trade.

The March 25 trade deadline is nearing, and reports are circulating of the Wolves’ reported interest in Atlanta’s John Collins and, to a lesser extent, Orlando’s Aaron Gordon. Hall of Fame NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan said on Bill Simmons’ podcast recently that she heard from sources the Wolves were “dying” to get Collins.

It would not be surprising if the Timberwolves were to trade literally anyone on the roster. Prepare for rumors to fly high these next 10 days.

Raptors 905 GM Chad Sanders named 2020-21 G League Basketball Executive of the Year

Raptors 905 General Manager Chad Sanders has been named the 2020-21 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year, as selected by his fellow NBA G League team basketball executives.

In his third season as General Manager for the Toronto Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, Sanders oversaw a team that finished with the best record in the NBA G League (12-3) during single-site play at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.

Sanders’ key player acquisitions included forwards Henry Ellenson (21.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Alize Johnson (16.6 ppg and 13.3 rpg) and guard Nik Stauskas (18.1 ppg, 3.6 apg), who helped the team finish with the highest-scoring offense in the league (123.8 ppg). Raptors 905 also led the NBA G League in assists (28.9 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (37.9).

Before the season, Sanders acquired returning player rights to guard Matt Mooney from the Memphis Hustle in exchange for returning player rights to Ben Moore. Sanders also traded for the 15th pick in the first round of the 2020-21 NBA G League Draft, which was used to select Gary Payton II. Mooney (11.6 ppg, 5.7 apg) and Payton II (10.8 ppg, 2.5 spg) were key contributors for the top-seeded Raptors 905.

Prior to being named General Manager for Raptors 905, Sanders worked in the Dominican Republic’s Basketball Program from 2011-2017, becoming General Manager of the National Team in 2015. During his tenure, the club’s world ranking climbed 10 spots from 27th to 17th, highlighted by a 13th place finish in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Santa Cruz Warriors General Manager Ryan Atkinson and Oklahoma City Blue General Manager Nazr Mohammed finished second and third, respectively, in voting for the 2020-21 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year Award.

Lakers forward Jared Dudley suffers knee injury

Veteran Lakers forward Jared Dudley has suffered a serious injury. Via the OC Register:

As of Sunday afternoon, however, it is worth wondering how much longer Dudley’s blue-collar run through the NBA will last after the Lakers revealed that the forward has torn the MCL in his right knee. Already a little-used player who has struggled with injury for much of the season — Dudley has scored just six points in 11 appearances this season — it could be one of the closing drumbeats of a charmed career.

The Lakers said Dudley was still evaluating his treatment options as of Sunday evening and was not yet officially ruled out for the season. Depending on the grade of tear, such injuries can take anywhere from several weeks to several months to heal. The Lakers have 34 regular season games remaining before the playoffs begin in mid-May.

It’s an unwelcome addition to a lengthy injury report: For Monday’s game at Golden State, the Lakers are already without Anthony Davis (right calf strain), Marc Gasol (health and safety protocols), Alex Caruso (mild concussion) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (health and safety protocols). Even though Dudley hasn’t played much this season, he’s gotten recent nods for defensive presence without Davis to man the middle.

The Lakers are 25-13 this season. Dudley, who will turn 36 this summer, barely plays this days and is averaging 0.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 6.9 minutes per game.

Thunder trade Hamidou Diallo to Pistons for Svi Mykhailiuk and draft pick

The Oklahoma City Thunder has acquired guard/forward Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round draft pick (via Houston) in a trade with the Detroit Pistons for guard Hamidou Diallo.

Mykhailiuk [mee-HIGH-luke] (6-8, 205) has appeared in 134 career games (32 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons and averaged 6.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.5 minutes per game, while shooting 36.9 percent from beyond the arc. This season with the Pistons, he has seen time in 36 games (five starts) and is averaging 6.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.6 minutes per game. He has 16 games with two or more three-point makes this season, including a career-high-tying five makes on March 3 at Toronto.

Last season, Mykhailiuk was selected to play in the 2020 Rising Stars game as a member of Team World during All-Star Weekend.

Diallo, 6-5, 202, has played for the Thunder since he was selected 45th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets and subsequently involved in two trades to Charlotte and then Oklahoma City following the draft. Through 32 games (five starts) this season, Diallo is averaging career highs in scoring (11.9 ppg), rebounding (5.2 rpg), assists (2.4 apg), steals (1.0 spg) and minutes (23.8 mpg). In 129 career NBA games (11 starts), Diallo has posted clips of 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals in 16.9 minutes.

The Queens, N.Y. native won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie at the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte. Diallo played one season collegiately at Kentucky in 2017-18, averaging 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals in 24.8 minutes over 37 games (all starts).

Lakers’ Anthony Davis out at least another two weeks

Anthony Davis, who has been out of action due to a right calf strain, was examined by team doctors this evening. The Lakers say that he is progressing in his recovery and has been cleared to enter the next phase of his return to play process.

Davis will be re-evaluated by team doctors in two weeks.

In 23 games played for the 24-13 Lakers this season, Davis is averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game.