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Injury Notes: Martin, Gobert, Jackson, Monk, Thompson, Heat

March 6th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Caleb Martin is close to making his Mavericks debut. He was upgraded to questionable for Dallas’ Friday game against the Grizzlies, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter link). Martin hasn’t played since Jan. 10, when he was a member of the Sixers.

The Mavericks acquired Martin at the trade deadline in exchange for Quentin Grimes. It was an interesting move in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, as the Mavs sent out the younger Grimes – set to hit restricted free agency this summer – and acquired the 29-year-old Martin in the first of a four-year, $35MM deal.

However, Martin hasn’t played for the shorthanded Mavericks as he works his way back from a hip strain. In 31 games with Philadelphia, he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.9% from three.

The return of Martin would be more than welcome news for the Mavericks. Heading into its matchup with Memphis, Dallas only has eight players fully available.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has missed the last nine games due to a lower back injury. He was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Friday game against the Heat, according to team PR (Twitter link). Gobert is averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr., who is currently week-to-week with an ankle sprain, wasn’t in a walking boot and was moving around well on the Grizzlies‘ bench, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). While nothing is confirmed, those are good signs for the star big man to be back on the shorter end of that timetable.
Kings guard Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain, according to the Kings (Twitter link via Andscape’s Marc J. Spears). He’s out for at least Sacramento’s game against the Spurs on Friday and will be evaluated on a daily basis afterward.
J.B. Bickerstaff said Ausar Thompson is no longer on a minutes restriction, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The young Pistons forward has improved his conditioning in recent weeks. “(Monday’s game vs.) Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come,” Bickerstaff said.
The Heat have been down multiple starters and rotation players during the past two games due to injuries and illnesses. However, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, they should be getting reinforcements soon. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins were all upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Wolves. Kel’el Ware remains out and Alec Burks was downgraded to questionable. The Heat have assigned Josh Christopher to the G League, which may be a sign that the team expects to have more players available on Friday.

Pistons Notes: Duren, Thompson, Cunningham, Turnaround

March 2nd, 2025 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Duren, who can sign a rookie scale extension this offseason, has become a steady force inside for the Pistons. Duren is averaging a double-double this season thanks to a strong February in which he posted 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. In his first March game on Saturday, Duren powered for 18 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high six blocks against the Nets.

“Consistency. We are seeing the talent we believe has always been there. But now he’s found a way and it’s the most difficult thing to do in this league,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The separator in this league is, do you have 10 good games a year, do you have 30 good games a year, can you do it all the way to 82 games or whatever it may be? He’s put a run together where he’s been dominant on both ends of the floor.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Detroit has continued to thrive despite the loss of starting guard Jaden Ivey in early January. Ausar Thompson has stepped into the lineup and given the club a different dimension. In 28 starts, the second-year wing is averaging 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 23.3 minutes per game. Thompson’s defensive prowess is a product of preparation. “He does a great job of watching film and studying guys, understanding our system, how he can be most impactful,” Bickerstaff said. “But with a guy like him, you just kind of unleash him. You don’t give him too many rules. We’re so confident in what he’s able to do naturally. We just tell him to go eliminate guys, and so far, he’s done a great job of being able to do that.”
In a lengthy feature, The Ringer’s Mirin Fader examines how Cade Cunningham has bounced back from the worst season in franchise history to engineering the league’s biggest surprise. His leadership qualities have shined through, according to his teammates. “There’s been games at halftime where he’s come in and said, ‘I got to be better’ when you don’t even think he does need to be better,” Malik Beasley said.
The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa examines five reasons for the team’s stunning turnaround, including the hirings of general manager Trajan Langdon and Bickerstaff, the firing of Monty Williams, their success in free agency, and key momentum-building victories.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Ivey, Thompson, Duren, Sims

February 22nd, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pacers are trying to be strategic about getting Tyrese Haliburton to be more aggressive, IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak writes. In their last matchup against Memphis, Haliburton was held to eight points by rookie Jaylen Wells, so in Thursday’s rematch, the Pacers made it a focus to hone in on the defensive looks their point guard would be seeing.

Haliburton responded with a 22-point, nine-assist game that saw Indiana take down the 36-19 Grizzlies. At 31-23, the Pacers are fourth in the Eastern Conference as of Saturday.

“We just did a lot in the past two days in my individual workouts and in our team practices,” Haliburton said. “They’ve been having the coaches and the interns and everybody just fouling me the whole time and we’ve gotta figure out how we get the ball and do what we do offensively.”

The Pacers are a different team when Haliburton is healthy, Dopirak writes. They’re 2-8 in games where he scores fewer than 10 points and are 17-2 when he scores 20+, like on Thursday. In wins, Haliburton is averaging 21.3 points per game; that average drops to 13.1 PPG in losses.

“The [last] game at Memphis, Ty didn’t take a shot, I don’t even know if he took one in the first quarter,” Carlisle said. “That’s not our game. He’s got to be aggressive. He’s gotta be aggressive to run the team and to get good looks.”

On the season, Haliburton is averaging 17.9 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.8% from three.

“It’s been an up and down year for me offensively,” Haliburton said. “There’s been a lot of games where I might not have asserted myself enough or just overthinking, not shooting enough. Passing up good shots. I probably had a couple of incidents of it today. I watch a lot of film. My trainer Drew [Hanlen] is always on me to shoot the ball and be more aggressive. Good things happen when I’m aggressive and getting paint touches and really shooting the ball. I’m just trying to pay attention to it and try to be as good as I can and try to keep learning every game.”

We have more from the Central Division:

While it’s easy to assume Jaden Ivey would resume a starting role when he returns from injury, it would mean tinkering with a lineup that’s helped cement the Pistons‘ place in the playoff picture. That’s one of the issues Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tackles in his latest mailbag. The Pistons are 15-8 since Jan. 1 with Tim Hardaway Jr. starting, so they’ll only alter the rotation if it benefits their playoff hopes, according to Langlois, who also takes a look at Malik Beasley‘s expiring contract and the likelihood of him returning to Detroit next season.
Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren have been a reliable offensive duo in February, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes. Entering Friday, Thompson is averaging 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this month, while Duren is recording 14.6 PPG, 12.1 RPG and 4.1 APG. Their play, along with Cade Cunningham‘s star-level production, Dennis Schröder‘s second-unit leadership, and the resurgence of Tobias Harris and Beasley are keys for the Pistons’ postseason push, says Patterson.
Since being acquired at the deadline, Jericho Sims is serving as a primary backup big for the Bucks, having totaled 35 minutes in the two games since the All-Star break and Bobby Portis‘s suspension. Sims spoke on Thursday about being thrust into a bigger role than anticipated. “I just heard about it before shootaround and [a suspension] is not the way that you want to come in [to the rotation], but I was just excited to get my legs underneath me for the first win,” he said, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Giannis, Cunningham, Thompson, Green

February 19th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo likes the additions the Bucks made at the trade deadline, but a strained left calf has prevented him from getting on the court with his new teammates, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. The injury caused Antetokounmpo to miss the last six games before the All-Star break, and he’s listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest against the Clippers. He was able to practice today, but neither he or coach Doc Rivers is sure whether he’s going to play.

Even though he’s stuck on the sidelines, Antetokounmpo has been impressed by what he’s seen from Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., whom Milwaukee landed in two trades earlier this month.

“The team looks great right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re playing very, very fast. Everybody’s competing. Defensively I think we’re going to be way, way better. We’re big. And I’m excited.”

The downside of the deadline for Antetokounmpo was parting with long-time teammate Khris Middleton. They could back be on the court together again Friday when Milwaukee travels to Washington, and Antetokounmpo has a greeting in mind.

“I’m not shaking his hand, I’m not talking to him, I’m not even looking at him, and every time I see him, I’m going to guard him full court, pick him up full court and deny him,” Antetokounmpo quipped. “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make a 3 in his face and go, ‘Khash!’ I’m joking.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Cade Cunningham became the first Pistons player to be selected to the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2019 and the first Detroit guard to make it since Allen Iverson in 2009, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham enjoyed making his All-Star debut, but added that he expects to return many times in his career. “It’s cool, man. This is what I planned on, though,” he said. “This is what I saw for myself. To be in this position now is a great feeling, but there’s definitely more steps to climb. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and all the things to come.”
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson could be primed for a strong close to the season, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a mailbag column. Davis notes that Thompson had to overcome a long layoff caused by blood clots he experienced late in his rookie season. When he was cleared to play in November, he was limited to 20 minutes per game and was still dealing with fatigue. He has been used as the team’s secondary play-maker over the last eight games and is averaging 4.0 assists per night, along with 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
Javonte Green, who is expected to join the Cavaliers after completing a buyout with New Orleans, was one of the wings the team considered adding before the trade deadline, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Team officials believed Green was likely to be a buyout candidate, so they directed their trade efforts elsewhere and wound up with De’Andre Hunter.

Pistons Notes: Thompson, Cunningham, Chemistry, Blaha

February 15th, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons second-year forward Ausar Thompson hasn’t attempted a single 3-point shot in his last nine games but he’s found other ways to be an offensive threat, Hunter Patterson and Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic write. In seven February games, Thompson is averaging 14.6 points and 4.4 assists per contest while shooting 69.5% from the floor.

Thompson’s rookie season was cut short by blood-clotting issues and the start of his sophomore campaign was delayed until he was cleared to play. The No. 5 pick in the 2023 draft has now jumped into the starting lineup with Jaden Ivey sidelined by a broken fibula.

“He’s just putting it all together now and it’s great to see,” forward Tobias Harris said. “Every player has their own journey and I just think that you’re seeing him blossom into his game and really figure out his spots on the floor. … As he continues to gain that confidence in his game all around, he’s going to be a hell of a player in this league.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Cade Cunningham, who is making his first All-Star appearance, said that undergoing season-ending shin surgery in his second season was a difficult decision that has paid off in the long run, he told Coty Davis of the Detroit News. “(The pain) got to a point where it was unbearable,” Cunningham said. “It definitely hindered my athletic development. So, getting the surgery allowed me to push myself to get my lower body strong again; all that stuff was huge for me, and now I feel better than I ever have.”
Cunningham told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press that he’s humbled by the accolades and support he’s received. “When I walk into arenas, really anywhere I go now, people are yelling All-Star, people are saying congratulations and telling me how cool it is and all that stuff,” he said. “It means a lot hearing that. To be amongst the All-Stars of the NBA, that’s a huge deal and I don’t take that lightly. It means a lot to me.”
The Pistons are three games above .500 at the All-Star break, something no one outside of the organization could have anticipated. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes that the “vibes” among the players has played a big role, Sankofa writes in the same story. “All I can speak on is what I’ve seen since I’ve been here. The guys’ attitude, personality, chemistry, all those things has been excellent,” he said. “The vibes every day in the building are always positive, always uplifting, we’re not perfect, we have our moments, our emotions, we get into it and go back and forth but we quickly move on, and that’s the sign of a team that’s actually gelled and come together and has chemistry it takes to be successful.”
Longtime Pistons broadcaster George Blaha has been selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame. He’s the recipient of the 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award for electronic media, Rod Beard of the Detroit News relays. Blaha is in his 49th season as an NBA broadcaster. “I have to say, it’s thrilling to be part of that organization and truly to be singled out among the broadcasters,” Blaha said. “I’ve been to Springfield any number of times, and now I get to go back as an honoree. It’s going to be awesome.”

Central Notes: Duren, Thompson, Lillard, Middleton, Buzelis

February 14th, 2025 at 10:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rising Pistons stars Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson appear to have elevated their long-term ceilings this season, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Duren and Thompson are elite athletes, Langlois observes, but both players have also looked pretty raw at times as scorers. They look to be turning things around this month, however.

Thompson has averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals across seven contests in February. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is also exploring Thompson’s abilities to serve as a supplemental play-maker and get to the basket. He’s been averaging 4.7 free throw attempts per game this month.

“He’s growing into the role that this team needs him to be in,” Bickerstaff said of Thompson. “Offensively, we need him to be a threat. He’s an elite play-maker. Some of the passes he threw tonight … he’s a special passer, but now you can his confidence growing as he’s finishing at the rim.”

Duren, meanwhile, is also developing as a ball-handler. He has dished out 23 dimes against just seven turnovers in his last four contests.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Bucks point guard Damian Lillard, an Oakland native, is returning to the Bay Area for his ninth All-Star appearance this weekend at San Francisco’s Chase Center, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Lillard observed that his hometown feels somewhat out-of-sorts as it is drained of its pro sports presence. “I feel like my childhood, a lot of the positivity was that all of the guys who are from the Bay Area we took pride in having our teams there,” Lillard said. “It gave us something to belong to us. But now with all of them leaving, it’s like a ghost town. So, I hate to see that for the city.” The Warriors have departed Oakland for San Francisco, the NFL’s Raiders left for Las Vegas, and the MLB’s Athletics are following suit.
Former three-time All-Star Bucks forward Khris Middleton, a critical part of the club’s title run in 2021, was moved at the trade deadline to Washington. He published a social media post on Friday thanking fans in Milwaukee for the 12 years he spent with the team (Instagram link). “As I begin this new chapter, I’m excited for the opportunities ahead,” Middleton wrote in part. “But Milwaukee will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Athletic Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is looking to establish himself nationally in the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘I’ve got a few dunks people have never seen before,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It should be fun.’’ According to Cowley, the 6’10” forward had been finessing his dunk portfolio over the last month with Zach LaVine, himself a two-time Slam Dunk champ, prior to the blockbuster deadline trade that sent LaVine to Sacramento.

NBA Names Four Replacements For Rising Stars Event

January 31st, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Three second-year players and one rookie have been named replacements for the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco, according to the NBA. The league issued a press release announcing the following changes:

Magic guard Anthony Black is replacing Mavericks center Dereck Lively.
Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara is replacing Hornets forward Brandon Miller.
Pistons swingman Ausar Thompson is replacing Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
Suns wing Ryan Dunn is replacing Sixers guard Jared McCain.

We noted when the Rising Stars participants were officially revealed on Tuesday that a few replacements would be necessary. Lively is sidelined for an extended period due to a stress fracture in his ankle, while Miller and McCain underwent season-ending procedures on their right wrist and left knee, respectively.

Wembanyama is healthy, but was selected as an All-Star reserve for the Western Conference. Players who are named All-Stars don’t take part in the Rising Stars event.

Black, Camara, Thompson, and Dunn will be included in the 21-player pool of NBA rookies and sophomores who will be drafted into three teams of seven players apiece on February 4. Those three teams, along with a fourth club made up of seven G League standouts, will compete a mini-tournament on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night.

The squad that wins the Rising Stars event will advance to All-Star Sunday and take on one of three teams made up of NBA All-Stars in the semifinals of the new-look All-Star Game.

Central Notes: Williams, Buzelis, Jerome, Thompson

January 26th, 2025 at 3:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In the first season of a new five-year, $90MM contract, Bulls forward Patrick Williams has continued to struggle to carve out a consistent gig as a role player. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic wonders if Williams’ window to prove he can effectively do so is closing.

With the Bulls’ third-leading scorer, Coby White, unavailable, Chicago was hoping for the 23-year-old to take on a bigger offensive role in a 109-97 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. Instead, he scored two points while shooting just 1-of-9 from the field and coughed up the ball in a critical possession with just over three minutes left in the game.

Following that turnover, head coach Billy Donovan quickly removed Williams from the lineup for the game’s final minutes, which has become increasingly common, Mayberry notes. In his fifth season, the 6’7″ pro is struggling both to finish at the rim and connect from long range for the 19-27 Bulls.

“He’s going to need to do that to continue to evolve,” Donovan said. “Earlier in his career, he never would have done any of that stuff. He would always defer and feel like, ‘I’m a young guy. I’ve just got to fit in.’ I think now he’s trying to do more, but we all want to have better results out of it.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis has played sparingly this season for Chicago thus far. The No. 11 overall pick has averaged just 12.7 minutes per game, which ranks 31st among first-year players. As Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times notes, Donovan doesn’t think Buzelis is capable of playing major minutes just yet. “[Buzelis] has to understand the things that go into winning, how he can impact winning and the things he has to do on a consistent basis,” the Bulls’ coach said.
Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome enjoyed a career night in a 132-129 loss to Philadelphia on Friday, scoring a personal-best 33 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor, including 8-of-8 shooting from long range. He also went 3-of-4 from the foul line. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com notes in a subscriber-only story, the 6’5″ guard’s big night wasn’t enough to help the club overcome the Sixers, but the 27-year-old is enjoying his best pro season since his 2020/21 run with the Thunder, averaging a career-best 10.8 points, plus 3.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per night.
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson, whose development was slowed by a blood clot issue that caused him to miss time at the end of 2023/24 and the start of this season, took a major step on Saturday, playing a season-high 29 minutes in a 121-113 loss to Orlando. Thompson, who scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, spoke after the game about gradually getting back to 100%, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “I feel great,” Thompson said. “It feels good to almost reach the 30-minute mark. I feel great, feel conditioned and however many minutes they need me to play, I’m ready to play.” Thompson has been on a minutes restriction for much of the season. Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke glowingly of the second-year forward’s progress, Sankofa tweets. “His activity was great, his aggressiveness,” Bickerstaff said. “He was attacking the paint, making plays, rebounding the ball, four steals. I thought he did a great job of showing exactly who he is and how he can contribute to help this team win.”

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Thompson, Billups

January 5th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham scored a season-high 40 points against the Timberwolves in the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday. His aggressive approach is a good sign for a franchise on the upswing, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes. Detroit has won six of its last seven games.

“I’m trying to make the best basketball play available for the team at all times,” said Cunningham, who also had nine assists. “Sometimes confidence can get in the way of that, feeling like I’m in a groove or my shot is the best. But I’m just trying to make sure everybody is in a rhythm and everybody knows what’s going on. Getting everybody involved early. My teammates trust me so much with making plays that it’s a two-way street.”

We have more on the Pistons:

J.B. Bickerstaff has shown a willingness to challenge officiating calls and the players appreciate having their first-year coach back them up, Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press writes. “You can see his passion on the floor,” big man Isaiah Stewart said. “When you have a coach that’s showing that kind of passion, standing the whole game, encouraging you mid-game, talking to you during the game, that just gives you a different kind of energy. It’s like, ‘OK, I got you coach. I’m going to play hard for you.’” Bickerstaff has used his coaches challenge regularly in recent weeks, including a successful one in the final minute of a close win over the Lakers.
In the first two games since Jaden Ivey suffered a fractured fibula, Bickerstaff has changed his starting lineup both times. He went with Wendell Moore against Charlotte, then switched to Ausar Thompson against Minnesota. Thompson may have earned a long look as a starter after posting 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-best six steals. “He had five steals in the first half. He got deflections, did a good job defensively, helps us play faster,” Bickerstaff said. “That was one of the things versus this team we wanted to do. We knew we needed to play faster and let out athletes kind of run and A.T. did that for us.”
Detroit can reach the .500 mark with a win over Portland on Monday. The Pistons also have something special planned for Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who was the 2004 Finals Most Valuable Player when the Pistons won their last championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame during the offseason and the Pistons will celebrate his Detroit career with a video montage and other events. “I know the atmosphere will be a lot of fun,” Billups said. “They’ve got some things planned for me since I’m going back there for the first time since the Hall of Fame (induction).”
The Pistons are making several moves regarding their two-way contracts. Get the details here.

Central Notes: Mitchell, Pistons, Pacers, Bulls

January 3rd, 2025 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Donovan Mitchell‘s points per game (23.7), assists per game (4.6), shot attempts per game (18.3), and usage rate (30.1%) are all down from where they were last year, but the Cavaliers certainly haven’t missed that production from the star guard, winning 29 of their first 33 games this season.

As Brian Windhorst of ESPN details, Mitchell’s willingness to take a step back and defer to teammates has paid off in a major way — his three-point percentage is a career-best 41.5% and Cleveland has the NBA’s No. 1 offense (121.3 offensive rating).

“He was an All-NBA (caliber) player last year because of how much he did for them and having to play a lot at point guard,” an advance scout told Windhorst. “This year, he’s probably going to make All-NBA because he’s pulling back and encouraging his teammates to have bigger roles. … I’ll tell you what, they were a lot easier to defend last year when he was a one-man show.”

One reason for Mitchell’s dip in production is the fact that he’s averaging a career-low 31.5 minutes per game. As Windhorst explains, new head coach Kenny Atkinson helped develop a plan coming into the season to keep the five-time All-Star fresher and reduce the stress on his knee, which was an issue at times last season. It has paid off so far, as Mitchell has missed just one game and several of his teammates – including All-Star candidates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley – are enjoying career years.

“Donovan is so selfless and he empowers people. (Stephen Curry) is like this, too. They’re so positive, they know how to uplift others around them,” said Atkinson, a former Warriors assistant. “That’s the ultimate leader, right?”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Hunter Patterson of The Athletic explores how Jaden Ivey‘s extended absence due to a leg injury will affect the Pistons‘ rotation, while Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) posits that not having Ivey available will give the team an opportunity to experiment with lineups. Ausar Thompson and Malik Beasley are among the candidates to be promoted to the starting five, while Marcus Sasser and Wendell Moore could see increased roles.
The Pacers are hovering around .500 after making the Eastern Conference Finals last season and project to be a taxpayer next season if they bring back starting center Myles Turner, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who considers what the next move is for Indiana. A consolidation trade that moves out a couple of their higher-paid bench players may be in the Pacers’ best interests, Katz suggests.
After a week in which the Bulls needed overtime to beat the lowly Hornets and then were defeated by the lowlier Wizards, Joe Cowley calls out the front office in a column for The Chicago Sun-Times, arguing for roster changes sooner rather than later to ensure the team keeps its top-10 protected pick in the 2025 draft and adds a much-needed building block.