Before hosting the Bulls tonight, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle talked about the offseason loss of Jalen Smith in free agency, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. He said the organization was hoping to keep Smith, but couldn’t compete with the offer he got from Chicago. “We wanted him back but we were limited as to how much we could pay him,” Carlisle said. “… He had a … [Read more...] about Ayo Dosunmu Getting Closer To Returning
Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Bulls, Giannis, Pistons
Fourth-year big man Evan Mobley is having the best season of his career for the 31-4 Cavaliers and making a strong case for All-Star consideration, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only article. The Cavs have an eye-popping +16.0 net rating when Mobley is on the court, compared to a team-worst +4.4 mark when he sits. “He has taken that step,” Cavaliers … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Bulls, Giannis, Pistons
Central Notes: Cavs, Garland, Vucevic, Giannis, Bucks, Johnson
With a 31-4 mark, the Cavaliers are tied for the fifth-best start in league history through 35 games. However, they’re not chasing regular season records. Guard Darius Garland told Joe Vardon of The Athletic that his main focus is how well they do in the postseason. “I really don’t think it will (ever) become important (to chase regular season history),” Garland said. “We all … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Cavs, Garland, Vucevic, Giannis, Bucks, Johnson
Stein’s Latest: Johnson, Vucevic, Poeltl, Brown, Olynyk, Ball
The Nets have already dealt Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Could forward Cameron Johnson be next? Citing league sources, Marc Stein reports on his latest Substack post that the Pacers are a team to watch in terms of Johnson’s next destination. Brooklyn is looking to clear as much salary as possible for the offseason and Johnson is in the second year of a … [Read more...] about Stein’s Latest: Johnson, Vucevic, Poeltl, Brown, Olynyk, Ball
Atlantic Notes: Brown, Towns, Knicks, Martin
Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown has seen his injury status upgraded ahead of Boston’s Sunday tilt against Oklahoma City. Per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), the 6’6″ forward will play his first game of 2025 after sitting out with a right shoulder strain since New Year’s Eve. The 28-year-old has been in fine form when he has played for the 26-9 Celtics. … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Brown, Towns, Knicks, Martin