Paul George, who forced Indiana to trade him a year before his contract expired, is the most recent example of stars maneuvering early to preserve their status as “Lary Bird players,” remaining eligible for maximum dollars. Insiders think that’s what Davis is doing, with the move to Klutch Sports all about the possibility of going to the Lakers. “Why else did he do it?” an East GM asked. “Things are going great for him. The team is going good. He got the Derrick Rose extension (a five-year $150 million deal that each team is allowed to offer one player on his rookie contract). “It’s not because of race. Thad Foucher is an Afro-American. It’s not because of agency. Thad Foucher is from the Wasserman Group and has Russell Westbrook. So why did he do it?”
Paul George, who forced Indiana to trade him a year bef…
April 17, 2021 | 3:07 pm EDT Update
Donovan Mitchell to be re-evaluated in a week
Sarah Todd: Following an MRI and clinical evaluation, Donovan Mitchell suffered a significant right lower ankle sprain. He will be re-evaluated in one week.
Eric Walden: As expected, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Derrick Favors have all been ruled OUT today in addition to Donovan Mitchell.
Harrison Faigen: Frank Vogel says Andre Drummond will play and start today. Keef and Dennis are game-time decisions. Marc Gasol is available but dealing with hamstring tightness and his broken finger. Everyone else (other than AD and LeBron and Dudz) is good to go.
On Thursday, the Michigan Wolverines got some big news as senior leader Isaiah Livers announced he would be declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft. He put together an outstanding career in Ann Arbor and will now take his talents to the next level. This was an anticipated decision, but was made official on Thursday.
Baylor senior Mark Vital declared for the NBA Draft. He posted on social media on Thursday night.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Stephen Curry said recently. “We’ve been able to mobilize quickly. We didn’t expect to have such an impact — we only launched a year and a half ago. But so many kids were hanging in the dark. It was alarming. We are excited about the work we’re doing but it’s hard to celebrate because it means the need is so great. That’s the dichotomy.”
April 17, 2021 | 2:40 pm EDT Update
Kings officially sign Damian Jones to second 10-day contract
The Sacramento Kings have signed center Damian Jones to a second 10-day contract, according to Kings General Manager Monte McNair.
