Carmelo Anthony: “So then I started taking it even deeper. He told me I wasn’t going to make a nine-men rotation. I’m like ‘I can’t make a nine-man rotation, that’s what you’re trying to tell me?’ I’ve already started to accept the fact that I gotta come off the bench, which is very hard for me — I accepted that and I’ve moved on from that, right? But now you’re telling me that I can’t make a nine-man rotation on this team? It’s deeper than basketball.”
Logan Murdock: Steve Kerr reasoned that Draymond Green earned the right to have rest days because he’s played five straight seasons into the Finals. So I asked if the same logic applies to him as a coach. His response: “The coach does not receive the same treatment unfortunately.” pic.twitter.com/I7y1sl7dpw
“I actually called Shaq yesterday,” Embiid said. “He thought I was mad at him. I was like, ‘No, I understand what he was saying.’ “I’ve had a bad year so far. I’ve been kinda frustrated, just because you’re not seeing the teamwork and you try to fit in with your new teammates. Just be aggressive … just go out there and just dominate. “Whatever they said, I think it was good for me.”
Chris Mannix: Miami’s Dion Waiters has been suspended without pay for “his failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination,” per team. Waiters eligible to return after Heat play Utah on December 23rd.
After missing the FIBA Basketball World Cup due to a knee injury, Nicolò Melli is ready to return to wear Italy’s National Team jersey in next June’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Melli is now playing in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans. “I confirmed to the Federation my availability for the OQT. It will depend on my physical conditions. I have missed summers with Italy only when I was injured. I gave my availability. It will depend on my body” Melli said, as reported by Backdoor Podcast.
After polling executives, the league-wide sense is that Paul will remain with the Thunder this season simply because of his enormous contract. While it’s theoretically possible that Paul could agree to turn down his $44 million player option for 2021-22 to grease the wheels on a potential trade, right now, that is the longest of long shots. Besides overcoming the idea of giving up 44 million buckaroos, Paul is also the president of the players’ union and it would be a bad look to set that precedent of turning down that amount of money to make it more palatable to a team.
As it stands now, the Heat aren’t expected to make a run at Paul, per multiple sources. They like their locker room chemistry and aren’t actively looking to shake it up. More importantly, Paul’s contract complicates Miami’s potential future. Paul will be 35 years old in May and is due $41.4 million next season and will be 37 when he’s due $44.2 million. A glamour market like Miami doesn’t need to make trades to acquire a star. Smaller markets like Utah, Charlotte and Portland do.
The belief across the league this summer was that Wiggins could be had for the right offer. Rosas did not acquire him in trade and did not sign him to the max contract extension. But the two have formed a strong relationship in the early going and Wiggins has also responded well to Saunders’ coaching when it comes to changing his shot profile. There is no indication that the team is looking to trade Wiggins right now. The team has been both privately and publicly encouraged by Wiggins’ willingness to embrace this new approach and the results that have come with it. Saunders is firmly in his corner and Rosas has forged a strong working relationship with him.
Expect Waiters to be on the roster through the deadline, with Miami evaluating its options in the offseason. Waiters is owed more than $25 million the next two seasons, and Miami is not going to get an expiring contract for him without attaching a first-round pick. Even if the Heat had a first-rounder to trade, they shouldn’t do that.
Keep an eye also on Allonzo Trier. After averaging 23 MPG and 11 PPG in 2018-19, Trier has seen his minutes drop. The guard is on an expiring $3.5 million contract and will be a restricted free agent in June.