Sixers’ Mathias Lessort To Play In Serbia
Another of the Sixers’ 2017 draftees has found a home for the coming season, as Serbian team KK Crvena Zvezda – also known as Red Star Belgrade – announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed second-rounder Mathias Lessort to a three-year contract.
Lessort, who was ranked as 2017’s 32nd-best prospect by DraftExpress, was viewed as a borderline first-round pick entering the draft, but ultimately slipped to Philadelphia at No. 50. The 6’9″ forward/center played for Nanterre 92 in France last season, averaging 10.2 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 36 French League contests.
The Sixers had four picks in this year’s draft, but after selecting Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 pick, the club focused on draft-and-stash prospects. Philadelphia used its second first-rounder – No. 25 overall – on Anzejs Pasecniks, who will spend the 2017/18 campaign with CB Gran Canaria in Spain. The team also had the No. 36 pick, and drafted Jonah Bolden, who will play in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
While Lessort’s deal with Red Star Belgrade was announced as a three-year pact, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t include NBA outs that will give the 21-year-old an opportunity to make the leap to the Sixers a year or two from now.
Knicks Exercise Kristaps Porzingis’ 2018/19 Option
In an unsurprising move, the Knicks have exercised their 2018/19 team option on Kristaps Porzingis. While the team has yet to formally announce the move, RealGM’s transactions log lists it, suggesting that it’s now official.
Porzingis is the first player on a rookie contract to have a team option exercised for the 2018/19 season. Teams around the NBA will have to make these decisions by October 31 on players entering the second or third seasons of their respective rookie contracts. Assuming a player has his option picked up – like Porzingis did – his rookie contract will be extended through at least 2019. If an ’18/19 option is declined, that player would be on track to reach unrestricted free agency next summer.
In Porzingis’ case, that 2018/19 option will count against the cap for $5,697,054, per Basketball Insiders. That year represents the fourth and final season of Porzingis’ rookie deal, so the Knicks will soon be faced with a decision on the young forward/center. He’ll be extension-eligible as of July 2018, and if he’s not extended, he’ll become a restricted free agent in July 2019.
Porzingis, who turned 22 last week, averaged 18.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.0 BPG with a .450/.357/.786 shooting line for the Knicks in 66 games last season. Although he was mentioned in some trade rumors in June, that talk has quieted since Phil Jackson‘s exit from the franchise, and the former fourth overall pick appears to have mended fences with the club after skipping his exit meeting. Porzingis is viewed as a core piece for the Knicks to build around going forward.
Timberwolves Sign Marcus Georges-Hunt
AUGUST 11: Georges-Hunt’s deal with the Timberwolves has now been finalized, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.
AUGUST 8: A little over a week after being waived by the Magic, Marcus Georges-Hunt has found a new NBA home. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter), Georges-Hunt and the Timberwolves have agreed to a contract. Exact terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but it will be a minimum salary pact.
Georges-Hunt, 23, joined the Celtics for training camp a year ago after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech, but didn’t earn a regular season roster spot with Boston. The 6’5″ shooting guard spent most of the 2016/17 season with the Maine Red Claws, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG, and being named to the All NBA D-League Third Team.
Georges-Hunt’s performance earned him another NBA shot — he signed a deal with the Magic in April and appeared in five games for the team down the stretch last season. That contract included a second year, but Georges-Hunt’s minimum salary for 2017/18 was non-guaranteed until the fall, so Orlando waived him last week.
The Timberwolves currently have 11 players on guaranteed NBA contracts. In addition to reaching a deal with Georges-Hunt, the club also recently agreed to terms with Melo Trimble, which will bring the roster count to 13, not counting Anthony Brown, who has a two-way contract. For now, it looks like both Georges-Hunt and Trimble should have a good shot to earn a spot on the regular season squad, but that may hinge on the other moves Minnesota makes to fill out its roster.
Anthony Davis Discusses Trade Rumors, Pelicans, Playoffs
Anthony Davis hears the rumors about his potential departure from the Pelicans. Boston keeps coming up as a destination for Davis should things not work out in New Orleans, but the big man isn’t giving much thought to the noise, as William Guillory of The Times-Picayune relays.
“I understand it’s a business, but if I don’t hear anything from [GM Dell Demps] or my agent, I don’t pay attention to it,” said Davis. “Once I first heard [the rumors], then I heard it again, then I heard it again, I just wanted to make sure. I found out it wasn’t [true], and that was the beginning of the summer, so I haven’t paid attention to it since.”
Davis reiterated that he wants to remain in New Orleans. “I am happy here as a Pelican,” he said. “I am happy here.”
Demps spoke with Davis earlier in the offseason and assured the big man that he isn’t going anywhere. The 24-year-old has spent his entire five-year career in the Big Easy but was only able to make a trip to the playoffs one time. He sees that changing soon despite several analysts projecting the Pelicans to end up in the lottery.
“I don’t really care what anybody says. We know what we’re doing,” Davis said. “Especially having an entire training camp with me, DeMarcus and [Jrue Holiday] and [Rajon Rondo]…We feel like we have a shot against anybody, that’s our mindset coming in. We’re not worrying about all the white noise and what other people are saying.”
Davis added that simply making the playoffs is not the lone goal.
“We definitely believe we have enough pieces on paper to make the playoffs,” he said. “Not just make it, but actually, make a run in the playoffs.”
Kelly Olynyk Talks Miami, Free Agency, Whiteside
Kelly Olynyk signed a four-year, $50MM deal with the Heat this offseason, but he insists that his decision to come to Miami was about more than just the money. Coach Erik Spoelstra has used wings and big men as the team’s primary ball handler in the past, which is something that intrigues Olynyk.
“It’s awesome,” Olynyk said (via Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel) “Just that freedom to be able to play easy and free and not super-regimented is huge. I think it helps everybody out. It helps everybody’s skills, to be able to just kind of go with the flow and make things happen. That’s something that looking at Miami and talking to Spo and what his vision is and how they play, it’s something that’s very intriguing.”
The Gonzaga product talked about how he couldn’t have anticipated the ups and downs of free agency and added that he’s thrilled with his ultimate decision.
“You never really know about free agency until you actually go through it, and you don’t realize how crazy it really is,” Olynyk said. “But I’m blessed with an opportunity to be down here, really excited to get started down here.”
Olynyk has already found the practice courts and was able to get some work in alongside his new teammates in Miami. Hassan Whiteside was one of the players who were able to hit the practice courts with Olynyk and the two big man have already developed a friendship.
“He’s a great guy, a great character, a super nice guy,” Olynyk said of Whiteside. “But he’s a beast. I’m really excited to play with him and be able to play with a guy of his size and his abilities on the floor, defensively, offensively, on the glass. He’s awesome to be around and [I’m] really looking forward to playing with him.”
Olynyk, who plays both power forward and center, should see major minutes next to Whiteside this upcoming season. The 26-year-old is a career 36.8% shooter from behind the arc, something that will allow Miami to play the two 7-footers at the same time while maintaining good spacing.
Pistons Notes: Irving, Jackson, Bradley
It was reported last week that the Pistons have an interest in trading for Kyrie Irving and executive/coach Stan Van Gundy had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about a deal. Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears that those trade discussions involved Reggie Jackson, but the trade talks didn’t advance very far. The Suns may be the favorites in the Irving sweepstakes, though Amico adds that if talks between Phoenix and Cleveland break down, the Pistons could be among the teams that new GM Koby Altman turns to next.
Here’s more from Detroit:
- While trading for Irving for will bring excitement to the Detroit, it may not be best for the franchise’s long-term plans, Rod Beard of The Detroit News contends. A deal for Irving would likely see the Pistons part with Stanley Johnson and Andre Drummond. Beard argues that Irving’s unwillingness to commit to any franchise long-term makes trading top talent for the point guard too risky of a proposition.
- Whether or not Avery Bradley re-signs with the Pistons next offseason will determine the team’s long-term future, Beard writes in a separate piece. If Bradley bolts in free agency, the team would have given up Marcus Morris for a one-year rental and let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave for nothing. Beard opines that those kinds of moves tend to set franchises back.
Kings Notes: Randolph, Fox, Arena
Zach Randolph, who was arrested on felony charges of marijuana possession with intent to sell, maintains his innocence with his attorney telling Christopher Weber of The Associated Press that the “charges are false and misleading.” Raymond Brothers, who is both Randolph’s attorney and agent, added that Randolph’s camp is “looking at all options to resolve this matter.”
The power forward signed a two-year, $24MM deal with the Kings this summer after spending the past eight years with Memphis. Weber adds that Sacramento issued a statement earlier declaring that the team was aware of the situation, but would not comment further.
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- The Kings needed Randolph to be a mentor to the team’s youth, but the news of his arrest puts the organization in an uncomfortable position, James Ham of Comcast Sportsnet writes. Sacramento had a similar predicament with Matt Barnes last season. The team inked Barnes to be a mentor only for the small forward to get tangled up with legal woes.
- David Aldridge of NBA.com believes the Kings found their point guard of the future in De’Aaron Fox. The scribe believes free agent signee George Hill can mentor Fox and the former Kentucky Wildcat can lead the team for years to come.
- Aldridge (same piece) also discusses how John Rinehart, who serves as the Kings‘ President of Business Operations, helped rebuild the team’s ticket sales operations, something that was the “driving force” behind the construction of Sacramento’s Golden 1 Arena. Last season was the Kings’ first campaign in the new arena.
Rockets, Knicks Re-Engage On Melo Talks
The Knicks and Rockets have re-engaged on trade talks regarding Carmelo Anthony, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports. The Rockets are yet again searching for a third team to facilitate the deal.
The Knicks and Rockets made significant progress on a deal when Phil Jackson was in charge, but New York’s new GM Scott Perry has been more particular about the package he’d want in return for Anthony. A deal directly between the two sides remains unlikely as New York does not have an interest in bringing back Ryan Anderson.
Anthony remains determined to go to Houston, as he refuses to expand the list of teams in which he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause for, according to Wojnarowski.
The Pelicans, Blazers, and Thunder are among the teams which have expressed interest in adding the 10-time All-Star. However, Anthony has reportedly been uninterested in joining any of those squads. Portland remains interested in acquiring Anthony should he change his mind. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum continue to recruit Anthony with the hopes that he will change his stance on coming to the Northwest, Wojnarowski adds.
Anthony had previously expressed willingness to waive his NTC to join LeBron James in Cleveland, though Kyrie Irving‘s situation and LBJ’s uncertain future have dulled his enthusiasm for the Cavs.
New York has no problem bringing Anthony to training camp and Woj hears that Anthony beginning the season in a Knicks’ uniform remains a real possibility.
NBA Expected To Implement Player-Resting Rules
Team owners are expected to approve player-resting rules which are designed to cut back on teams benching healthy players for regular seasons games, a source tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The approval is expected to come in September during the owners next Board of Governors meetings.
Zillgitt adds that the new parameters will be in place by the beginning of the 2017/18 season and there were be consequences for teams that do not adhere to the rules.
Adam Silver previously discussed the issue of player resting, talking about a balance between putting out a competitive product and keeping players healthy.
“There is an expectation among partners that teams are going to act in appropriate ways, [and] find, as I said, that right balance between resting on one hand and obligations to fans and partners on the other,” Silver said at the end of the season.
The specifics of the rules have yet to be reported, but Zillgitt expects a rule against resting healthy players on nationally televised games. Silver addressed this topic back in April.
“When we do have marquee network games, we the league office can do a better job at looking at obviously, the prior night in terms of back-to-back, but also the several days leading up to that game so that players are at peak performance for those games,” Silver said.
The league has since sent out a memo vowing changes to the scheduling of games. The NBA will look to reduce back-to-backs and will eliminate teams playing as many as four games in five nights and as many as 18 contests in a 30-day span. The league will begin a week earlier this year to help reach these goals.
The NBA’s official schedule will be released later today.
Poll: Which Pacific Team Had Best Offseason?
It almost seems unfair that a team with a 67-15 record in the regular season and a 16-1 postseason mark could subsequently have one of the NBA’s offseasons too, but Golden State may have achieved that feat.
Heading into the summer, the Warriors knew Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant would be back, but none of the team’s other free agents were a lock to return. When the dust settled, the Dubs had re-signed virtually all their notable FAs, including Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, David West, and JaVale McGee. The team even fortified its bench by adding Nick Young and Omri Casspi in free agency, and Jordan Bell in the draft.
While Golden State’s summer moves were impressive, some of their division rivals had very strong summers too. The Lakers, led by a new-look front office, drafted a potential franchise point guard in Lonzo Ball, dumped Timofey Mozgov‘s mega-contract, and improbably landed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.
Meanwhile, the Kings – like the Lakers – certainly won’t challenge Golden State for Pacific supremacy right away, but Sacramento’s offseason’s moves featured an impressive mix of roster additions. Not only did the Kings sign a few veterans – George Hill, Zach Randolph, and Vince Carter – but the team also added several youngsters with big upside, including De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, and Frank Mason.
The Clippers suffered the biggest single-player loss of any Pacific team as Chris Paul headed to Houston, but L.A. recovered nicely to retool its roster. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and multiple young big men arrived in the CP3 trade, and the Clips managed to add potential starters like Danilo Gallinari and Euroleague star Milos Teodosic in free agency. The team also re-signed Blake Griffin when many NBA observers expected him to explore other options.
One of those teams that may have been eyeing Griffin was the Suns, but Phoenix ultimately opted to lay low and be patient with its rebuild rather than pursuing a top free agent. That made for a quiet summer, but it’s probably the right long-term move, and it’s not as if the Suns were totally inactive. The club landed one of the top players on its draft board in Josh Jackson and re-signed free agent big man Alan Williams to a team-friendly three-year deal.
What do you think? Which Pacific team has had the best offseason so far? Weigh in below with your vote and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Which Pacific team has had the best offseason?
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Golden State Warriors 41% (669)
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Los Angeles Lakers 28% (459)
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Sacramento Kings 18% (290)
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Los Angeles Clippers 7% (116)
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Phoenix Suns 6% (104)
Total votes: 1,638
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
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