Celtics Sign Semi Ojeleye, Waive Demetrius Jackson
JULY 19: The Celtics have officially signed Ojeleye, according to a press release from the team. Meanwhile, Jackson cleared waivers this week and his partial guarantee has been stretched across seven seasons by the Celtics, as we noted on Tuesday.
JULY 15: The Celtics are planning to sign second-round pick Semi Ojeleye to a four-year deal with the first two years guaranteed, a league source told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, point guard Demetrius Jackson has been waived and his guaranteed $650K will likely have his partially guaranteed salary stretched out if he’s not claimed, Himmelsbach adds in a separate tweet.
The four-year deal for Ojeleye is quite a commitment to the 37th overall pick in the draft. The 6’7” forward played two seasons at Duke before transferring to SMU. In his season with the Mustangs, he averaged 19 PPG and 6.9 RPG. He can play either forward spot but is mostly considered a stretch four. The club lost veteran power forwards Amir Johnson (Sixers) and Jonas Jerebko (Jazz) in free agency.
Jackson’s full salary of $1,384,750 for next season would have become guaranteed today if he had not been waived. The point guard appeared in just five games with Boston during his rookie year.
Rockets Notes: Potential Buyers, Carmelo, Williams
Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo is among the potential buyers interested in making a run at the Rockets, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston details. While Mutombo won’t be the lead investor in such a bid, he’s in talks with potential partners in the hopes of putting together a prospective ownership group, telling Berman that he’s “trying to convince some people” to get involved.
“I’m working on it,” Mutombo said. “I’m talking to a lot of people already since (Monday). We’ll see. I’m just talking to the people who can cut the check and they can make me be part of it. I’m working on that.”
Mutombo’s name is one that has surfaced as a possible buyer since Monday’s announcement that the Rockets are up for sale, but it’s far from the only one. Here are more items on investors interested in the Rockets, along with a couple other notes on the club:
- Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, who founded Landry’s restaurants and owns multiple hotels and casinos, confirmed he has interest in buying the Rockets, writes Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle. “[I] just hope it doesn’t go for crazy numbers,” Fertitta said. “I’ve never really wanted to own a professional team outside of Houston. Houston is my hometown and the place I would prefer to own a professional team.”
- Fernando Alfonso III of The Houston Chronicle has the details on another prospective bidder for the Rockets, writing that Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale – the owner of Houston’s Gallery Furniture – has expressed interest in buying the team as part of an investment group. McIngvale confirmed that he has spoken to a few potential partners, adding that “we’ll see where it goes from here.”
- In his latest piece on the Carmelo Anthony situation, Marc Berman of The New York Post cites a source who says the Knicks have yet to restart trade talks with the Rockets. However, according to Berman, Anthony doesn’t have much interest in meeting with the Knicks’ new management group and trying to bury the hatchet. Anthony’s camp continues to push for a trade to Houston, says Berman.
- During his introductory press conference as a Clipper, Lou Williams likened his departure from the Rockets to a “bad breakup,” per Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Williams, traded to the Rockets prior to the deadline, said he enjoyed his time in Houston, but added that “it was short-lived and it really didn’t make a huge impression on my life.”
Lonzo Ball Diagnosed With Mild Calf Strain
Second overall pick and NBA Summer League Most Valuable Player, Lonzo Ball, underwent an MRI Tuesday that revealed a mild calf strain, the Lakers announced. There is no timetable for Ball’s full recovery but he is expected to begin workouts with teammates soon, per Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet (via Twitter).
Ball, 19, averaged 16.3 PPG, 9.3 APG, 7.7 RPG, and 2.5 SPG, during the Las Vegas Summer League — which included two triple-doubles — but sat out Monday’s championship game against Portland due to the injury. Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma ended up being named the Las Vegas Summer League Finals MVP.
“I’m feeling a little bit better, training staff has been with me but they ruled me out,” Ball said to ESPN Monday about his injury, noting that he did not think it was serious.
As noted by ESPN, Ball became the third top-two pick to win Summer League MVP honors, joining Blake Griffin (2009) and John Wall (2010).
The UCLA product will now prepare for his first NBA season as he attempts to live up to the hype produced by his outspoken father, LaVar Ball.
Southeast Notes: Waiters, Wade, Meeks, Magic
Dion Waiters is for all intents and purposes the man who replaced Dwyane Wade as the Heat‘s shooting guard in Miami. After inking a four-year, $52MM pact recently, he will be the franchise’s immediate fixture in the lineup and the community. Yet, if Waiters has his way, Wade will eventually join him back home in Miami, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Waiters, 25, came into his own with the Heat in 46 games last season, averaging 15.8 PPG and 4.3 APG while playing over 30 minutes per game. As Waiters tells Jackson, he’s admired Wade from afar and made his desire to learn from the longtime Heat legend this offseason.
“We’ve got the same initials, our games are similar,” Waiters said. “Difference is, he’s got them three rings. He’s a Finals MVP. Top three best shooting guards all time. I’m chasing that. He’s one of my favorite players, one of the players I idolized my game after. When he’s playing against me, I’m checking things he’s doing.”
Wade, 35, has an option for $24MM for 2017/18 but the Bulls are not interesting in pursuing a buyout at this time. If Wade does end up on the open market, a reunion with the Heat seems like a possibility and one that Waiters — whose social media has hinted at his desire to play with Wade — would be rooting for.
Here are additional notes surrounding the Southeast Division:
- When picking a destination this offseason, Jodie Meeks knew playing alongside John Wall and under head coach Scott Brooks was an appealing scenario, CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Chase Hughes writes. The Wizards won 49 games last season and with a productive, young core in the nation’s capital, Meeks will have a chance to be part of a winning team next season.
- Magic president Jeff Weltman told media in a recent Q and A that his team is still looking for shooting upgrades, per Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
Atlantic Notes: Lin, Nets, Valanciunas, Miller, Raptors, Jackson, Celtics
Jeremy Lin boldly stated that his Nets will make the playoffs this upcoming season while answering questions from fans in an Instagram Live video, relays A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today Sports.
“We’re making the playoffs. I don’t care what anybody else says to me,” said Lin. He went on to say, “We’re gonna do some serious damage next year… I’m pretty sure he’ll (D’Angelo Russell) start (at shooting guard), but it will be pretty interchangeable. And then when one of us is out of the game, the other person most likely will have the ball in their hands. It will probably be a little bit combo guard-esque.”
This offseason the Nets have added Russell, as well as DeMarre Carroll and Timofey Mozgov. Brooklyn will be coming off a season in which it finished 20-62, dead last in the NBA standings. Lin played in just 36 games due to injury, but averaged a furtive 14.5 PPG to go with 5.1 APG and 3.8 RPG. Furthermore, Lin managed to put up those strong numbers in a mere 24.5 minutes per contest.
- Raptors president Masai Ujiri addressed rumors that the team is trying to unload center Jonas Valanciunas, via Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network. Ujiri said that he believes in Valanciunas’ talent and values his offensive rebounding. While admitting that the team looked at trading Valanciunas when they were in the tax, the team is now “very comfortable” keeping JV.
- Raptors guard Malcolm Miller underwent right ankle surgery, the team announced via press release (link via Twitter). Miller is expected to miss the next 12 weeks. He signed the team’s first two-way contract on July 9.
- Also via Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network, the Raptors president says the team will “add a couple of different players. Maybe they’re non-guarantees, I don’t know.”
- The Celtics employed a creative use of the stretch provision on the contract of Demetrius Jackson, reports Bobby Marks of ESPN. A day prior to waiving the former Notre Dame guard, Boston exercised the 2019/20 non-guaranteed team option on Jackson. This allowed Boston to stretch the contract over seven years rather than five, lowering the cap hit per year to $92,857 instead of $130,000.
Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Porzingis, Draft, Perry
Knicks president Steve Mills had an aggressive plan that ultimately snared Tim Hardaway Jr., writes Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Mills claims he reached out to Hardaway just after midnight on July 1. While Hardaway says that he didn’t hear from the Knicks until a few days into free agency, it is clear that Mills aggressively pursued the former Knick.
“We felt like there are not that many opportunities in free agency that you have the opportunity to go after a 25-year-old. We made the decision that if you want to pry a restricted free agent away from the incumbent team, you have to be aggressive. So we made a decision to be aggressive,” Mills said.
Reportedly, the Knicks brass believed that the Hawks would be willing to offer $45MM for four years, so Mills and company needed to be “aggressive” and offered $71MM over four years. Although Hardaway has started just 62 of 281 games in his career, Mills believes that he is a starting shooting guard in the NBA.
“As we look at the numbers, we believe Tim is a starting two-guard in this league. Our trajectory for him is to be a starting two- guard, the capability of being a starting two-guard for the rest of his career. And those guys average 16, 16.5 million dollars today. So that’s how we came to the decision,” the Knicks president said.
Here’s what else you should know regarding the Knicks:
- Also in Iannazzone’s Newsday piece, Mills speaks to his relationship with team cornerstone, Kristaps Porzingis. “Kristaps and I have a hectic texting relationship. I continue to text Kristaps over the summer and he and I have spoken two or three times over the summer,” Mills said. Phil Jackson confirmed he was fielding trade offers for Porzingis around the draft, but since Jackson left the team, the Knicks have stated that they will build around the Latvian center.
- By going young this season, the Knicks could score big in the 2018 NBA Draft, writes Adam Zagoria of FanRag Sports Network. If Carmelo Anthony is dealt, the Knicks could enter full-scale rebuilding mode, possibly setting them up for the first overall pick in the next draft. Zagoria mentions Michael Porter Jr., DeAndre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, Luka Doncic, and Marvin Bagley as potential targets if the Knicks were to land the top selection.
- In a press conference, Mills spoke about new GM Scott Perry‘s role with the team, relays Steve Popper of USA Today. “I’m going to give Scott the room to make basketball decisions and make recommendations to me,” Mills said. “He’s going to have a chance to manage the coaching staff, manage the scouting staff, and make recommendations as to where we should go as a basketball organization. I think we’ll be partners in that in the sense that he’ll come to me with his recommendation and we’ll debate it back and forth. But at the end of the day, I’m giving him the room to make those decisions.” Mills also emphasized that the goal is for the Knicks to be a younger, more athletic team, while head coach Jeff Hornacek stressed hustle and defense as the lynchpins of the new team.
- Mills said that, if he were in charge, he “would’ve selected Frank [Ntilikina] at that point in the draft myself,” per Marc Berman of The New York Post. Mills continued, “He’s a guy that fits in everything that we’re talking about right now. He’s a smart basketball player. He focuses defensively and his approach to the game, his work ethic, fit exactly in the direction that we want to take this team.”
Agent: Noel ‘Very Disappointed’ With Mavericks Negotiations
Nerlens Noel and the Mavericks remain far apart in contract negotiations, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The 23-year-old big man is a restricted free agent, and as such, the Mavs can match any offer another team might tender for Noel’s services.
“We’re very disappointed with where things stand. Nerlens loves Dallas and spent June there working out, but we’re still waiting on a serious offer,” said Happy Walters, Noel’s agent.
For his part, Mavs owner Mark Cuban is unwilling to provide any details about the negotiations.
Sefko points out that 13 Mavericks currently have guaranteed contracts, meaning that only two roster spots remain. After the 76ers traded Noel to the Mavs in late February, he played 22 games, averaging 8.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 22.0 MPG, shooting a strong 57.5% from the floor. Noel, known for his defense, also posted 1.1 BPG and 1.0 SPG. Down the stretch, Noel’s minutes were lowered, so that the Mavs could get a look at up-and-coming players, as well as keep their win total down.
According to Sefko, Noel has limited options. He could accept whatever the Mavericks offer, despite these numbers not being to Noel’s liking. Noel could also sign the Mavs’ qualifying offer, which is about $6MM, and will remain on the table until October 16. Finally, the big man could sign an offer sheet with another team that has sufficient salary cap space.
Since none of these possibilities appear imminent, Sefko concludes that a continuation of the standoff between Noel and the Mavs is very likely. The stalemate could last well into the summer.
Raptors Sign Kennedy Meeks
JULY 18: The Raptors have officially signed Meeks, the team announced today in a press release.
JUNE 23: The Raptors have struck a deal with undrafted rookie Kennedy Meeks, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Charania, Meeks will sign a partially guaranteed contract with Toronto. The deal can’t become official until after the 2017/18 league year begins.
Meeks, 22, averaged 12.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG during his senior year at North Carolina. The 6’9″ center was viewed as a top-100 prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who had Meeks at No. 92 on his big board.
Although he wasn’t drafted on Thursday night, Meeks will have a chance to attend training camp with the Raptors, making him the third UNC player to find a new NBA home this week. Meeks’ former Tar Heels teammates Justin Jackson and Tony Bradley were both first-round picks, going to the Kings and Jazz, respectively.
The Raptors came away from Thursday night’s draft with OG Anunoby, who isn’t expected to be fully healthy to start the 2017/18 season.
Raptors Sign C.J. Miles
The Raptors have officially signed free agent swingman C.J. Miles, the team announced today in a press release. Miles’ deal with Toronto was originally reported more than a week ago, though when the story first broke, it appeared it would be a sign-and-trade. Instead, the Raptors have signed Miles outright.
“C.J. is an exceptional shooter and adds versatility to our perimeter game,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “We are excited to add a player with experience level to our core group.”
Initial reports on Miles’ three-year, $25MM agreement with the Raptors suggested that Cory Joseph would be headed to Indiana in the swap. However, because Miles’ deal reportedly includes a third-year player option, it wasn’t eligible for a sign-and-trade — contracts in a sign-and-trade must run at least three years without options.
In order to get around that CBA restriction and to clear the salary necessary to bring Miles aboard, the Raptors sent Joseph to Indiana in a separate deal, and will sign Miles using their mid-level exception. Toronto would have faced a hard cap for 2017/18 either way, as we explained earlier today.
Miles, 30, will will help provide depth and outside shooting on a Raptors team that lost P.J. Tucker and DeMarre Carroll this summer. A 12-year veteran, Miles is coming off another productive season — in 76 games for the Pacers, he averaged 10.7 points and 3.0 rebounds, and shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers. He will be getting a nice raise from the $4.58MM he earned in 2016/17.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Notes: Carmelo, Blazers, Celtics, Drummond
The Knicks put Carmelo Anthony trade talks on hold last week, but that decision is likely temporary, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical, who suggests that the team wanted to get new general manager Scott Perry involved in the process. The Knicks reportedly hope that Anthony will be willing to expand his list of preferred destinations beyond Houston and Cleveland, but there has been no indication yet that the star forward is open to going to a team like the Trail Blazers, despite alleged interest from Portland.
According to Mannix, the Trail Blazers have been involved in Anthony talks, but have primarily been acting as a third-team facilitator in discussions so far. Per Mannix’s report, an inability to find a fourth team willing to take on Meyers Leonard‘s contract stalled “at least one version” of the proposed deal.
Anthony’s preferred destination is believed to be Houston, and given his no-trade clause, the fact that Carmelo is willing to accept such a deal is a good start for the Rockets. However, GM Daryl Morey will still have to get the Knicks and potentially one or two other teams on board in order to land Anthony, which is why the situation remains in a holding pattern for now.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Within the Vertical piece linked above, Chris Mannix notes that it’s “widely believed” the Celtics will make a run at Anthony Davis if the Pelicans‘ season goes south. New Orleans has been vehemently opposed to considering Davis deals, and while it’s possible that will change if the team struggles this season, DeMarcus Cousins would almost certainly land on the trading block first.
- According to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, many teams around the NBA sensed this offseason that Pistons coach and president Stan Van Gundy was dissatisfied with center Andre Drummond. Detroit took calls on Drummond, but team owner Tom Gores is a big fan of the 23-year-old, and the Pistons didn’t receive any offers strong enough to merit a serious conversation about the big man’s future, per Bontemps.
- Appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Jimmy Butler confirmed that he left a June exit meeting with Bulls brass believing that he’d remain in Chicago. “I thought I was going to be there so I’m not going to say word for word what they said, but when I left there I did think I was going to be there,” Butler said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “But like I said, it’s a business and it is what it is.”