Atlantic Notes: Korkmaz, Irving, Hayward, Nets
Furkan Korkmaz is hoping to have a bigger role with the Sixers this season, he said in an interview with Bein Sports Turkey (hat tip to Orazaio Cauchi of Sportando). The 21-year-old only got into 14 NBA games last season, averaging 5.7 minutes per night. During the first two months of the year, he spent most of his time in the G League.
“I want to be in the rotation this season, I want to play more minutes,” Korkmaz said. “Of course, I don’t know how many minutes specifically I’ll play, but I’d like to have a more stable role. I think I have something to say in this league and I hope this season will be different than the last one.”
Korkmaz was the 26th selection in the 2016 draft and spent a season in Turkey before coming to Philadelphia. He showed off his scoring prowess in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League with a 40-point performance against Boston.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward have made significant progress in their return from injures, according to Ashith Mathur of AmicoHoops. A source who watched them play pickup games at the Celtics‘ practice facility said both players “look impressive” with a little more than two weeks to go until training camp. Irving had knee surgery in April that forced him to miss the playoffs, while Hayward suffered a season-ending ankle injury on opening night. Both have been training at full speed for about a month, Mathur adds, and Hayward should be cleared for five-on-five action next week.
- With the Celtics poised to add another top prospect to their collection of young talent, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston takes a look ahead to next year’s draft. Boston could have as many as three first-rounders in June and will get the better pick from the Kings or Sixers [No. 1 protected], which is almost certain to be Sacramento’s. Blakely tabs Duke’s R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson, North Carolina’s Nassir Little, Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford and Sekou Doumbouya of France as potential future Celtics.
- The Nets may have maximized their resources better than anyone this summer, writes Jesse Blancarte in Basketball Insiders’ season preview for Brooklyn. Highlights include unloading Timofey Mozgov‘s hefty contract, re-signing Joe Harris and landing free agents Ed Davis and Shabazz Napier on affordable contracts. The consensus among the writers in the preview is that Brooklyn may be ready to challenge for a playoff spot.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/1/18 – 9/8/18
Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. With the NBA offseason in full swing, here are our numerous segments and features from the past seven days:
- Take a glance at our initial list of the top free agents in 2019 -the 2019 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings 1.0.
- In three Community Shootaround posts this week, we asked:
- Which team can offer Luol Deng the best situation, or do you believe he’s too far past his prime to help anybody?
- Do you believe the Pistons will make the playoffs this season?
- Who will emerge as the Lakers’ No. 2 scoring option during the upcoming season?
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill discusses the Lakers’ next moves after waiving Deng and how Carmelo Anthony will fit with the Rockets.
- Luke Adams analyzes the different contract options for the Suns to sign rookie De’Anthony Melton.
- In more Deng news, we took a look at six possible landing spots for the veteran forward.
- In our Extension Candidate series, we analyzed the pros and cons of extending Nets’ guard D’Angelo Russell
- Luke Adams listed the highest-paid NBA players by team.
- We began our 2018 Offseason in Review, and analyzed the following teams:
- Luke Adams takes a look at the primary storylines to keep an eye on in September.
- Which teams now have a full 20-man roster this offseason? Find out here.
- In our one Poll this week, we asked for your opinion on the best NBA coaching hire of the offseason.
Five Key Stories: 9/1/18 – 9/8/18
If you missed any of this week’s biggest NBA stories, don’t worry because we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Listed below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Pelicans reached an agreement with restricted free agent guard Tyrone Wallace on a two-year, minimum salary deal, with the offer sheet including $300K in guaranteed money as of this Wednesday, September 12. After Wallace signed the offer sheet, the Clippers had two days to decide whether or not to match it.
The Clippers ultimately decided to match the Pelicans’ offer sheet, adding Wallace to an already overcrowded backcourt roster. There’s little risk involved for L.A. in bringing Wallace back for the time being however, as they will now have the opportunity to evaluate Wallace and the rest of their roster in training camp, and will only be out $300K if they decide that the second-year guard isn’t part of their plans after all.
Despite losing Wallace to the Clippers, the Pelicans were able to sign another point guard to fill out its roster in Darius Morris. Morris will receive a partially guaranteed two-year deal worth the minimum salary. Morris, a second-round pick in the 2011 NBA draft, has averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.4 APG in 132 career NBA games.
Newly-minted unrestricted free agent Luol Deng and Knicks big man Joakim Noah still appear to be significant interests for the Timberwolves and the two players’ former head coach in Chicago, Tom Thibodeau. This comes as no surprise, as Thibodeau has long exhibited a fondness for bringing his old Chicago players to Minnesota, with Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and Derrick Rose already on the Wolves’ roster. The Wolves have begun their pursuit of Deng.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- 14-year NBA veteran Boris Diaw has officially retired from basketball.
- Heat point guard Goran Dragic is available for the right price and the Suns may be interested.
- According to Raptors’ assistant coach Phil Handy, newly-acquired forward Kawhi Leonard is looking healthy and doing great in Toronto.
- The Pacers have officially announced in a press release that head coach Nate McMillan has signed his contract extension.
- The Spurs and Chimezie Metu have officially announced the rookie big man’s signing.
- The Heat and veteran forward Udonis Haslem have agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum salary for next season.
- Magic owner Richard DeVos, a co-founder of Amway, passed away at the age of 92.
- The Sixers expanded their list of GM candidates to four additional names – Elton Brand, Marc Eversley, Ned Cohen and Alex Rucker.
- The Hawks and big man Cole Aldrich have reached an agreement on a non-guaranteed camp deal.
- Celtics reserve guard Jabari Bird was arrested on Friday night due to a domestic incident in Boston.
Cavaliers Sign David Nwaba
The Cavaliers have officially signed guard David Nwaba to a one-year contract, the team announced in a press release. The two sides were close to an agreement early last month and today finalized the deal, which is worth approximately $1.5MM, Nwaba’s minimum salary.
Nwaba had a solid season for the Bulls in 2017/18, averaging 7.9 PPG and 4.7 RPG while playing strong perimeter defense in 70 games (21 starts). The former undrafted free agent has also suited up for the Lakers, appearing in 20 games during the 2016/17 season.
Initially a restricted free agent, the Los Angeles native had his qualifying offer rescinded by the Bulls in mid-July as Chicago prepared to finalize the signing of Jabari Parker. As an unrestricted free agent, Nwaba reportedly drew interest from the Lakers and Spurs, and had “dialogue” with the Timberwolves before agreeing to join the Cavs. Cleveland reportedly pursued Nwaba aggressively throughout July, contacting him shortly after the free agent period opened.
Nwaba’s new contract will be the 13th guaranteed deal on the Cavaliers’ roster, not counting restricted free agent Rodney Hood, whose negotiations with the organization have stalled.
Clippers Sign Desi Rodriguez
The Clippers have officially added Desi Rodriguez to their offseason roster, signing him to a one-year deal, according to RealGM’s transactions log. It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, a source tells Keith Smith of RealGM.com (Twitter link). Los Angeles now has a full 20-man roster.
Rodriguez’s agreement with the Clippers was originally reported shortly after he went undrafted back in June. The Seton Hall forward averaged 17.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.0 APG during his senior season in 2017/18. He also posted a shooting line of .498/.373/.736 and knocked down a career-best 1.8 threes per game.
The Clippers, who also signed Rodriguez’s college teammate Angel Delgado to a two-way contract this offseason, had Rodriguez play for their Summer League team in July. In six games in Las Vegas, the 22-year-old posted 7.0 PPG on 34.6% shooting.
While Rodriguez is poised to attend camp with the Clippers, he’s more likely to end up playing for the club’s G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. L.A.’s NBA squad has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Patrick Beverley and Tyrone Wallace on non-guaranteed deals, and both of its two-way contract slots are full as well.
If Rodriguez is cut by the Clippers and then spends two months with the team’s G League affiliate, his Exhibit 10 deal will put him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K.
Pelicans’ Anthony Davis Parts Ways With Agent
Pelicans star Anthony Davis has parted ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher, according to Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Players are required to file paperwork with the players’ union and wait 15 days before changing agents, ESPN adds.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who represents LeBron James, is reportedly a “leading contender” to became Davis’ new representative.
Davis, 25, has two years and $52MM left on his deal with the New Orleans in addition to a $29MM player option for the 2020/21 campaign. In 75 games last season, Davis averaged 28.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG, finishing third in NBA Most Valuable Player voting.
While Davis’ agent change doesn’t necessarily mean anything in and of itself, it may make some Pelicans fans anxious, Scott Kushner of The Advocate tweets. As Kushner notes, then-Hornets guard Chris Paul switched agents in 2010 shortly before requesting a trade.
There have been waves of trade speculation surrounding Davis, who could eventually look to join a bigger-market organization if the Pelicans don’t move any closer toward title contention within the next year or two.
Celtics’ Jabari Bird Arrested In Boston
Celtics guard Jabari Bird was arrested on Friday night due to a “domestic incident” in Brighton, according to the Boston Globe. Bird allegedly “assaulted, strangled and kidnapped” somebody prior to the arrest.
Bird, 24, is reportedly being evaluated under the supervision of Boston police at a local hospital, a spokesperson told The Boston Globe. Bird is expected to appear in Brighton District Court on Monday. The victim was taken to a separate nearby hospital “with injuries sustained,” per the report.
The Celtics are aware of the matter and are looking into it.
“We are actively gathering information and will reserve further comment at this time,” the team said in a statement on Saturday.
Boston signed Bird to a two-year contract in July after he impressed the organization as a two-way player last season. The former 56th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft only appeared in 13 games with the Celtics, averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.5 RPG.
The California product had a more impressive stint in the G League, averaging 19.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 2.7 APG in 20 games.
Bird averaged 16.8 PPG while shooting 57% shooting in the NBA’s summer league.
And-Ones: Bazley, Garnett, Two-Way Players, Munford
Darius Bazley’s curious summer decisions have hurt his draft stock, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. The 6’9” Bazley backed out of a commitment with Syracuse in order to play in the G League. He then announced he would simply train on his own until next year’s draft. Other than Bazley’s length and defensive effort, there are a lot of question marks about his game, Woo continues. He’s unpolished with a thin build and needs plenty of work on his offensive game, so he would be better off playing competitively for the next nine months. He now has the look of a second-round flier, Woo adds. Woo takes a closer look at several risers and droppers among 2019 draft prospects.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Kevin Garnett is filing a federal malpractice lawsuit against accountant Michael Wertheim and his firm, alleging they helped a wealth manager steal $77MM from him, according to Associated Press report. The suit claims the accountant and his firm enabled Charles Banks IV of Atlanta to defraud Garnett through businesses in which Garnett and Banks shared an interest. Banks, who was sentenced last year to four years in federal prison for defrauding retired Spurs star Tim Duncan, was not named in Garnett’s suit.
- The maximum amount a two-way player can earn in training camp with an NBA team is $50K. The G League salary of a two-way player is $77,250, a mild increase from $75K last season. Those are some of the nuggets offered by Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days in an examination of maximum earning power for players on two-way contracts during the upcoming season.
- Free-agent guard Xavier Munford is mulling a move to the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Amico Hoops. The 6’4” Munford played on a two-way contract with the Bucks last season and appeared in six NBA contests. Munford, who also played 14 games with the Grizzlies during the 2015/16 season, is a restricted free agent within the NBA after receiving a qualifying offer from Milwaukee early this summer.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Spoelstra, Gates, Porter
The Heat have fired a team executive who is under an FBI investigation into a suspected money-laundering scheme, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Jeffrey R. David was hired in July as chief revenue officer for The Heat Group after a similar role with the Kings. He had been placed on administrative leave before Miami decided to let him go. David is suspected of diverting $13.4MM in funds from two of the Sacramento franchise’s top sponsors and using it to purchase beachfront property in Southern California.
In other news from around the Southeast Division:
- The lack of talent on the Heat roster makes it unlikely that Erik Spoelstra will be on the hot seat during the upcoming season, Winderman opines in his latest mailbag post. Miami is not expected to contend in the Eastern Conference and Spoelstra may have to do his best coaching job just to get the Heat into the upper half of the playoff race, Winderman adds.
- Undrafted small forward Kaiser Gates was among the players who worked out for the Hawks on Wednesday, according to Amico Hoops. The 6’8” Gates started 18 games for Xavier last season and averaged 7.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG. He played for the Bulls in the Las Vegas summer league. Atlanta subsequently firmed up its 20-man training camp roster, so it would have to shed someone if it wanted to add Gates.
- Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. could get lost in the offensive shuffle with the addition of Dwight Howard and a healthier John Wall, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington speculates. The team has urged Porter the past two years to shoot more often, attack the basket with greater zeal and become a more vocal presence, Hughes continues. That becomes more complicated with Wall, Bradley Beal and Howard carrying more extensive resumes on the starting unit, Hughes adds.
Western Notes: Anderson, Wallace, Kleber, Randle
Suns forward Ryan Anderson lowered his guaranteed salary to $15.4MM for the final year of his contract in 2019/2020 but it can be traded for the prior fully guaranteed value of $21.4MM, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post tweets. Anderson agreed to the reduction to facilitate the trade from the Rockets. However, since his contract was signed under the previous CBA, its trade value remains unchanged. The Suns will have until July 10, 2019 to decide whether they want to guarantee Anderson’s full salary for the final year of his contract or waive him, in which case they’d still have to pay the reduced guarantee.
In other news from around the Western Conference:
- Shooting guard Tyrone Wallace can’t be traded by the Clippers without his consent as a result of Los Angeles matching his offer sheet, salary cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets. The restricted free agent signed a two-year, $2.9MM offer sheet with the Pelicans but the Clippers opted to match it on Wednesday despite a roster logjam. The Clippers are prohibited from trading Wallace to the Pelicans for one year, Nahmad adds.
- Maxi Kleber needs to improve his long-range shooting to earn rotation minutes with the Mavericks during the upcoming season, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Kleber will be competing with Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri for playing time with DeAndre Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki guaranteed to play steady minutes. The 6’11” Kleber shot 31.3% from deep in his first season with the club.
- Anthony Davis called Julius Randle three times after Randle hit the free agent market to ensure the former Laker would sign with the Pelicans, William Guillory of The Athletic reports. Randle had his rights renounced by the Lakers after LeBron James agreed to sign with Los Angeles and Randle quickly agreed to a two-year, $18MM deal with New Orleans. Randle had more lucrative deals on the table, Guillory adds, but Randle wants to remain with the franchise even though he has an opt-out next summer.