2019 July | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Davis, Lee, Russell, Rivers

July 29th, 2019 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers power forward Anthony Davis says he’s never failed at anything and is confident he’ll win a championship during his career, as he told ESPN personality Sarah Spain in a story relayed by Dave McMenamin. “If I don’t win a championship that would be, I would feel that’s one of my biggest failures. But right now, I still have a lot to do in this world on and off the court,” Davis said. “So I don’t feel like I’ve failed in anything. I think I just continue to do it over until I succeed at it.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors swingman Damion Lee will likely have a greater role than a typical two-way player, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Beyond D’Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson‘s replacement as he mends from an ACL tear, the Warriors have an unimposing group of wings that include Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, Jacob Evans, Alfonzo McKinnie, Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks. That puts Lee in position to fill a role as a floor spacer, Slater notes. Lee agreed to a two-way deal on Sunday.
Money was a major factor in Russell’s free agent decision, as his former Nets teammate and new Lakers forward Jared Dudley told Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. Russell received four years and approximately $117MM in a sign-and-trade that raised some eyebrows since he’ll have to move to shooting guard with the Warriors. “D’Angelo wanted to get the max. So I’m not surprised,” Dudley said. “He would’ve gone to, you know, Saudi Arabia, if he could have gotten the max there. I’m not surprised he took that.”
With the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Clippers coach Doc Rivers feels like he’s been given another chance to win a ring, as he told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Rivers’ club repeatedly came up short during the Chris Paul–Blake Griffin era with the franchise. “I view this as another opportunity to win it,” he said. “And let’s be honest: You don’t have a lot of opportunities to actually win it. When you have that, you take advantage of it.”

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Bird, Westbrook, Presti

July 29th, 2019 at 8:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Keeping his young core group together is enough to make the Nuggets a prime Western Conference contender, general manager Arturas Karnisovas told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on “The Woj Pod” (hat tip to the Denver Post’s Mike Singer).

“Definitely we’re banking on our continuity,” the Nuggets GM said. “A lot of teams that made changes and added huge pieces and stars, they’re still dealing in hypotheticals. We’ve watched this group show us last year, take us to a 54-28 season, having the best home record, 34-7, so this group is (established) and they’re still the third youngest group in the league.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Longtime WNBA star Sue Bird has a wide variety of duties as a basketball operations associate with the Nuggets during her league’s offseason, as Alex Coffey of The Athletic details. She observes games and practices, sits in on front office meetings, watches film and helps scouting college and international players. She also provided advice to point guard Monte Morris, which he found insightful. “She helped me stay encouraged when things were getting tough,” Morris said. “She would tell me things she noticed in how I played. It wasn’t always positive. There were times when she was like, ‘This guy’s guarding you this way. Try to counter him this way.’ Just little things like that.”
The Thunder have lost superstars before but the trade of Russell Westbrook to the Rockets has left a void, as Brett Dawson of The Athletic details. The bond between Westbrook and the city was stronger than any other star player.
Thunder GM Sam Presti remains hopeful the team can be fairly competitive next season despite trading away Westbrook and Paul George, Nick Gallo of the team’s website writes. “It’s going to be a different iteration of Thunder team than we’ve seen over the last several years,” Presti said. “The way we were able to pivot has given us the opportunity to have a much brighter future going forward and still have a team coming back this season that we feel good about.”

Community Shootaround: Tampering Solutions

July 29th, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Not too long ago, NBA executives used to wait until the stroke of midnight when free agency began, then knock on the door of their top target.

The NBA has moved the start of free agency to a more reasonable hour, but clearly, they didn’t wait for the official start of free agency to negotiate. Commitments were being leaked to the media this summer even before free agency began.

Nearly a week into free agency, another type of potential tampering issue arose. Kawhi Leonard committed to the Clippers but only after he convinced Paul George, who just signed a long-term deal with the Thunder last offseason, to demand a trade and join him there.

Clearly, the league has a problem with back-room deals and wink-wink agreements. Last week, an ESPN report revealed that tampering — particularly before the free agency period was supposed to begin — was the primary topic at a tense owners meeting.

The NBA has launched an investigation and has penalties in place for tampering violations. However, it’s been 20 years since the league voided a contract after determining its free agency rules were circumvented.

Some ideas have been kicked around to try to keep things under control in the future. One proposal is to move free agency before the draft and allow negotiations to begin with free agents after their seasons are over. The league could also crack down on players trying to recruit free agents prematurely, or in the case of Leonard-George, recruiting players under contract to force trades.

This brings us to our question of the day: What can and should the league do about apparent widespread tampering, particularly before free agency?

Please take to the comments section to address this subject. We look forward to your input.

Mitch Creek Headed Back To Australia

July 29th, 2019 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Mitch Creek, who finished last season with the Timberwolves, will return to Australia next season and play for South East Melbourne Phoenix, according to a post on the Melbourne team’s website.

The Australian team will be making its franchise debut in the country’s National Basketball League this year.

“Mitch was the club’s first signing,” head coach Simon Mitchell said.

Creek signed a standard contract to finish out last season with Minnesota after his 10-day contract expired in April. He also had a pair of 10-day contracts with the Nets last season.

He scored six points in 12 minutes in his lone appearance with the Timberwolves. He played in four games with Brooklyn, averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 9.0 MPG.

He appeared in seven summer league games at Las Vegas for the Timberwolves earlier this month. He averaged 11.1 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 25.7 MPG.

“I did everything humanly possible to make my NBA dream come true and have no regrets,” Creek said.

Creek led Adelaide to the 2017-18 NBL Grand Final series against Melbourne United and was the leading rebounder in the series with 8.7 RPG.

Five NBA Offseason Storylines Still Worth Watching

July 29th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving have chosen their new teams. Big-name trade candidates like Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook have been moved. Virtually every NBA team has used up all its cap room. In other words, there aren’t many major storylines from the 2019 offseason that still need to be resolved.

Still, as we prepare to enter the second month of the 2019/20 league year, there are a handful of subplots around the league that remain ongoing. Although August typically isn’t jam-packed with signings and trades, there still could be plenty of teams looking to tweak their rosters before training camps get underway in September.

Here are five offseason storylines that are still worth watching now that much of the summer fun is over:

1. Will the Thunder find a taker for Chris Paul?

After facing skepticism that they’d be able to get anything of value in return for Westbrook’s four-year, $171MM contract, the Thunder managed to score a pair of first-round picks (and two pick swaps) from Houston for the former MVP. The only problem? They had to take on Paul’s contract, which is even less team-friendly than Westbrook’s.

Despite some rumors and speculation that the Thunder might flip Paul to a team like the Heat, Pistons, or Timberwolves, it seems no trade talks gained traction. The last we heard, Oklahoma City is preparing to start the season with Paul on its roster. Still, CP3 almost certainly doesn’t have a long-term future in OKC, so it’s probably just a matter of time until trade rumors begin swirling around him again.

2. Will Andre Iguodala be traded or bought out by the Grizzlies?

Paul isn’t the only notable veteran on the trade block. The Grizzlies are said to be shopping Iguodala, hoping to flip him for positive value after acquiring him – along with a future first-round pick – in a salary-dump deal.

The Mavericks, Rockets, Clippers, and Nuggets are among the teams that have been linked to Iguodala, but all four clubs face roadblocks. Memphis wants to get rid of Iguodala’s $17MM+ salary without taking back a ton of money, which is problematic for teams like the Rockets and Clippers, who are right up against the tax line. The Mavs and Nuggets have a slightly easier path, but neither appears willing to part with a first-round pick for the former Finals MVP.

We’ll see which side blinks first as the Grizzlies look to maximize one of their veteran assets. Presumably, at some point, they’ll be willing to accept the best offer they can get rather than simply buying out Iguodala. But if a buyout happens, other teams – such as the Lakers – could enter the mix as potential suitors.

3. Will Team USA win the 2019 World Cup with a depleted roster?

Unsurprisingly, Team USA’s original 20-man training camp roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup didn’t feature names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, but there still appeared to be plenty of star power in the group, with James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and Bradley Beal among the invitees.

Since that announcement though, all four of those stars have removed their names from World Cup consideration. So have Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Tobias Harris, CJ McCollum, Paul Millsap, Zion Williamson, and DeMar DeRozan.

There’s still plenty of talent on USA Basketball’s tentative roster, led by 2019 All-Stars Kemba Walker, Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton. And Team USA will still be the odds-on favorite entering the event, which runs from August 31 to September 15. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen which players will make up the 12-man roster that represents America in China. Here are the candidates for now:

Kyle Lowry, G
Donovan Mitchell, G
Marcus Smart, G
Kemba Walker, G
Jaylen Brown, G/F
Khris Middleton, G/F
Harrison Barnes, F
Kyle Kuzma, F
Jayson Tatum, F
P.J. Tucker, F
Thaddeus Young, F
Julius Randle, F/C
Bam Adebayo, C
Andre Drummond, C
Brook Lopez, C
Mason Plumlee, C
Myles Turner, C

It’s also possible that a player from the 13-man Select Team (listed here) could be elevated to the World Cup roster.

4. Will noteworthy free agents like Shaun Livingston, Carmelo Anthony, and J.R. Smith find new homes?

Free agents flew off the board in a hurry on June 30 once teams and players were permitted to agree to deals. No big names are left on the board, but the list of remaining free agents includes a number of intriguing veterans.

Livingston and Smith have championships under their belt and could potentially play rotation roles for an NBA team if they decide to continue their careers. Anthony is a future Hall-of-Famer who may still have a little left in the tank.

Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, Jonathon Simmons, Vince Carter, Thabo Sefolosha, Lance Stephenson, Kenneth Faried, Ryan Anderson, Nene, and Joakim Noah are among the other interesting veteran names still on the market.

5. Which players eligible for rookie scale extensions will sign them?

Former first-round picks who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookies contracts are eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason. Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Jamal Murray of the Nuggets have already signed max deals, but they won’t be the only players to get rookie scale extensions before opening night.

As our list of eligible players shows, there are several other worthy candidates. Will the Raptors be willing to cut into their massive amount of projected 2020 cap room by extending Pascal Siakam early? Are the Pacers ready to commit big money to Domantas Sabonis after extending Myles Turner a year ago? Will Buddy Hield sign a lucrative new long-term contract after leading the Kings in scoring in 2018/19?

Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Brandon Ingram (Pelicans), Caris LeVert (Nets), Dejounte Murray (Spurs), and Dario Saric (Suns) are a few of the other potential extension candidates worth watching.

Honorable mention: Will anything happen on the Bradley Beal front?

As we explained on Friday, there’s no reason – from a financial perspective – for Beal to accept the Wizards’ three-year, $112MM contract extension offer anytime soon, even if he wants to remain in D.C. long-term. He could secure more dollars and years by waiting until next summer — or even by waiting until free agency in 2021.

As such, the Wizards won’t panic over the fact that Beal isn’t signing an extension right now. And there’s no reason to believe that his role as the Wizards’ leader and go-to scorer will change anytime before opening night in October.

Still, Beal’s situation is one worth keeping an eye on. With two years left on his contract for a team that seems to be headed for a rebuild, Beal is widely viewed as the NBA star most likely to launch “pre-agency” by requesting a trade.

Until that happens, there’s no story here — but if Beal were to ask for a deal, his situation would immediately shoot to the top of this list of offseason storylines to monitor.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Jazz, Juwan Morgan Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

July 29th, 2019 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have reached an agreement to sign undrafted forward Juwan Morgan to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Scotto first reported in June (via Twitter) that Morgan was joining the Jazz, though Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype noted at the time (via Twitter) that the deal was just for Summer League. It appears the two sides have now agreed to extend their partnership into at least training camp.

Morgan, who spent all four seasons of his college career with the Hoosiers, was a full-time starter as a senior in 2018/19. He averaged 15.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in 35 games (29.9 MPG). In four Las Vegas Summer League games with Utah, he recorded 6.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 17.3 minutes per contest.

An Exhibit 10 contract will put Morgan in line for a bonus if he’s released by the Jazz in the preseason but joins the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. That scenario is more likely than having his contract converted into a two-way deal, since Utah’s two-way contract slots are currently occupied by 2019 second-rounders Jarrell Brantley and Justin Wright-Foreman.

Pacers Officially Sign Edmond Sumner

July 29th, 2019 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

A deal that was agreed upon four weeks ago has now been completed, with the Pacers announcing today that they’ve officially signed guard Edmond Sumner to his new contract.

Sumner’s three-year deal will reportedly be worth approximately $6.5MM. We’re still waiting on the specific details on the guarantee and the structure, but at least one report indicated that the third year won’t be guaranteed.

After being selected with the 52nd overall pick in the 2017 draft, Sumner has spent his first two professional seasons in Indiana, first on a two-way contract and later on a standard deal. The 23-year-old has logged limited minutes in 24 games for the Pacers over those two years, but has played a more extensive role for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate. In 26 NBAGL contests in 2018/19, he averaged 22.1 PPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.7 SPG with a .472/.360/.748 shooting line.

According to Scott Agness of The Athletic (Twitter link), the left foot injury that sidelined Sumner for all but one Summer League game in Las Vegas earlier this month has cleared up, and he’s ready to compete for a rotation spot in training camp this fall.

Having also officially signed T.J. McConnell today, the Pacers appear to have exhausted their cap space for the offseason, so other signings – namely Justin Holiday via the room exception – should follow soon.

Heat Waive Yante Maten

July 29th, 2019 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have waived forward Yante Maten, formally announcing the transaction today in a press release. Assuming Maten goes unclaimed, he’ll clear waivers on Wednesday and become an unrestricted free agent.

Maten, who went undrafted out of Georgia in 2018, joined the Heat on a two-way contract a year ago and spent most of the season playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. In 30 G League games (32.7 MPG), the rookie averaged 23.5 PPG and 9.7 RPG, earning a spot on the NBA team’s 15-man roster to finish the season.

Miami’s decision to release Maten doesn’t come as a huge surprise, given the structure of his deal. His $100K partial guarantee was on track to increase to $150K if he had remained under contract through Thursday. A $50K bump isn’t too significant, but it’s a big deal for the Heat, who entered the day with approximately $1MM of breathing room below their hard cap ($138.93MM) for 2019/20.

After Maten had a shaky showing in Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month, he was viewed as the most expendable of the Heat’s players on partially guaranteed contracts, as we relayed over the weekend. Releasing him before his guarantee increases allows the team to create a roster spot – and the cap flexibility – to sign another player.

Udonis Haslem is considered a candidate for that newly-opened slot, but he has yet to make a decision on whether or not to continue his playing career. If Haslem retires, Miami would obviously go in another direction.

Pacers Sign T.J. McConnell

July 29th, 2019 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 29: Nearly four weeks after agreeing to terms with him, the Pacers have officially signed McConnell, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

JULY 3: The Pacers have reached an agreement to sign free agent point guard T.J. McConnell, a league source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), it’ll be a two-year, $7MM deal.

McConnell, who went undrafted out of Arizona in 2015, caught on with the Sixers and spent his first four NBA seasons in Philadelphia before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer.

In 2018/19, McConnell averaged 6.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.3 RPG while shooting a career-high 52.5% from the floor in 76 games (19.3 MPG). However, the 27-year-old fell out of Philadelphia’s rotation in the postseason, logging just 18 total minutes in the club’s seven-game series vs. Toronto.

With Darren Collison retiring and Cory Joseph heading to Sacramento this offseason, the Pacers have addressed the point guard position by agreeing to acquire Malcolm Brogdon in a sign-and-trade, coming to terms on a new deal with Edmond Sumner, and now reaching an agreement with McConnell. Last year’s first-round pick Aaron Holiday is also on track to return to help fill out the depth chart.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter), the Pacers projected to have a little over $5MM available in cap room before their deal with McConnell. He could be signed using some of that space, or the team could wait and fit his contract into its $4.8MM room exception.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

International Notes: Colson, E. Terry, A. Williams, James

July 29th, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending much of the 2018/19 season on a two-way contract with the Bucks, forward Bonzie Colson was waived by Milwaukee earlier this month. However, it appears he didn’t remain on the free agent market for long.

According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando and Turkish journalist Ferhat Yesiltas, Colson is close to an agreement with Istanbul-based team Darussafaka. Markel Brown, Toney Douglas, and Doron Lamb are among the other former NBA players who have suited up for the Turkish club in recent seasons.

Colson appeared sparingly in just eight games for the Bucks last season, but saw action in 46 G League games for Wisconsin and Canton. He averaged 14.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 30.8 minutes per contest.

Here are a few more international notes on veterans who have recently played for NBA teams:

Emanuel Terry, a 23-year-old forward who appeared in three NBA games for the Suns and Heat last season, has signed with Turkish club Bandirma B.I.K., according to an announcement from the team (via Twitter).
After a recent report suggested that veteran big man Alan Williams would likely sign with Russia’s Lokomotiv Krasnodar, Alessandro Maggi of Sportando hears that it’s a done deal. Williams, who previously appeared in 62 games over three seasons in Phoenix, was on a two-way deal with Brooklyn last season.
Italian team Olimpia Milano confirmed that it has officially parted ways with veteran point guard Mike James, who played 36 games for the Suns and Pelicans in 2017/18. James became expendable when Olimpia Milano signed free agent guard Shelvin Mack earlier this month.

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