Wizards Sign First-Rounder Hachimura
The Wizards have signed their first-round pick, forward Rui Hachimura, the team’s PR department tweets.
The ninth overall pick in the draft can max out at $4.469MM in his first season under the rookie scale stipulations. He can make $4.693MM in his second season and $4.916MM in his third year.
The West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Hachimura averaged 19.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG for Gonzaga in his junior season while shooting 59.1% from the field.
Leonard’s Free Agency Could Go To End Of Week
Kawhi Leonard may not make a commitment in free agency until late this week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the station’s Get Up program (Twitter link).
While the commitments of other top free agents Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler were made public before free agency officially began on Sunday night, Leonard will mull his options a little longer. The two Los Angeles teams and the Raptors are the contenders for his services.
“I’m told he is going to continue to take his time. … the teams who are involved are expecting that this could go even late into the week,” Wojnarowski said.
Leonard deliberation has already impacted the Lakers, who are looking to make a championship run next season. They’re interested in some lower-level free agents but have to await Leonard’s decision. Wojnarowski cited Seth Curry, who agreed to a contract with the Mavericks, as a player the Lakers were interested in signing.
“They’re going to keep losing guys off the board,” Wojnarowski said.
Leonard has spoken to Magic Johnson several times about the Lakers, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner, and there has also been a conversation with GM Rob Pelinka. Johnson can’t officially meet with Leonard on behalf of the organization after resigning his post as president of basketball operations but he’s free to speak in an unofficial capacity.
Turner told Spectrum Sportsnet that Leonard asked Johnson if the Lakers had make an attempt to trade for him prior to the Spurs’ deal with the Raptors (hat tip to SilverScreenAndRoll.com)
“There was one interesting question (Leonard) had for Magic: ‘Did you guys try to trade for me when I was in San Antonio?’ And the answer was ‘yes, but because it was Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, and our history, they were asking for 2,000 draft picks — well, not 2,000 — like four draft picks, first-round draft picks, and we just couldn’t do that.’ And that was one of his questions.”
Johnson told Leonard and his uncle, who participated in the conversations, that the disharmony within the front office is a thing of the past. Johnson also emphasized the storied history of the franchise, according to Turner.
“It’s about all those great players. You can be another one, you can join LeBron James and you can win more titles, and you don’t have to put as much stress on your body to do that. We have two stars to work with you,’” Johnson said.
Leonard also asked if he might be allowed to bring in his own trainer.
Free Agent Rumors: P. Gasol, Mavs, Wolves, Wright, More
Pau Gasol, whose contract with the Bucks is up, continues to recover from a procedure on his left foot, but he wants to continue his NBA career next season, he tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
“My recovery from surgery has been smooth and I expect to be fully cleared for basketball activities in early August,” Gasol said. “I cannot wait to start training again.”
Gasol, who is an unrestricted free agent, is the only one of Milwaukee’s free agents who has yet to reach an agreement this week. There has been no indication that the Bucks are seeking a reunion.
Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors:
- The Mavericks are among the teams that have expressed “strong interest” in Delon Wright, league sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that the Timberwolves have also inquired on Wright. Wright is a restricted free agent, so the Grizzlies would have the chance to match an offer sheet.
- The Timberwolves continue to kick the tires on free agent point guard T.J. McConnell, according to Wolfson, who tweets that the Sixers, Heat, Lakers, Grizzlies, Suns, Wizards, and Pacers have also checked out McConnell. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter) notes that McConnell could be a target for Miami if the team trades Goran Dragic.
- The Thunder are among the teams that have expressed some interest in veteran guard Jodie Meeks, a league source tells Brett Dawson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Dawson’s report came shortly before Oklahoma City agreed to terms with Alec Burks, so it’s not clear if the club remains interested in Meeks.
- In a text message to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link), Enes Kanter explains that he considered re-signing with the Trail Blazers, but didn’t feel as if they gave him enough time to make his decision. Kanter agreed to a two-year deal with Boston.
Spurs Sign First-Round Rookies
The Spurs signed both of their first-round selections, forward Luka Samanic and swingman Keldon Johnson, to rookie contracts, according to team press releases.
Assuming they received the max of 120 percent of the rookie scale, Samanic will make $2.69MM in his rookie year, ascending to 2.82MM and 2.959MM in the next two seasons. Johnson will get $1.95MM in the upcoming season and $2.05MM and $2.146MM in his second and third years.
Samanic was the 19th overall pick. The 6’10” Samanic spent last season with KK Olimpija in the Slovenian League, averaging 10.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 20.7 MPG over 17 games. The 19-year-old also saw action in 12 games in the FIBA Champions League, posting averages of 8.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 19.4 MPG.
Johnson was chosen with the No. 29 pick, which was acquired from Toronto as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade. The 6’6” Johnson averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.6 APG in 30.7 MPG while playing 37 games for Kentucky last season.
Both will play on the Spurs’ summer league teams in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
Williamson, Morant Sign Rookie Contracts
The top two picks in the draft, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, have officially signed their rookie contracts, according to a press release from the Pelicans and a tweet from the Grizzlies’ PR department.
Assuming he receives a max of 120% of the rookie-scale salary for the top pick, Williamson will earn approximately $9.757MM in his first year, according to Jeff Siegel of EarlyBirdRights.com (Twitter link). Morant would receive $8.73MM if he received the max for the second pick.
Williamson’s salary numbers for years 2-4 would be $10.245MM, $10.733MM and $13.535MM. Morant would get $9.167MM, $9.6MM and $12.1MM over those seasons.
Williamson appeared in 33 games for Duke, averaging 22.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.1 SPG and 1.8 BPG. With Anthony Davis‘ impending trade to the Lakers, he’ll immediately be the marquee attraction for the franchise.
Morant averaged 24.5 PPG, 10.0 APG and 5.7 RPG for Murray State. Morant should step right into the starting lineup after veteran point guard Mike Conley was shipped to the Jazz.
Trail Blazers Sign Jaylen Hoard To Two-Way Deal
JULY 1: The Trail Blazers have officially signed Hoard to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JUNE 21: The Trail Blazers have reached agreement on a two-way contract with Jaylen Hoard of Wake Forest, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi.
The 6’8″ forward out of France had a strong freshman season with the Demon Deacons, averaging 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds in 31 games. He has been playing internationally since 2015.
Portland didn’t issue any two-way deals last season. The Blazers are one of just two teams without a G League affiliate, so Hoard will get much of his training with another organization.
Jazz Waive Raul Neto
4:52pm: The Jazz have officially waived Neto, the team announced today in a press release.
12:37pm: The Jazz plan to waive point guard Raul Neto in order to create space for the Mike Conley trade with Memphis, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Utah agreed to send Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, the No. 23 pick in the draft and a future first-round pick to the Grizzlies for Conley in June, revamping their franchise with hopes of contending for a championship next season.
The Jazz also agreed to deals with free agents Bojan Bogdanovic (4-year/$73MM) and Ed Davis (2-year/$10MM) at the start of free agency. Utah has competed in the playoffs in each of the last three years, losing to the Rockets 4-1 in the opening round this past April.
Neto, 27, will become a strong option on the market for teams seeking a back-up guard, according to Charania. He’s spent all four of his seasons with the Jazz, holding career-averages of 4.8 points, 1.9 assists and 14.2 minutes per game.
Pistons Sign Tim Frazier To One-Year Deal
JULY 6: The Pistons have officially signed Frazier to his new contract, the club announced today in a press release.
JULY 1: Point guard Tim Frazier has agreed to a one-year deal for approximately $2MM with the Pistons, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). It’ll be a veteran’s minimum deal, Rod Beard of The Detroit News confirms (via Twitter).
With Ish Smith and Jose Calderon becoming free agents, the Pistons were looking for depth in the backcourt. Smith agreed to a deal with the Wizards.
The Pistons reached a two-year agreement with Derrick Rose, who could start alongside Reggie Jackson or play a sixth-man role. Rose’s deal will eat up most of the team’s mid-level exception, but the club still has a little of that MLE available, along with the $3.6MM bi-annual exception.
Frazier has bounced around the league since his rookie campaign of 2014/15. Detroit will be his sixth team. He saw action in 47 regular-season games, including 17 starts, with New Orleans last season and 12 more with the Bucks. He also made 11 postseason appearances with Milwaukee. Overall, he’s appeared in 245 NBA games, averaging 5.2 PPG and 4.1 APG in 18.2 MPG.
Pacers Agree To Deal With Sumner; Sign Bowen, Gant, Wilcox
Guard Edmond Sumner has agreed to a three-year contract to stay with the Pacers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The third year will be a team option, Scott Agness of The Athletic tweets.
Sumner appeared in 23 games last season, averaging 2.9 PPG in 9.1 MPG. He has a $1.8MM cap hold, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, which is factored into the team’s $5MM of remaining cap space. Indiana can keep the hold in place, use the remaining room and then officially sign Sumner.
The Pacers declined his $1.6MM team option but tendered a qualifying offer to the former second-round pick to make him a restricted free agent.
We have more on the Pacers:
- Forward Brian Bowen II has signed a two-way contract, according to a team press release. Bowen played professionally in Australia during the 2018/19 season for the Sydney Kings. He averaged 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 30 games. Bowen, 20, went undrafted. He was ruled ineligible to play last season by the NCAA after a recruiting scandal at Louisville.
- Forward Jakeenan Gant and guard C.J. Wilcox were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts. Gant played for Louisiana-Lafayette and was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference. He averaged 20.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 2.7 BPG in his senior year. Wilcox was on a two-way contract with the Pacers last summer before suffering a torn right Achilles tendon prior to training camp. He was a late first-round pick for the Clippers in 2014 and played in G League during the 2017-18 season.
- Bowen’s and Gant’s deals with Indiana were previously reported in June.
Latest On Kevin Durant’s Departure From Warriors
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has issued a statement on Kevin Durant‘s impending departure from the franchise, thanking the two-time Finals MVP for his contributions on the court and in the community. After wishing Durant well in the “next chapter” of his career, Lacob concludes his statement with a strong declaration on KD’s place in Warriors history.
“As long as I am Co-Chairman of this team, no player will ever wear No. 35 for the Warriors again,” Lacob said.
[RELATED: Kevin Durant to sign with the Nets]
Lacob’s announcement is a major sign of respect for Durant, and comes just hours after Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated published a story which suggested that a perceived lack of respect in Oakland may have helped push the former MVP to Brooklyn.
According to Spears, Durant’s friend Kendrick Perkins believes that KD had “one foot out the door” this past season because the Warriors made him feel underappreciated. A source close to Durant also told Spears that there were several things that happened over the past year that contributed to the forward’s decision to leave.
Spears points to an early-season, on-court altercation with Draymond Green – in which Green reportedly “called [Durant] out with an expletive” and made it clear that the Warriors had won in the past without him – as one of a negative incidents that occurred during the last year. An awkward joke by GM Bob Myers about Durant’s contract situation during the team’s 2018 championship celebration was another, Spears notes.
“All [of those negative incidents] showed a lack of respect for one of the greatest players to put that uniform on and the fact that he took all that abuse and still put his career on the line to help them win,” a source close to Durant told Spears.
“It was time for him to leave Golden State,” Perkins said of Durant, per Spears. “They were taking him for granted.”