Kerr Hopes Livingston Returns To Warriors In Some Capacity
Shaun Livingston was among the many Warriors to depart this offseason. His release, while prudently planned, was not an easy decision for the franchise, as coach Steve Kerr tells LetsGoWarriors (h/t Josh Schrock of NBC Sports).
“It’s something we anticipated because of his age, his contract situation,” Kerr said. “I was prepared for that one, but it’s still a huge loss from a leadership standpoint. Shaun is one of those people that you just want to be with in any circumstance. He’s smart, funny and humble. He’s just a great human being. He also happens to be a hell of a basketball player and a good teammate. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed my five years with Shaun.”
Livingston was a valued veteran in Golden State’s locker room. The point guard is currently a free agent and some have speculated that he will retire rather than play another season. Kerr hopes Livingston returns to the organization in some capacity.
“He’s somebody I’m hoping can be involved with our organization for many years to come,” Kerr said. “That would be the plan if we can pull it off, but he’s got to get away right now and get some freedom, enjoy his family before he figures out what’s next.”
WNBA Players Could Sit Out Next Season
The WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire in October at the end of the league’s season and the players are concerned about the future of the league, as Kimberly Cataudella of Newsday relays.
Liberty’s Tina Charles said that “sitting out the season is always an option.” Other players have echoed that sentiment.
Both sides are optimistic that a deal will be done in time for next season. The WNBA negotiations will focus on the league’s vision for the future as well as pay structure and benefit concerns.
“The reality is that we have to make a living,” WNBA legend Sue Bird said. “We have categories that we have highlighted as a union, areas that we really want to see the change in, and salary is No. 1.”
According to Cataudella, the WNBA’s base salary is about $75,000 and average compensation is $116,000. Players also receive benefits such as insurance and housing.
Average attendance in the WNBA is down and the league lost $12MM in 2018. Last year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that “on average, (the WNBA) has lost over $10MM every year” of existence.
Kings Notes: Fox, Offseason Work, Bagley
Migrating to bigger markets is nothing new for NBA players. This offseason, we saw Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis among the players to make their way to a bigger city. De’Aaron Fox notices the trend but doesn’t plan to participate.
“I don’t crave to be in a big market,” Fox said (via Corban Goble of ONE37pm). “After last season, there was a buzz in Sacramento. Everyone in Sacramento is a Kings fan. If we start making the playoffs, or if we become a championship contender, the entire city is going to go nuts. That’s the difference between a big market and a small one.”
Fox has two more seasons on his rookie deal and will be eligible for an extension next summer. Here’s more from Sacramento:
- Fox enjoys the process of becoming a better player, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. This offseason, he has focused on adding muscle and reshaping his body among other objectives. The point guard believes that the work in the weight room will help him absorb contact better.
- In the same piece, Fox added that he believes he can improve his consistency next season in an effort to get the Kings to the playoffs. “Some of the down games that I had, you can’t really have if you’re trying to make it to the playoffs, trying to have a deep run. Just trying to remain consistent throughout the entire season,” Fox said.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN.com believes the Kings are the most underrated team heading into the 2019/20 season. Marks can envision the team winning 45-46 games if Fox emerges into an All-Star candidate, Buddy Hield remains as consistent as he was last season, and Marvin Bagley continues to develop.
And-Ones: LaMelo, G League Draft, Gentile, Blair
LaMelo Ball was extremely impressive during the Drew League pro-am in Los Angeles, writes Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. The younger brother of Lonzo Ball will spend the upcoming season in Australia and has a chance to be one of the top picks in the 2020 draft.
After seeing him in action, Woo states that LaMelo has a chance to be the best player in the family. He’s already 6’6″ at age 18 and is a much better scorer than Lonzo was at the same age. Woo describes LaMelo as “an excellent passer” with an effective change-of-pace move and a “quicker, cleaner release” on his shot than his brother has.
Woo also got a first-hand look at Cade Cunningham, whom he calls “best high school prospect regardless of class.” The 6’7″ point guard appears to be headed to Kentucky, North Carolina or Oklahoma State and could be the first player drafted in 2021.
- Former NBA forward DeJuan Blair can’t fulfill the contract he signed with Italian team VL Pesaro earlier this month because of a doping suspension, Carchia writes. Blair failed an anti-doping test during the 2017/18 season, but wasn’t aware because FIBA sent the notification to the wrong email address. Blair was selected by the Austin Spurs in last year’s G League draft.
World Cup Notes: Exhibition, Australia, Free Agency, Clarkson
Team USA got the test it was hoping for in today’s exhibition matchup with Australia, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Playing before more than 51,000 fans in Melbourne, the Americans trailed briefly in the second and third quarters before pulling away for a 102-86 victory.
“One of our big mantras has been ‘composure and poise,’” coach Gregg Popovich said. “Things are going to go the other way in some games. And the way you respond to that is really the measure of how you’re going to do.”
Popovich put together a challenging exhibition schedule to test his team before World Cup play officially starts at the end of the month. After facing second-ranked Spain last week, Team USA is playing a pair of games against Australia, then taking on Canada.
There’s more World Cup news to pass along:
- Before the game, Popovich told reporters he sees Australia as a legitimate threat for the gold medal, per an Associated Press story. The Boomers feature several NBA players and have a core that has been together for a long time. “They are one of the teams that can win the whole thing, without a doubt,” Popovich said. “I’m not saying that because I’m here. It’s just a fact. They’ve been close for several years, and they are hungry. They are talented. They have the toughness and physicality to go with it. I think they are one of the top contenders.”
- International play has frequently set up future free agent moves, notes Douglas Farmer of Basketball Insiders. He singles out Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell as two players who could work well together, although both are expected to sign rookie scale extensions with their current teams, so that partnership may not be formed until 2027. Among 2020 free agents, Mason Plumlee and Joe Harris are both role players who could be valuable in the right situation. Farmer expects the four Celtics on the World Cup team to talk to Plumlee about coming to Boston, while Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez may sell Harris on the Bucks.
- Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson won’t be part of the Philippines team, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The nation included Clarkson’s name on the 19-man pool it submitted to FIBA just in case he was declared eligible, but head coach Yeng Guiao announced Wednesday that the team is moving on without him.
Atlantic Notes: Ellington, Konate, Horford, Simmons
With Wayne Ellington headed back to the Knicks, he recalls that his first stay with the team was so short that he “never put the jersey on,” relays Steve Popper of Newsday. The Mavericks sent Ellington to New York in a trade during the summer of 2014, but the Knicks shipped him to the Kings before the season started. So it doesn’t officially count as one of his eight stops during a 10-year NBA career.
Ellington is back in New York after signing a two-year deal last month with the first season fully guaranteed. Along with providing a veteran presence, Ellington will bring a much-needed 3-point threat to the Knicks, who were among the league’s worst teams from behind the arc last season.
“I’m here first and foremost to help lead a very young team,” Ellington said. “That’s one of the things (Knicks coach David Fizdale) and I spoke about, helping to lead. And of course, I’m here be a player, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, whatever Fiz needed me to do, I’m going to be ready and prepared for it. That’s really not my main focus, whether I’m a starter or not, but I’m definitely coming in here to compete.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors are being careful with shot-blocking specialist Sagaba Konate, who missed most of last season at West Virginia because of knee problems, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Konate signed with Toronto shortly after being passed over in the draft, but hasn’t seen much on-court action in the past two months. He was held out of the Las Vegas Summer League and hasn’t participated in five-on-five scrimmages. “We feel really strong about our medical staff and what the proper sort of approach you can take to a rehabilitation project,” assistant GM Dan Tolzman said. “We’re curious to see what he can become. It’s all about getting him ready for the start of the training camp and see what he does from there.”
- Al Horford is likely to become more of an outside shooter playing alongside Joel Embiid, predicts Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. Horford, who signed with the Sixers in free agency, took 203 3-point shots last season, but Hofmann expects that number to grow as he tries to provide more spacing for his teammates.
- With a video circulating of Ben Simmons sinking long 3-pointers, Michael Kaskey-Blomain of CBS Sports notes that the All-Star guard’s development in that area could be critical for the Sixers‘ long-term success. Simmons, who signed a five-year extension last month, hasn’t made a 3-point shot during his first two NBA seasons.
Heat Notes: Free Agency, Leonard, Okpala, Mooney
The Heat won’t be in the market for any of the remaining free agents unless they trade someone from their current roster, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The hard cap that the team has been operating under since the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade has put a severe limit on its flexibility. Miami is already uncomfortably close to its $138.9MM limit.
That means potential additions such as Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony are off the table unless the Heat make another move to open space. They could release Kendrick Nunn, whose contract isn’t fully guaranteed, but Winderman considers that unlikely. If they decide to trade someone in exchange for a lesser salary, Winderman identifies Meyers Leonard, who will earn $11.3MM this season, as a possibility. He adds that they may try to move Goran Dragic by the deadline or save their next significant moves for next summer.
There’s more this morning from Miami:
- Second-round pick KZ Okpala wouldn’t object to spending time in the G League if it’s necessary to get consistent playing time, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson notes that a similar path worked for Josh Richardson, who played four games for Sioux Falls as a second-round pick in 2015. “I trust the staff and whatever they say is best,” Okpala said. “I believe in that and will go into it with a good foot forward.”
- Free agent guard Matt Mooney, who agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies last week, received the same offer from the Heat, Jackson notes in the same story. It’s a similar situation to Rayjon Tucker, who recently joined the Bucks, as both players worked out for Miami and were interested in two-way contracts. However, the Heat have decided to let players in training camp compete for two-way deals.
- Jackson rates the Heat’s potential interest in six players recently identified by former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox as among the most likely to be traded: Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Devin Booker. Miami’s interest in Beal is well known, and he would be at the top of the list if he becomes available. The Heat had discussions about Paul, but won’t make a deal unless they get their two first-round picks back from Oklahoma City. Jackson doesn’t believe Miami would want Love because of his age, contract and injury history, while Iguodala fits better on an immediate contender. However, Jackson sees Booker and Wiggins as possible targets in the future if the Heat can’t land another star in free agency.
China Is Next Stop For Isaiah Canaan
Isaiah Canaan, who spent time with three teams last season, is headed to China, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The journeyman guard has signed with Shandong in the CBA.
Canaan, 28, won a roster spot with the Suns in training camp and opened the season as the team’s starting point guard. He was waived in late November after appearing in 19 games.
Canaan signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Timberwolves in January and February, but was let go after the second one expired. He joined the Bucks in late February on another 10-day deal, but was waived after six days to make room for Pau Gasol.
Overall, Canaan appeared in 30 games, averaging 6.0 points and 2.8 assists per night. He has played 235 career games for six NBA franchises, including brief stops with the Rockets, Sixers and Bulls.
Jazz Sign Trevon Bluiett, Juwan Morgan To Exhibit 10 Deals
The Jazz have added Trevon Bluiett and Juwan Morgan to their training camp roster, as the team announced on its Twitter feed. Both players will participate under Exhibit 10 deals.
Bluiett spent last season with the Pelicans on a two-way contract before finding himself on the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate. The scoring wing played his collegiate ball at Xavier.
It was previously reported that Morgan had agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. The forward was not selected in the 2019 NBA draft after spending four seasons at Indiana.
Neither player is expected to make the NBA roster, instead each will likely find their way to the Stars after training camp. The Jazz currently have 20 players under contract, which is the maximum allowed.
Lakers Notes: Howard, Faried, Bynum
Dwight Howard remains a double-double machine and the center seems motivated to have another quality season, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes in a piece that breaks down free agent possibilities for Lakers as they look to replace DeMarcus Cousins.
Signing Howard, who previously played for the Lakers, would come with risk. The 33-year-old has been jettisoned by several teams since he was in Los Angeles playing alongside Kobe Bryant. The big man had tiffs with Bryant and he clashed with James Harden in Houston. The Hawks traded him a year after inking him to a $70MM+ deal and the Hornets felt comfortable cutting ties with him after just one season as well.
Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, where he landed after the Wizards traded him away this offseason. Memphis is allowing the center to participate in workouts with Los Angeles.
The former defensive player of the year still has the talent to contribute to what LeBron James & Co. hope is their first of many championship runs in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the Lakers and their pursuit of big man:
- One rival executive tells Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that he wouldn’t take the risk with Howard if he was running the Lakers. “He brings drama,” the executive said. ‘Why risk anything this year?”
- Pincus (in the same piece) wonders if Kenneth Faried would be a good option for the Lakers. The scribe cautions that Faried’s height (6’8″) may be problematic for Los Angeles, as the team will be battling the likes of Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic.
- Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times argues that Howard isn’t the villain that fans are making him out to be. Lakers fans, in particular, may remember Howard’s tenure with the team as a disappointment. However, Andrew Bynum—the main asset they surrendered in the 2012 Howard trade—failed to live up to any expectations after being traded and acquiring Howard prevented the franchise from offering Bynum a long-term deal.