Five Key Stories: 8/3/19 – 8/10/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Vince Carter agreed to a new one-year contract with the Hawks. The deal ensures that Carter will become the first player in NBA history to play a 22nd season. It’s expected to be his last.
Kevin Durant said he only considered the Warriors and Nets in free agency. In his first in-depth interview since his free agent decision, Durant also said that he doesn’t blame the Warriors for the Achilles injury that will sideline him for most or all of the 2019/20 season.
The Heat have re-signed Udonis Haslem to a one-year contract. Haslem, who has been with the franchise since 2003, will be Miami’s 14th man. He’ll also likely be the last player the team can fit within its hard cap, barring additional cost-cutting moves.
Michael Beasley was suspended for five games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Beasley is still a free agent, but would have to serve the suspension if he signs with an NBA team. He may end up returning to China instead though, as he reportedly has an offer worth about $5MM from a Chinese team.
The Mavericks signed second-round pick Isaiah Roby to a four-year contract. The deal will pay Roby $1.5MM in his rookie season, which is the highest ever first-year salary for a second-rounder entering the league out of college.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from the past week:
- Team USA announced 17 finalists for the FIBA World Cup tournament. The roster will have to be trimmed to 12 before competition begins at the end of August.
- Kyle Lowry, who is entering a contract year, said he’d love to sign an extension with the Raptors.
- The NCAA announced a series of new regulations for agents representing college prospects who test the draft waters. It was immediately dubbed the “Rich Paul Rule” by multiple players.
- Angel Delgado secured a lucrative one-year contract from a team in the Chinese Basketball Association. Wayne Selden and Jerian Grant are also reportedly expected to play in China.
- The Timberwolves signed second-round pick Jaylen Nowell to a four-year contract.
- Pistons second-round pick Deividas Sirvydis said he’ll remain in Lithuania for the 2019/20 season.
- The Sixers hired former NBA All-Star Roy Hibbert as a player development coach.
- The Grizzlies announced the assistant coaches who will make up new head coach Taylor Jenkins‘ staff.
- Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari underwent an emergency appendectomy, but still aims to play for Italy in the World Cup.
- The Hornets reportedly offered Kemba Walker just shy of $160MM over five years in free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Don’t Regret Trading Kristaps Porzingis
The Knicks didn’t land the top stars they targeted in free agency, but management still believes the January trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks was the right move, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post.
New York acquired Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and a pair of first-round picks in that deal, but most importantly the team opened enough cap room for two max salary offers by unloading Porzingis, who would have been a restricted free agent, along with the unwanted contracts of Courtney Lee, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.
The trade led to five months of speculation that Kevin Durant was serious about joining the Knicks and would bring another star with him, possibly Kyrie Irving. However, Durant and Irving opted for Brooklyn, while New York filled its roster with a collection of vets on short-term contracts.
The situation looks worse after Durant gave an interview this week in which he claims he never considered the Knicks. That comment drew some skepticism throughout the league, according to Berman, but New York’s front office stands behind the Porzingis decision regardless.
Sources tell Berman that a rift had been building between the two sides long before Porzingis met with the front office to request a trade. Management thought it would be a waste of time to try to convince the injured star to stay and was concerned that his cap hold would interfere with the team’s free agency plans.
The Knicks also never believed that Janis Porzingis, who serves as his brother’s representative, would let Kristaps play last season, even if tests showed he was fully recovered from an ACL injury. Janis’ priority was to protect the $158MM deal that Kristaps eventually got from Dallas.
Berman suggests that New York might have sought more young assets in the deal if it had a clue that free agency would turn out the way it did. Even so, the Knicks were happy to add Smith to their backcourt and believe the two first-rounders will eventually prove valuable.
Team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry have confidence in the players they signed after their top targets were off the board, Berman adds. Mills views this as the third season of the rebuilding plan, noting that the one-year deals offer plenty of flexibility to acquire the next star player who becomes available.
Berman points out that Anthony Davis will top the free agent market next July and his agent, Rich Paul, likes the prospect of bringing his client to New York if things don’t work out with the Lakers.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/3/19 – 8/10/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We updated our lists of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches and longest-tenured heads of basketball operations. The same name – Gregg Popovich – tops both lists.
- Half of the NBA’s teams face hard caps during the 2019/20 league year. We broke down the full list of teams and explained how each club imposed that hard cap on itself.
- We checked in on some of the most notable free agent guards and free agent wings who remain unsigned, nearly six weeks into the 2019/20 league year. We also looked at which members of this year’s draft class have yet to sign their first professional contracts.
- No NBA player has a no-trade clause in his contract. However, a number of players have veto power on trades during the 2019/20 league year. Here’s the list.
- Chris Crouse profiled former Sixers guard Tony Wroten in the wake of news that he’s expected to continue his playing career in Europe.
- We examined the five most valuable traded player exceptions from around the NBA to see which ones are worth keeping an eye on in trade talks in the coming months.
- In this week’s polls, we asked:
- Which team will win the Pacific Division? (link)
- Will Carmelo Anthony be on an NBA roster by opening night? (link)
- In this week’s Community Shootaround discussions, we explore the following topics:
Six Teams Interested In Chasson Randle?
Free agent guard Chasson Randle has received interest from the Hawks, Trail Blazers, Heat, Bucks, Warriors and Bulls, tweets Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops.
Randle, 26, became an unrestricted free agent in June when the Wizards opted not to tender a qualifying offer. He appeared in 49 games in his lone season in Washington, posting a 5.5/1.1/2.0 line in about 15 minutes per night and shooting 40% from 3-point range. Randle played a combined 26 games for the Sixers and Knicks during the 2016/17 season before spending 2017/18 in the EuroLeague with Real Madrid.
Unless someone offers him a fully guaranteed deal, Randle will likely face a process similar to how he earned a roster spot with the Wizards. He signed a training camp contract in September, but was waived before the season began. He had a strong showing during camp with Washington’s G League affiliate in Capital City and was signed for the rest of the season in late October.
Randle was waived again on November 12, but rejoined the Go-Go three days later and re-signed with the Wizards after Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre were traded in mid-December.
Team USA Announces 17 Finalists For World Cup Roster
After cutting both Bam Adebayo and Thaddeus Young following Friday’s scrimmage, Team USA has announced 17 finalists for the FIBA World Cup Roster.
The finalists are: Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, Jaylen Brown, De’Aaron Fox, Joe Harris, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Mason Plumlee, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, P.J. Tucker, Myles Turner, Kemba Walker, and Derrick White.
As we relayed on Thursday, USA head coach Gregg Popovich plans to take 15 players to Australia later this month for an exhibition in lieu of immediately cutting down the roster to the tournament requirement of 12. FIBA regulations state that teams can only carry 12 players for the World Cup itself, though the remaining players can attend with the coaching staff and not suit up.
The current plan is for Team USA to reconvene in Los Angeles this coming week and begin to finalize the roster before the team leaves for China.
Mario Chalmers Aiming For NBA Comeback
A two-time champion, veteran point guard Mario Chalmers has not given up hope of resuming his NBA career. The 33-year-old has not suited up since the 2017/18 season when he appeared in 66 games for the Grizzlies.
After a productive eight-year run with the Heat and Grizzlies, a torn Achilles injury in 2016 forced Chalmers to miss all of the 2016/17 season. As Chalmers — who is currently with the Big3’s 3 Headed Monsters — tells Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, he’s hopeful for one more chance.
“It’s been kind of tough,” Chalmers said. “I’ve had a great NBA career. I’ve had a lot of fun playing. I still want to play. I still want to play at a high level.”
In addition to being the starting point guard on two Heat championship teams, Chalmers has career averages of 8.9 PPG, 3.7 APG and 35% shooting from beyond the arc.
After receiving no offers in the summer of 2018, Chalmers suited up for Virtus Bologna in Italy’s Serie A, leading the team to a championship. The Kansas product has not been a stranger to championship success; in college, in the NBA and in international play.
Hopeful of another opportunity, Chalmers has one round number in mind.
“I’m happy just to be playing basketball. But I do want to get back in the NBA,” he said. “As a kid, you always dream about being in this league. I always said to myself, I at least want 10-plus years in the league. I’m at nine right now. So I definitely want to get back in the league for at least two, three more years if I can. At least one, if anything.”
D’Angelo Russell Talks Joining Warriors, Nets, Future
After a successful stint with the Nets in which he evolved into an NBA All-Star, D’Angelo Russell is now preparing to join the third team of his young career. With the departure of Kevin Durant, the Warriors had the opportunity to acquire the 23-year-old point guard as part of a sign-and-trade.
HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy caught up with Russell to discuss the next chapter of his career. The former Laker weighed in on the chance to share the court with the Warriors’ championship core, his Nets tenure and how he hopes to improve.
Check out some of Russell’s comments below:
The opportunity to share the court with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson…
“I think it’s like a video game. You got three guys who can shoot the three at a high clip. I think that’s really exciting for the fans. Threes are obviously worth more than twos at the end of the day, so I think it gives us an opportunity to win. I’m so excited, and I think we’re going to bring a lot of excitement [to the fans].”
What he can learn in the new environment…
“I think this situation gives me an opportunity to be a sponge. I can learn a lot from everyone: a Hall of Fame coach – one of the winningest coaches ever – and from three different players who are Hall of Famers. It’s cool, man. This is a Hall of Fame organization that I get to a part of.”
How being in Brooklyn helped him develop…
“It was all about having that opportunity. I had the opportunity to be me on the court. I give a lot of credit to the [Nets’] coaching staff for allowing me to be me and to really thrive. I really appreciate that opportunity.”
Eastern Notes: Harris, Satoransky, Leonsis, Heat
Nets shooting guard Joe Harris could double his salary in free agency next summer, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Harris will make $7.67MM during the upcoming season and Scotto notes that veteran shooting guards received well above that figure in free agency this summer. Danny Green signed a two-year, $30MM deal with the Lakers while J.J. Redick got a two-year, $26.5MM contract with the Pelicans.
Harris might get even more, as Scotto points out that several other comparable shooting guards are making between $17.2MM and $20MM this season. The Nets hold Harris’ Bird Rights, giving them the inside track on signing him.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Tomas Satoransky‘s price tag became too much to bear for the Wizards in restricted free agency, as Fred Katz of The Athletic details. The Bulls offered him a three-year, $30MM contract and Washington felt that was too much for a player who’d be a backup once John Wall returned from his Achilles injury. A sign-and-trade was worked out that brought back a 2020 second-round pick and other considerations to Washington. Satoransky wasn’t disappointed. “I always felt like, for me, it was always harder than for others,” he said of his experience in Washington. “I had to always keep proving (myself) to people. And I always felt like, ‘Man, I’ve done enough to have that.’ So, I felt this needs a new start.”
- Wizards managing partner Ted Leonsis will be more visible with a new front office structure in place, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “Our owners are going to be more involved,” Leonsis said. “You constantly have to gauge back and forth: is it good to be involved, or is it not good to be involved? Every agent, every player that I’ve talked to said the more they see Raul Fernandez and Laurene Powell-Jobs and me, the more connected they feel to what our vision and what our ultimate plan is.”
- Any package that the Heat would send out in a potential Bradley Beal and Wall deal with the Wizards would need to include James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow and Kelly Olynyk for salary-matching purposes, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details. Trading for Beal alone would probably require the Heat to give up their three best assets, Bam Adebayo, Winslow and Tyler Herro, but they wouldn’t realistically be able to attach a draft pick until next June, Jackson adds.
Community Shootaround: L.A.’s Complementary Players
Los Angeles will be the center of the basketball universe during the upcoming season.
The Lakers’ acquisition of Anthony Davis to pair up with LeBron James and the Clippers’ coup in signing Kawhi Leonard and trading for Paul George has created a new level of excitement in Tinseltown.
The flip side to having two superstars is that it’s difficult to surround them with quality pieces due to salary cap restrictions. However, getting the right role players is essential to winning the championship.
The Lakers, of course, had to trade away several young players in order to secure Davis’ services with Kyle Kuzma being the notable exception. They were heavily criticized for some of the veterans they signed to short-team deals last summer but several have returned.
Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were re-signed. The Lakers also brought in a batch of new free agents, including DeMarcus Cousins and Danny Green.
If Cousins can regain some of his All-Star form prior to his Achilles injury two seasons ago, he’d be a steal. But that’s a huge if. Green, of course, was a prominent member of the Raptors’ championship team and is the likely starter at shooting guard.
Avery Bradley, Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley are some of the other reserves signed to fortify the bench.
The Clippers gave up potential star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the George trade but has a little more roster stability with Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Landry Shamet returning.
They re-signed restricted free agents Ivica Zubac and Rodney McGruder and unrestricted free agent Patrick Beverley, who attracted a lot of interest around the league due to his defensive prowess. JaMychal Green was also re-signed to back up Zubac, while Maurice Harkless was acquired in a trade.
That leads us to our question of the day: Which of the two Los Angeles teams has the best group of role players surrounding their two superstars?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Pacific Notes: Castleberry, James, Evans, Warriors
Kawhi Leonard will have an ally on the Clippers’ coaching staff. His close friend Jeremy Castleberry will serve as an assistant under Doc Rivers, according to Jabari Young of The Athletic (Twitter link). Castleberry followed Leonard to Toronto after the Spurs traded him to the Raptors last summer. Castleberry played with the star forward in high school and at San Diego State. He was a player development coach in Toronto.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers will do some team bonding ahead of training camp. LeBron James is organizing a team minicamp in September, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link).
- Jacob Evans, the Warriors’ first-round pick in 2018, is honing his skills as a point guard. The former Cincinnati guard talked about his development in a team website post. “It’s been a great transition, honestly,” he said. “Just learning the offense, trying to learn different reads out of it, some different sets, different looks and just trying to put myself in an aggressive attack mentality.” Evans appeared in 30 regular-season games and seven postseason games last season.
- Kris Weems will be promoted to head coach of the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days reports. Weems has been an assistant with Santa Cruz the past two years under Aaron Miles, who will be promoted to Golden State’s staff, Johnson continues. Ryan Atkinson, Santa Cruz’s assistant GM since 2016, will be named the team’s GM. He previously served as president of basketball operations for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.