Pacific Notes: Moore, Suns, Cousins, Warriors
Ben Moore‘s NBA track record is about as limited as possible for a player who has technically appeared in the league. The young forward played a total of nine minutes in two games for the Pacers during the 2017/18 season, recording one assist, one rebound, and four personal fouls. However, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link), the Suns are intrigued enough by Moore to bring him in for workouts this week.
As Carchia explains, Moore “opened eyes” with his performance for the USA Basketball Select Team that suited up against Team USA’s World Cup squad in Los Angeles last week. The Select Team upset the varsity club more than once during their scrimmages.
Moore, who spent last season in the G League, averaged 12.8 PPG and 8.7 RPG on .556/.368/.783 shooting in 47 games for the Austin Spurs and Fort Wayne Mad Ants. It remains to be seen whether he’ll get a chance to attend camp with an NBA team this season.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- During a recent appearance on Glenn Clark Radio, Suns assistant coach Steve Blake said that Ricky Rubio will help his new teammates “have fun” on the court this season and added that the Suns “definitely expect a lot” from newly-acquired forward Dario Saric. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic has the details and the rest of Blake’s quotes.
- With the NBA investigating allegations that Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins threatened his ex-girlfriend, legal expert Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated takes a deep dive into the situation, exploring what factors the league will consider and how the investigation will proceed.
- It’s officially the end of an era for the Warriors. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), the team began to fully shift its business operations from its Oakland facility to San Francisco’s Chase Center this week.
Jose Calderon Intends To Continue Career
12:38pm: Responding to Ortiz’s report, Calderon published a tweet today declaring that he’s still waiting on an NBA offer and is continuing to train and focus on staying in shape for the upcoming season.
8:35am: Veteran point guard Jose Calderon is contemplating retirement, writes Javier Ortiz of El Periodico Extermadura (hat tip to EuroHoops). According to Ortiz, Calderon has been unable to secure a deal with an NBA team this summer and has little interest in continuing his career in Europe or Asia.
As Ortiz outlines, Calderon – who spent the 2018/19 season with the Pistons – entered the offseason intent on working out and training to stay in shape. However, after returning from a trip to Lebanon earlier this month, he decided not to resume his usual training regimen and is now focused on spending more time with his family, per Ortiz.
The NBA’s group of free agent point guards has thinned out considerably, with Jeremy Lin the latest veteran to come off the board. As such, it’s still possible that a team in need of some veteran depth will look to bring Calderon aboard for 2019/20, particularly once clubs start getting hit by injuries this fall. For now though, it looks as though the Spaniard might not return for a 15th NBA season.
In 895 career regular season games with the Raptors, Pistons, Mavericks, Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, and Cavaliers, Calderon has averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.8 APG with an impressive .472/.407/.873 shooting line. The point guard, who will turn 38 next month, played sparingly in Detroit last season, appearing in 49 games and recording career lows in PPG (2.3), FG% (.375), and MPG (12.9), among other categories.
Calderon also played professionally in Spain for seven seasons before making his NBA debut in 2005.
Kyle Kuzma Signs With CAA For Representation
Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has signed with CAA Basketball for his on- and off-court representation, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), Leon Rose will be Kuzma’s new primary agent.
Kuzma parted ways with agents Mark Bartelstein and Zach Kurtin of Priority Sports and Entertainment last month, with Ganguli tweeting at the time that the young forward had “an eye toward growing his business interests.”
Rose will add Kuzma to his impressive – and lengthy – list of NBA clients, which includes a handful of players on maximum-salary contracts: Karl-Anthony Towns, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid. Kuzma’s former teammate Lonzo Ball reportedly signed with Rose earlier this year as well.
Kuzma, who was the last player removed from Team USA’s World Cup squad due to a minor left ankle injury, will become eligible for a rookie scale extension next July. If he doesn’t sign a new deal during the 2020 offseason, he’d be on track to reach restricted free agency during the summer of 2021.
World Cup Notes: Japan, Montenegro, Top Players
Several more national basketball teams have announced their 12-man rosters for the 2019 World Cup in China, including Team Japan, which will be led by a pair of NBA players, per a FIBA announcement.
Former Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura, who was selected ninth overall by the Wizards in this year’s draft, is the headliner. He’ll be joined by Grizzlies swingman Yuta Watanabe, who is on a two-way contract in Memphis.
The Montenegro national team, meanwhile, is light on NBA players, but does include one notable name — Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who earned his first All-Star nod in 2018/19, will represent Montenegro as the program attempts to make its way out a tough first-round group that features Brazil, New Zealand, and Greece.
Here’s more on the World Cup, including a couple more roster announcements:
- The Dominican Republic (Twitter link) and Poland (Sportando link) also announced their respective 12-man World Cup squads. Neither roster features an NBA player.
- Although Team USA remains the overwhelming favorite to win the 2019 World Cup, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype ranks the top 25 players in the event and finds that three of his top four are from other countries. While Kemba Walker comes in at No. 3, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Nikola Jokic (Serbia) rank ahead of him, with Rudy Gobert (France) at No. 4.
- Rodger Sherman and John Gonzalez of The Ringer debate how worried they should be about Team USA’s World Cup chances. Sherman still believes the club will claim gold in China, but Gonzalez is betting on the field.
J.R. Smith Turned Down Offer From CBA Team
Free agent shooting guard J.R. Smith reportedly passed on a a contract offer from a team in the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. A source tells Carchia that Smith turned down the proposal – worth about $1.6MM – from the Jiangsu Dragons.
Smith, who will turn 34 in September, spent last season under contract with the Cavaliers. However, he only played 11 games in his fifth season with the franchise, informally parting ways with Cleveland last fall as the team tried to find a taker for his pseudo-expiring contract. The Cavs ultimately didn’t get any trade offers they liked for Smith and waived him this summer.
Assuming Carchia’s information on Jiangsu’s offer is accurate, it makes some sense that Smith would be reluctant to accept it. As a result of being released by the Cavaliers, the veteran guard will earn about $1.46MM in each of the next three years, so he’s not in immediate need of a payday. Plus, if he can catch on with an NBA team, his minimum salary stateside would be about $2.56MM.
We haven’t heard much about the potential NBA market for Smith since he met with the Bucks over a month ago. Milwaukee ultimately opted to sign another shooter, Kyle Korver, but other teams could have interest in Smith if they decide they need another outside threat this fall. He has knocked down 37.3% of 5,167 career three-point attempts.
Of course, if Smith does eventually decide to make the move to China, he’d hardly be the only NBA veteran to do so this offseason. As we detailed on Tuesday, Lance Stephenson, Jeremy Lin, Isaiah Canaan, Jerian Grant, and Ian Clark are among the many players who have signed with CBA clubs within the last couple months. Smith has also played in China once before, having joined the Zhejiang Golden Bulls during the 2011 NBA lockout.
And-Ones: Drummond, Gasol, Leonard
Andre Drummond recently spoke about how he was excited for free agency next summer, leading some to speculate that he would like to leave the Pistons. He took to Instagram to clarify his comments.
“My point was I’m excited to go through the process because I never been [through] it, doesn’t mean I’m trying to leave Detroit. I love it here,” the big man said on his social media page.
Drummond has a player option for the 2020/21 season, though he called this upcoming campaign his “contract year,” insinuating that he’s preparing to opt out.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Marc Gasol doesn’t blame Kawhi Leonard for leaving the Raptors and joining the Clippers in a move that will put Leonard closer to his hometown. “I haven’t talked to him. Just a little through group text — that was it. You can’t blame the guy for wanting to go home. You can’t,” Gasol told Marc Stein of The New York Times in his latest newsletter. “If you tell me I can go back to Barcelona and make an absurd amount of money and play in the NBA — I understand completely the decision and respect it and wish him the best.”
- In the same piece, Gasol spoke about how he didn’t know that winning a championship would mean as much to him until after the Raptors took home the Larry O’Brien trophy. “It fulfilled me in a way that I didn’t know it could,” Gasol said. “Instantly you gain so much respect for everyone who has done this. Golden State, going to five straight finals and the rings that they have, I just instantly got so much respect for them. And LeBron going to eight finals in a row. Just doing it once put me beyond the limits I thought I had — physically and mentally. It was great to see, for myself, pushing those limits and leaving everything out there. It was awesome.”
- NBA agent James Dunleavy is joining Excel Sports Management, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dunleavy’s clients include Chandler Parsons and Gerald Green, among others.
Atlantic Notes: English, Redick, Knicks
The Sixers are hosting a free agent mini-camp on Thursday and A.J. English is among the players expected to be in attendance, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets. The 6’3″ guard has spent time overseas since going undrafted out of Iona in the 2016 draft, playing last season for Lavrio B.C. in Greece.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Replacing J.J. Redick won’t be easy for the Sixers, Jack Winter of Basketball Insiders writes. Winter explains how the loss of Redick changes the team’s offensive identity.
- The Knicks are bringing in Malcolm Delaney for a workout, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Delaney, a former Virginia Tech guard who spent two seasons with Atlanta from 2016-18, will participate in drills alongside current Knicks players.
- Quinn Davis of Basketball Insiders makes a case for the Raptors remaining competitive in the post-Kawhi Leonard era. Toronto went 17-5 last year during the regular season without Leonard, though the team’s record in those games vs. playoff clubs was just 4-5.
Community Shootaround: Michael Porter Jr.’s Future With Nuggets
The Nuggets‘ front office believes Michael Porter Jr.‘s rehabilitation process has set him up for a standard role within an NBA rotation, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic writes. The No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 draft missed his entire rookie season while he recovered from back surgery, but is scheduled to make his debut this upcoming season.
Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Blake Griffin are among the top players who have missed their rookie season because of injury, Kosmider notes. Simmons and Griffin were each spectacular in their second season in the league, while Embiid took several seasons to fully showcase his ability. Although Embiid’s pitch count seems to get more liberal every year, it’s still a pitch count.
Denver may not ask Porter to play an expanded role right away, as the team has enough depth to compete without major contributions from the Missouri product. Porter’s ceiling can take the Nuggets from very good to great but he must first prove that he can stay on the floor consistently. The team is optimistic that Porter is ready to take that first step.
Do you believe that Porter can help elevate this Nuggets team or is it foolish to count on him for anything at this point in his career? How do you see his career going if he can stay healthy?
Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts. We look forward to what you have to say!
Andre Drummond “Excited” For Free Agency Next Summer
Andre Drummond has two years left on the five-year contract he signed with the Pistons back in 2016. However, his deal contains a player option on the final season—the 2020/21 campaign. Drummond hinted that he would be turning that option down, referring to this upcoming season as his “contract year” (h/t Aaron Ferguson of Piston Powered).
“I’m a free agent next summer,” the big man said while speaking with reporters, adding that he feels free agency should be “fun.”
“I’m excited. I think I’m the only one that has a big contract coming up for the year,” Drummond said.
The 2020 offseason won’t feature as many high-profile free agents as the past few summers. Anthony Davis could ostensibly opt to hit the market via his player option, but it’s likely he stays with the Lakers. Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Otto Porter Jr. are among the most notable players who will be unrestricted free agents.
Query only frontcourt players and the results appear desolate. Hassan Whiteside‘s contract ends after the 2019/20 campaign. The 34-year-old Marc Gasol will be available next summer and Montrezl Harrell and Paul Millsap will be among the other notable bigs on the market. Drummond, who would be turning down roughly $28.8MM to hit the open market, may be the most desirable frontcourt option.
Remaining Offseason Questions: Southeast Division
NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps more than a month away, many clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.
We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on a key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2019/20 regular season begins.
After focusing on the Atlantic on Monday, we’re moving onto the Southeast today. Let’s dive in…
Atlanta Hawks
How will the Hawks use their remaining cap room?
The Hawks are the only NBA team that has any real cap room remaining. Currently, the team is sitting on about $6.95MM in space, per Early Bird Rights. That’s not a ton of room, particularly when there are probably no free agents left on the market worth more than the minimum. But it could come in handy.
It’s not clear if Atlanta has any plans in mind for that cap room, but the club is likely holding off on making Vince Carter‘s new deal official in order to maximize its options. Once Carter signs his minimum-salary contract, the Hawks’ cap space will dip to approximately $5.33MM.
The most likely scenario for the Hawks is probably holding onto their cap room into the season and then seeing if it helps create any trade opportunities later in the year. Still, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the team using that space to accommodate a deal before the season begins.
Charlotte Hornets
What are the Hornets’ plans for second-round pick Jalen McDaniels?
McDaniels is one of four 2019 draft picks who has yet to sign an NBA contract or commit to playing overseas.
While it remains to be seen what the Hornets‘ plans are for McDaniels, a two-way contract is an outcome that would make sense for both sides. The three players selected before McDaniels (from Nos. 49-51) and after him (Nos. 53-55) in the draft all signed two-way deals, and Charlotte currently has a slot open.
Of course, the Hornets also project to have an opening or two on their 15-man regular season roster, so it’s possible McDaniels and his reps have their eye on one of those spots. The club currently has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Thomas Welsh, Caleb Martin, Joe Chealey, and Josh Perkins among the non-guaranteed players possibly in the running for the 14th and/or 15th spot(s). We’ll have to wait to see if McDaniels gets a chance to compete with them or if he gets Charlotte’s second two-way deal.
Miami Heat
How will the Heat’s hard cap affect their remaining roster decisions?
After signing Udonis Haslem earlier this month, the Heat are about $855K below their hard cap for the 2019/20 league year, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The minimum rookie salary for this season is $898K, so Miami can’t add any more guaranteed salaries to its books without making a corresponding roster move to clear guaranteed money.
In other words, barring a trade or a last-minute use of the stretch provision, the Heat’s roster is mostly set for the regular season. The team just needs to make a pair of roster decisions: Will Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn fill out the 14-man roster?
Robinson’s $1,416,852 salary is already guaranteed for $1MM, so waiving him would create little flexibility for Miami. Nunn’s partial guarantee is only worth $150K though. If the club has any doubts about his ability to contribute in 2019/20, his roster spot could be in jeopardy. Waiving Nunn would open up enough room for the Heat to bring in another veteran on a minimum-salary deal.
Orlando Magic
When will the Magic sign Chuma Okeke?
As noted above, there are four 2019 draft picks who remain unsigned. Of those four, Okeke is the only unsigned first-round pick. Because the rookie scale for first-rounders is fairly inflexible, those players typically sign within the first week or two of the league year, so the delay on Okeke is unusual.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Okeke is the only first-round pick who is unlikely to see the court much – if at all – during his rookie season. He tore his ACL in March and is still recovering from that injury.
While virtually every first-round pick signs for 120% of his rookie scale amount, the Cavaliers were able to get Kevin Porter for lower than that earlier in the offseason — it seems likely at this point that the Magic – who don’t have much breathing room below the luxury tax line – are exploring something similar with Okeke.
Washington Wizards
Will Bradley Beal sign a contract extension?
Beal is eligible for a veteran extension, and the Wizards offered as many years and as much money as NBA rules allowed. They also did so as soon as league rules allowed. However, Beal didn’t immediately accept that offer.
It’s easy to point to the Wizards’ 2018/19 record (32-50) and unfavorable cap situation and surmise that Beal is eager to leave D.C., but that’s not necessarily the case. He has said he wants to assess the team’s new management group, led by general manager Tommy Sheppard, before making any decisions. Plus, it would be financially advantageous for him to wait at least a year before signing a new extension, as we explained in-depth last month.
Beal has until October 21 to sign an extension. Otherwise, he won’t be eligible again until next July. John Wall thinks his backcourt mate will accept Washington’s offer and he might be right, but if I had to place a bet, I’d guess that Beal will enter the 2019/20 season without a new deal in place.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.