Lacob Talks Wiggins Trade, Tax, Warriors’ Outlook
In the days and weeks leading up to last week’s trade deadline, there was some skepticism that the Warriors would actually trade D’Angelo Russell. Even though the point guard didn’t necessarily look like a long-term fit in Golden State, it seemed likely that the club would want to wait at least until the offseason to fully weigh the trade market for Russell. That would have given him a chance to play alongside Stephen Curry, who is aiming to return from his hand injury in March.
However, the Warriors decided to act sooner rather than later, sending Russell to the Timberwolves for a package that included Andrew Wiggins, a first-round pick, and an opportunity to get out of luxury-tax territory this season. Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic about the deal, Warriors owner Joe Lacob suggested the club didn’t think it could’ve done better if it waited until the summer.
“We got what we wanted,” Lacob said. “I think if I would’ve bet before the trade deadline, I probably would’ve said we would’ve re-evaluated in the summer, gone through the whole year. But we were fortunate. We got what we wanted, and we did it.”
Lacob offered up a few more interesting comments about the trade and the Warriors’ plans going forward. If you have an Athletic subscription, the conversation is worth checking out in full, but here are some of the highlights:
On the deal being a win/win for the Warriors and Timberwolves:
“Anybody who can’t see that this is a great deal for us, I don’t know what they’re thinking. You can sit and talk about what his salary is, but (Wiggins) had the same salary as D-Lo. They’re both good players. They’re different players. You can question whether this is a better fit; we think it is, as much as I liked D-Lo. He’s a really good player. And I think it’s good for him, too. So it’s a fair, good thing for both teams.”
On why the Warriors wanted to get below the tax line this season:
“Here’s the deal: When you are competing for a championship, I’ve always said we’re going to pay the tax. … But when you’re not winning this year and you’ve got … as good as those players were for us, they’re (expiring contracts after this season), it just didn’t make sense. So I think getting out of the tax so we could get out of the repeater (tax) next year … it’s not about the money. It’s more about the opportunity this summer to flush out our roster that’s the best possible roster for next year.”
On whether the Warriors will be willing to use their mid-level exception and $17MM+ trade exception in the summer, increasing payroll well beyond the tax threshold:
“Yes, I’m talking about mid-level exception, I’m talking about trade exception, any of the possibilities. Doesn’t mean we will, doesn’t mean we’ll be able to, but we have the opportunity, we have the chance to do that now.
“… It’s going to be the highest payroll we’ve ever had next year. We know that. The question is how high. If there’s a trade-exception (deal) that we really want, that’s worth it, let’s consider it. Mid-level exception? Very likely to use. The first pick in the draft, if we were to get that? With luxury tax, (that contract would be) huge.
“Really, the emphasis is on next year. The next two years, our window — Steph’s last two years under contract, before we hopefully bring him back again — we need to field the best possible team we can. That was the emphasis.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/10/20
Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Magic have recalled second-year shooting guard Melvin Frazier Jr. from their Lakeland G League affiliate, per the team’s social media. Frazier has logged time in 14 games with the Magic this season.
- The Pacers have recalled rookie center Goga Bitadze from their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced. Bitadze has appeared in 42 games for Indiana.
- The Thunder have assigned rookie small forward Isaiah Roby to the Oklahoma City Blue, according to a team press release. Roby is averaging 9.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.18 SPG and 1.09 BPG in 20.4 minutes over 11 G League contests.
- The Heat have sent rookie small forward KZ Okpala to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team noted on social media. Okpala has appeared in five games for Miami.
- The Wizards have recalled guards Gary Payton II and John Wall from the Capital City Go-Go, per the G League. Payton has appeared in 21 games for Washington this season. The Wizards are also sending rookie forward Admiral Schofield to the Go-Go.
- The Nets have assigned second-year wing Dzanan Musa to their Long Island G League club, according to the G League.
- The Jazz have sent 25-year-old rookie point guard Nigel Williams-Goss to the Salt Lake City Stars, per the G League.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, MKG, Toliver, Brooks
Now that Hornets power forward Marvin Williams has officially been waived (Williams just signed with the Bucks), Charlotte’s pivot to a youth movement is complete, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell.
“The goal right now is to get these young guys experience,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “And the more, the better.”
Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Williams’ fellow Hornets vet Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned the minimum salary he will make in his next landing spot (the Mavericks have been rumored to be in the mix for his services) in his buyout arrangement with Charlotte, per Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights (Twitter link). Siegel also notes that, due to this, Kidd-Gilchrist’s buyout accounted for $810,763 of his $13MM salary.
- All-Star WNBA guard Kristi Toliver, who moonlights as a Wizards assistant coach during her offseason, has decided to move on from the Washington Mystics and sign with the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2020 season. The Wizards expect Toliver to remain in her NBA role for at least the rest of the 2019/20 NBA season, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
- In other Wizards news, general manager Tommy Sheppard praised the work that head coach Scott Brooks has done while developing his team this season, per The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “His staff has done a great job,” Sheppard said. “We talk about Moe Wagner. I’ll throw (Isaac) Bonga in there, too. He does something new every night. (Anzejs Pasecniks) went from Exhibit 10 to now being under contract. That didn’t happen by itself.”
- In case you missed it, Luke Adams compiled news from some other Southeast clubs, in his Heat Notes and Hawks Notes pieces, earlier today.
JVG, Thibodeau Being Considered For 2020 Knicks
Despite interim Knicks head coach Mike Miller leading New York to a solid 13-19 record during his brief tenure with the team, incoming president of basketball operations Leon Rose will reportedly consider some starrier names for his bench during the 2020 offseason.
Tom Thibodeau and Jeff Van Gundy are among the coaches expected to be on the short list for the Knicks’ head coaching job during the 2020/2021 season, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Van Gundy, currently an analyst for ABC and ESPN, last coached the Rockets during the 2006/2007 season. Both are assistants for USA Basketball. Van Gundy, 58, was a Knicks assistant coach from 1989-1996 before taking the reigns as head coach during the 1995/1996 season.
As the Knicks’ head coach, Van Gundy led the team from 1996-2001, compiling a 257-172 record. His biggest success arrived when he took the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Spurs. Van Gundy was also a successful head coach with the Tracy McGrady/Yao Ming-era Houston Rockets from 2003-2007.
Thibodeau last coached the Timberwolves for part of the 2018/19 season. He also simultaneously served as team president. Thibodeau, 62, served under Van Gundy in New York starting in 1996, and remained as an assistant coach for the Knicks until 2004.
As a head coach, Thibodeau led the Derrick Rose/Joakim Noah-era Chicago Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, and the Timberwolves to their first playoff berth in 13 years circa 2018. He won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award in 2011. As an associate head coach under Doc Rivers, Thibodeau helped the Celtics to the 2008 title. Thibodeau has done some analyst work for ESPN since his 2019 departure from the Timberwolves.
Darius Bazley Out At Least 4-6 Weeks With Knee Injury
Rookie Thunder power forward Darius Bazley has suffered a right knee bone bruise and will be re-evaluated by the club in four to six weeks, according to ESPN’s Royce Young (Twitter link).
Bazley left the Thunder’s Saturday night tilt against the Celtics with the injury. Drafted with the 23rd pick in 2019, the 6’8″ bench player has logged time in 53 games for Oklahoma City, averaging 4.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 0.7 BPG.
The Thunder big man famously opted to forgo a year of college eligibility after graduating high school in 2018. He instead agreed to a three-month, $1MM New Balance internship before declaring for the draft in 2019.
D’Angelo Russell To Debut For Timberwolves Tonight
Newly-acquired Timberwolves starting point guard D’Angelo Russell will suit up for Minnesota this evening in his team debut, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen (Twitter link). The Timberwolves will be taking the ascendent Raptors, who are riding a team-record 14-game win streak. The Wolves just ended a more dubious run of their own, 13 straight losses, with a Sunday defeat of the Clippers.
Russell was dealt last week to the Timberwolves in a package for wing Andrew Wiggins and future draft pick compensation. After being named an All-Star with the Nets in 2019, Russell signed a four-year, $117.3MM maximum contract with the Warriors over the summer of 2019. He was previously listed as day-to-day as he nursed a quad injury.
In 33 games for Golden State, Russell is averaging 23.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 3.7 RPG this season. He is shooting 43% from the field, 37.4% from the three-point line, and 78.5% from the charity stripe. Russell will serve as a significant offensive upgrade in the backcourt for the 16-35 Timberwolves.
Bucks Officially Sign Marvin Williams
The Bucks have made it official with Marvin Williams, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed the veteran forward. Terms of the deal weren’t revealed, but it figures to be a one-year contract worth the prorated veteran’s minimum.
After remaining in Charlotte through the trade deadline, Williams quickly negotiated a buyout with the Hornets, clearing the way for him to join a contending team. Before that buyout with Charlotte was even official, Williams’ camp had lined up a deal with the NBA-leading Bucks, who released little-used big man Dragan Bender in order to create an opening on their 15-man roster.
Williams is unlikely to play major minutes in Milwaukee, but he’ll provide veteran leadership in the locker room and is still capable of playing a three-and-D role off the bench.
The 33-year-old has averaged a career-low 19.7 minutes per game in 41 contests for the Hornets in 2019/20, but has made 37.6% of his three-point attempts, slightly better than his career rate of 36.2%. He also contributed 6.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG in Charlotte this season.
Williams, who is in his 15th NBA season, suggested last month that he may consider retirement at season’s end. Before he seriously weighs that decision, he should get a legit chance to compete for a championship for the first time in his career — he has never made it beyond the second round in any previous postseason.
Williams’ new minimum-salary deal with the Bucks will pay him $956,348 for the final 66 days of the regular season — that’s the exact amount he gave up in his buyout with the Hornets, per Jeff Siegel of the Early Bird Rights (Twitter link). Milwaukee will carry a $604,278 cap hit for Williams.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer noted that Williams will be listed as active for tonight’s game against the Kings but will probably not play, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Matt Velazquez (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Waive Dragan Bender
FEBRUARY 10: The Bucks issued a press release confirming they’ve officially waived Bender. They now have the roster spot necessary to finalize the signing of Williams.
FEBRUARY 8: The Bucks will waive big man Dragan Bender, clearing the way to sign forward Marvin Williams once he completes a buyout with the Hornets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bender, 22, has appeared in just seven games for Milwaukee this season while bouncing between the G League and the NBA squad. He has seemingly been a candidate to be waived all season since the two-year deal he signed over the summer was initially only partially guaranteed for 2019/20 and non-guaranteed for next season. Because this year’s salary became fully guaranteed last month, Milwaukee will be on the hook for the full $1,678,854 unless he’s claimed on waivers.
The Croatian big man has struggled in the NBA since being drafted fourth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. After appearing in all 82 games for the Suns during his sophomore campaign, he has struggled to maintain any sort of stable role.
Williams, 33, averaged career-lows in PPG (6.7) and RPG (2.7) while playing a reduced role in Charlotte. He has scored a mere 10 points in his last four games but the veteran remains a capable three-point shooter and perimeter defender. Williams figures to help the Bucks down the stretch as the team pursues the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Suns Waive Tyler Johnson
FEBRUARY 10: The Suns have officially released Johnson, the team confirmed today in a press release.
FEBRUARY 9: The Suns are waiving guard Tyler Johnson, freeing up a roster spot to use in free agency, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Johnson, who has averaged 5.7 points, 1.6 assists and 16.6 minutes in 31 games this season, will become an unrestricted free agent upon clearing waivers. He has missed the last four games with knee soreness and saw his minutes decline in recent weeks. The Suns planned to move on from him after the season and didn’t have a concrete role for him going forward, according to Wojnarowski,
The 27-year-old went undrafted back in 2014 and holds previous experience with the Heat. His best season with Miami came during the 2016/17 campaign where he averaged 13.7 points and four assists per contest, earning a four-year, $50MM deal during the summer.
The Suns have the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 21-32, going 3-7 in their last 10 games. They have upcoming games against the Lakers on Monday and Warriors on Wednesday.
Cavs Sign Alfonzo McKinnie To Four-Year Contract
FEBRUARY 10: Alfonzo McKinnie will earn a $1.5MM salary for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Following this year, however, McKinnie’s deal through the 2022/23 season is non-guaranteed.
FEBRUARY 8: The signing is official, the team announced in a press release.
FEBRUARY 7: After signing him to a pair of 10-day contracts, the Cavaliers are bringing back swingman Alfonzo McKinnie on a multiyear deal, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Since Cleveland still has its mid-level exception available, the team has the ability to lock McKinnie up long-term and has opted to do so, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides agreed to a four-year deal worth $7.2MM. We’ll have to wait for the full details on that agreement, but it sounds like McKinnie may receive more than the prorated minimum this year. The later seasons almost certainly won’t be fully guaranteed.
McKinnie, who was a rotation player for the Warriors team that won the West last season, was the victim of a cap crunch in the fall and was beaten out by Marquese Chriss for Golden State’s final roster spot. McKinnie was claimed off waivers by the Cavaliers, who released him in January before his salary for 2019/20 could become fully guaranteed. However, he remained in Cleveland’s plans, signing those two 10-day deals before agreeing to a long-term contract today.
In 35 games (14.3 MPG) for the Cavaliers this season, McKinnie has averaged a modest 4.2 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .414/.222/.704 shooting. While he has struggled with his outside shot, the 27-year-old has performed well on the defensive end of the court.