Nets Cut Kaiser Gates
A day after signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets, forward Kaiser Gates has been waived by the team, according to a press release.
Gates, who went undrafted out of Xavier in 2018, has spent most of the last two seasons in the G League, first with the Windy City Bulls, then last season with the Maine Red Claws. He recorded 12.2 PPG and 7.2 RPG on .403/.331/.694 shooting in 36 games (32.6 MPG) for Boston’s NBAGL squad in 2019/20.
Signing a player and then almost immediately waiving him is a common move during the preseason for NBA teams looking to either secure a player’s G League rights or to ensure he gets a $50K Exhibit 10 bonus if he plays for their NBAGL affiliate. Since Maine controls Gates’ returning rights, the Long Island Nets (Brooklyn’s affiliate) would need to acquire those rights in a trade.
The Nets how have 19 players on their preseason roster, with at least a couple more cuts still to come.
Southeast Notes: Westbrook, Ross, Magic, Hornets
Russell Westbrook has yet to make his Wizards debut, and it won’t happen on Thursday night vs. Detroit. The team announced today (Twitter link) that Westbrook has been ruled out of tonight’s exhibition game for rest purposes.
As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes, it’s somewhat surprising that the Wizards wouldn’t be more motivated to get Westbrook into an actual game to allow him to establish some chemistry with his new teammates. However, Scott Brooks suggested on Wednesday that the team doesn’t think preseason action is all that necessary for the veteran guard.
“With him being whatever it is, 13 years (in the NBA), an exhibition is not gonna make much a difference for him,” the Wizards head coach said. “… Normally, sometimes you say that you need a couple of games under your belt before you start the season, but with him, he’s probably the exception to that rule. He’s been in the league long enough. He knows what he needs to do to get his rhythm back.”
Like Westbrook, Davis Bertans will sit out Thursday’s preseason contest too, but Bradley Beal is expected to make his 2020/21 debut for the Wizards.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Terrence Ross has missed the Magic‘s first two preseason games due to a hairline fracture in his left big toe, but he sounds just about ready to return. Ross participated in all the contact drills during Wednesday’s practices and head coach Steve Clifford thinks there’s a good chance he’ll play on Thursday, per Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links).
- Evaluating the Magic‘s November roster changes, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes that the club’s “defining move this offseason was its lack of moves.” With Jonathan Isaac out for the season, Hollinger wonders if the time is right for Orlando to “soft tank” rather than vying for a back-end playoff berth that would lead to another quick postseason exit.
- The Hornets have lacked depth in recent years, but when the team is fully healthy this season, the likes of LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, Caleb Martin, and Jalen McDaniels should all be coming off the bench, giving head coach James Borrego some intriguing lineup options, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Pacific Notes: Schröder, Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Kings
New Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder left Wednesday’s preseason game with what was referred to after the game by head coach Frank Vogel as a “mild” ankle sprain, tweets Kyle Goon of The South California News Group (Twitter link).
While the Lakers will continue to check on Schröder’s ankle today and tomorrow, he told reporters that the injury is “nothing to worry about,” per Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link). It sounds like he should be ready to go for L.A.’s regular season opener next week and may even be available for the team’s preseason finale on Friday.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic generally liked the offseason moves made by the Lakers and Suns, but questioned each team’s approach to its center spot. He isn’t sure Montrezl Harrell is a great fit in a lineup with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, given his defensive shortcomings and his inability to stretch the floor. Hollinger also wondered if Jalen Smith was a bit of a reach at No. 10 and didn’t love Phoenix’s signing of Damian Jones, calling him one of the NBA’s worst rotation players last season.
- With Klay Thompson out for the season, the Warriors will need to consider how to add extra shooting to their lineup, writes Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. Strauss suggests that keeping Mychal Mulder on the roster and playing some three-guard lineups would help, and notes that Golden State also still has a disabled player exception worth $9.3MM that could be used to add a shooter at some point.
- The Kings have promoted Rico Hines, announcing in a press release that they’ve named him an assistant coach and the club’s director of player development. Hines was the head coach of the G League’s Stockton Kings before joining Sacramento’s staff as a player development coach a year ago.
Kings Sign Vince Edwards To Camp Deal
DECEMBER 17: The Kings officially signed Edwards on Wednesday, per RealGM’s transactions log. While Edwards was initially expected to compete for a regular season roster spot, I’m not sure he still has a chance to make the 15-man squad, given the delay in signing him.
NOVEMBER 27: The Kings are signing small forward Vince Edwards to a one-year, minimum-salary deal, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (via Twitter). Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee tweets that it’s an Exhibit 10 contract, while Jason Jones of The Athletic says (via Twitter) that Edwards will have the chance to compete for a regular season roster spot.
Edwards, who was the 52nd overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Rockets, but appeared in just two NBA games during his stint with Houston. He has spent the majority of his first two professional seasons playing in the G League.
In 69 total NBAGL games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Canton Charge, and Oklahoma City Blue, Edwards has averaged 9.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG on .417/.347/.654 shooting in 26.5 minutes per contest.
New Kings general manager Monte McNair previously worked in Houston’s front office, so he got a first-hand look at Edwards when he was a Rocket in ’18/19.
Clippers Notes: Kennard, Batum, Zubac, Ibaka
Luke Kennard and Nicolas Batum, two important offseason additions for the Clippers, haven’t played a regular season NBA game in nearly a year, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Both players are trying to use the shortened preseason to get ready for opening night, which is just six days away.
The Pistons shut down Kennard last December 21 because of knee tendinitis. He had been hoping to return March 14, but the hiatus kept that from happening. Batum appeared in just 22 games last season, limited by injuries and the Hornets’ preference to give minutes to their younger players.
“The first (preseason) game was kind of weird,” Batum said. “I just wanted to go out there and just be back on the court and just play basketball and do some stuff and be sure I don’t do some crazy mistake. That’s really my goal the first two games, to be back on the court and get through the motion and get my rhythm and the feel for the court.”
There’s more Clippers news to pass along:
- Ivica Zubac is adjusting to his new role as backup center, notes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Zubac is expected to play similar minutes as in the past, but he will be on the court with a different set of teammates. “Zu specifically, he just has to get better with his hands,” said Lou Williams, the leader of the team’s second unit. “That was a conversation we spoke to. I’m a willing passer and he knows that. And so for him to be successful and get a lot of easy looks, we’re gonna have to get better and get on the same page with that. Other than that, I look forward to growing with him.”
- Kennard and Serge Ibaka are both better fits for the Clippers than the players they replaced, contends John Hollinger of The Athletic. He sees Kennard, who can help run the offense, as a more complete player than Landry Shamet and notes that Ibaka’s ability to space the floor makes him more versatile than Montrezl Harrell. Hollinger opines that Paul George won’t be able to live up to his new four-year, $176MM contract, but thinks it still makes sense for the team, since the focus is on competing for a title in the next two seasons.
- Reggie Jackson and assistant coach Chauncey Billups both returned to the team after being excused from Sunday’s game due to health and safety protocols, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Bucks Waive EJ Montgomery, Justin Patton
EJ Montgomery and Justin Patton, who both signed with the Bucks earlier this month, have been waived, the team announced (via Twitter). Neither player saw any action in Milwaukee’s two preseason games.
Montgomery, 21, went undrafted last month out of Kentucky. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in two seasons with the Wildcats.
Patton, 23, was the 16th pick in the 2017 draft, but injuries have limited him to nine total NBA games with three teams. He was also waived by the Clippers last month, shortly after being acquired from the Pistons.
The Bucks now have 18 players on their roster and have until Monday to make at least one more cut.
Central Notes: Giannis, Porter, P. Williams, Pacers
Plenty of options were waiting for Giannis Antetokounmpo if he had reached free agency, but he chose to remain loyal to Milwaukee, which has been his NBA home for the past seven years, writes Eric Woodyard of ESPN. Antetokoumpo provided an early Christmas present to Bucks fans on Tuesday when he agreed to a super-max extension that runs through the 2025/26 season.
“The way that this city has supported me and my family has been amazing since day one, since the day I walked in the Cousins Center gym and Bradley Center, also. It’s been amazing. I was 18, I’m 26 right now. All I know is Milwaukee,” Antetokounmpo said. “When I came here, all I knew is that this is a city that loves basketball, it’s a city that … We have more things to do now, but when I came here we had a lot of things to do so I could just focus on basketball and it’s a place that I want to be.”
While the Bucks had a huge advantage in the money they could offer Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP had to be convinced that he could win a championship in Milwaukee. The front office was aggressive over the offseason, trading for Jrue Holiday and signing D.J. Augustin, Bobby Portis, Bryn Forbes, and Torrey Craig.
“I think we can get better. I believe we can be better. We’ve got better,” Antetokounmpo said. “We have a great team. We have a great culture. I know that I’m working toward that goal. The front office is working toward that goal, so I’m good. I’m happy. I think everybody’s on the same page.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Cavaliers swingman Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t travel with the team to New York, which means he won’t play at all during the preseason, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs have chosen to address Porter’s legal issues internally, Fedor adds, and are being vague in their public statements. Porter didn’t practice with the team until December 10 and may not be ready for the season opener next week.
- The Bulls gave first-round pick Patrick Williams a start in their third preseason game, notes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. The decision was based partly on the team’s shortage of personnel due to injuries and COVID-19 concerns, but coach Billy Donovan also wanted to see how Williams would respond to opportunity. “It’s just more to see, like, OK, what does Patrick look like with that first group,” Donovan said. “Does Otto (Porter Jr.), you know, give us a little bit of a punch off the bench from a scoring standpoint? We’re gonna have to make some sacrifices all the way around as a team in terms of how we need to play, and then also what guys’ roles may be, just because of the uniqueness of what we’re all dealing with at this point in time.”
- The Pacers appeared to be on track to make another front office addition, possibly a second assistant general manager, but they’ve tabled those plans for now, tweets J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star.
Grizzlies Exercise Options On Four Players
The Grizzlies have exercised contract options for the 2021/22 season on Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Grayson Allen, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
Morant, the second pick in the 2019 draft, had an outstanding first season, capturing Rookie of the Year honors and helping the Grizzlies reach the playoffs. He averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 67 games. Morant is part of the foundation for the future in Memphis, along with Jackson, the fourth overall pick in 2018, who averaged 17.4 points and 1.6 blocks per game last season.
Clarke set a rookie record in 2019/20 by shooting 61.8% from the floor. He posted a 12.1/5.9/1.4 line in 58 games, earning a spot on the All-Rookie team and finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. Allen, who was acquired from the Jazz last summer, averaged 8.7 PPG in 38 games in his first season with the Grizzlies.
Morant’s third-year option for ’21/22 will be worth $9.6MM, while Clarke’s has a value of $2.7MM. The fourth-year options for Jackson and Allen will pay them $9.2MM and $4.1MM, respectively.
Coronavirus Notes: Two-Way Contracts, Cuban, Latest Testing, Vaccine
A proposal in November would have allowed teams to carry four players on two-way contracts to help ensure adequate personnel amid COVID-19 risks, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. Teams are currently limited to two players at a time on two-way deals.
Although that idea wasn’t accepted, the league expanded the amount of time that two-way players can spend with their NBA teams. Previously limited to 45 days throughout the season, they can now be active for 50 of their team’s 72 games. The league will also allow teams to have 15 players in uniform each night, up from the previous limit of 13, with a formal announcement expected later this week.
While the change in two-way rules will benefit NBA teams, it will have the opposite effect on their G League affiliates, Stein notes. It’s another consideration to factor in as G League officials determine how to handle the upcoming season.
There’s more news related to the coronavirus:
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is optimistic that the league can begin to get back to normal by spring, Stein adds in the same story. Cuban expects a “huge snap back” by March or April, when much of the U.S. population should have access to the new COVID-19 vaccine. He believes that safety measures the Mavericks have imposed are working well so far. “The most important aspect is that the players and staff that are traveling are treating each game as a self-imposed bubble,” Cuban said. “We won’t be able to eliminate cases and outbreaks, but if we can minimize them, then hopefully it can be as close to a normal season as possible.”
- Only one new confirmed positive test was reported among the 549 players who have undergone COVID-19 testing since December 10, the NBA and the players union announced today.
- No decision has been reached on when the new vaccine will be made available to NBA personnel and whether it will become mandatory, writes Mark Medina of USA Today. For now, the league will continue to rely on testing, sanitary conditions, masks and social distancing to keep players safe. Under the league’s health and safety protocols, the NBA and its players union will hold discussions on whether the vaccine will be considered mandatory or voluntary once infectious disease specialists determine that it is “safe and effective.” “We’ll address that when it comes as far as a union and players,” said NBPA president Chris Paul. “But when it comes to all different types of vaccines, a lot of that stuff is personal.”
Knicks Waive James Young
The Knicks have waived guard James Young two days after signing him, the team announced (via Twitter). Young’s next stop could be the organization’s G League affiliate in Westchester.
The 25-year-old shooting guard spent three years with the Celtics and had a brief stay with the Sixers after being taken with the 17th pick in the 2014 draft. Young played in Israel last season.
The move brings the Knicks’ roster to 19, including two players on two-way deals. They have until Monday to trim it down to 17.