Pau Gasol Discusses NBA Comeback Effort
Veteran center Pau Gasol hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since March 10, 2019, but he still hasn’t given up on making it back to the league. The 40-year-old told ESPN’s Zach Lowe that his goal for the coming year is to play for an NBA team and to represent Spain at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer.
Gasol, who has talked previously about wanting to return to play one last season with the Lakers, said that the idea of reuniting with his old team in Los Angeles is even more appealing now that his brother Marc Gasol has signed there.
“There is meaning and history there,” Pau said. “I’m not going to lie. It would be very special, and now that my brother is there, even more special. But I’m not in a position now to be very demanding. I don’t have 10 offers on the table.”
Gasol confirmed to Lowe that he has undergone two surgeries to repair stress fractures in the navicular bone in his left foot since he last played in the NBA. He has recovered from those procedures, but wants to work more on his improving his conditioning before seriously engaging in talks with NBA teams, according to Lowe, who says Pau and his agent recently discussed camp deals with some clubs.
Although Gasol would be interested in working for an NBA team in some capacity once he officially hangs up his sneakers, he’s not ready to transition into that phase of his career yet. As Lowe writes, the two-time champion wants to be more than a “glorified coach” if he signs with a team.
It’s not clear if the Lakers have genuine interest in signing Gasol or if he’ll have to seek an opportunity elsewhere, but he’s hoping for the opportunity to compete for another title alongside his brother.
“He had several teams that were interested,” Pau said of Marc. “What he valued most was the opportunity to win another championship. To play for the Lakers — it’s such a unique franchise. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s very special for us to be the first brothers to play for the Lakers. It would be incredible if it ends up happening where I can join the team at some point.”
Knicks Waive Jacob Evans
The Knicks have waived third-year shooting guard Jacob Evans, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Evans, 23, was drafted by Golden State with the 28th overall pick in 2018 and spent his first season-and-a-half in the NBA with the Warriors before being dealt to Minnesota in the D’Angelo Russell trade in February. In 59 overall games with the Warriors and Timberwolves, he has averaged 2.8 PPG and 1.1 RPG in just 10.5 minutes per contest, making just 33.7% of his shots from the floor.
The Knicks acquired Evans in a trade that sent Ed Davis to the Wolves last month. His inclusion in that deal was required for salary-matching purposes and he never appeared to be part of New York’s long-term plans.
Evans’ $2.02MM salary for 2020/21 is fully guaranteed, so the Knicks will have to pay out that money — the team remains about $18MM below the cap though, so that’s not a major concern. Evans had a $3.64MM team option for 2021/22 that will be automatically voided unless he’s claimed on waivers, which seems unlikely.
With a spot on their 20-man camp roster now available, the Knicks have room to begin completing their Exhibit 10 signings for G League rights and bonus purposes. Skal Labissiere, James Young, and Andrew White have all reportedly agreed to camp deals with the club and figure to eventually join the Westchester Knicks.
Looking ahead, the Knicks are now carrying 15 players with guaranteed salaries and would have to cut one of those players if they want to include either Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Myles Powell on their regular season roster.
Poll: Will Giannis Sign Super-Max Extension With Bucks?
All of 2020’s top 50 free agents are off the board. LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and several other notable players have signed contract extensions. Every 2020 draftee who is expected to sign a contract for the coming season has done so.
However, we’ll still waiting for news on the biggest contract question of the NBA offseason: Will Giannis Antetokounmpo sign a super-max extension with the Bucks?
Antetokounmpo’s decision figures to have a seismic impact on the rest of the league. Besides potentially making or breaking the Bucks’ future, it’ll also be a crucial turning point for all the teams who are maintaining cap flexibility in the hopes of making a run at the reigning MVP in 2021 free agency, including the Mavericks, Raptors, and Heat.
Even the teams that have no shot at landing Antetokounmpo themselves will be keeping a close on his situation, since the NBA’s balance of power could shift depending on where the star forward decides to spend the next few years of his career.
The Bucks and Antetokounmpo have until December 21 to finalize a super-max extension, which would add five years onto his current deal and pay him a projected $228.2MM (assuming the cap increases by 3% for 2021/22). If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by that point, Antetokounmpo will be on track to reach free agency in 2021, putting significant pressure on the Bucks to prove during the coming season that they’re a legitimate championship contender.
Reports leading up to the offseason indicated that the Bucks were projecting confidence about their chances of locking up Giannis before the regular season began, but Zach Lowe of ESPN said on The Jump on Tuesday (video link) that the team has “gone kind of silent” since then.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bucks aren’t still confident, but it’s somewhat concerning when combined with reports that Antetokounmpo had been looking forward to teaming up with Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was seemingly on track to join the Bucks in a sign-and-trade deal last month before it fell apart.
Still, the Bucks have posted the NBA’s best record for two consecutive seasons and added Jrue Holiday to the mix for 2020/21. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be one of the best teams in the NBA again this season, and Holiday increases their postseason upside.
Antetokounmpo’s teammates also don’t seem too concerned about his contract situation, having jokingly gifted him with pens for his 26th birthday on Sunday, as Eric Woodyard of ESPN details.
It’s worth noting that the Bucks and Antetokounmpo could still complete the same five-year super-max extension during the 2021 offseason — they don’t necessarily have to get it done now.
But if he decides to wait, Giannis would be signaling that he wants to keep his options open, and speculation about his future would only increase over the course of the year, since super-max deals can’t be signed during the season. He won’t be able to get any more money by waiting, so if he knows he wants to stay in Milwaukee long-term, it makes sense for him to sign that new deal sooner rather than later.
What do you think? Will Antetokounmpo sign a super-max extension with the Bucks sometime in the next 12 days? Or will he forgo a new deal this month, choosing to keep his options open as his 2021 free agency approaches?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo sign a super-max extension with the Bucks by December 21?
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No 52% (1,312)
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Yes 48% (1,232)
Total votes: 2,544
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southeast Notes: Dragic, Bamba, Hawks, Rondo
If the Heat opt to insert center Meyers Leonard back into their starting lineup – where he spent most of last season – alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, it would leave just two slots in the starting five available for Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, and Avery Bradley, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Dragic did well coming off the bench last season before joining the starters in the playoffs. However, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said he hasn’t talked to the veteran point guard yet about whether or not he’ll start. Spoelstra, who pointed out that the opening night lineup wouldn’t necessarily be permanent, is confident that Dragic would be willing to accept any role.
“We’ve been in this a long time together,” the Heat coach said. “It’s great to have guys who are all about winning.”
For his part, Dragic recently said that if Spoelstra asks himself to come off the bench again, it’ll be easier to adjust to this time around, since he now has a year of experience as a Heat reserve under his belt.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Magic have until December 29 to exercise Mohamed Bamba‘s $7.57MM option for the 2021/22 season. Bamba’s development has been slowed by health issues and he has yet to be cleared for full contact, but according to Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel, “all indications are that the team values Bamba and remains committed to him.” That bodes well for his fourth-year option.
- The new-look Hawks have been practicing together for less than a week, but John Collins (the team’s longest-tenured player) is already noticing the effect the new veterans are having on team communication, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The gym is a lot louder … I feel like our older guys are sort of leading,” Collins said, citing Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn, and Solomon Hill as the players who have been most vocal.
- Steve Hummer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a closer look at the exceptional basketball IQ that Rondo brings to the Hawks and the impact the veteran point guard can have on his young teammates.
Thunder Sign Theo Maledon
The Thunder have signed rookie guard Theo Maledon to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release. Oklahoma City now has a full 20-man roster, at least for the time being.
Maledon, 19, was the 34th overall pick in November, having technically been selected by Philadelphia. The Sixers traded his rights to Oklahoma City as part of the Al Horford/Danny Green swap that was finally completed on Tuesday.
The French point guard spent last season with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, playing in France’s Pro A league as well as the EuroLeague. In 46 total games, Maledon averaged 7.3 PPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.9 RPG in 17.3 minutes per contest.
The details of Maledon’s contract aren’t yet known. The Thunder are still technically operating as an over-the-cap club, with their various trade exceptions pushing them over the cap despite a relatively inexpensive roster. As a result, they’ll be able to use their mid-level exception to give Maledon a contract longer than two years and worth more than just the minimum in year one.
Maledon was one of three international draft picks by the Thunder in 2020. First-rounder Aleksej Pokusevski signed his rookie contract last week, while No. 37 pick Vit Krejci appears likely to remain overseas as he recovers from an ACL injury — he’s still under contract with Zaragoza in Spain.
Assuming Krejci is a draft-and-stash prospect, Maledon figures to be the last 2020 draftee to sign a contract for the coming season.
NBA Not Setting Specific Rules For When To Postpone, Cancel Games
The NBA is preparing for the possibility that some games on its 2020/21 regular season schedule will have to be postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 complications. The league has only announced the first half of the schedule so far in order to accommodate those potential postponements and cancellations during the second half.
However, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, the NBA isn’t establishing specific rules or guidelines that will govern when a game will be postponed or canceled. In other words, there won’t be a predetermined number of positive coronavirus tests per team that would result in an automatic postponement.
As Holmes explains, the league will evaluate each scenario on a case-by-case basis, considering variables like how many positive coronavirus cases were found, and when and where they occurred.
For example, Holmes says, if two teams have a similar number of COVID-19 cases, but one club had potential spread in its facility whereas the other club had only isolated incidents, the league may treat the two teams differently.
Local and state coronavirus restrictions and guidelines also figure to vary from team to team and could be a factor in determining whether certain games can take place, Holmes notes.
Thunder Sign Moses Brown To Two-Way Deal
DECEMBER 9: Brown’s deal with the Thunder is now official, the team announced in a press release.
Oklahoma City is currently carrying 17 players on standard contracts and a pair (Brown and Josh Hall) on two-way deals.
NOVEMBER 22: Former Trail Blazers center Moses Brown will sign a two-way contract with the Thunder, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes. The deal was confirmed by his agent, Gary Mo Moore.
Brown spent one year with Portland on a two-way deal and appeared in nine NBA games, playing 33 total minutes. He averaged 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game with the Texas Legends in the G League. Brown didn’t rejoin the Blazers for the NBA’s restart in Orlando.
“I think that Moses in the last nine weeks has grown in leaps and bounds,” Moore said. “He’s gotten so much better in all phases of his game and in his life, and I think he’s going to be a tremendously surprise great addition to the league. I think the Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten a real quality player and he’s more ready now than (before).”
Longest-Tenured Players By NBA Team
The NBA’s 2020 offseason wasn’t quite as wild as the 2019 offseason when it came to player movement, but we still saw a number of players change teams this fall after having been with their previous clubs for a very long time.
John Wall, for instance, had been a member of the Wizards for over a decade, making him one of the NBA’s longest-tenured players by team until he was traded to Houston last week. Tristan Thompson, meanwhile, had spent his entire career since entering the league in 2011 with the Cavaliers before he changed teams in free agency last month.
The Wizards and Cavaliers are two of the eight teams that have a new longest-tenured player since we completed our last list during the 2019 offseason. In some cases, that new player isn’t a surprise — you likely won’t be shocked to learn that Bradley Beal is now the Wizards’ longest-tenured player. In other cases though, teams have undergone so much turnover that no player on the current roster has been with the club for more than a year or two.
Here are the NBA’s current longest-tenured players by team as of the 2020 preseason:
- Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem (free agent), August 2003
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
- San Antonio Spurs: Patty Mills (free agent), March 2012
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal (draft), June 2012- Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (draft), June 2012
- Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry (trade), July 2012
- Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic (trade), August 2012
- Houston Rockets: James Harden (trade), October 2012
- Charlotte Hornets: Cody Zeller (draft), June 2013
- Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (draft), June 2013
- Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert (draft trade), June 2013
- Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
- Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart (draft), June 2014
- Denver Nuggets: Gary Harris (draft trade), Nikola Jokic (draft), June 2014
- Note: Harris is technically the slightly longer-tenured member of the Nuggets, having been drafted 19th overall, while Jokic was picked 41st overall.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love (trade), August 2014
- Dallas Mavericks: Dwight Powell (trade), December 2014
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns (draft), June 2015
- Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner (draft), June 2015
- Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker (draft), June 2015
- Chicago Bulls: Cristiano Felicio (free agent), July 2015
- Brooklyn Nets: Caris LeVert (draft trade), June 2016
- Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield (trade), February 2017
- New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina (draft), June 2017
- Atlanta Hawks: John Collins (draft), June 2017
- Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma (draft trade), June 2017
- Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks (draft trade), June 2017
- Los Angeles Clippers: Patrick Beverley (trade), Lou Williams (trade), June 2017
- Note: Beverley and Williams were acquired in the same trade.
- Detroit Pistons: Blake Griffin (trade), January 2018
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Hamidou Diallo (trade), July 2018
- New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson (draft), June 2019
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wednesday Is Deadline For Teams To Stretch 2020/21 Salaries
Wednesday, December 9 is the last day that NBA teams can waive players and stretch their 2020/21 cap hits across three seasons, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Stretch Provision]
In a normal NBA league year, the last day to stretch a player’s current salary would be August 31, but that deadline was pushed back along with most of this year’s other key NBA dates due to the league’s schedule changes.
After Wednesday, players who are released for the rest of the season can have their cap hits in 2021/22 and future seasons stretched, but their ’20/21 cap charges will remain unchanged unless they reach a buyout agreement.
As Marks observes, only three players – Nicolas Batum (Hornets), Dewayne Dedmon (Pistons), and Zhaire Smith (Pistons) have been waived and stretched since the start of the 2020/21 league year, which is tied for the lowest mark in any season since the stretch provision was introduced in 2011.
However, there are still some situations worth keeping an eye on in advance of today’s deadline, especially for clubs over the luxury tax line. John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) points to the Pacers (Jalen Lecque) and Sixers (Vincent Poirier) as two teams to watch.
Stretching Lecque’s modest $1.52MM salary would allow Indiana to sneak below the luxury tax line, while stretching Poirier would reduce Philadelphia’s projected tax bill.
Thunder Sign, Waive Omer Yurtseven
DECEMBER 9: After signing him on Monday, the Thunder waived Yurtseven on Tuesday, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.
Oklahoma City now has 18 players on its roster, with deals for Chasson Randle (training camp contract), Moses Brown (two-way contract), and Theo Maledon (standard contract) expected to be completed soon.
DECEMBER 8: The Thunder have filled the open spot on their 20-man training camp roster by officially signing undrafted rookie Omer Yurtseven to a one-year contract, per RealGM’s transactions log.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported shortly after last month’s draft that the Thunder and Yurtseven had reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal. The former Georgetown big man looks like a good bet to join the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
Yurtseven, 22, began his college career at North Carolina State before transferring to Georgetown. He was the Hoyas’ starting center in 2019/20, averaging 15.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in 26 games (27.3 MPG). He decided to go pro this spring following his junior season.