Central Notes: Rose, Hayes, Osman, Pacers, Wright, Gafford
Derrick Rose is eager to mentor Pistons lottery pick Killian Hayes, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Rose, who is entering his walk year, plans to make Hayes “uncomfortable” in camp to get the French point guard prepared for the rigors of the NBA. “My job is to push him and to groom him,” Rose said. “Coming from overseas, guys are going to try to play aggressive with him, so it’s my job to play aggressive on him throughout this whole camp so when he gets in a game he won’t feel that much pressure.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers’ small forward starting job is up for grabs, as Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer details. Rookie Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler are the candidates, with Osman trying to holding onto the spot he’s occupied over the past two seasons. “Minutes have to be earned,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You’ve got to earn everything here.”
- The Pacers won’t have fans for their December home games but they’re hoping that changes as early as January, according to a team press release. Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s statement read in part, “We look forward to having fans back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in January, and we will provide updates in the near future.”
- Guard Delon Wright wanted to rejoin Dwane Casey for the last two or three years, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press tweets. Wright was traded last month to the Pistons, where he’ll be coached once again by Casey. Wright played three-and-a-half seasons with Toronto – mostly under Casey – before he was dealt to Memphis in February 2019. Wright thought he might get traded to Detroit before he wound up with the Grizzlies. He played for Dallas last season.
- Bulls big man Daniel Gafford said he contacted former coach Jim Boylen to “clear the air” after Gafford made some remarks this summer criticizing Boylen’s personality and coaching methods, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. “I had contact with Jim, just made sure I cleared the air that it wasn’t anything intentional, that I was just trying to bash him or anything like that,’’ Gafford said. “It was nothing like that at all. … That was just basically constructive criticism, in my opinion.”
Several Teams Expected To Opt Out Of G League Bubble
Several teams plan to opt out of the proposed G League “bubble” campus in Atlanta, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.
There are already as many as six-to-eight franchises expected to bypass the shortened season, according to Shaw’s sources.
Under the proposal, NBA teams would pay a fee of approximately $500K to play their G League games in Georgia, rather than their home sites. Not all G League clubs would be expected to participate there.
It’s uncertain how many teams are on board with the “bubble” proposal and whether there will be enough to make it viable.
The Atlanta “bubble” season would last for one month, likely starting in late January, with a minimum of 12 games that may increase to 15-16 games, plus a potential playoff schedule. The campus would require daily coronavirus testing and a mandated quarantine for players.
The G League Ignite team, a club comprised mostly of high-level prospects, is also expected to compete in this bubble environment.
NBA Expands Health, Safety Guidelines
The NBA has expanded its “Health and Safety Protocol Guide” as it seeks to find ways to limit the impact of COVID-19 on its upcoming season while still allowing the players as much freedom as possible.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski details in a series of tweets, players and staff in their home venues will not be allowed to enter bars, lounge or clubs; live entertainment or gaming venues (with limited exceptions), public gyms, spas or pools; or large indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people.
Traveling teams will be allowed in “approved restaurants” with outdoor seating or a “fully privatized space” indoors. The restaurants that meet those standards will be revealed at a later date.
The NBA will also provide twice-a-week testing for household members of players and staff in order to “enhance their protection throughout the season.”
These additional measures supplement the guidelines unveiled last month, which included protocols regarding testing, working out, practices and housing of players. It also stipulated teams must have additional staff to carry out testing and safety measures.
The league is planning on meting out strong punishments for violations, particularly those that cause schedule changes or impact other teams, Tim Bomtemps of ESPN tweets. Violators are subject to fines, suspensions, adjustment or loss of draft choices, and/or game forfeiture.
The league also spelled out what will happen when COVID-19 vaccines are FDA-approved and deemed safe and effective. At that time, the league and Players Association will decide whether players, coaches and staff will be compelled to get vaccinated. If there is no vaccine requirement, those who don’t receive it may have to follow additional safety measures, Bontemps details in another tweet.
More immediately, players, coaches and staff are being strong urged, though not compelled, to receive a flu vaccination, ESPN’s Zach Lowe tweets.
Raptors Notes: Anunoby, Webster, Ujiri, Lowry
Speaking today to reporters, including Lori Ewing of The Canadian Press (Twitter link), Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said that veteran centers Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol were “incredible for us.” However, Toronto’s long-term plans meant that the team was “limited in terms and years” when it came to making Ibaka and Gasol contract offers.
The Raptors’ limitations stem from the club’s desire to maintain as much cap flexibility as possible for the 2021 offseason. As such, it remains to be seen whether or not forward OG Anunoby will receive a contract extension before the December 21 deadline. A new contract for Anunoby, which would begin in 2021/22, would cut into Toronto’s cap room if the starting salary on that new deal exceeds his cap hold as a restricted free agent ($11.6MM).
“I think there are talks to be had,” Ujiri said today, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). “They know of the abilities that we want, so we’ll keep having those conversations. The most important thing is we’re excited about OG.”
Anunoby, who spoke to reporters on Friday, confirmed that his agent was engaged in discussions with the Raptors about a possible extension, suggesting he’d have a better idea closer to the December 21 deadline whether a new deal is a realistic possibility (Twitter link via Lewenberg).
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Ujiri suggested today that the club has either completed or is close to finalizing extensions for most of his front office staffers, including general manager Bobby Webster (Twitter links via Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun and Blake Murphy of The Athletic). Ujiri said there’s been too much going on to focus on his own extension yet, but that he’ll go into those talks with a “very positive mind and attitude” and hopes to get something done (Twitter link via Lewenberg).
- Ujiri isn’t ready to say one way or the other whether the Raptors will be able to host fans at their Tampa arena this season, noting that he has a meeting this afternoon to discuss the possibility (Twitter link via Wolstat).
- Asked about the possibility of Kyle Lowry retiring as a Raptor, Ujiri referred to the veteran point guard as a future Hall-of-Famer, suggesting the team would be happy to continue its union with Lowry beyond 2021. “He’s been incredibly respectful to the organization and we will have that same respect to Kyle anytime, everyday,” Ujiri said (Twitter link via Lewenberg).
- The Raptors announced a series of coaching hires and promotions in a Friday press release, including Chris Finch and Jama Mahlalela as assistants on Nick Nurse‘s staff and Patrick Mutombo as the head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate.
Spurs, Magic Planning To Host Fans In Arenas
As the beginning of the 2020/21 NBA season approaches, the Magic and Spurs have emerged as the latest teams with plans to host fans inside their arenas.
Orlando and San Antonio join the Jazz as teams to have announced they will allow spectators during the 2020/21 season. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic – and no longer playing in a campus setting – the league has stressed safety and health precautions.
The Spurs announced that the organization plans to welcome fans starting on January 1, 2021, for a matchup against the Lakers. Seating at the games will be “limited capacity, pending the status of public health data and guidelines.”
“We’ve been planning for this moment for months and are confident in the health and safety protocols we have in place,” said Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford. “Waiting until Jan. 1 will allow us to run through real in-game scenarios to ensure that we are doing everything possible to responsibly celebrate the start of a new season with our Spurs Family.”
As for the Magic, their press release states that plans are being made to host fans in a “socially distanced, limited capacity at the Amway Center.” First priority will be given to season ticket holders based on tenure and then fans who made a season ticket deposit. The team will also release tickets to the general public on a game-by-game basis.
“As we have said, the health and safety of everyone connected to our game will be top priority,” said Magic CEO Alex Martins. “Our goal is to make everyone feel comfortable that extensive safety precautions have been taken for the return to Amway Center. We continue to work through protocols as outlined by the NBA, CDC and local health officials and will use the preseason as a trial to assess and evaluate safety measures.”
The 2020/21 NBA season is scheduled to tip off on December 22.
Celtics Sign Amile Jefferson To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Celtics have signed former Duke big man Amile Jefferson to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Jefferson, 27, spent five seasons with the Blue Devils, including being team captain for three of them. The Philadelphia native helped lead Duke to the 2015 National Championship.
A right foot fracture in 2015/16 limited Jefferson to just nine games and he was granted medical redshirt approval by the ACC to return for a fifth season. Jefferson’s fifth season at Duke included being teammates with now Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum.
Jefferson has spent parts of the last two seasons suiting up for the Magic, appearing in 30 games and averaging 1.4 PPG and 1.5 RPG for Orlando. He also had a stint in the G League with the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate Iowa Wolves.
Jefferson’s Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary pact that allows a player to make a bonus of up to $50K if he is waived and remains on the franchise’s G League squad for at least 60 days.
Decisions On 2021/22 Rookie Scale Team Options
Under the revamped schedule for the 2020/21 league year, NBA teams have until December 29 to make decisions on the third- and fourth-year team options for players on rookie scale contracts.
All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by December 29 are already under contract for the 2020/21 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to lock in those players’ contracts beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2021/22 campaign.
For players who signed their rookie scale contracts in 2018 and have already been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2021/22. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’21/22.
In many cases, these decisions aren’t hard ones. Rookie scale salaries are affordable enough that it usually makes sense to exercise most of these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Mavericks ever considered turning down their option on Luka Doncic, for instance.
Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, the NBA, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space.
Listed below are all the rookie scale decisions for 2021/22 team options that clubs must make by December 29. This list will be updated throughout the rest of the month as teams’ decisions are reported and announced. The salary figures listed here reflect the cap hits for each team.
Here are the NBA’s rookie scale team option decisions for 2021/22 salaries:
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young (fourth year, $8,326,471): Exercised- De’Andre Hunter (third year, $7,775,400): Exercised
- Cam Reddish (third year, $4,670,160): Exercised
- Kevin Huerter (fourth year, $4,253,357): Exercised
Boston Celtics
- Romeo Langford (third year, $3,804,360): Exercised
- Robert Williams (fourth year, $3,661,976): Exercised
- Grant Williams (third year, $2,617,800): Exercised
Brooklyn Nets
- Landry Shamet (fourth year, $3,768,342): Exercised
Charlotte Hornets
- Miles Bridges (fourth year, $5,421,493): Exercised
- P.J. Washington (third year, $4,215,120): Exercised
Chicago Bulls
- Wendell Carter Jr. (fourth year, $6,920,027): Exercised
- Coby White (third year, $5,837,760): Exercised
- Chandler Hutchison (fourth year, $4,019,459): Exercised
Community Shootaround: Clippers’ Season
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are saying all the right things.
Facing the media on Friday, Leonard said he was eager to erase last season’s playoff collapse from his memory banks.
“I am motivated. I want to start, I want to get back after it,” he said. “It does leave a bad taste in your mouth blowing a 3-1 lead. But I love it. These are things that build the player. It’s the things that I like, the challenge. The road of going to a championship is hard. I love the process.”
George said he’s so happy in Los Angeles that he wants to retire as a Clipper.
It all sounds good but both stars have options in their contracts to become unrestricted free agents next summer if they wish to leave.
The biggest change since the Clippers fell apart against the Nuggets in the conference semifinals comes on the sidelines. Former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has replaced Doc Rivers, looking to deliver a championship to another franchise that hasn’t tasted that kind of success.
The Clippers have made two significant additions to the player roster in proven playoff performer Serge Ibaka and sharpshooter wing Luke Kennard. They were also able to re-sign another key frontcourt piece, Marcus Morris.
That brings us to our question of the day: Did the Clippers do enough this offseason to win a championship? Or are they destined for more disappointment in the postseason?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Nets Notes: Prince, LeVert, Green, Irving
There are questions about how Nets forward Taurean Prince fits into a 3-and-D role on a team featuring Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Despite that, Brooklyn’s front office is not inclined to pursue a salary-dump trade involving Prince, let alone attaching a pick to make it happen, sources told ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Prince is due to make approximately $12.6MM during the upcoming season and another guaranteed $13.3MM in the 2021/22 season before his contract expires. Prince averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.0 RPG during last season but shot just 33.9% from long range.
We have more on the Nets:
- Caris LeVert is well aware that his name has been bandied about in trade rumors, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. LeVert, whose three-year, $52.5MM extension kicks in this season, is often mentioned in rumors involving a third star to join forces with Durant and Irving. “I try not to pay attention to it, but it’s hard when you turn on TV and see certain things, when you turn on your social media and see certain things,” he said. “I just worry about the team, myself, putting in work every day.”
- Veteran forward Jeff Green has known Durant since childhood and he’s thrilled they’re rejoining forces with the Nets, Lewis writes in a separate story. They played together in Seattle and Oklahoma City. “That’s where the friendship started to build, and then it just continued to build over the years and grow stronger,” said Green. “So I’m excited for this opportunity to play alongside him.”
- Irving seems to be planning a media blackout this season, as Malika Andrews of ESPN tweets. Rather than doing a press conference heading into camp, Irving issued a statement. He wrote in part, “My goal this season is to let my work on and off the court speak for itself.”
Northwest Notes: Conley, Anthony, Barton, Miller
Mike Conley is one of two Jazz players in the COVID-19 protocol, though he has tested negative for the virus. He had close contact with a family member who tested positive, which has forced him to the sidelines. He has to produce seven consecutive negative tests before he can exit quarantine, according to the Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden (Twitter links). The other player who is not currently allowed to practice has yet to be named publicly.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Carmelo Anthony realizes he’ll probably be coming off the bench this season with the Trail Blazers but he admits it’s a difficult adjustment for a longtime All-Star, ESPN’s Royce Young tweets. “I tried it in Houston but it was only seven or eight games,” he said. “This is new for me. … I had to take a deep breath and figure it out. We’ll make it work.”
- Swingman Will Barton believes he should be part of the Nuggets’ starting five, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. “I’m a starter in this league. … I think it’s clear cut,” he said. “I’m a starter. At the end of the day, (it’s up to Coach (Michael) Malone).” Barton missed all of the restart, including Denver’s playoff run, with a knee injury. Barton could wind up competing with Michael Porter Jr. for the small forward spot, though Porter will also see action at power forward.
- Darius Miller expects to be fully recovered from his Achilles injury by the start of the season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. “I’m feeling pretty good,” Miller said. “Unfortunately with COVID I haven’t had a chance to play a lot, but the team’s working with me, and they’ve got me going at a pretty good pace.” Miller, who was on the Pelicans‘ roster, missed all of last season due to the injury. He was dealt to the Thunder in the four-team deal that sent Steven Adams to New Orleans.