Southeast Notes: Aminu, Bamba, Collins, Hawks, Hornets
Magic head coach Steve Clifford told reporters today that Jonathan Isaac, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Mohamed Bamba haven’t been cleared for contact work when training camp begins, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Isaac is recovering from a torn ACL and is expected to miss the entire 2020/21 season, so his absence is unsurprising. Aminu and Bamba were unavailable for the Magic at the end of last season due to knee surgery recovery and coronavirus complications, respectively. It’s not clear if those same issues are keeping them sidelined this fall, but Clifford said today that both players are still “a ways away” from being 100%, per Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links).
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Hawks big man John Collins is still hoping to sign a rookie scale extension before the regular season begins, admitting today that his contract situation is at the forefront of his mind (Twitter links via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic and Sarah Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
- The Hawks issued a press release announcing injury updates on Kris Dunn (cartilage disruption in right knee), Onyeka Okongwu (inflammation of sesamoid bone in left foot), and Tony Snell (inflammation of cuboid bone in right foot). Dunn is participating in “modified” individual workouts, while Okongwu and Snell are currently limited to shooting and conditioning. Atlanta will provide another update on all three players on December 11.
- The Hornets will open the 2020/21 season without any fans in attendance at Spectrum Center, the team announced this week in a press release. The Hornets indicated they’ll continue to work with state and local health officials – and the NBA – to develop a plan to get fans back in the building, ideally before the end of the season.
- In the wake of the Hornets‘ acquisition of Gordon Hayward and release of Nicolas Batum, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer examines the salary cap impact of the two transactions. As Bonnell writes, despite the significant cap charges for Hayward and Batum, the club could still open up a sizeable chunk of cap room in 2021.
Rockets Sign Jerian Grant
11:01am: The Rockets have officially signed Grant, the team announced today in a press release. The veteran guard actually signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal, with a $50K guarantee in year one, per Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
The club also confirmed the previously-reported signings of KJ Martin (aka Kenyon Martin Jr.), Brodric Thomas, and Trevelin Queen. You can read more about those deals in our full stories on Martin, Thomas, and Queen.
10:00am: The Rockets and guard Jerian Grant have reached a one-year contract agreement, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Grant, 28, was signed by the Wizards in the summer as a substitute player after Davis Bertans opted out of the restart. He called it a “dream come true” to play for his hometown team, but averaged just 4.5 PPG and 1.5 APG in 13.3 MPG while shooting 25% from long range. He spent most of the season with the Wizards’ G League team.
The 6’4” Grant has averaged 6.1 PPG in 7.9 MPG during his career. He’s also played for the Knicks, Bulls and Magic after being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft.
Nuggets Sign Rookie Guard RJ Hampton
The Nuggets have signed first-round pick RJ Hampton, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Hampton finalized a buyout agreement with the New Zealand Breakers on Monday night, his agent Daniel Frank informed Wojnarowski. Hampton appeared in 15 games with the Breakers before leaving in early February and returning to the United States to prepare for the draft.
Assuming Hampton received the usual 120% above the rookie scale, he’ll make $2,193,480 in his first season. The 24th overall pick could earn $11,129,417 over the next four seasons if his third- and fourth-year options are picked up.
Denver acquired Hampton’s rights in a draft-night agreement with the Pelicans. New Orleans received a 2023 lottery-protected first-rounder in return.
Pistons Sign Deividas Sirvydis To Three-Year Contract
9:15pm: His contract with the Pistons is now official, the team announced in a press release.
9:47am: The Pistons have reached a three-year contract agreement with 2019 second-round pick Deividas Sirvydis, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
This reported transaction adds to the Pistons’ flurry of activity this offseason under new GM Troy Weaver. The third year of the deal will not be guaranteed, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.
The 20-year-old Lithuanian swingman was selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2019 draft. The 6’8” Sirvydis signed a multi-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem in May but departed Israel in November to join Detroit for training camp. The Israeli team will receive a buyout, Donatas Urbonas tweets.
The Pistons gave up three second-round picks to the Mavericks to move up in last year’s draft to snag Sirvydis. He played last season for Vilnius Rytas in Lithuania, averaging 6.6 PPG in 15.5 MPG while appearing in 16 EuroCup games.
The Pistons are hard-capped after acquiring forward Jerami Grant from the Nuggets in a sign-and-trade.
Warriors Fill Out 20-Man Camp Roster
The Warriors have signed Axel Toupane, Dwayne Sutton and Kaleb Wesson, according to the RealGM transactions log.
Toupane, a forward from France, and Sutton, a swingman from Louisville, received Exhibit 10 contracts. Their invitations to camp include the possibility of earning a bonus if they joins the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
The 28-year-old Toupane has previous NBA experience, signing with the Nuggets late in the 2015/16 season. He appeared in 21 games for Denver, averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per night, but was waived before the next season began. He had brief stays with the Bucks and Pelicans in 2016/17, getting into two games with each team.
Sutton is a candidate to earn a two-way contract, since Golden State still has one of those slots available. The 6’5″ 23-year-old Sutton was an All-ACC Honorable Mention with the Cardinals last season.
Wesson, an undrafted big man out of Ohio State, received a training camp deal that likely also includes Exhibit 10 language. He averaged 12.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 BPG and 0.8 SPG in three seasons with the Buckeyes. Wesson is also a candidate for the two-way spot.
Ike Anigbogu Joins Pelicans For Training Camp
DECEMBER 2: Anigbogu’s camp deal with New Orleans is now official, per RealGM’s transactions log.
DECEMBER 1: Free agent center Ike Anigbogu is signing a contract with the Pelicans, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. It’s likely to be a training camp deal.
Still just 22, Anigbogu was a second-round pick by the Pacers in 2017. He failed to make an impact and was waived by Indiana in February 2019.
He’s dealt with right knee issues during his young career. He appeared in six G League games last season for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 9.8 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 13.8 MPG.
Kemba Walker To Miss Start Of Season
Celtics point guard Kemba Walker will be sidelined until at least early January as he continues to rehab a left knee injury, according to a team press release.
After consulting several medical specialists in early October, Walker received a stem cell injection in the knee and was put on a 12-week strengthening program. He is expected to return to on-court activities early this month but he won’t be ready to play when the season begins.
Walker was hampered by left knee soreness prior to the stoppage of play in March and it continued to affect him during the restart. GM Danny Ainge admitted that team’s prized free agent acquisition in 2019 was “definitely not himself” during the playoffs.
Walker tried to gut it out and continued to play heavy minutes — he averaged 36.9 MPG in 17 postseason outings. He posted solid averages of 19.6 PPG and 5.1 APG during that span but his perimeter shooting suffered (31.0% from long range).
If Walker’s knee issues continues to linger, it could have a major impact on the team’s bottom line. He is due to make approximately $34.4MM during the upcoming season and $36MM in 2021/22. He has a $37.7MM option for the 2022/23 season.
However, Ainge believes Walker’s won’t miss too much time, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets. Ainge talked about Walker on the Toucher and Rich radio show.
“I’m not worried about Kemba. He’ll be back,” Ainge said. “It’s an opportunity for Marcus (Smart), Jeff Teague, Payton Pritchard.”
Ainge feels the team has plenty of depth at that spot and doesn’t plan to pursue former Boston All-Star and current free agent Isaiah Thomas.
The press release also revealed that center Tristan Thompson suffered a minor hamstring strain during an offseason workout prior to arriving in Boston, and his availability during the first week of camp will be limited. Boston officially signed the former Cleveland big man on Monday.
Guard Romeo Langford‘s rehab from right wrist is going according to plan, the release adds. He underwent surgery on September 22nd to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in the wrist and the projected recovery time remains 4-5 months.