Kings Notes: Haliburton, Fox, Golden 1 Center
After coming off the bench in 31 of his first 33 games this season, rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton was moved into the Kings‘ starting lineup on March 17 and remained there for the team’s next 12 games. However, he has once again been a reserve for the last two, with head coach Luke Walton explaining that he likes having Haliburton lead the second unit. The 21-year-old is taking that decision in stride, as he tells Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“I’m not tripping off that,” Haliburton said. “At the end of the day, I’m a basketball player. I’m not just saying this because it’s a media answer. Like, Buddy (Hield) yelled at me yesterday because I told him this and he was like, ‘Oh, don’t give me the media answer.’ But it’s the truth. I’m a basketball player at the end of the day, so I’m coming out here to compete every night. If you put me off the bench or start me or however many minutes, I’m going to value those minutes and compete.”
Haliburton spoke to Amick about a handful of other topics, including how he ended up falling to No. 12 in last November’s draft. The rookie guard said he thought briefly that he’d be picked by the Wizards at No. 9, but they opted for Deni Avdija instead.
Addressing a rumor that he had a hand in orchestrating his draft-day slide because he was focused on playing for the Kings, Haliburton acknowledged that he liked the idea of playing in Sacramento and that he didn’t see a fit with the Hawks, who had the sixth pick. However, he dismissed the idea that he discouraged the top 11 teams from selecting him.
“There’s all these stupid rumors going around that I told everybody not to pick me because I wanted to go to Sac at 12. Like, come on now, are you crazy? I would never,” Haliburton said. “These teams just didn’t pick me, you know? It is what it is.”
Here’s more on the Kings:
- De’Aaron Fox has been hit by the NBA with a $20K fine for his public criticism of the officiating, the league announced in a press release. Fox’s comments came after Sacramento’s 128-112 loss to Utah on Saturday, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee details.
- The Kings will welcome fans back to the Golden 1 Center for the first time this season beginning on April 20, per a team release. Approximately 1,600 frontline workers will attend that first game — subsequent games will be open to more fans, with the capacity gradually increasing.
- Sacramento is one of many teams around the NBA with a player currently on a 10-day contract. Damian Jones will be eligible to sign a second 10-day deal with the Kings when his current contract expires on Friday night. If one side or the other wants to end the relationship, Sacramento will open up a spot on its 15-man roster.
Thunder Sign Gabriel Deck To Multiyear Contract
APRIL 12: The Thunder’s deal with Deck was officially completed on Saturday, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
According to Schlecht (Twitter link), Deck’s new contract is actually a four-year deal worth a total of $14.5MM. However, the second and third years are non-guaranteed, and the fourth year is a team option. Only this year’s $3.87MM salary is guaranteed.
In addition to being a nice payday for Deck (he now has the third-highest ’20/21 salary among current Thunder players), that $3.87MM rest-of-season commitment helps the Thunder reach the salary floor.
As John Hollinger of The Athletic explains, it remains to be seen whether Deck will actually show enough to be a keeper beyond this season for the Thunder. But even if Oklahoma City decides to move on at season’s end, his 2021/22 salary could be partially or fully guaranteed to help accommodate a trade.
APRIL 8: Argentinian forward Gabriel Deck is expected to join the Thunder on a three-year contract, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Chema de Lucas first reported (via Twitter) that Deck was finalizing an agreement with Oklahoma City.
Deck, who went undrafted in 2017, would be departing top EuroLeague squad Real Madrid two weeks before the EuroLeague’s playoffs are scheduled to kick off. Oklahoma City would be his first NBA club.
Deck played for a string of Argentinian clubs before suiting up for Real Madrid in 2018. He was voted the Argentine League MVP and was named a two-time Argentine League Finals MVP.
He averaged 8.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.7 SPG in 30 games for Real Madrid this season, with a shooting line of .481/.412/.846.
Deck could help shore up an injury-ravaged Oklahoma City club. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Hall, Luguentz Dort, Darius Miller, Isaiah Roby, Darius Bazley, and Mike Muscala have all been listed as absent ahead of the team’s latest contest against the Hornets.
The Thunder don’t currently have an opening on their roster, but 15th man Justin Robinson is on a 10-day deal, and it’s possible one or two other players on the roster may be expendable.
Aaron Henry Among Prospects Entering 2021 NBA Draft
Michigan State junior swingman Aaron Henry is entering the 2021 NBA draft, as the school confirmed today (via Twitter). While Henry could test the waters while retaining his college eligibility, he stated in his announcement that he intends to hire an agent, and it sounds like he’s prepared to go pro.
A 6’6″ guard/forward, Henry had his best college season in 2020/21, averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 28 games (32.5 MPG) for the Spartans. His three-point shooting dipped to 29.6%, but he showed the ability to make those shots with more regularity in his first two college seasons, knocking down 35.7% of his attempts.
Henry is currently the No. 32 prospect on ESPN’s big board for the 2021 draft, making him a good candidate to have his name called on draft night in July.
Houston junior guard Quentin Grimes (No. 64) and Kansas junior guard Ochai Agbaji (No. 66) are among the other early entrants who have recently announced their intentions to declare for the 2021 draft, as detailed in press releases from Houston and Kansas. Grimes intends to go pro, while Agbaji will just be testing the waters for now.
Here are a few more updates on early entrants joining the draft pool:
- Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (freshman): Like his teammate Agbaji, Wilson will retain his NCAA eligibility while he goes through the pre-draft process, the Jayhawks announced in a press release.
- Mac McClung, G, Texas Tech (junior): After transferring from Georgetown to Texas Tech in 2020, McClung has once again entered the transfer portal, he announced on Sunday (via Twitter). As he did a year ago, McClung will go through the draft process.
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (sophomore): Pippen, the son of former NBA star Scottie Pippen, announced on Twitter that he’s testing the draft waters.
- Duane Washington, G, Ohio State (junior): Washington announced on Twitter that he’s entering the draft, and the wording of his statement suggests he expects to keep his name in rather than returning to school.
Sixers Sign Anthony Tolliver To 10-Day Contract
APRIL 12: The Sixers have officially signed Tolliver to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
APRIL 10: The Sixers are planning to sign veteran forward Anthony Tolliver to a 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Tolliver worked out for the 76ers last week, Wojnarowski adds.
Philadelphia waived Ignas Brazdeikis earlier this week to open up a spot on its 15-man roster.
Tolliver, 35, will join the 11th team of his well-traveled career which began in 2007 after he went undrafted. The Missouri native last played for Memphis during the bubble in Orlando last season.
Tolliver split the 2019/20 campaign between the Grizzlies, Kings and Blazers, appearing in 55 total games while averaging 3.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG. He’s a career 37.3% shooter from beyond the arc.
While Tolliver will not be relied on to make a major impact, he will be expected to give Philadelphia some quality minutes off the bench.
Vincent Poirier Officially Joins Real Madrid
Free agent center Vincent Poirier has officially reached a multiyear contract agreement with Real Madrid, the Spanish club announced today in a press release. According to the team, Poirier signed a contract that runs through the 2023/24 season.
Poirier, a seven-foot French center, played in Europe up until 2019, at which point he left Baskonia to sign with the Celtics. The big man didn’t have much of a role in his first and only season in Boston though, averaging 1.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 22 games (5.9 MPG).
Poirier was traded to the Thunder in November, then flipped to the Sixers in December. The 27-year-old made appearances in 10 games for Philadelphia, but was moved again at the trade deadline to New York. The Knicks subsequently waived him.
Although Poirier’s NBA stint was short-lived and relatively unsuccessful, it didn’t take him long to find a new home in Europe, which is unsurprising — he played well in his initial stint in the EuroLeague, leading the league in rebounding in 2019 en route to All-EuroLeague Second Team honors.
Pelicans Sign James Nunnally, Waive Will Magnay
11:35am: The Pelicans have officially signed Nunnally and cut Magnay, the team confirmed in a press release.
11:24am: The Pelicans will waive Magnay to make room for Nunnally, a source tells Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A 6’10” center from Australia, Magnay appeared in just one game for the Pelicans this season, going scoreless in three minutes. He also averaged 9.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in 10 appearances (22.2 MPG) for the Erie BayHawks in the G League.
10:08am: The Pelicans intend to sign veteran wing James Nunnally to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Nunnally, 30, made his NBA debut back in the 2013/14 season, but only played in 13 contests that season, then didn’t appear in an NBA game again until ’18/19. In total, he has played in 28 regular season games for four teams, having spent most of his professional career overseas in Europe and Asia.
Most recently, Nunnally played for Fenerbahce during the 2019/20 season. While he had a limited role for the Turkish club in EuroLeague play, he continued to knock down three-pointers at a high rate (.417 3PT%), something he has done throughout his international career.
The Pelicans don’t currently have an open two-way contract slot, but have an opening on their 15-man roster, even if they re-sign Isaiah Thomas to a second 10-day contract once his first deal expires tonight.
Naji Marshall has been a rotation player for the Pelicans as of late and seems unlikely to be waived, so if the team cuts a two-way player, Will Magnay is the more likely choice. New Orleans could also promote Marshall to the standard roster to open up a two-way spot for Nunnally, though the club doesn’t have much breathing room below the luxury tax line.
Hoops Rumors’ 2021 10-Day Contract Tracker
A handful of the players who have signed contracts since the All-Star break have signed rest-of-season or multiyear contracts, but the most common form of signing has been of the 10-day variety. Currently, 14 players around the NBA are on active 10-day deals, including veterans like DeMarcus Cousins (Clippers), Isaiah Thomas (Pelicans), and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Trail Blazers).
Hoops Rumors has created a database that allows you to keep on top of those deals, tracking every 10-day signing all season long.
Besides featuring all of this year’s 10-day deals, our 10-Day Contract Tracker includes information on all 10-day contracts signed since the 2006/07 season, giving you a chance to identify trends regarding your favorite teams and players. The search filters in the database make it easy to sort by team, player and year. For instance, if you want to see all the 10-day contracts that the Lakers have signed in recent years, you can do so here.
You can also see whether a player and team signed a second 10-day contract, or if those short-term deals led to an agreement that covered the rest of the season. Our tracker, which is updated when a 10-day signing becomes official, also notes which 10-day deals remain active, saving you from having to figure out whether a particular contract ends on Wednesday or Thursday.
A link to our 10-Day Contract Tracker can be found at any time in the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site. On our mobile site, you can find it on our “Features” page. We’ll be keeping it up to date for the rest of the season, so be sure to check back to keep tabs on the latest signings as they become official.
Magic Sign Robert Franks To 10-Day Deal
APRIL 12: The Magic have officially signed Franks to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release.
The move gives Orlando a full 15-man roster, meaning that if the club still intends to sign Hall, it will have to happen after one of the current 10-day contracts expires (or after the Magic waive someone).
APRIL 10: The Magic are planning to sign forward Robert Franks to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Franks, 24, went undrafted in 2019 out of Washington State but ended up signing a two-way deal with the Hornets. He never saw time in the NBA and was waived by Charlotte in January 2020.
Franks later inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Magic last November but was waived less than a month later. He later suited up for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, during the 2020/21 bubble season.
In 14 G League games with Lakeland, Franks averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 1.5 APG.
The Magic currently have 13 players on standard contracts, with Devin Cannady on a 10-day deal and Donta Hall also expected to sign a 10-day pact at some point. If Orlando wants to sign both Franks and Hall before Cannady’s 10-day deal expires next Thursday, the team will need to waive someone else to make room on its 15-man roster.
Norvel Pelle Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Knicks
APRIL 12: Pelle has officially signed a second 10-day contract with the Knicks, the team confirmed today in a press release.
APRIL 11: The Knicks are set to sign center Norvel Pelle to his second 10-day deal with the club this season, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.
Pelle’s current 10-day contract with New York will expire overnight. He has appeared in one game with the Knicks this season on his current deal.
The Knicks are Pelle’s third team of the 2020/21 season. He initially signed with the Nets this season in January. When Brooklyn moved on, Pelle inked a 10-day contract with the Kings in February.
In five games with his three teams thus far this year, Pelle is averaging 6.9 MPG, 2.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG and a robust 1.0 BPG.
The 6’10” 27-year-old went undrafted out of Iona in 2014. He then played overseas, in Taiwan, Lebanon, Italy, and Beirut, in addition to occasional stints in the then-Developmental League, now the G League. He made his first appearance in the NBA with the Sixers for the 2019/20 season.
Kevin Ollie Hired As Head Coach Of Overtime Elite
Former NBA player and UConn head coach Kevin Ollie has been hired as the head coach and director of player development for the Overtime Elite basketball league, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As we relayed last month, Overtime Elite is a newly-former basketball league that will feature up to 30 players who are between 16 and 18 years old. These high-school-age prospects will lose their college basketball eligibility, but will be offered salaries worth at least $100K and will have the opportunity to compete against prep school and international teams, writes Wojnarowski.
The Overtime Elite league will also offer an academic tutoring component, as well as scholarship money for any player who opts not to ultimately pursue a professional basketball career.
Ollie, who appeared in a total of 662 regular season NBA games and 42 playoff contests for 11 teams during his 13-year NBA career, joined UConn as an assistant in 2010 following his retirement as a player. He was promoted to the head coaching job in 2012 and held it until 2018, when he was let go due to a handful of NCAA violations. He won a national title with the Huskies in 2014.
Ollie has penned an article for The Athletic discussing his time at UConn and explaining why the Overtime Elite role appeals to him.
According to Wojnarowski, Ollie will work with Brandon Williams – a former Kings executive who is Overtime Elite’s new executive VP and head of basketball operations – to assemble a staff of approximately 40 individuals, including coaches, trainers, counselors, and sports science and performance staffers.
Veteran college assistant Tim Fuller has also been hired by Overtime Elite as its director of scouting and recruiting, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
It remains to be seen how successful the Overtime Elite league will be in siphoning off talent that would otherwise be headed to major college programs, but hiring leaders who have plenty of NBA and NCAA experience represents a promising start.