2021 August | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Sign Grant Riller To Two-Way Contract

August 30th, 2021 at 10:50am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 30: The Sixers have made it official, announcing in a press release that Riller has signed a two-way deal with the team.

AUGUST 18: After opening a two-way slot by waiving Rayjon Tucker, the Sixers have reached an agreement on a two-way deal with Grant Riller, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Riller, 24, was a two-way player for the Hornets last season. He got into just seven games and averaged 2.6 PPG in 3.9 minutes per night. He played 11 games during the abbreviated G League season, posting 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Greensboro Swarm.

Charlotte took Riller with the 56th pick in the 2020 draft, but didn’t make a qualifying offer before this year’s deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Philadelphia’s other two-way contract is held by rookie wing Aaron Henry.

Suns Eyeing Thaddeus Young

August 30th, 2021 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are among the contending teams that have pursued veteran forward Thaddeus Young, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Young, who will earn $14.19MM in a contract year in 2021/22, was sent from the Bulls from the Spurs in the sign-and-trade deal that landed DeMar DeRozan in Chicago.

Young is coming off a productive season, having averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG with a career-best .559 FG% in 68 games (24.3 MPG) for the Bulls in 2020/21. And his expiring contract at a reasonable rate makes the 33-year-old a relatively safe investment.

However, it’s unclear whether he’s in the Spurs’ plans or if the team simply acquired him as part of the DeRozan return for salary-matching purposes and would happily flip him. Charania suggests that San Antonio is expected to receive “strong interest” in Young from playoff teams.

Phoenix could use some extra depth at the power forward spot since Dario Saric is expected to miss most or all of the 2021/22 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Any offer the Suns make for Young would likely start with Saric (who is earning $8.51MM) for salary-matching purposes and would have to include another asset or two.

The Suns would have to add a little more salary to Saric’s $8.51MM to sufficiently match Young’s cap hit, and many of their lesser-paid players aren’t yet trade-eligible since they were recently signed. As such, second-year center Jalen Smith looks like a potential candidate to be included in any offer for Young, though that’s just my speculation.

Charles Bassey Plans To Sign Required Tender From Sixers

August 30th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Rookie center Charles Bassey, one of the last unsigned players from the 2021 draft class, intends to sign his required one-year tender from the Sixers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Bassey and the 76ers have thus far been unable to agree to terms on a longer-term deal.

In order to retain the rights to a second-round draft pick, an NBA team must submit a “required tender” to him. That tender is equivalent to offering a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract covering just a single season, so it provides no assurances or security to the player.

Bassey, the No. 53 overall pick, may view signing that tender as his best path to either earning a 15-man roster spot with the Sixers or forcing the team to waive him before the season begins, allowing him to catch on elsewhere.

The Sixers only have 14 players on standard contracts for the time being, so Bassey could theoretically become the team’s 15th man for the regular season. However, Philadelphia may prefer to keep that last spot open to reduce its projected tax bill — it’s unclear if the 76ers want to stash Bassey overseas or in the G League, or if the rookie simply hasn’t been satisfied with the years and dollars the team is offering.

If he signs his tender and then is released by Philadelphia before the regular season starts, Bassey wouldn’t be eligible to sign a two-way contract with another NBA team during the 2021/22 league year, which would significantly reduce his options.

Bassey, 20, played his college ball at Western Kentucky, averaging a double-double (17.6 PPG, 11.6 RPG) as a junior in 2020/21 before declaring for the draft.

Nets, DeAndre Jordan Exploring Possible Buyout

August 30th, 2021 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets and DeAndre Jordan are working toward parting ways via a potential contract buyout, according to Shams Charania and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.

While Charania cautions that the two sides haven’t made any final decisions, he says the veteran center is “increasingly unlikely” to remain in Brooklyn going forward. Schiffer conveyed a similar sentiment last week. A buyout appears to be a more likely outcome than a trade, since the Nets would have to attach an asset or two to unload Jordan’s contract to another team.

Jordan joined the Nets at the same time Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did, signing as a free agent during the 2019 offseason. He received a four-year contract worth approximately $40MM at that time. However, while Durant has signed a new extension with Brooklyn and the team is working to extend Irving too, the big man’s days with the franchise appear numbered.

Jordan did start 43 games in 2020/21, but his 21.9 minutes per contest represented his lowest mark since the 2009/10 season. He fell out of the rotation altogether late in the season and didn’t play a single minute in the postseason.

Jordan still has two years and $19.7MM left on his deal with the Nets — it’s unclear how much money he’d be willing to give back in a buyout. He’d likely draw interest from other teams in need of frontcourt help if Brooklyn lets him go, though probably not for more than the veteran’s minimum.

Sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the Lakers are one potential suitor to watch if Jordan becomes a free agent, echoing an earlier report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Atlantic Notes: Bullock, Knicks, Wainright, Sixers

August 30th, 2021 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Despite enjoying one of the best years of his career in New York in 2020/21, Reggie Bullock called it an easy decision to leave the Knicks for the Mavericks in free agency, as Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. Bullock received a three-year deal worth a little over $30MM from Dallas.

“When I played against the Mavericks last year, I liked the way that they competed as a team,” Bullock said. “They got great players, so it was an easy, no-brainer for me. Being with the Knicks last year, we made it to the playoffs but I see (the Mavericks) as a team that’s taking that next step to be in the postseason.”

New York re-signed Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson this month, making Bullock the only key free agent who got away. A source tells Berman that Bullock would’ve been open to returning to the Knicks if they’d been willing to get something done quickly, but the team asked him to wait. The veteran wing wasn’t interested in waiting — his deal with the Mavericks was reported about 75 minutes into free agency.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Blake Murphy of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at Raptors camp invitee Ishmail Wainright, a selfless, hard-working player whom Murphy describes as a “walking culture-builder.” Wainright, who has played in Europe since 2018, has a partial guarantee and is vying for a spot on Toronto’s regular season roster. As Murphy writes, the 6’6″ forward is determined to stick in the NBA. “I’m here to stay,” he said. “I don’t plan on going back overseas. Ever.”
The $8.1MM trade exception the Sixers generated in last offseason’s Al Horford trade is set to expire on September 7, Derek Bodner of The Athletic observes. Bodner also explores how much of the mid-level exception Philadelphia still has available and the team’s current roster breakdown, which includes 14 players on standard NBA contracts.
In case you missed it on Sunday, we relayed some details on new contracts signed by the Celtics and Knicks, and examined the impact the Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk signing will have on the Raptors‘ roster battles.

Robert Franks Signs In Australia

August 29th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent forward Robert Franks has signed with the Brisbane Bullets of Australia’s National Basketball League, the team announced in a press release.

Franks, who went undrafted in 2019, played seven games on two 10-day contracts with the Magic last season. He played 14.4 minutes per contest, averaging 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds on 46% shooting.

“His unique skillset and versatility provides everything we’ve been looking for at this position,” Bullets general manager Sam Mackinnon said. “I spoke to Robert yesterday, he’s looking forward to joining his teammates and meeting all the Bullet fans. He’s hungry and motivated to take the next step with us.”

Prior to signing his 10-day deals, Franks inked an Exhibit 10 contract with Orlando and spent time with the team’s G League affiliate. He averaged 12.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game across those 14 contests with the Lakeland Magic.

Zach LaVine To Switch Agents Entering Contract Year

August 29th, 2021 at 5:49pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls star Zach LaVine has made the decision to leave agencies BDA Sports and Innovate Sports, as first reported by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

LaVine is expected to sign with Rich Paul‘s Klutch Sports Group, which represents players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and John Wall. Paul also represents Lonzo Ball, who joined the Bulls via a sign-and-trade agreement earlier this month.

LaVine had been co-represented by Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian. The 26-year-old is entering the final season of a four-year, $78MM deal signed with Chicago in 2018, which means he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021/22 campaign.

LaVine is coming off the first All-Star season of his career, averaging 27.4 points, five rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He also shot a career-high 51% from the floor and 42% from deep during those contests.

Contract Details: Forbes, Richardson, R. Williams, Randle

August 29th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Spurs used their room exception to finalize the signing of shooting guard Bryn Forbes, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Forbes’ deal with San Antonio, which is worth $4.5MM, only covers one year, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Although Forbes’ contract technically doesn’t use up the Spurs’ entire room exception, the amount left ($410K) isn’t big enough to be used on a second player. It’s possible it could come in handy very late in the season, when the prorated portion of the room exception exceeds the prorated minimum salary, but I’d expect it to just go unused.

Our full breakdown of how teams are using their mid-level/room exceptions this season can be found right here.

Here are a few more contract details from around the NBA:

The one-year extension that Josh Richardson signed with the Celtics is worth $12,196,094, which represents a 5% raise on 2021/22 salary ($11,615,328), tweets Smith. Because Richardson was traded to Boston just a few weeks ago, extend-and-trade rules limited his raise to 5% of his previous salary.
Smith also provides the specifics, down to the dollar, of Robert Williams‘ rookie scale extension with the Celtics (Twitter link). We took a closer look at that deal, along with details on some of the incentives, last week.
Julius Randle‘s new four-year extension with the Knicks includes a 15% trade kicker, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Unlike several other deals with 15% trade kickers, Randle’s contract is well below the maximum, so he’d be in position to earn a sizeable bonus if he’s traded in the coming years.

Implications Of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk Deal For Raptors

August 29th, 2021 at 1:50pm CST by Eli Cohen

With the signing of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, the battles for the Raptors’ final roster spots are coming into focus, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets.

Murphy writes that the player option included in Mykhailiuk’s deal makes it very likely he gets one of the team’s final roster spots, especially given Toronto’s lack of guaranteed depth at the shooting guard spot. Second-round pick David Johnson and partially-guaranteed Ishmail Wainright are the only shooting guards on the roster beyond Gary Trent Jr. Fred VanVleet has seen plenty of time at the position in recent years, but is almost certainly going to start games as the team’s point guard.

Murphy adds that if Mykhailiuk is guaranteed a spot on the 15-man roster, that means that Wainright, Freddie Gillespie, Sam Dekker, Isaac Bonga, and Yuta Watanabe will vie for the final three openings. Gillespie and Watanabe both showed promise for the Raptors in limited time last season, while Bonga has at times proved an interesting, potential-filled player as a 6’9″ playmaker with decent defensive instincts and some shooting ability.

Murphy added in a response to his initial tweet that Watanabe is considered a heavy favorite for a spot after his strong play last season, but given his non-guaranteed contract, he’s not quite a lock. Murphy also says that Egyptian big man Anas Mahmoud is likely to receive an Exhibit 10 deal.

In a final tweet, Murphy adds that the Raptors are operating like a team that knows that it’ll be able to move Goran Dragic by the deadline to avoid a tax bill.

Southeast Notes: Bamba, Anthony, Haslem, Love

August 29th, 2021 at 1:06pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Magic are coming to something of a crossroads with Mohamed Bamba, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

The former No. 6 overall pick has only started six games in three years, with five of them coming in the final 24 games of last season, after the Magic traded the team’s long-standing linchpin, Nikola Vucevic, to the Bulls. Of course, those starts only came when Wendell Carter Jr., who came back from Chicago in the deal, wasn’t playing.

With Bamba entering the final year of his rookie contract, Robbins talks to NBA scouts about the future for the big man.

“Talent-wise, he has a ceiling that he could be really good if he’s locked-in,” one scout said. “He has a chance, but I don’t know if his motor will let him get there.”

In examining Bamba’s strengths, Robbins quotes the big man’s 91st-percentile for percentage of opposing teams’ shots blocked, as well as his burgeoning jumpshot, but scouts worry that his tools are far ahead of his defensive instincts and reactivity. One scout says that Orlando may ultimately be better served to let another team try to develop Bamba once his rookie deal expires. However, Robbins observes that a new coach and system could be huge for his development, and that the team still seems at least relatively committed to him.

We have more news from around the Southeast Division:

In a similar piece from earlier this month, Robbins talked to scouts about Cole Anthony, who, like Bamba, faces a similar uncertainty given the Magic‘s depth at the point guard spot. The scouts came away more impressed with Anthony’s ability to get into the paint and play with physicality than expected, especially on the offensive glass, but almost unanimously said his lack of vision as a playmaker and his limitations defensively will probably keep him from becoming a starting point guard for a good team.
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel believes that it’s possible we see a mid-season send-off for lifelong Heat veteran Udonis Haslem, he writes in a recent mailbag. He also says Haslem may have been biding his time and waiting for the perfect moment to get his big farewell.
In a separate piece, Winderman calls Kevin Love‘s recently-reported disinterest in a buyout “pure posturing,” while saying the Heat would likely be interested, especially with a bit of a hole at the power forward position. However, he’s unsure if Miami currently holds the “contender” status in the eyes of players that could woo Love over a team like the Lakers or Warriors.

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