Stein’s Latest: Timberwolves, Ujiri, Simmons, Lacob, Dragic
Incoming Timberwolves owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore won’t assume majority control of the the franchise from Glen Taylor until 2023, but they’re operating in some ways as if they’re already the team’s primary owners, says Marc Stein of Substack.
Shortly after Gersson Rosas was dismissed this week, Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore suggested (via Twitter) that rumors have circulated for months that Rodriguez and Lore want to bring in a “top-five” front office executive. Stein doesn’t specifically confirm that rumor, but he corroborates it, writing that word circulated at Summer League in August that A-Rod and Lore would have loved to make a run at veteran executive Masai Ujiri, who ultimately re-upped with the Raptors.
While those reports suggest that the Wolves’ new ownership group wants to make a splash, league sources tell Stein that Sachin Gupta is expected to get every chance to impress the team during his time running the basketball operations department. According to Moore (Twitter link), Gupta – whose title is executive VP of basketball operations – doesn’t technically have the “interim” tag attached to his position, an indication that he’ll receive serious consideration for the permanent job.
Here’s more from Stein’s latest NBA roundup:
- According to Stein, teams around the NBA are skeptical that the Sixers genuinely want to bring back Ben Simmons, viewing Doc Rivers‘ media comments on Wednesday as an attempt to regain trade leverage rather than a legitimate effort to mend the team’s relationship with Simmons.
- It may seem odd that Warriors owner Joe Lacob was fined for comments about Simmons that didn’t even mention him by name and made it clear that Golden State isn’t really interested in the Sixers star. However, Stein says the tampering penalty was “as automatic as these ever get,” since there was no doubt Lacob was referring to Simmons, and his comments could be viewed as an attempt to diminish the 25-year-old’s trade value.
- It doesn’t appear that any deal involving Goran Dragic is imminent. Stein writes that the Raptors want to be as competitive as possible this season, and Dragic can help with those efforts. Toronto also believes that more appealing trade scenarios could arise once the season gets underway and more teams need a point guard due to injuries or underperformance.
Spurs Hire Manu Ginobili As Special Advisor
Within a press release announcing more than a dozen additions and promotions within their basketball operations department, the Spurs confirmed today that they’ve hired former star player Manu Ginobili as a special advisor to basketball operations.
Ginobili’s role with the franchise was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who hears that the four-time NBA champion will work closely with Spurs players, focusing on their development both on and off the court.
According to Wojnarowski, the Spurs have been persistent in trying to get Ginobili to accept a position with the organization since he retired as a player in 2018. Head coach Gregg Popovich, CEO R.C. Buford, and general manager Brian Wright believe Ginobili can help pass on the Spurs’ culture to the next generation of players and staffers, Woj adds.
The 44-year-old spent 16 seasons with the Spurs, earning two All-NBA nods and a Sixth Man of the Year award in addition to his four championships with the club. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2004.
Sixers Sign Second-Rounder Charles Bassey
2:25pm: The Sixers have officially announced their deal with Bassey, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.
11:42am: Charles Bassey has agreed to a three-year contract with the Sixers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal, which provides a full guarantee in the first year and a partial guarantee in the second, was confirmed by his agents, Adie von Gontard and Daveed Cohen.
The 20-year-old center out of Western Kentucky is one of the last players taken in this year’s draft to sign a contract. He was selected with the No. 53 pick, which Philadelphia acquired from the Pelicans for $2MM in a draft-night trade.
The delay in signing reportedly stemmed from Bassey’s desire to get two years of fully guaranteed money, which is unusual for a player drafted that low. A report last month indicated he may sign his non-guaranteed one-year tender rather than agreeing to a multiyear deal, but it sounds like the two sides were able to reach a compromise.
The deal will come out of Philadelphia’s mid-level exception.
Bassey was named Conference USA Player of the Year last season as a junior with the Hilltoppers after averaging 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He was also selected as a third-team All-American by the U.S. Basketball Writers.
Warriors Notes: 15th Roster Spot, Thomas, Wiseman, Wiggins
The Warriors will hold an open competition in training camp for their 15th roster spot, according to Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area. Appearing on Tim Kawakami’s “The TK Show,” coach Steve Kerr said the team hasn’t decided to definitely carry 15 players, but several candidates will be considered when camp opens next week.
“The way we’re looking at it is that it’s up in the air,” Kerr said. “We may or may not use it, but that’s what training camp is for. You get a really good look at some guys, there are some really interesting names, people who are really proven players in the league. You get a chance to get a good look at those guys and some young guys who are trying to make it in the league.”
Gary Payton II, who has a non-guaranteed contract, is among the players in contention for that final spot, along with Mychal Mulder. The team also reportedly reached deals today with Langston Galloway and Avery Bradley, who will both be in the running for a roster spot.
“We’re just kind of leaving everything open and figuring this is what camp is for, you get a really good look at somebody, you throw them out there in exhibition games and you figure out exactly how you’re going to put your roster together,” Kerr said.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Isaiah Thomas had a “strong” week of workouts with Golden State, but left town without a deal, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. As Slater explains, Thomas remains on the lookout for an opportunity where he’d have a clearer path to a regular season roster spot.
- Also on The TK Show, Kerr lamented that James Wiseman‘s development will be slowed by not having a full training camp for the second straight season, relays Alex Didion of NBC Sports Bay Area. After sitting out camp with COVID-19 as a rookie, Wiseman will be limited this year as he continues to recover from meniscus surgery. “He will be involved in camp, he’s going to be doing some drill work and he’s going to be part of things,” Kerr said. “The rehab is actually going really well, he’s really coming along and feels good. But because of the nature of the rehab, he has to take his time with contact and the full range of things he’s going to need to be able to do.”
- Andrew Wiggins, whose playing status is uncertain while he remains unvaccinated, is currently restricted to individual workouts at Chase Center, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. San Francisco requires people to show proof of vaccination before they can enter indoor venues, and Poole states that Wiggins won’t be permitted to continue his workouts if he doesn’t receive the vaccine in the next 20 days.
- The Warriors didn’t make any splashy moves during the offseason, but president of basketball operations Bob Myers is satisfied with the additions of Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica on veteran’s minimum contracts, telling Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle, “We added three minimum players, and that may not look like much, but it wasn’t easy. All three were in demand. We are excited. What they’ll become is to be determined, but we targeted those guys. We made a good effort to get them and convince them that we were the right place for them.”
Pistons Convert Jamorko Pickett To Two-Way Deal
Having promoted Luka Garza from his two-way contract to a standard deal, the Pistons didn’t waste any time in filling their newly-opened two-way slot. According to the team (via Twitter), forward Jamorko Pickett has had his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way pact.
Pickett, who went undrafted after playing four seasons at Georgetown, averaged 12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 26 games (34.7 MPG) as a senior in 2020/21.. He started 109 of 119 games during his college career and made 36.5% of his 3-point attempts, including 37.3% last season.
Pickett signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with Detroit in August. It initially looked like he’d probably be released before the regular season and join the Pistons’ G League team, the Motor City Cruise, as an affiliate player. However, Detroit created some roster flexibility by trading away Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor, providing a pathway for Pickett to stick around.
The Pistons now project to have a full 20-man camp roster, with camp invitees Derrick Walton and Cassius Stanley expected to join the 18 players who are already officially under contract.
Nuggets Adding Davon Reed On Training Camp Contract
Free agent guard Davon Reed will sign a training camp deal with the Nuggets, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. The signing was confirmed by his agent, Josh Beauregard-Bell of Octagon Basketball.
Reed, 26, was a second-round pick by the Suns in 2017 and played 21 games in his rookie season. He spent the following year with the Pacers on a two-way deal and holds career averages of 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 31 games.
The addition of Reed, along with the reported deal with Tarik Black, will push Denver to the full roster limit of 20 players heading into next week’s training camp.
Patrick Williams To Miss 4-To-6 Weeks With Ankle Sprain
12:27pm: The timeline for Williams’ recovery is based on the date he was injured, which was September 15, tweets Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. That should put his return sometime between October 13-27.
11:09am: Bulls forward Patrick Williams may miss the start of the regular season after suffering a severe sprain to his left ankle, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The team confirmed the news (via Twitter), stating that the injury happened during an optional individual workout and Williams is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. Chicago opens its season October 20 against the Pistons.
Williams is coming off a strong rookie season in which he started all 71 games that he played and averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per night. He also gave the Bulls a strong defensive presence on the perimeter.
In the same tweet, the team provided an injury update on guard Coby White, who underwent surgery on his left shoulder in June. The Bulls say White has made “steady progress” and is expected to be ready to play in November.
Pistons Sign Luka Garza To Two-Year Contract
12:16pm: The move is official, the Pistons announced (via Twitter).
11:03am: Rookie Pistons center Luka Garza will have his two-way deal converted to a standard NBA contract that will cover two years, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The news was confirmed by Garza’s agents, Mike Kneisley and Odell Witherspoon.
Garza, who was named Player of the Year as a senior at Iowa, was taken with the 52nd pick in this year’s draft and signed the two-way contract in August. He had a strong Summer League showing, averaging 15 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
The move gives Detroit 15 guaranteed contracts heading into camp and opens up one of the team’s two-way slots. The Pistons currently have 18 players under contract, along with reported deals for Derrick Walton Jr. and Cassius Stanley.
Trail Blazers Re-Sign Keljin Blevins To Two-Way Contract
Keljin Blevins will return to the Trail Blazers on a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.
Blevins didn’t receive a qualifying offer from Portland, so he spent the summer as an unrestricted free agent.
The 25-year-old swingman signed a two-way deal last November and saw brief playing time in 17 games, averaging 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds per night. He originally signed a training camp contract with Portland in 2019 after going undrafted out of Montana State, but failed to make the roster and spent the season in the G League.
The Blazers now have both two-way slots filled heading into training camp, although that could change at any time. Former LSU power forward Trendon Watford holds the other two-way contract.
Tarik Black Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Nuggets
9:49am: Black’s contract, which is now official, is an Exhibit 10 deal, sources tell international basketball writer Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link).
9:19am: Tarik Black will attempt an NBA comeback with the Nuggets, according to a tweet from his representatives, Priority Sports. The agency doesn’t offer any details on his contract, but it’s likely a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
The 29-year-old center played four years with the Lakers and Rockets, but has been out of the league since the 2017/18 season. He has career averages of 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 220 games.
Black has been playing overseas ever since and spent last season with Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia. He left the team in July.
Black’s signing will bring the Nuggets to 19 players for training camp if they complete a rumored deal with Giorgi Bezhanishvili. Denver has 14 guaranteed contracts, so Black will be fighting for one open roster spot.