Warriors Sign Avery Bradley
SEPTEMBER 26: Bradley’s one-year, non-guaranteed contract with Golden State is now official, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Warriors and free agent guard Avery Bradley have reached an agreement on a contract, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While the exact terms of Bradley’s deal aren’t specified, it sounds like it’ll be a non-guaranteed training camp contract. Slater suggests in a follow-up tweet that Bradley will get the opportunity to compete for the 15th spot on Golden State’s regular season roster.
Bradley, who will turn 31 in November, spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Boston, but has bounced around for the last four seasons, spending time with the Pistons, Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers, Heat, and Rockets. The 6’3″ guard has long been considered a solid three-and-D wing, but his three-point shot has been inconsistent as of late. In 2020/21, he averaged 6.4 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .374/.327/.800 shooting in 27 games (22.3 MPG) for Miami and Houston.
The Warriors had been auditioning guards this month in the hopes of giving Gary Payton II and Mychal Mulder some competition for the final spot on their regular season roster. Bradley and Langston Galloway, who also agreed to a deal with Golden State, are expected to push for that spot.
Once Bradley and Galloway are officially signed, the Warriors will have 19 players on their camp roster. The team still has a two-way slot open.
Rockets Re-Sign Tyler Bey On Two-Way Deal
The Rockets have brought back free agent small forward Tyler Bey, signing him to a two-way contract, per a team press release revealing the club’s full training camp lineup.
The 6’7″ swingman out of Colorado will join Anthony Lamb as the club’s second two-way player. It will be Bey’s second straight season in such a capacity.
Bey was selected by the Sixers with the No. 36 pick in the 2020 draft on behalf of Dallas. After the Mavericks decided to not partake in the NBAGL Orlando “bubble” restart for the 2020/21 season, Bey joined the Long Island Nets for a single game, before moving to the Salt Lake City Stars. Overall, he averaged 15.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 0.8 SPG on .493/.325/.771 shooting, across 13 games.
In 18 appearances with the Mavericks during the 2020/21 season, Bey averaged a modest 3.9 MPG. He most recently suited up for the Bulls’ 2021 Summer League club, then signed a non-guaranteed contract with Houston. The Rockets waived him last week, but brought him back into the fold after waiving two-way player Matthew Hurt.
Bey racked up significant accolades in college. He was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2019 and the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2020. He also was honored as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
Pacific Notes: McNair, Warriors, McGee, Suns
The Kings‘ roster may appear imbalanced, but general manager Monte McNair is satisfied with the group that will gather for training camp, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento has eight guards and five centers, but an apparent shortage of depth at the wing. The team will bring 20 players into camp, assuming a reported deal with DJ Steward is finalized by Tuesday.
The most significant offseason addition was Davion Mitchell, who was taken with the ninth pick in the draft. The Kings already have a crowded backcourt, but Mitchell was a Summer League star and could be a difference maker no matter how he is used.
“This is going to be our team going in,” McNair said. “I look at our roster and I see a lot of versatility, guys who can slide up, slide down and really give us different looks. Talking with (coach Luke Walton), I think we’re excited about the possibilities of different lineups, how we can match up in different situations. I think we actually have pretty good roster balance in the sense of, not traditional thinking, but … I think we can put a lot of different lineups out there to match up with whatever we need.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- James Wiseman and Kevon Looney are the only traditional centers on the Warriors‘ roster and the team may not be in the market for another big man, per Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports By Area. “I think the league has changed quite a bit,” coach Steve Kerr said in a recent appearance on Tim Kawakami’s podcast. “I know if you look at our team historically over the last six, seven years, we’ve always carried a lot of centers. But think about the last part of last season, we played Draymond (Green) at five so much, we even played Juan (Toscano-Anderson) at five. The league seems to be getting smaller and quicker every single year.”
- JaVale McGee is the Suns‘ most important offseason addition, contends Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin notes that Phoenix hasn’t had a rim-protecting center to back up Deandre Ayton since he was a rookie, and suggests that McGee can serve another veteran leader in the locker room.
- The Suns get an A-minus from Zach Harper of The Athletic for their offseason moves. Phoenix kept the core of last season’s Finals team together, re-signing both Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, and added depth with McGee and Landry Shamet.
Knicks Notes: Point Guards, Perry, L. Rose, Selden
The Knicks‘ fortunes will depend largely on a pair of veteran point guards with a history of knee issues, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The team addressed the position over the offseason by re-signing Derrick Rose and adding Kemba Walker after his buyout with the Thunder.
Rose didn’t have any physical problems after the Knicks acquired him in February. He played 35 games and the only time he missed was due to COVID-19. Walker, however, was slowed by an arthritic left knee all season and managed just 43 games for the Celtics.
“Health, I think it’s a big question for every team, and it’s important (Walker) feels good,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. “(Kemba’s) been in. He’s doing a lot of work. And you got to trust him. He understands what he has to do to be ready for a season.’’
There’s more from New York:
- The Knicks plan to continue their approach of gradually building a title contender and won’t look for shortcuts after the surprising success of last season, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Armed with more than $50MM in cap room, the front office concentrated on roster stability, re-signing much of the team’s core to long-term deals. “We wanted to bring enough of those guys back from last year that started to set a bar for us to get better,” general manager Scott Perry said. “And as you look around the league, teams that improve tend to have a lot of the same guys back. You’ve got to be able to have enough time to develop a core group of guys, so that was reflective of what we did this summer.”
- Addressing the media Friday for the first time in 14 months, team president Leon Rose said there are certain advantages to being a former agent, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Rose came to the Knicks from CAA, where he used to be one of the NBA’s most influential dealmakers. “I think being an agent gives me a great perspective from the other side of the table, and allows me to have a greater understanding of the things we come up against every single day and the way the other people think,” Rose said. “So I think it’s a huge benefit.”
- Wayne Selden‘s new deal with the Knicks is an Exhibit 9 contract, according to Spotrac. As Bondy explains (via Twitter), the non-guaranteed deal offers protections for the team if Selden is injured during training camp.
Yogi Ferrell In Talks With Greek Team?
9:25am: A source told JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link) that no deal between the sides is imminent. Ferrell continues to keep his options open for an opportunity with an NBA team.
9:15am: Yogi Ferrell, who was waived by the Clippers three weeks ago, is in talks to join Panathinaikos in Greece, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The news was first reported by Gazzetta.gr.
The 28-year-old point guard appeared in eight games for L.A. last season after joining the team in April on a 10-day contract and then signing for the rest of the year. He also played two games for the Cavaliers in January and averaged a combined 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the season. In addition, Ferrell was in the G League bubble with the Salt Lake City Stars.
He had a non-guaranteed $1.98MM salary for the upcoming season, but the Clippers decided to explore other options for backcourt help. The Thunder were rumored to have interest in Ferrell, but it appears he will be headed overseas.
Ferrell began his career with the Nets in 2016 after going undrafted out of Indiana. He later signed with the Mavericks and enjoyed his best season in 2017/18, playing all 82 games and averaging 10.2 PPG. He then spent two years with the Kings and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz last offseason, but never played for Utah.
Nets Notes: Marks, Big Three, Aldridge, Two-Way Slot
The Nets welcome their role as favorites as the new season approaches, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn was expected to win the title last season after acquiring James Harden to go with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but injuries made it rare that all three were on the court at the same time. With a deeper bench to to back up the Big Three, the Nets are honest about what they hope to accomplish.
“Our goal is to be the last team standing,” general manager Sean Marks said. “There’s probably, six, eight, 10 teams that have that same similar goal, and a realistic one. For us it’s about owning that and not shying away from it and doing everything we possibly can … to try and accomplish that. We’ve also got to take into account that it’s a long season. Anything can happen, as we’ve seen over the course of last year.”
Marks has been hoping to negotiate extensions with all three stars to give the team a championship window that will last for several years. He reached a four-year deal with Durant last month and would like to have similar arrangements soon with Harden and Irving.
“We’re looking forward to sitting down with them over the course of the next week, two weeks, and furthering those discussions,” Marks said. “Those guys know exactly how we feel, and they’ve been vocal about wanting to be part of this and build this together. We’ve got an opportunity to hopefully build something special here for the foreseeable future. … They want to collaborate, they want to come here together, they want to build this together.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets were thrilled to bring back LaMarcus Aldridge, who received medical clearance this summer after being forced into retirement last season with a heart condition, per Greg Logan of Newsday. Aldridge provides some familiarity for a team that returns just eight players from last year’s postseason squad. “I thought he added a lot to our room,” coach Steve Nash said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much of him on the floor, but he was an experienced, skilled, versatile big that knows how to play and was adding a lot to our collective IQ. So we’re excited to have him back.”
- Brooklyn got a grade of B-plus for its offseason moves from Zach Harper of The Athletic. The addition of Aldridge, along with Patty Mills and Paul Millsap, gives the Nets a collection of low-cost veterans who can complement their stars, Harper states.
- The battle for an open two-way slot will be one of the intriguing things to watch in training camp, writes Tom Dowd of NBA.com. Rookie free agent David Duke Jr. and recently signed Devontae Cacok will be among the candidates, but the Nets could decide to leave the position open and wait for cuts from other teams, like they did when they signed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in 2019.
Nuggets Notes: Barton, Bol, Porter, Gordon
Nuggets swingman Will Barton has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him to miss most of the playoffs and he’s looking forward to the start of training camp, writes Eric Spyropoulous of NBA.com. Entering his 10th season, Barton is the longest-tenured player on Denver’s roster. It appeared he might be headed elsewhere when he declined a $14.7MM player option this summer, but he wound up re-signing for two years at $32MM.
“This is the best I’ve felt going into a season in two years,” Barton said. “So, I feel like I’m rejuvenated really. I got to really work on my game this offseason, I didn’t get to do that last year.”
During last year’s shortened offseason, Barton was immobilized by an injured right knee and said he had to step away from the game to avoid getting depressed. This year, he immersed himself in basketball and spent a lot of time studying opponents on film when he wasn’t in the gym.
“I’m so excited man. I haven’t been this excited in a while just to be feeling good, knowing I put the work in, knowing I got a lot of work in and got better,” Barton said. “We have a good team. Like I said, we have a lot of good guys and a lot of good talent.”
There’s more from Denver:
- The Nuggets’ status as a contender has limited the opportunities for Bol Bol, but he may be ready for a breakthrough as he heads into his third season, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Bol stands 7’3″ but has the skills of a smaller player. That can be an asset on offense, but it’s often a liability on defense as his height and thin frame make it difficult for him to guard either inside or on the perimeter. With a compressed schedule last season, Denver rarely was able to practice, which left little time to experiment with the best ways to use Bol. “Our first three years, we were developing, and young guys were given the opportunity to play, and more importantly, play through all their mistakes,” coach Michael Malone said. “Well, Bol doesn’t have that option, man. It’s all trying to be homecourt advantage in the playoffs.”
- The clock is ticking for Michael Porter Jr. to get a contract extension before the season starts, but he’s not fretting about the outcome, Singer adds in a separate story. Porter said he trusts agent Mark Bartelstein to act in his best interests. “I love basketball,” he said. “It’s not too stressful for me about the money stuff. Of course that’s part of it. I’m just trying to stay in the gym and get better.”
- The Nuggets saw enough from Aaron Gordon in his two and a half months with the team to be comfortable giving him a four-year extension, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said on a podcast with Singer and Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Connelly said the team was particularly impressed by Gordon’s ability to adapt to a new role after being acquired at the trade deadline.
Warriors Sign Langston Galloway To Training Camp Deal
SEPTEMBER 25: Galloway’s deal with Golden State is now official, according to the transactions log at RealGM.
SEPTEMBER 24: Free agent guard Langston Galloway will sign a training camp contract with the Warriors, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Galloway, 29, went to the NBA Finals with the Suns last season after signing with the team in free agency. However, he was unhappy with his role, playing just 11.0 minutes per night in 40 games, and expressed a desire to join a new team after the season ended.
Galloway broke into the league with the Knicks after going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s in 2014. He also spent time with the Pelicans, Kings and Pistons, averaging 8.2 PPG in 445 career games while shooting 37% from three-point range.
Once the signing is official, Golden State will have 18 players heading into camp with 13 fully guaranteed contracts. The Warriors have been in touch with several other guards, including Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and Darren Collison, and it’s not clear how the addition of Galloway will affect the team’s interest in them.
Sixers Notes: Wall, Simmons, Embiid, Training Camp
John Wall‘s contract and injury history prevent him from being a realistic option for the Sixers as they try to work out a Ben Simmons trade, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. The Rockets and Wall have agreed that he won’t play again until he’s traded elsewhere, but Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is looking for a far greater return for Simmons than the 31-year-old point guard.
Wall will make $44.3MM this season and has a $47.4MM player option for 2022/23, which means he, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris would take up a huge chunk of the Sixers’ salary cap over the next two years. Philadelphia can only take back about $39.5MM by trading Simmons, so the team would have to include at least one more player in any deal for Wall.
Wall played just 40 games last season, which was his first after returning from an Achilles injury. Although he averaged 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per night, there are concerns about his overall game and his fit alongside Embiid due to his limited outside shot. Bodner believes the Rockets would have to include several high-value draft picks to get Morey’s attention and doesn’t see the teams as realistic trading partners.
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst hears that Sixers fans are part of the reason Simmons wants to leave. Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Windhorst says Simmons’ relationship with the city soured last season (hat tip to Alek Arend of The Spun). “It’s not just that he doesn’t wanna play there anymore,” Windhorst said. “He doesn’t want to be in front of those fans. I don’t think he ever intends to show his face there again unless he’s part of the visiting team.”
- The Simmons drama will continue to hang over the Sixers until he either reports to the team or is traded, states Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons has insisted that he won’t be present when training camp opens this week, and he reportedly turned down an offer to meet with teammates who want to smooth over the situation. Hayes contends that Simmons’ stance shows a lack of concern for his teammates, the organization that made him the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, and the fan base that has supported him.
- Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer looks at several other training camp storylines, including how Embiid adjusts in the post-Simmons era, the development of second-year guard Tyrese Maxey and other young players, and the addition of Andre Drummond, who has a long-simmering rivalry with Embiid.
Timberwolves Notes: Rosas, Gupta, Finch, Simmons, Towns
The impending ownership change played a role in the surprising dismissal of Gersson Rosas as the Timberwolves‘ president of basketball operations, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Minority partners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who will eventually take over for Glen Taylor, are doing a full investigation into the franchise and discovered “disenchantment” among front office employees, sources tell Krawczynski. Considering the team’s poor record with Rosas in charge, Lore and Rodriguez determined that he would eventually need to be replaced, and that decision was sped up with the discovery that Rosas was having a “consensual intimate relationship” with another member of the organization.
Sachin Gupta, who was chosen to replace Rosas, has strong relationships with the new ownership group and will be given a chance to win the job on a more permanent basis, according to Krawczynski’s sources. He has full power to make decisions on trades and other personnel moves, but will be watched closely to make sure the owners are happy with the direction of the franchise. The Wolves are seeking stability and don’t appear to be searching outside the organization for someone else to take over.
Gupta is a strong supporter of coach Chris Finch, whose job will be safe despite the loss of Rosas, who hired him in February. Finch has “nearly universal approval” throughout the organization, along with the trust of the players. However, he may need a successful season to keep his job if a new lead executive is eventually hired.
There’s more from Minnesota:
- The front office shakeup won’t affect the Wolves’ chances of trading for Ben Simmons, Krawczynski adds in the same piece. Gupta was involved in the team’s negotiations with Philadelphia, according to sources, and like Rosas, he worked with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey in Houston. Minnesota’s main obstacles to landing Simmons are a lack of assets that appeal to Philadelphia and the difficulty of finding a third team to facilitate a deal.
- Acquiring Simmons may be the only way to keep Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota for the long term, suggests Michael Rand of The Star-Tribune. The Wolves seem likely to miss the playoffs again with their current roster, which increases the chances that Towns will ask for a trade next summer when he will have just two years left on his contract.
- The bad decisions made by Rosas show the importance of finding the right person to run the team, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger notes that the Wolves have a history of front office failure, which is why they have just one playoff appearance over the past 17 years.