Kobi Simmons Signs In Poland
Free agent guard Kobi Simmons has signed in Poland with Stal Ostrow, agents Aaron Turner and Kshaun Daley of Verus Basketball told Hoops Rumors.
This marks the first career overseas stint for Simmons, who went undrafted in 2017 after spending one collegiate season at Arizona. He’s made past NBA stops with the Grizzlies, Cavaliers and Hornets.
Simmons appeared in 15 G League games with the Greensboro Swarm last season, averaging 18.3 points, six assists and 32.9 minutes per contest. The 24-year-old was also one of the top performers in the G League during the 2019/20 season, holding per-game averages of 17.4 points and 5.6 assists.
Simmons played 32 NBA games with Memphis in 2017/18 and one game with Cleveland in 2018/19. He was with Portland for summer league last month.
Rui Hachimura To Miss Start Of Training Camp
Wizards third-year forward Rui Hachimura will miss the start of training camp due to personal reasons, the team announced on social media today. Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) notes that it’s an excused absence and says Hachimura will be out indefinitely.
Washington is set to open its camp on Tuesday, making Hachimura’s status beyond that unclear. The 23-year-old is expected to have a significant role on the team this year.
In 57 games last season, Hachimura averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per contest. He also shot 48% from the floor and 33% from deep.
Hachimura will be competing for minutes in a revamped Wizards frontcourt that includes Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Deni Avdija and Davis Bertans. Washington finished 34-38 after a late-season push in 2020/21, ultimately losing to the Sixers 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs.
Ben Simmons Rejects Meeting With Teammates
Sixers star Ben Simmons recently rejected the opportunity to meet with his teammates in Los Angeles, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charania reports that players such as Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle planned on traveling to meet with Simmons and change his mind about requesting a trade.
Simmons communicated that he didn’t want his teammates to make the trip, as he has no interest in playing for the Sixers this season. The 25-year-old has held firm on his stance and appears to be mentally checked out from Philadelphia, Charania writes.
Along with various players, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers also recently expressed some hope that Simmons would change his mind and return.
“There’s been so many times this has happened (in sports) that hasn’t been reported…and the guy comes back,” Rivers said last week, as relayed by Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. “So listen, we’re going to go through it. We’re gonna always do what’s best for the team, but I can tell you up front, we would love to get Ben back, and if we can, we’re gonna try to do that. Ben has a long contract, so it’s in our hands and we want him back.”
The Sixers have received interest for Simmons, but no trade is imminent, according to Charania. The team will host its media day on Monday and begin training camp on Tuesday. With Simmons, the club finished 49-23 last season — good for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Simmons is coming off a season where he averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. The defensive-minded point forward struggled in the Sixers’ second-round series against the Hawks, however, harming his trade value among rival teams.
Assuming Simmons doesn’t show up for training camp next week, Philadelphia can fine him or withhold game payments. He’s currently in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary extension signed during the summer of 2019.
Wizards Notes: Bryant, Avdija, Sheppard, Unseld Jr.
Wizards center Thomas Bryant is expected to return “sometime in December,” according to general manager Tommy Sheppard, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Bryant suffered a torn ACL in January after appearing in 10 games last season. Sheppard’s comment aligns with the projected timeline for Bryant’s recovery. When Bryant returns, he’ll look to regain his starting job. Daniel Gafford will start the season at center, backed up by Montrezl Harrell.
We have more on the Wizards:
- Second-year forward Deni Avdija will have some limitations heading into training camp, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. He’ll be held out of scrimmages with teammates in the lead-up to camp. Avdija fractured his right ankle in April. “We’ll ease Deni in and continue to monitor day-to-day,” Sheppard said. “He’s doing everything full speed, he just hasn’t been jumping in the scrimmages quite yet. I think a lot of that is just being overly cautious to make sure there’s no setbacks.”
- Sheppard said he focused on improving the team’s shooting with his offseason moves and that will give new coach Wes Unseld Jr. plenty of late-game options, Jackson Filyo of the team’s website relays. “We constructed this roster to make sure we have plenty of shooting at every position,” he said. “When you look at competition, it’s going to be whoever is hot that game is going to finish games…Competition for minutes is a healthy thing.”
- Unseld is energized by the versatility on the roster, according to Filyo. “You have so many options. You can play small, you can play big, you can bump guys down, you have multiple ballhandlers who can create and finish,” he said. “Obviously, the amount of shooting we can put on the floor is a tremendous dynamic to have. It gives you a lot of flexibility. It also allows you defensively to do a lot of things.”
Hawks Notes: Huerter, Hunter, Bogdanovic, Capela, Vaccinations
Extension talks are ongoing between the Hawks and Kevin Huerter, but president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk isn’t sure if anything will get signed, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes.
“As I’ve said all along, we’re hopeful to get something done with Kevin long-term, but if we don’t, that’s OK too,” Schlenk said. “As we saw last year with John (Collins), that certainly doesn’t mean that we’re not going to work hard next year in free agency to try to get Kevin wrapped up long-term. These things are kind of hard to predict how things will go. They’re kind of hard to do.”
If no agreement is reached, Huerter will be a restricted free agent next summer.
We have more on the Hawks:
- De’Andre Hunter won’t be a full participant in camp, according to Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The teams expects him to be ready when the season begins. Hunter underwent right knee surgery in June. Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who also dealt with knee injuries last season, are also expected to a full go by the regular season. Clint Capela had a PRP injection in his Achilles tendon, and he’ll gradually ramp up activity during camp, Spencer adds.
- The Hawks will be fully vaccinated by the start of the season, Spencer writes. One player still has to receive his second dose, but that will be done by opening night. All staff members have been vaccinated.
- In case you missed it, Jahlil Okafor has signed a non-guaranteed contract with Atlanta. Get the details here.
Knicks Add Wayne Selden To Camp Roster
SEPTEMBER 25: The signing is official, the team tweets.
SEPTEMBER 24: The Knicks signed shooting guard Wayne Selden to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
Selden spent parts of three seasons in the NBA from 2016-19, seeing action in 124 games. He holds career averages of 7.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 19.1 MPG. He spent last season with Ironi Nes Ziona of the Israeli Super League, and most recently played for the Knicks’ Summer League squad.
The move brings the Knicks to a full 20-man camp roster, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts.
Central Notes: LaVine, Allen, DiVincenzo, Garland, Olynyk
Zach LaVine and Bulls have been unable to reach a contract extension agreement this offseason. He said it won’t affect his performance or mindset heading into the season, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes.
“What I can control is what I do on the court. That’s what I do best, I take care of business,” he said. “I’ll come into camp ready to be a good teammate and be a better leader every day and help my team win. I think that shows my value and I’ll let my business part speak for itself when the time comes.”
LaVine, who will make $19.5MM this season, could be the top unrestricted free agent on the market next summer unless he works something out with his current club. Given that the Bulls can’t offer more than about $105MM over four years on an extension, an in-season deal appears very unlikely.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Grayson Allen and Donte DiVincenzo are eligible for rookie scale extensions prior to the start of the season. Bucks GM Jon Horst is hopeful of reaching agreements with both but it’s not necessarily a high priority to get them locked up, he told Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I don’t think it’s essential that we figure out how to extend them,” he said. “I think it’s a priority to have the discussions, see if there’s any kind of meeting of the minds or any way that we can land a deal with one or both those guys. They’re guys that we value and we like, but if not, they’re both restricted.”
- Oddsmakers have projected the Cavaliers to lose more games than any other Eastern Conference team except Orlando. That doesn’t stop Cleveland guard Darius Garland from setting his sights on the postseason, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype writes. “Our expectations are to make the playoffs,” he said. “The league is very balanced this year, so it’s going to be tough, but I think we’ve got the guys and the mindset to do it.”
- Figuring out what to do with their top free agent acquisition, Kelly Olynyk, will be one of the main storylines in Pistons training camp, Keith Langlois of the team’s website writes. They’ll have to decide whether to start Olynyk or use him as Isaiah Stewart‘s backup. They’ll also have to decide whether to use to him at power forward at times alongside Stewart. Detroit targeted Olynyk due his ability to stretch the floor. He signed a three-year, $37MM contract in August.
- The Pistons are fully vaccinated, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Knicks Notes: Trades, Vaccinations, Robinson, Walker
Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose indicated the club is well-positioned to make a big trade and he’s ready to pounce when the opportunity arrives, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
“We’re going to be aggressive as far as knowing what’s going on and as far as being on top of things and looking at opportunities,’’ Rose said. “But at the same time, we’re going to be prudent and disciplined in decisions that we make that are going to take into account positives and negatives, short term, long term, all those factors in a decision-making process.’’
The Knicks own 15 picks in the next four drafts, which could come in handy in trade talks.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Players must be fully vaccinated to practice or play in New York City unless they are granted a religious or health-related exemption. That won’t be an issue for the Knicks, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. GM Scott Perry said everyone on the team and staff has received the shots. “They took this thing very seriously and took the responsibility to get that done,” Perry said.
- The club is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding Mitchell Robinson and contract extension talks, according to Berman. Robinson’s return from a broken foot is still “a work in progress,” according to Rose. That gives the front office pause in terms of an extension until Robinson returns to the court. “As far as a contract goes, we love Mitchell Robinson and we look forward to seeing him play,’’ Rose said.
- Kemba Walker was slowed by knee injuries over the last two seasons with the Celtics and coach Tom Thibodeau said Walker will have input regarding load management, Bondy writes. “This guy has managed his career a long time. So what’s the best for him? … Was it better for him (to sit in back-to-backs) in the end or was it not?” Thibodeau said. “So I think you have to take the information in, you have to talk to him, you have to see how it feels. You have to talk to the medical people and go from there. I don’t want him to limit himself in terms of what he can do.”
Western Notes: Ennis, Lakers, Suns, Little, Jazz
Free agent forward James Ennis worked out for the Lakers this week, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Ennis, who was linked to Los Angeles earlier in free agency, would make sense as a depth piece on the wing for the Lakers, who only have 13 players on guaranteed contracts.
As we relayed earlier today, the Lakers figure to keep their 15th roster spot open during the regular season to keep their projected tax bill in check, but the 14th spot remains up for grabs.
Here’s more from around the West:
- The Suns issued a press release today announcing some additions to their coaching staff, including Michael Ruffin as an assistant. Ruffin has some experience working under Monty Williams in the past, having served as an assistant on the Pelicans’ staff from 2014-20. The 2014/15 season was Williams’ last as New Orleans’ head coach.
- Nassir Little, the 25th pick in the 2019 draft, hasn’t made a major impact for the Trail Blazers during his first two years in the NBA, but he has turned heads this offseason, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. Quick says team officials are intrigued by Little and believe he can “contribute in a way that is unique.” While the 21-year-old figures to play mostly a three-and-D role, Little says new head coach Chauncey Billups also wants to see him improve his play-making skills.
- Sarah Todd of The Deseret News examines nine questions the Jazz should answer by the end of training camp next week, including whether their star guards – Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley – are healthy and pain-free after dealing with injuries late last season.
Clippers Notes: Leonard, Ibaka, Preston, Offseason Grade, New Coaches
The Clippers made it to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history last season, but they’ll have to wait quite a while for Kawhi Leonard to return from the partially torn ACL he suffered in the playoffs — possibly until the 2022/23 season.
President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank says the team doesn’t even broach the subject of Leonard’s recovery timeline, stating that “no one knows” when he’ll return, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
In the same piece, Youngmisuk relays that Serge Ibaka, who’s recovering from back surgery, will be limited to non-contact drills at the start of training camp, according to Frank.
Youngmisuk also notes that rookie Jason Preston, the 33rd pick in the draft, suffered a foot injury in a group workout recently and will not be available for the start of training camp, which begins next Tuesday, September 28th. Frank said team physicians will determine the severity of the injury in the next couple of days.
Frank declined to say whether all of the players and staff members on the team are fully vaccinated, per Youngmisuk, although he did say that he’s a “huge advocate of the vaccinations.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Zach Harper of The Athletic gave the Clippers a B-minus for their offseason moves. He liked their draft picks and thought Justise Winslow and Harry Giles were decent “buy-low” pickups, but states that ultimately their offseason will depend on how Leonard and Ibaka recover from their surgeries.
- The Clippers announced in a press release that Brian Shaw and Jay Larranaga will be assistant coaches under Tyronn Lue. The team also promoted Shaun Fein to assistant coach. Shaw’s and Larranaga’s additions were reported in July. Shaw played 14 seasons in the NBA and was the former head coach of the Lakers and Nuggets. He spent last season as the head coach of G League Ignite. Larranaga was an assistant with the Celtics the past nine seasons.
- In the same release, the Clippers said former NBA player Wesley Johnson will be joining the team in a coaching and development role, along with Cookie Belcher.
- Frank loves Patrick Beverley and said it wasn’t easy parting with him, but he’s excited for what new addition Eric Bledsoe will bring to the team, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).