Southeast Notes: Smith, Lopez, Carter, Bamba
Point guard Ish Smith will be playing for his 12th NBA franchise this season but his stint with the Hornets will be special, Sam Perley of the team’s website notes. Smith grew up in Charlotte, NC.
“I wanted to be home, I’m not going to lie to you,” Smith said. “I’m sure everybody is going mention it in every game we play. Every year, it’s about how many teams you’ve been on. I’m like look, somebody likes me. … [Being here] is something that I’m excited about, it’s something my family’s excited about. So, yeah, it is something I wanted to do.”
Smith signed a two-year deal with the Hornets last month.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Robin Lopez, signed to add depth in the middle for the rebuilding Magic, compares himself to a bullpen specialist in baseball, Josh Cohen of the team’s website writes. “You know the relief pitcher, they’re always a little rotund,” Lopez said with a grin. “They’re not playing every night necessarily, but they are going in there making an impact when the team needs them.” Lopez signed a one-year, $5MM deal with Orlando.
- The Magic will be evaluating their long-term plans at center over the next 12 months, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The franchise is unlikely to make long-term commitments to both Wendell Carter Jr. and Mohamed Bamba. They are eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason. If Carter isn’t signed to an extension, he will still have every opportunity to prove himself in the season ahead and perhaps show that his ceiling is higher than many scouts believe he can reach, Robbins adds.
- ICYMI, a former Nets guard has agreed to a contract with the Hawks. Get the details here.
Wizards Notes: Offseason, Centers, Defense, Go-Go
The Wizards had an extremely busy offseason, headlined by the massive five-team trade that saw the team send Russell Westbrook to the Lakers and second-round picks all over the place, with the Wizards acquiring Spencer Dinwiddie, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Aaron Holiday, and 31st overall pick Isaiah Todd.
The team is undeniably deeper now, but is it better? Zach Harper of The Athletic isn’t sure, but in his offseason report, he says Washington’s newfound depth ultimately wins out, assigning the team a B grade for its work this summer.
We have more on the Wizards:
- Harper asked Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Wizards’ beat writer, the same question. Katz thinks the team is about on par with where it was at the end of last season, in the range of the play-in tournament for the East.
- In Katz’ own Q&A mailbag, he speculates that Daniel Gafford will be the Wizards’ opening night starting center, partly because Thomas Bryant is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last season. Katz notes that Gafford needs to improve his conditioning to play more minutes, and is reported to be a hard worker. It remains to be seen how Harrell will fit into the rotation once Bryant recovers, as Katz views Bryant as a better defender and a much better shooter.
- Harper and Katz both believe Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma will help the team on defense, but the Wizards will likely miss Robin Lopez on both ends of the floor. The two Athletic writers are also curious to see how new coach Wes Unseld Jr. handles the rotations, because one drawback of having so much depth is the limited amount of minutes available for several talented players.
- In a lengthy article on the team’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, Jackson Flynn of WashingtonWizards.com spoke to several members of the organization about how they utilize the Go-Go to develop not just their young players, but young coaches and front-office personnel as well. New Go-Go head coach Mike Williams is just 25 years old.
Eastern Notes: Ujiri, Markkanen, Pangos, Pacers
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri admits his franchise is in a transition phase, Gilbert McGregor of NBA.com relays. Ujiri discussed the state of the team with Jayme Poisson on CBC’s Front Burner podcast.
“We are not a team of ‘now,'” Ujiri said. “There are going to be growing pains, trust me, you know like, sometimes it’s going to be tough to watch but we know what’s coming, we know we’re excited about the young talent. They are excited to play – to see how, OG (Anunoby), Pascal (Siakam), Fred (VanVleet), are going to evolve as leaders – as elite players.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Lauri Markkanen, acquired by the Cavaliers from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade, says he’ll bring his new team more than just a stretch four option on offense, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. “Obviously I’m seven feet but I feel like I can do a lot of different stuff. I’m not strictly a post-up guy,” Markkanen said. “I’m not strictly a 3-point shooter. I’ve been shooting more 3s now but I feel I can do a lot more stuff — put the ball on the floor and create for others from there. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing. Just be active on both ends of the floor.”
- The Cavaliers will use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign point guard Kevin Pangos, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Pangos agreed to a two-year, $3.5MM contract with a first-year salary of $1.67MM. Pangos is receiving $700K above the rookie minimum, Marks notes.
- The biggest upgrade the Pacers made this offseason was on the sidelines, Zach Harper of The Athletic opines. While the front office acquired a couple of potentially important role players, the key move was hiring Rick Carlisle for a second stint as their head coach. Carlisle replaces Nate Bjorkgren, who quickly fell out of favor with the team’s players and even his staff, Harper adds.
Cam McGriff Agrees To Camp Deal With Hornets
Forward Cameron McGriff has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hornets, Adam Zagoria of Forbes tweets.
McGriff played four seasons with Oklahoma State and went undrafted in 2020. He averaged 12.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG in his senior year.
McGriff played for Belgium’s Okapi Aalstar last season, averaging 13.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG. He was on the Hornets’ summer league roster.
Exhibit 10 contracts give NBA teams a chance to bring players to training camp and get a look at them without guaranteeing them a regular season roster spot or any real salary. If he ends up playing for the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, McGriff could earn a $50K bonus due to the Exhibit 10 language in his deal.
DeAndre Jordan Signs With Lakers
DeAndre Jordan has signed with the Lakers, according to a team press release.
Jordan was traded to the Pistons by the Nets last week in a salary dump. He was then waived after agreeing to give up $4MM on the remaining two years of his contract, which had nearly $20MM left on it. He’ll gain another $2.6MM, the veteran’s minimum, by signing with the Lakers.
[RELATED: Pistons Will Not Use Stretch Provision On DeAndre Jordan]
Jordan was signed by Brooklyn with the endorsement of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but fell out of the Nets’ rotation last season. A 13-year NBA veteran, Jordan appeared in 57 games (43 starts) for the Nets, where he averaged 7.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.1 BPG in 21.9 MPG.
With Marc Gasol‘s future in L.A. filled with uncertainty, Jordan and free agent pickup Dwight Howard will likely compete for minutes when Anthony Davis isn’t playing center.
Luwawu-Cabarrot Signs Non-Guaranteed Deal With Hawks
The Hawks have signed shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets.
The 26-year-old Luwawu-Cabarrot is a five-year NBA veteran. He played for the Nets for the past two years, including 58 regular-season appearances last season. He averaged 6.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG and 1.2 APG but shot just 36.5% from the field. He’s made 33.1% of his 3-point shots during his career.
Luwawu-Cabarrot also made 11 postseason appearances over the last two seasons. He became an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Atlanta has 16 other players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed deals, so Luwawu-Cabarrot will likely be competing for the last spot on the 15-man opening-night roster. The Hawks also have another player reportedly on a training camp deal and both two-way slots filled, which would give them a full 20-player roster heading into camp.
Nets Waive Jahlil Okafor
The Nets have waived veteran center Jahlil Okafor, the team announced today in a press release. Brooklyn acquired Okafor from the Pistons last week along with Sekou Doumbouya in the DeAndre Jordan trade.
A former third overall pick, Okafor spent last season in Detroit, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.4 RPG in a very limited role (12.9 MPG) across 27 games. The big man has also spent time with the Sixers, Nets, and Pelicans since entering the NBA out of Duke in 2015.
Okafor’s release had been expected, since the Nets were carrying more than 15 players on guaranteed contracts and were overloaded in the frontcourt, having recently added LaMarcus Aldridge and agreed to terms with Paul Millsap.
Once they officially sign Millsap, the Nets will have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, plus DeAndre’ Bembry on a partially guaranteed deal. If the club wants to keep Bembry on its regular season roster, at least one more player will have to be traded or waived before opening night.
Okafor, meanwhile, could be claimed off waivers by any team using the minimum salary exception, but that’s unlikely, since his $2.13MM salary for 2021/22 is fully guaranteed. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday, and the Nets will be on the hook for his salary.
Pacers’ Edmond Sumner Sustains Torn Left Achilles
Veteran guard Edmond Sumner has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to the Pacers, who said in a press release that Sumner sustained the injury during an offseason workout on Thursday.
Sumner will be out indefinitely, per the team. While the Pacers aren’t definitively stating yet that the 25-year-old will be out for the entire 2021/22 season, the rehab and recovery process for an Achilles tear typically takes the better part of a calendar year.
It’s a brutal blow for Sumner, who had a career year in 2020/21, playing a career-high 16.2 minutes per game and earning 24 starts in 53 contests. The 6’4″ guard averaged 7.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG with an impressive shooting line of .525/.398/.819, and had his $2.32MM team option picked up by Indiana for the 2021/22 season.
Since Sumner is in the final year of his contract, the Pacers may eventually waive him if they don’t think he’ll be back this season and need his spot on the 15-man roster, but there’s no rush to make a move yet. Sumner’s $2.32MM salary is guaranteed, so he’ll earn it whether or not he finishes the season with the club.
It has been a rough week of injury updates for the Pacers, who announced on Tuesday that T.J. Warren‘s recovery from a left foot stress fracture is progressing slower than they’d hoped. It appears the team will be down at least two players when training camps open later this month.
Players Who Can’t Be Traded Until January 15
As we detailed in an earlier article, players who signed new contracts as free agents during the 2021/22 league year can’t be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever comes later. That means that nearly every team has at least one player – and generally a handful – who won’t become trade-eligible until mid-December.
There’s also a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasts for an extra month. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.
Listed below are the players who meet this criteria and can’t be traded until at least January 15, 2022. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2021/22 are marked with a caret (^).
We’ll continue to update this page over the next few months, if necessary.
Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Spurs Notes: Bates-Diop, Roster Crunch, Nielsen, Offseason
Keita Bates-Diop, who recently re-signed with the Spurs, received a two-year contract worth the veteran’s minimum, with only the first year guaranteed, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
Bates-Diop told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (via Twitter) that he’s looking forward to the competition of training camp and expects that it won’t be easy to make the final 15-man roster, although his salary being fully guaranteed for the upcoming season is an indication the team likes him. Still, since San Antonio now has 17 players on guaranteed contracts, the situation is worth monitoring.
There’s more from San Antonio:
- The Spurs announced in a press release that Matt Nielsen has been named an assistant coach for the team after serving as the head coach of their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, last season. Nielsen, a native of Australia, had a lengthy playing career in the NBL and then later in Europe prior to becoming a coach. He served as an assistant coach for the Australian National Team at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, where the Boomers won the bronze medal.
- Zach Harper of The Athletic provided a thorough breakdown of the Spurs’ offseason, including a grade of their roster moves. Harper posits that San Antonio is officially in rebuilding mode and got significantly worse on the wing with the sign-and-trade of DeMar DeRozan to Chicago. DeRozan had one of the best and most efficient seasons of his career last year, and losing him leaves the team without a clear All-Star caliber player.
- Harper notes that the onus will be on the team’s young core of Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV, and Devin Vassell to show significant growth in order to make the play-in tournament again. He thinks selecting Joshua Primo 12th overall in the draft was a reach, as no other teams rated him as highly as the Spurs.
- Harper did like team’s acquisition of Thaddeus Young, considering him a clear upgrade over the departed Rudy Gay and Trey Lyles. He also thinks that Doug McDermott will help with perimeter shooting and scoring.