Lakers Notes: Trade Obstacles, Hollins, Penberthy, Workouts
The Lakers’ desire to land another big star is well-documented at this point, but their ability to actually make the money work is another matter altogether.
Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register goes through the obstacles facing the Lakers in a variety of different high-profile moves, such as a trade for Russell Westbrook or a sign-and-trade of Dennis Schroder for Kyle Lowry. Goon also discusses the idea of stars like Chris Paul, DeMar DeRozan, or Kyle Lowry taking pay cuts to play with LeBron James, explaining why it’s unlikely.
Lastly, Goon touches on the reports that the Lakers have been shopping a package of Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all over the league, and how poorly that reflects on the strength of that trade offer.
We have more from the Lakers:
- Lionel Hollins will no longer be an assistant coach for the Lakers, reports Jovan Buha of The Athletic (via Twitter). Hollins’ contract expired without the team and him coming to an agreement on an extension. Kyle Goon tweets that Hollins indicated he would be open to coaching again in the right opportunity.
- With the departure of Hollins, shooting coach Mike Penberthy is being promoted to a front-of-bench coaching position on head coach Frank Vogel‘s staff, Buha and Sam Amick write in a piece for The Athletic. Penberthy was offered a similar position on Jason Kidd‘s staff with the Mavericks before the Lakers matched their offer. Buha and Amick write that it’s unclear if the Lakers will add another assistant coach this offseason.
- The Lakers worked out five prospects today, according to Lakers reporter Brad Turner: MaCio Teague, Spencer Littleson, Jose Alvarado, Brandon Boston Jr., and Moses Wright. Of the five, Boston is the highest-ranked, and could be an option either at 22 or if the Lakers look to trade back from 22 into the top of the second round in order to save money.
Kings Tender Qualifying Offer to Terence Davis
The Kings have officially tendered a qualifying offer to Terence Davis, making him a restricted free agent, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Davis’ QO is worth nearly $1.9MM. The Kings hold his Early Bird rights, giving the team the ability to offer him a starting salary worth up to about $10.4MM on a deal of at least two years.
While it’s unlikely Davis receives that max number, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reported earlier this month that the former undrafted free agent is seeking a contract worth upwards of $9MM per year.
Davis averaged 11.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG while shooting over 37% from three in his 27 games with the Kings, and showed some moments of good defensive ability. The Kings are in a tight financial spot, so it will be important for them to figure out how much they value Davis’ contributions as a bench guard should he receive the type of offer he’s looking for.
“It’s looking really good for me. I would say this is some of the best basketball I’ve played in my career, even in college,” Davis said at the end of the season, when asked about the chances of staying with the Kings long-term. “This is a stretch of some of the best games I’ve played in my entire life.”
Southeast Notes: Artificial Intelligence, Beal, Hornets, Hawks
The Magic, like every other NBA team, didn’t have a chance to scout prospects in person for most of this year. But Orlando has one tool at their disposal that other teams don’t, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic: an Artificial Intelligence system called AutoStats.
AutoStats works similarly to the tracking program Second Spectrum, but without requiring the same specialized set-up, instead working off a basic broadcast to compile physical data and analyze it. Because of an agreement reached with the team in 2019, the Magic have exclusive rights to the technology.
“It helps us get a better read on everything that the naked eye may miss,” said President of Basketball Ops Jeff Weltman. “It’s very powerful information. It’s what drives most of NBA analytics. So to have the next best thing applied to colleges, where it’s typically unavailable to most teams, we believe that is a significant competitive advantage.”
How it will effect the Magic’s draft decision-making process remains to be seen.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- In the view of David Aldridge of The Athletic, it’s time for either Bradley Beal or the Wizards to be the bad guy and throw in the towel on this partnership. Aldridge contends that there’s no realistic path for Beal to contention as long as he stays in Washington, and despite his continued loyalty to the franchise he’s been with since he was 19, competing at the highest level is still a priority. Aldridge touches on the reported interest from the Warriors and Raptors, and adds that a Beal trade would almost certainly necessitate moving Russell Westbrook as well.
- The Hornets held a pre-draft workout for center Day’Ron Sharpe today, per a team PR tweet. Sharpe is considered a fringe first/second-round pick, and though the Hornets only have two very late second-round picks, it’s possible they could consider a move into the first half of the second round to try to address their glaring hole at center.
- The Hawks have hired Steve Gansey to be the head coach of their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, reports Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Gansey spent the past five seasons as the head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Pelicans Notes: Lowry, Playoffs, Griffin, Williamson
Now that the dust has settled on Monday’s Grizzlies-Pelicans trade, William Guillory of The Athletic takes a look at why the Pelicans made the move, what it means for the future, and the man assumed to be at the center of the sudden push for cap space: Kyle Lowry.
After getting off of the contracts for Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams, the Pelicans project to have about $22MM in cap space, and if they renounce Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and their remaining free agents, that number could climb to $36MM, more than enough to make a competitive offer to Lowry.
But despite the obvious on-court and leadership appeal of Lowry, Guillory preaches caution when thinking that Lowry could have the same impact that, say, Chris Paul had on the Suns. Lowry, while a great player in his own right, has been limited by injuries the last three seasons, and doesn’t have quite the same track record of raising a team’s expectations as Paul.
Guillory also points out that because of the reported interest in Lowry from teams like the Sixers, Heat and Lakers, it’s likely that New Orleans, which is not a prime free agent destination, would have to overpay for the 35-year-old guard.
We have more news from the Pelicans:
- New head coach Willie Green just finished a miracle run to the Finals with the Suns, and he’s looking to see a similar leap with the Pelicans next year, writes ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “We’re really close to taking the next step,” Green said. “I believe going into next season that’s our goal, that’s our mindset. That’s what makes us a sleeping giant. We have two young All-Stars. Putting a lot of talent around those guys and really just making this team go.”
- Within the same piece from Lopez, executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin lays out what he considered his vision for the offseason: “What we hope we’re able to do in the coming weeks in the offseason and heading up through the following years is build a sustainable winner that’s rooted in that gratitude and joyfulness led by Willie Green and the players… that leadership voice, that shooting we need to put around our great young stars. We’re heading towards that.”
- While gameplans and racking up wins may be part of Green’s agenda, one priority stands out above all others, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst: ensuring Zion Williamson wants to stay in New Orleans long-term. Green has the reputation of creating deep bonds with his players, but this will be a new challenge as a first-time coach of a superstar in a small market. Williamson reportedly had some concerns with former head coach Stan Van Gundy, making Green’s ability to be a player’s coach even more crucial.
Thunder Expected To Make Tony Bradley Unrestricted Free Agent
The Thunder are not expected to extend a qualifying offer to 23-year-old center Tony Bradley, thereby making him an unrestricted free agent, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
The 6’10” center was drafted by the Jazz with the 28th pick in 2017, following his NCAA title with the UNC Tar Heels. He spent three years with Utah before being traded to the Pistons on the night of the 2020 draft and subsequently rerouted to the Sixers.
Bradley averaged 8.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 18 minutes per night for the Thunder in 22 games this season, proving himself a capable backup center. However, it doesn’t appear he’s part of Oklahoma City’s plans going forward.
Jones writes that Bradley is expected to have multiple suitors in unrestricted free agency.
Western Notes: Culver, Mann, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Nuggets
It’s possible that Timberwolves third-year wing Jarrett Culver could be available this offseason for a second-round pick, according to a tweet from Darren Wolfson of SKOR North.
Not only has Culver had trouble carving out a role for himself with the Timberwolves, but between last year’s No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards and Malik Beasley, who was signed to a four-year deal last summer, there’s little room on the wing for the 22-year-old to get developmental reps.
The Wolves are only two years removed from trading Dario Saric and the No. 11 pick to Phoenix in order draft Culver with the sixth overall pick, so the idea that they may be willing to settle for a second-round pick is discouraging. But it doesn’t take long for a prospect’s value to decline if he isn’t taking positive strides forward — even if he was a lottery pick.
We have more news from around the Western Conference:
- Likely first-round pick Tre Mann is conducting last-minute workouts this week with the Suns, Kings, and Nuggets this week, Mann said in an interview with HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Mann also mentioned that from conversations with his camp, he expects his draft range to be “from 16-25, maybe.”
- On the heels of the Grizzlies‘ trade with the Pelicans, John Hollinger of The Athletic breaks down the salary and personnel machinations of the trade, as well as some potential moves that may stem from it, such as different ways Memphis could move Eric Bledsoe again. Sources tell Hollinger that the Grizzlies are discussing additional trades involving their surplus of perimeter players — Tyus Jones‘ name popped up in trade rumors earlier today.
- The Nuggets worked out six prospects on Monday, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post: JT Thor, Juhann Begarin, Scottie Lewis, Feron Hunt, and Ibi Watson. Of the six, Thor is the only prospect expected to potentially be in play when the Nuggets pick at No. 26.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
O’Connor’s Latest: Nuggets, Grizzlies, Warriors, Kings, Hornets
Within his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer confirms a few items we’ve heard elsewhere in recent days. According to O’Connor, Jalen Green‘s workout with the Pistons last week was “outstanding,” the Jazz are willing to attach the No. 30 pick to Derrick Favors in a potential trade, and league sources widely expect Scottie Barnes to be the Magic‘s pick at No. 5.
O’Connor also reiterates that the Rockets continue to explore moving up to No. 1 and says the Thunder have made efforts to trade up, with Green, Cade Cunningham, and Evan Mobley among their presumed targets.
Here are a few more notes of interest from O’Connor’s latest article:
- League sources tell O’Connor that the Nuggets are trying to move up from No. 26 into the top 20, dangling young bench players or future draft assets in those talks.
- Although O’Connor confirms that the Grizzlies are interested in Josh Giddey after trading up to No. 10, he says Memphis could try to move up even further, with an eye on Jonathan Kuminga or James Bouknight.
- Giddey, Kuminga, and Bouknight could also be in the mix for the Warriors at No. 7, according to O’Connor, who says Giddey is thought to be one of Golden State’s “main targets.” O’Connor adds that Keon Johnson‘s ceiling may be the Warriors’ pick at No. 7.
- The Kings continue to be active in shopping the No. 9 pick, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III in separate trade scenarios, per O’Connor.
- League sources continue to connect the Hornets, who will be seeking a center this summer, to Myles Turner, Richaun Holmes, and Nerlens Noel, according to O’Connor.
NBA To Carry Over Most Of New Two-Way Rules To 2021/22
JULY 27: The NBA has issued a press release confirming the new two-way rules detailed below and announcing that a player on a two-way contract will be capped at 50 games on his team’s active list next season.
JULY 16: The NBA and the NBPA have agreed to carry over many of this season’s adjusted rules for two-way players to the 2021/22 season, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
The league loosened the restrictions on how much time two-way players were permitted to spend in the NBA during the 2020/21 campaign and scrapped the typical midseason deadline for two-way signings. As Marks explains (via Twitter), the following adjustments will apply in 2021/22:
- There will be no in-season deadline to sign a player to a two-way contract.
- The salary for a two-way player will be half of the rookie minimum. Currently, the rookie minimum projects to be $925,258, in which case the two-way salary would be $462,629.
- Two-way players won’t face the usual 45-day NBA limit. However, there will be a cap on how many games they can spend on a team’s active list.
One notable change from this past season will be discontinued next year, according to Marks: A player on a two-way contract won’t be eligible to play in the postseason.
This year, players on two-way contracts were permitted to be active in the playoffs, but in 2021/22, if a team wants its two-way player to be available in the postseason, he’ll have to be converted to a standard deal before the end of the regular season.
Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Lowry, Kawhi, Knicks, Dinwiddie, More
While the Mavericks are expected to show interest in free agent point guard Mike Conley, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein says Dallas’ focus in free agency will be on pursuing Kyle Lowry and attempting to re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr. Reports to date have suggested that Conley is more likely than Lowry to return to his current team, so it makes sense that the Mavs would prioritize Lowry.
According to Stein, the Mavericks were initially expected to wait to see if Kawhi Leonard gave any indication that he was thinking about leaving the Clippers. However, the team has moved off of those plans, says Stein. That’s probably a signal that Leonard is unlikely to depart Los Angeles.
Here are a few more updates related to free agency:
- At least one key decision-maker in the Knicks‘ front office has “embraced” the idea of signing Spencer Dinwiddie this offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who hears that at least one other club plans to make the point guard a strong offer. Begley also confirms that DeMar DeRozan is among the other free agent guards on New York’s radar, though he says teams monitoring the situation view the Knicks as more likely to go after DeRozan if they’re able to acquire Damian Lillard in a trade.
- The Suns are among the teams eyeing sharpshooter Reggie Bullock as a possible free agent target, Begley writes in a separate SNY.tv story. The Knicks have “significant” interest in re-signing Bullock, Begley adds.
- Despite playing a modest role with the Nuggets down the stretch of the season, JaVale McGee is interested in re-signing with the team, two league sources tell Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Singer cautions that the veteran center figures to have multiple suitors on the open market.
- Rockets guard Avery Bradley is expected to draw interest from multiple playoff contenders if he becomes a free agent, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Houston will have to make a decision soon on Bradley’s $5.9MM team option for 2021/22.
Play-In Tournament Will Return Next Season
JULY 27: The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved the play-in tournament for 2021/22, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania the format will remains the same and it’s scheduled to take place from April 12-15.
JULY 16: The NBA has reached an agreement with the players union to bring back the play-in tournament for 2021/22, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. A formal vote from the league’s Board of Governors is expected soon.
Commissioner Adam Silver has long been a proponent of the format, which was introduced in 2020 after the restart in Orlando. The Trail Blazers defeated the Grizzlies in the first play-in game, while the Eastern Conference race wasn’t close enough for the play-in provision to kick in.
The play-in tournament was launched in full and revamped for the 2020/21 season, with the No. 7 team in each conference facing No. 8, while the ninth and 10th teams squared off. The winner of the 7/8 matchup automatically earned a playoff spot, while the loser faced the winner of the other game for the final opening.
In the East this year, the Celtics defeated the Wizards and the Pacers topped the Hornets, with Washington earning the eighth seed by beating Indiana. In the West, the Lakers beat the Warriors and the Grizzlies knocked off the Spurs. Memphis beat Golden State to earn its way into the postseason.