Jody Allen: Trail Blazers Not Currently For Sale
The Trail Blazers aren’t for sale and no discussions about the potential sale of the team are ongoing, chair Jody Allen said in a statement issued today by the team.
“As chair of both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks, my long-term focus is building championship teams that our communities are proud of,” Allen said. “Like my brother Paul, I trust and expect our leaders and coaches to build winning teams that deliver results on and off the court and field.
“As we’ve stated before, neither of the teams is for sale and there are no sales discussions happening.
“A time will come when that changes given Paul’s plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy, but estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no pre-ordained timeline by which the teams must be sold.
“Until then, my focus – and that of our teams – is on winning.”
Longtime Blazers owner Paul Allen passed away on October 15, 2018, resulting in control of the franchise being transferred to his sister Jody, the trustee and executor of his estate. As today’s statement notes, the plan following his death was for ownership of the Blazers to eventually change hands as part of an estate sale.
One report earlier this year suggested that some league insiders believe a Blazers sale will be completed by the end of 2023, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed last month that Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinisky were making an effort to buy the franchise with an offer of over $2 billion.
However, the Blazers indicated at the time of Wojnarowski’s report that the team wasn’t for sale, and Allen’s comments today suggest there are no plans for it to be sold in the short term. That will change at some point, but an exact timeline remains up in the air.
Clippers Rename G League Affiliate
The Clippers have renamed their G League affiliate, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, to the Ontario Clippers, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the club, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate will continue to play its home games at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California through at least the 2023/24 season.
As Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times notes (via Twitter), the L.A. Clippers’ new Inglewood arena is scheduled to open in 2024, and while the main venue would probably be too big for a G League team, there will be other courts in the facility.
Given that the franchise’s basketball and business departments will operate out of the new Intuit Dome and the Ontario Clippers are only locked into playing in Toyota Arena through ’23/24, Greif wonders if the G League squad could eventually be relocated to Inglewood.
Blake Wesley Signs Rookie Contract With Spurs
The Spurs have signed first-round pick Blake Wesley, the team announced in a press release.
Assuming Wesley receives the standard 120% of the rookie scale, he will be paid approximately $2.39MM in his first season and $12.24MM over the life of the four-year contract.
[RELATED: 2022 NBA Draft Pick Signings]
The 19-year-old guard out of Notre Dame was the 25th pick in last month’s draft. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists during his lone season with the Fighting Irish and was a second-team All-ACC selection.
Wesley was one of three players selected by the Spurs in the first round of the June 23 draft. There have been no announcements yet on Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham, but it likely won’t be long before they sign their own rookie contracts.
Northwest Notes: Prince, Wolves, Nuggets, Jordan, Arms
Taurean Prince‘s two-year extension with the Timberwolves was initially reported to be worth $16MM, but its base value actually comes in at just $14.56MM, and the second year is non-guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Prince’s new deal also includes $195K in likely incentives per year, along with another $870K in annual unlikely incentives, so if he plays out the full two-year contract and maxes out its value, it’ll be worth $16.69MM in total.
The second year of Prince’s new deal would become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through June 28, 2023.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- It might be a while before we know if the Timberwolves “won” the deal for Rudy Gobert, and even evaluating what constitutes a win will be complicated, writes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. However, Rand views the deal as trading “nine dimes for a dollar,” and believes it’s the kind of move the team needed to make to be serious about contending for a title.
- Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required) acknowledges that the Nuggets‘ deal with DeAndre Jordan may not have been an exciting way to kick off free agency, but says the team did its homework on Jordan, vetted his engagement, and felt comfortable bringing him into the locker room. “They’d learned enough about former center DeMarcus Cousins that they weren’t willing to make the same commitment,” Singer writes.
- Both Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports and Singer (Twitter links) believe that Adonis Arms, who is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nuggets, is a strong candidate to eventually fill Denver’s open two-way slot. Currently, Collin Gillespie is the only Nugget signed to a two-way deal.
- In case you missed it, our Community Shootaround discussion on Monday explored what’s next for the Jazz following the blockbuster Gobert trade.
Nets Sign Edmond Sumner
JULY 8: The Nets have officially signed Sumner, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 5: After reaching a contract agreement with T.J. Warren earlier in the day, Brooklyn is set to sign another former Pacer who missed the entire 2021/22 season due to an injury.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the Nets and free agent guard Edmond Sumner have agreed to a deal. Sumner tore his left Achilles tendon last September and was sidelined all of last season as he recovered.
Prior to the injury, Sumner enjoyed a career year in Indiana 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 projected to be part of the Pacers’ rotation for ’21/22.
The Nets actually acquired Sumner in a trade with the Pacers during the 2021 preseason, following his Achilles tear, but that was a salary-dump deal that sent a future second-round pick to Brooklyn. Sumner was waived a few days later.
While the terms of the agreement between Sumner and the Nets have yet to be reported, it’s almost certain to be a minimum-salary contract.
Brooklyn’s roster remains in flux due to the unresolved Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving situations, so Sumner’s exact role remains to be determined, but he’ll likely be a depth piece in the backcourt.
Atlantic Notes: Harden, T. Young, Celtics, Joe
One of this summer’s top free agents, star guard James Harden, still doesn’t have a new deal in place, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on SportsCenter on Tuesday (video link) that Harden and the Sixers will likely agree to terms sooner rather than later. The two sides reportedly met in the Hamptons over the weekend and will resume negotiations early this week.
“Those (talks) are expected to pick up today, tomorrow,” Wojnarowski said. “You can expect Harden and his representative and (president of basketball operations) Daryl Morey in Philly to really sit down and hammer that deal out here, perhaps as soon as the next 24 hours.”
Harden turned down a $47MM+ player option for 2022/23 and is expected to finalize a longer-term deal with a lower starting salary in order to allow the Sixers to maximize their cap flexibility this season.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Thaddeus Young‘s new two-year contract extension with the Raptors has a base value of $8MM per season, with $150K in annual likely bonuses and another $350K in annual unlikely bonuses, Hoops Rumors has learned. Year one is fully guaranteed, while Young’s 2023/24 salary is partially guaranteed for $1MM — he would receive his full ’23/24 guarantee if he remains under contract through June 30, 2023.
- Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston considers the remaining decisions on the Celtics‘ offseason to-do list, including whether or not to use their $17MM+ trade exception and who will get the final spots on their projected 15-man roster.
- Sixers shooting guard Isaiah Joe, whose minimum salary for 2022/23 is non-guaranteed, will be trying to show during the Salt Lake City Summer League this week that his game can translate to the NBA level, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “The thing I really want to build is consistency, especially for a contending team,” Joe said. “They don’t have any time for inconsistent players. So they are really looking for consistency out of me just like they are looking for consistency out of Joel (Embiid) and James.”
Nets Sign T.J. Warren To One-Year Contract
JULY 7: Warren’s deal with the Nets is now official, the team announced. “T.J. is a proven three-level scorer with the size and versatility to make an impact for us,” said Nets general manager Sean Marks. “We think T.J. is a great fit on the wing, and we’re excited to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn.”
JULY 5: The Nets have reached a free agent agreement with forward T.J. Warren and will sign him to a one-year contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The terms of the deal aren’t yet known. Brooklyn hasn’t used its taxpayer mid-level exception yet and could offer Warren any amount between his minimum ($2.6MM) and the full taxpayer MLE ($6.5MM).
Warren, who will turn 29 in September, has averaged 15.5 PPG on .507/.357/.780 shooting in 332 regular season games since entering the NBA as the 14th overall pick in 2014. However, he has missed nearly two full seasons due to left foot problems, playing just four times in 2020/21 and then sitting out the entire ’21/22 campaign.
Reports have indicated that Warren is fully recovered heading into 2022/23, and in his last full season (’19/20) he put up 19.8 PPG with a .536/.403/.819 shooting line, making him an intriguing flier in free agency this offseason. He’ll likely have to shake off some rust, but if he’s back to 100%, he’s an explosive scorer capable of creating matchup problems for opposing defenses.
It’s unclear what Warren’s role will look like in Brooklyn, where the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving situations remain very much in flux. His place on the depth chart will hinge on whether Durant is moved and what the Nets get back in any deal for the former MVP.
The Nets have now made deals this summer to add both scoring and defense on the wing, having also acquired forward Royce O’Neale from Utah in exchange for a first-round pick.
Warren began the offseason as the No. 50 free agent on our top-50 list and moved up to No. 46 after a few players exercised options.
Arnoldas Kulboka Signs With Greek Team
Former Hornets forward Arnoldas Kulboka is headed back to Europe, with Greek team Promitheas Patras B.C. announcing in a press release that it has signed Kulboka to a one-year contract for the 2022/23 season.
The 55th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Kulboka initially remained overseas, playing for Brose Bamberg in Germany and Bilbao in Spain before coming stateside for the 2021/22 season.
Kulboka signed a two-way contract with the Hornets last August, but only played a total of five minutes in two appearances with Charlotte, spending most of his first NBA season with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League.
The 24-year-old Lithuanian averaged 14.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG on .443/.411/.884 shooting in 30 regular season NBAGL games (28.6 MPG). He also put up 13.2 PPG with a .458 3PT% in 13 Showcase Cup contests (24.9 MPG).
Although Kulboka showed some promise in the G League, he didn’t receive a two-way qualifying offer from the Hornets last week and became an unrestricted free agent, opening the door for him to return to Europe. He figures to have a far larger role with his new team in Greece than he would’ve had with any NBA club.
New York Notes: Irving, Durant, Harris, Grimes, Quickley, Toppin
The Nets have leverage in trade negotiations and intend to use it, which could drag out the process into training camp, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
Kyrie Irving has opted in to the last year of his deal and Kevin Durant‘s four-year extension is just getting underway. So, they can take their time finding the right trade package. It’s also hard to imagine Durant holding out or refusing to play, as Ben Simmons did in Philadelphia, if the Nets don’t deal him.
We have more on the New York teams:
- In the same piece, Lewis quotes a league source as saying the Nets are opposed to the idea of trading Joe Harris. Holding onto Harris could indicate a retooling on the fly, while trading the 3-point specialist would signal a major rebuild. “I know the Nets absolutely do not want to trade Joe under any scenario,” the source told Lewis. “But there are just thousands of different ways this can play out.”
- Quentin Grimes, who is on the Knicks’ summer league squad, could be in the mix for a starting job when the regular season begins, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. The 2021 first-round pick showed some promise last season with his defense and 3-point shooting. A bout with COVID-19 and a dislocated patella marred his rookie season. Grimes could get a shot to start if the Knicks deal Evan Fournier.
- The free agent additions of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein leave Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin as likely second-unit performers, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes. The latter duo finished last season on a high note with expanded roles but they project as reserves next season.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Martin, Hampton, Banchero
The Heat lost P.J. Tucker to the Sixers and reached agreements with Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon but they still have some unfinished offseason business, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.
Restricted free agent Caleb Martin remains unsigned but since the Heat do not have his Bird Rights, they are unable to match offers above the $10.49MM mid-level exception. They are not likely to go above the $6.5MM taxpayer mid-level exception, since that would trigger a hard salary cap. They also have to decide whether to bring back Markieff Morris.
They have both the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions at their disposal to pursue other free agents, but using the bi-annual would also result in a hard cap.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Martin’s restricted free agency buys the Heat a little more time to wait out the Kevin Durant saga while keeping Martin as an option, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes. Even if Martin receives an offer sheet in the first day of free agency on Wednesday, the Heat have two days to decide whether to match it.
- R.J. Hampton has impressed the Magic brass by his willingness to play in the Summer League, according to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. Hampton wanted to play despite appearing in 64 games during his second NBA season. “I only got to play one summer league,” Hampton said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get run and get extra reps.”
- Top pick Paolo Banchero has been displaying his strength in summer league practices, Price tweets. “He’s a very strong individual. I don’t think he even understands how strong he really is,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of the former Duke forward. “That’s the great part of his willingness to learn and ask questions, that he’s going to find out how he can use his body in different ways to obviously punish defenses but then defensively, how to guard multiple positions.”