Western Notes: Marjanovic, Cauley-Stein, Lakers Arena, Warriors
What is the status of the ever popular Boban Marjanovic? According to Marc Stein in a Substack post, Marjanovic has a place on the Rockets’ opening night roster despite an excess of big men.
Marjanovic was dealt by Dallas as part of its package for Christian Wood. He has one season left on the two-year, $7MM contract he signed last offseason.
Alperen Şengün is projected as Houston’s starting center, with Bruno Fernando and Willie Cauley-Stein also vying for spots on the regular season roster.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The addition of Cauley-Stein isn’t official yet, as Houston must clear a roster space to sign him. He’s a low-risk, potentially solid-reward addition, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. Over the past five seasons, Cauley-Stein’s teams defended nearly five points better with him on the floor, Iko notes. He’s still athletic enough to play in Houston’s up-tempo system and should help the team defensively.
- The home arena for the Lakers and Clippers in undergoing major renovations over the next three summers, according to David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times. Upgrades are being made at every level of Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center. The upgrades include new jumbo screens, updated concession stands, a better sound system and an enhanced “fan experience.” The Clippers are scheduled to leave for their new arena in 2024.
- Which member of the Warriors’ big three will leave? In a mailbag post, Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett speculates that Draymond Green is the only one who might depart in the near future. Stephen Curry has four years left on his deal and is the face of the franchise, while Klay Thompson has two years left on his contract and will likely sign another with Golden State. Green can opt out of his contract after next season and the heavily taxed Warriors may pin their hopes on one of their young frontcourt players emerging at a lower cost, Bulpett writes.
Eastern Notes: Mitchell, Knicks, Toppin, Durant, Haslem, Pistons
On the heels of a report from The Athletic regarding a recent Knicks trade proposal for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Utah is seeking four unprotected picks.
The Knicks’ offer was said to include Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, five first-round picks and “additional salary.” In that proposal, two of the five first-round picks the Knicks offered were unprotected.
All the extra first-rounders the team has acquired from other clubs have some form of protections on them, so the Jazz are apparently seeking four of New York’s own future picks.
That would be a tough pill for New York to swallow, since it would be difficult to make another significant trade and become a championship contender. The stalemate in the trade discussions is centered around the unprotected picks, rather than the mix of players, according to Berman.
New York is willing to deal Toppin in part because small ball lineups with Toppin and Julius Randle are unappealing to the organization, Berman adds.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Though Kevin Durant hasn’t backed down from his trade demand, the Nets have not yet lowered their asking price, Marc Stein reports in a Substack post. The organization believes there’s still time for Durant to soften his stance and remain with the franchise. They also want to see if Durant will report to training camp on time or if he’ll try to make things more uncomfortable and force the organization’s hand.
- Udonis Haslem has decided to continue his playing career because he’s a “bearer of Heat culture,” Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Haslem said in part, “I’m sacrificing for the next generation. You know, I’m the bearer of Heat culture, I take it serious. It’s not a game. It’s not a joke. … I’ve watched the culture save so many, like it saved me.”
- Longtime NBA player and current ESPN broadcaster Jalen Rose feels the combination of Cade Cunningham and rookie Jaden Ivey will spark the Pistons’ revival, according to a video post from The Detroit News’ Mike Curtis. “I think we now have another All-Star backcourt. … I’m really excited about the potential of our team,” said Rose, a Michigan native.
Hawks Sign Tyson Etienne To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Hawks have signed rookie guard Tyson Etienne, according to a team press release.
Atlanta’s decision to give Etienne an Exhibit 10 contract was reported one day after the June draft and it’s finally official.
Etienne joined the Hawks’ Summer League team after the agreement and he averaged 10.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 16.7 MPG over five games in Las Vegas.
Etienne went undrafted after playing three seasons for Wichita State. The American Conference Player of the Year in 2021, he averaged 14.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.0 APG in 27 appearances (34.3 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22 before declaring for the draft as an early entrant.
Etienne is a talented three-point shooter, making 2.2 three-pointers per game at a 41.1% rate last season, though he was far less effective from inside the arc, converting just 32.6% of his two-point attempts.
Etienne is the nephew of former NBA player Marcus Camby and a cousin of Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Etienne can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins the College Park SkyHawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.
The Hawks now have 17 players on their camp roster, including two-way players. They can add three more players before camp.
Ben Simmons Cleared For Three-On-Three Activities
Ben Simmons has been cleared for three-on-three basketball activities, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
While there’s plenty of uncertainty about whether Kevin Durant will ever suit up for the Nets, Simmons appears on track to finally make his Brooklyn debut this fall. Simmons hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2021 playoffs.
Simmons underwent back surgery in early May. At the time, the Nets released a statement that indicated Simmons was “expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season’s training camp.”
It appears Simmons remains on that timetable. He’s on track to be cleared for full five-on-five activities in the coming weeks, Charania adds, with the expectation he’ll be ready to go when camps open in late September.
Simmons underwent a microdiscectomy in order to relieve the pain from a herniated disc after consulting with “multiple back specialists.” He was diagnosed with a herniated L-4 disc in his lower spine and received an epidural to relieve soreness late last season but was unable to make enough progress to get back in action.
Simmons, who has also dealt with mental health issues, is under contract through ’24/25 and will make $112.7MM over the next three seasons.
Trade talks involving Durant have been complicated due to the contract Simmons received with Philadelphia. The designated rookie extension rule prevents teams from acquiring two players who have signed five-year rookie scale extensions.
International Notes: Satoransky, Motiejunas, Bennett
A report earlier today from IsraelHayom.co.il (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando) indicated that Czech guard Tomas Satoransky would miss the upcoming EuroBasket tournament after suffering ligament damage to his right ankle in a warmup tournament against Germany. However, Eurohoops hears differently, stating that while Satoransky does indeed have a “severe” ankle sprain, he hasn’t been ruled out for the tournament.
The Czech Republic team’s opening game takes place on September 2 versus Poland, and even if Satoransky isn’t ready by that point, he’s expected to remain on the roster to try and play when he’s able to, according to Eurohoops.
“The magnetic resonance examination was the same as the other examination. Tomas remains in Prague to rehabilitate intensively. We will know the results of rehabilitation and treatment in a week after the next resonance, which will indicate further progress towards EuroBasket,” said national team manager Michal Sob while talking to the local press.
“Satoransky’s mentality is set in such a way that he wants to do what’s 100% possible to participate in the championship,” he added.
The 30-year-old spent the last six seasons in the NBA, but he’s heading back to Spain next season, having agreed to a four-year deal to reunite with FC Barcelona.
Here are a couple more international notes:
- Former NBA big man Donatas Motiejunas has re-signed with AS Monaco Basket, the team announced. Motiejunas played parts of six NBA seasons with Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio, last suiting up for the Spurs for three games in 2018/19. He averaged 10.4 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 33 EuroLeague games (19.3 MPG) with Monaco last season.
- Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 draft, has signed in Taiwan with the Hsinchu Lioneers, per Dario Skerletic of Sporando. Bennett had a disappointing and brief NBA run, appearing in 151 games (12.6 MPG) with Cleveland, Minnesota, Toronto and Brooklyn from 2013-17, with averages of 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .392/.261/.670 shooting. The 29-year-old forward spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem before heading to Taiwan to play for the Kaohsiung Steelers, Skerletic notes.
James Ennis Signs With Russian Team
Veteran forward James Ennis has signed a contract to play in Russia with BC Samara, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando).
The 32-year-old most recently played in Israel with Hapoel Haifa, as our JD Shaw reported back in March. Ennis averaged 14.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .402/.383/.804 shooting in nine games with Haifa, per RealGM.
Ennis has played parts of eight seasons in the NBA, including a trio of 10-day deals with three different teams (the Nets, Clippers and Nuggets) last season for a total of seven games. In 2020/21, Ennis played 41 games (37 starts, 24.0 MPG) for Orlando, averaging 8.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG on .473/.433/.805 shooting.
In total, he has appeared in 395 NBA games (140 starts, 20.3 MPG) with averages of 6.7 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .457/.360/.797 shooting for Miami, Memphis, New Orleans, Detroit, Houston and Philadelphia, as well as the aforementioned teams.
Nets Reportedly Intend To Keep Kyrie Irving
The Nets are making it clear to rival teams that they intend to keep Kyrie Irving, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who writes that Irving has been “working out with teammates and holding constructive dialogue with the organization” this summer.
Brooklyn reportedly granted Irving permission to explore trade scenarios at the end of June, but only the Lakers were said to be seriously interested in the point guard, who ultimately chose to pick up his $36.9MM player option for 2022/23.
Recent reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein indicated that the Lakers are willing to include both their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to acquire Irving, but that would involve Russell Westbrook heading to Brooklyn, and the Nets are said to be uninterested in that scenario.
Assuming Kevin Durant remains on the roster into the season, a reunion between Irving and the Nets always made the most sense, as the 30-year-old’s value is at an all-time low and the only realistic pathway to rebuilding it is to have a good season with less off-court drama. The seven-time All-Star only appeared in 29 of Brooklyn’s 82 games last season due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but that seems unlikely to be an issue next season, as the New York City mandate was lifted in the spring and there are no plans for a league-wide mandate.
Despite his inconsistent availability and unpredictable personality, Irving has been undeniably effective and productive when on the court, averaging 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.8 APG and 1.4 SPG on .469/.418/.915 shooting during the ’21/22 regular season (37.6 MPG). Matching that level of production for a team that hopes to contend for a title would be nearly impossible for the Nets, given the relative lack of interest in Irving’s services.
As Stein wrote last week, it’s possible Brooklyn’s stance regarding Irving could change if Durant ends up being dealt, but considering Irving is said to be the primary reason Durant joined the Nets, trading his friend away would seemingly only embolden Durant to make further demands.
Longest-Tenured NBA Players By Team
A surprising number of the NBA’s longest-tenured players by team have stayed put since we compiled our most recent list in August 2021.
Since then, stars like Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard have had the opportunity to seek out teams closer to contention by requesting trades (or, in Beal’s case, by signing elsewhere as a free agent), but chose to remain in Washington and Portland, respectively. Zach LaVine also re-upped in Chicago as a free agent, while Mitchell Robinson did the same in New York, despite rumors he may head elsewhere.
Meanwhile, many other long-tenured players frequently mentioned as trade candidates, including John Collins, Joe Harris, Terrence Ross, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, and Marcus Smart, have remained with their respective teams.
Given how many trade candidates and players on expiring contracts are on the list, it’s possible our 2023 update will include a ton of new names. But for the time being, 25 of the NBA’s 30 teams still have the same longest-tenured player they did a year ago — and a 26th might end up joining that group (Miles Bridges is the longest-tenured Hornet, but his NBA future is up in the air following his arrest for domestic violence).
Here are the NBA’s current longest-tenured players by team:
(Note: This is a snapshot as of August 2022 and won’t be updated throughout the season. This list includes each team’s longest-tenured player, so only one player per team is listed.)
- Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem (free agent), August 2003
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
- Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal (draft), June 2012
- Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (draft), June 2012
- Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (draft), June 2013
- Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
- Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart (draft), June 2014
- Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic (draft), June 2014
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love (trade), August 2014
- Dallas Mavericks: Dwight Powell (trade), December 2014
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns (draft), June 2015
- Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner (draft), June 2015
- Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker (draft), June 2015
- Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam (draft), June 2016
- Houston Rockets: Eric Gordon (free agent), July 2016
- Brooklyn Nets: Joe Harris (free agent), July 2016
- Orlando Magic: Terrence Ross (trade), February 2017
- Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox (draft), June 2017
- Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell (draft trade), June 2017
- Atlanta Hawks: John Collins (draft), June 2017
- Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine (draft trade), June 2017
- Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks (draft trade), June 2017
- New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (draft), June 2018
- Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James (free agent), July 2018
- San Antonio Spurs: Jakob Poeltl (trade), July 2018
- New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson (draft), June 2019
- Charlotte Hornets: P.J. Washington (draft), June 2019
- Washington is the Hornets’ longest-tenured player by a matter of hours. He was selected 12th overall in the 2019 draft, while Cody Martin (No. 36) and Jalen McDaniels (No. 52) were drafted by Charlotte later in the night.
- Miles Bridges, acquired in a 2018 draft trade, would be the Hornets’ longest-tenured player if he re-signs with the team as a restricted free agent.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Ivica Zubac (trade), February 2019
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Darius Bazley (trade) / Luguentz Dort (free agent), July 2019
- Bazley and Dort officially joined the Thunder on the same day (July 6, 2019). The team reached agreements on draft night (June 20) to acquire Bazley and sign Dort.
- Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes (draft), November 2020
- The Pistons acquired several players on the night of the 2020 draft, including Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Saben Lee, and Rodney McGruder. Hayes, the No. 7 pick in the draft, was the first of those acquisitions.
The teams with new longest-tenured players this year are the Kings (Fox replaced Buddy Hield), Jazz (Mitchell replaced Rudy Gobert), Spurs (Poeltl replaced Dejounte Murray), Hornets (Washington replaced Bridges, for now), and Pistons (Hayes replaced Sekou Doumbouya).
Celtics To Sign Denzel Valentine To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Celtics have agreed to a deal with free agent swingman Denzel Valentine, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Valentine will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston and will compete in training camp for a spot on the regular season roster.
The 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Valentine spent the first five years of his NBA career in Chicago before signing last offseason with the Cavaliers. He played a minor role in 22 games for Cleveland, then was dealt in January to the Knicks, who waived him. Following a 10-day contract with the Jazz, Valentine played in the G League for the rest of the 2021/22 season.
Considered a strong three-point shooter, Valentine has made 36.0% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 256 NBA appearances (18.8 MPG). He has also knocked down 41.2% of his three-pointers in a small G League sample (16 games). Valentine appeared in 12 games (31.9 MPG) last season with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, filling up the box score with 14.6 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 7.0 APG.
The Celtics have at least 11 players expected to make their regular season roster, with Luke Kornet viewed as a strong candidate to be the 12th. The team has reportedly reached deals with Valentine, Bruno Caboclo, and Noah Vonleh to compete for the 13th and 14th spots — free agents like Brodric Thomas and Justin Jackson are also expected by local reporters to vie for a spot on Boston’s roster.
Because Valentine has been in the NBA for five seasons, he’s ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal, but he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and reports back to Maine for at least 60 days.
Knicks Reportedly Offered Fournier, Toppin, Five First-Rounders For Mitchell
Since re-engaging with the Jazz in trade talks, the Knicks have made an offer for guard Donovan Mitchell that includes Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, and five first-round picks, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic.
According to The Athletic’s duo, two of the five first-round picks the Knicks offered were unprotected. Those two picks would have to be New York’s own, since all the extra first-rounders the team has acquired from other clubs have some form of protections on them.
Charania and Jones also report that New York’s offer included “additional salary.” The Knicks would have to add at least one player to Fournier and Toppin in order to match Mitchell’s $30.35MM cap hit — Miles McBride and Cam Reddish are perhaps the most likely candidates to be that additional player.
A report in mid-July, when the Jazz and Knicks first engaged in serious discussions about Mitchell, indicated that Utah was seeking six first-round picks, plus young players like Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, in exchange for the All-Star guard.
New York appears to have moved toward closing that gap, but Utah will presumably continue to haggle over the protections on the picks as well as the young Knicks players included in the return. The Jazz would probably also rather acquire Derrick Rose and his expiring contract for salary-matching purposes than Fournier and his multiyear deal, but could relent on that point if most of the rest of their asking price is met.
Mitchell remains under contract for at least three more seasons with a player option for 2025/26 and reportedly hasn’t made a trade request, so Utah has conveyed no urgency to move him. However, if the Jazz can secure a return that matches or exceeds the one they got for Rudy Gobert earlier this summer, the expectation is that they’ll pull the trigger.