Celtics Notes: R. Williams, Roster Spots, Ryan
There aren’t any long-term concerns about the knee injury that forced Celtics center Robert Williams to undergo late-season meniscus surgery, sources close to the team tell Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams experienced soreness and swelling in his left knee throughout the postseason, but was able to take part in 17 of Boston’s 24 playoff games.
No follow-up surgery was needed during the offseason, and Williams is expected to be 100% when training camp opens in about five weeks. Robb adds that Williams has been posting some of his workouts on Instagram, and they include a lot of strength training.
Robb doesn’t expect Williams’ role to change much in the upcoming season, but the coaching staff would like to see him become more aggressive with finishing around the rim on the theory that opposing defenses will be stretched further by the team’s improved outside shooting.
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics will likely keep one roster spot open at the start of the season due to luxury tax considerations, which sets up an intense battle heading into camp, Robb adds in the same piece. Robb sees Noah Vonleh and Justin Jackson as the most likely candidates to make the final roster, but he expects Bruno Caboclo, Brodric Thomas and possibly other players to make it a difficult decision.
- Matt Ryan, who ended last season on a two-way contract, won’t be with the Celtics in training camp, Robb writes in a separate story. A source tells Robb that a “roster crunch” doesn’t leave any room for Ryan. The 25-year-old small forward signed the deal at the end of February and appeared in one NBA game.
- Heat guard Duncan Robinson and Bucks guard Pat Connaughton are both critical of the Celtics’ set-up for visiting teams. Appearing on Robinson’s “Long Shots” podcast (hat tip to Thomas Darro of Heavy), Connaughton said the TD Garden is “the worst visiting team locker room in the NBA.”
Knicks Still Cautious About Dealing Draft Assets For Donovan Mitchell
The Knicks and Jazz recently renewed trade talks regarding Donovan Mitchell, but New York remains cautious about parting with a huge number of future assets to acquire the All-Star guard, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Multiple sources tell Berman that the Knicks recoiled from the original demands by Utah team president Danny Ainge, who asked for seven first-round picks in addition to young players on controllable contracts. Talks remained dormant for a while, but the teams have re-engaged each other.
According to Berman, New York’s front office believes adding Mitchell would improve the team by about 10 wins, taking it to the 47-victory level. The concern is that there would be no way to improve beyond that if the franchise gives up a significant number of its draft assets.
“Getting from 47 wins to 57 wins, that’s harder than 37 to 47,’’ a coaching source told Berman.
Berman notes that the Knicks traded this year’s first-round pick to clear cap room to add free agent guard Jalen Brunson, and the team could be in danger of losing another selection if the NBA determines that tampering occurred in the Brunson signing.
Coach Tom Thibodeau is strongly interested in adding Mitchell, Berman adds, but he’s staying out of the spotlight while the process plays out. Berman cites a belief around the league that Thibodeau would prefer to part with RJ Barrett in a Mitchell trade rather than give up second-year guard Quentin Grimes, who’s a better defender and long-distance shooter. Berman hears that Ainge is “hot to acquire” Grimes for Utah’s rebuilding project, and Berman’s source says Grimes wouldn’t be opposed to leaving instead of having no chance to start behind a Brunson-Mitchell backcourt.
Barrett, who averaged 20.0 PPG last season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 17.
Facundo Campazzo Hopes For Another NBA Opportunity
Facundo Campazzo, who spent the past two years with the Nuggets, still has hopes of getting an NBA offer for the upcoming season.
In an interview with Diego Morini of La Nacion, Campazzo said he has an opportunity to return to Real Madrid, where he played for six seasons before coming to Denver. However, he’s determined not to let his NBA career end so quickly.
“I think I showed that I can compete when I’m well,” Campazzo said. “When they give me confidence and I feel part of the rotation. In fact, the first-year playoffs I started in everything but the last game. And in the regular season I played a lot. … I’m not saying no to Real Madrid. What I’m saying is that my attention and energy is on the NBA. My first choice is that, that’s the message. I feel like an NBA player and I want to stay at that level.”
The 31-year-old point guard signed a two-year deal with the Nuggets in 2020 after a successful career with both Real Madrid in Spain and Peñarol in Argentina. He played in 65 games in each of his two NBA seasons with averages of 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per night.
Campazzo’s immediate focus is the Argentinian national team, which has two World Cup qualifying games later this month, followed by the AmeriCup tournament in September. By that time, he hopes to have an agreement in place to attend training camp with an NBA team.
“There are times when I get a little anxious,” Campazzo admitted. “But I warn that many players who are now free agents also have the same thing happening to them. It’s unusual for everyone. I have my anxious moments, where I have a hard time sleeping, but I usually try to be calm. These are things I can’t control. When they ask me what’s going on or where I’m going to play, that’s when anxiety wins me the most, because I start to imagine and think about the situation. But since I’m active, I train, I go from one place to the other, it’s like I have a clear head.”
LeBron James Among NBA Stars in Seattle Pro-Am League
LeBron James highlights a list of NBA players who will participate in a Seattle pro-am league later today, according to NBA.com.
The league is called “The CrawsOver” in honor of founder Jamal Crawford, a Seattle native and longtime NBA player. Announcing James’ participation on Twitter, Crawford promises it will be “a day like we’ve never seen.”
“A lot of kids in this area especially have only seen their favorite players whether it be on TV or on video games,” Crawford said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” (Twitter link). “To see their favorite players right there in person, to reach out and touch them. And they may have interaction with you. If you’re a kid working to get better and to dream about being on that level, that makes your dreams more realistic.”
Crawford added that he asks the area kids which NBA players they would like to see and he tries to get them to attend.
James also tweeted about the event, noting that it’s his first game in Seattle in more than 15 years. He was the featured attraction last month in the pro-am Drew League in Los Angeles, which marked his first public game since the NBA season ended.
Established stars such as Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Isaiah Thomas and Aaron Gordon are also scheduled to play today, along with first-round picks Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Tari Eason and MarJon Beauchamp. There could be an opportunity for Murray and Banchero to renew their rivalry that began with an incident at Thomas’ pro-am game two weeks ago.
Fans can watch the game live on both the NBA app and NBA.com. It’s scheduled to tip off at 8:30 PM Eastern Time.
Gustavo Ayon Announces Retirement
Veteran center Gustavo Ayon has announced his retirement from professional basketball, as relayed by EuroHoops. Ayon will have a farewell game on Sunday in Guadalajara, Mexico.
“It did not take long,” Ayon said about deciding to retire, according to EuroHoops. “Throughout my career, I learned to take care of my body, when I could be effective and when I couldn’t. I need more than 24 hours to recover after a game. I am retiring fully and at a good level as a player.”
Ayon, who went undrafted in 2007, made his NBA debut in 2012 and played in 135 total regular season games, making stops with New Orleans, Orlando, Milwaukee and Atlanta. The 37-year-old held per-game averages of 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds during those outings, playing an average of 16.5 minutes.
In addition to his NBA experience, Ayon spent many years competing in international leagues. He played in Mexico from 2006-09, Spain from 2009-11 and 2014-19, and Russia in 2019/20 before returning to Mexico to finish his career.
“I wanted to play basketball and be successful in teams having an important individual role,” Ayon said. “For me, that is much better than playing for 10 or 15 years in the NBA,”
Central Notes: Sexton, Mavericks, Cavs, Giannis, Bulls
The Cavaliers have had discussions with the Mavericks about a potential sign-and-trade involving restricted free agent Collin Sexton, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said on The Wine & Gold Talk Podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype).
Sexton is still unsigned with training camps set to start next month. Fedor notes that Cleveland wouldn’t be interested in any of Dallas’ moveable pieces, and the Mavs would have to shed salary to accommodate a sign-and-trade deal that would hard-cap them, so it remains unlikely that Sexton ends up in Dallas.
Things can change quickly in the NBA, of course, and Dallas could use another ball-handling guard. The team lost Jalen Brunson to New York in free agency this summer, so Spencer Dinwiddie is an early projected starter. Sexton averaged 16.0 points in 11 games before tearing his meniscus this past season.
Here are some other notes from the Central Division:
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps discussed the Cavaliers‘ outlook (video link), which includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley‘s progression, and where the team may finish this season. Cleveland deployed a big lineup featuring Lauri Markkanen, Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt last season, causing issues with its length. The team also received good production from Ricky Rubio, Cedi Osman and Kevin Love off the bench, but the season took a turn for the worse when key players dealt with injuries.
- Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed an international exhibition game for Greece on Friday, as relayed by Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Antetokounmpo is dealing with back soreness, though Nehm notes that his absence on Friday appeared precautionary. Giannis’ MRI came back clean, according to Eurohoops (via Twitter).
- Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic examines 10 games that will define the Bulls‘ season. The first game on Mayberry’s list is October 19’s season-opener against the Heat, which will be played in Miami. The team lost all four of its games to the Heat last season. Miami finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season (53-29), while Chicago was 46-36.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 8/20/2022
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Atlantic Notes: Toppin, Reddish, Rose, Warren, Barnes, Durant
Obi Toppin averaged 17.1 minutes per game in his second season with the Knicks and it’s unlikely his playing time will increase, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. With Julius Randle at power forward and the duo of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein at center, along with the presence of Jericho Sims, Toppin won’t have a big role unless there’s an injury or trade, Katz opines.
In Katz’s view, Toppin is still likely to play more minutes than Cam Reddish, who won’t be in the rotation if the current roster stands. Reddish projects as the 11th man and Tom Thibodeau won’t have that many players in the rotation.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks guard Derrick Rose should be “good to go” by training camp, Katz reports in the same piece. Rose underwent two surgical procedures on his ankle last season, limiting him to 26 games. He’s expected to be Jalen Brunson‘s primary backup.
- The Nets took a low-risk flier on forward T.J. Warren, who hasn’t played since December 29, 2020, but he could be a significant factor no matter how the roster shakes out, according to The New York Post’s Brian Lewis. Warren can be a complementary piece to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, assuming the superstar duo isn’t traded. Alternatively, he could be at or near the top in individual scoring for the club if Durant and Irving are gone. Warren was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal early in free agency.
- The Raptors have thus far refused to give up potential All-Star forward Scottie Barnes in trade discussions regarding Durant. However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on Brian Windhorst’s podcast (audio link) that an executive he respects said he’d give up Barnes to land Durant. That same exec told MacMahon he wouldn’t trade Barnes for Donovan Mitchell.
- In case you missed it, here’s the latest on a potential Irving trade with the Lakers.
Raptors Give Jalen Harris Qualifying Offer
The Raptors tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Jalen Harris, according to RealGM’s transactions log. That makes Harris a restricted free agent.
Harris was reinstated by the league earlier this week. He was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA on July 1, 2021 for violating the terms of the league’s anti-drug program, then became eligible to apply for reinstatement last month.
Harris was still under contract with Toronto at the time of his suspension and the Raptors had 30 days to tender him a one-year, two-way qualifying offer.
The Raptors already have 19 players under contract, with second-round pick Christian Koloko still unsigned and a two-way qualifying offer out to another restricted free agent, David Johnson.
Jarrett Culver also might also be added to the camp roster, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. The 2019 lottery pick played 37 regular season and three postseason games for the Grizzlies last season. He became an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players until the day before the regular season begins.
The 59th overall pick in 2020, Harris spent his first professional season on a two-way contract with the Raptors, then signed with Vanoli Cremona in Italy for the 2021/22 campaign following his suspension from the NBA. This May, he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League as he prepared to apply for reinstatement to the NBA.
Harris averaged 7.4 PPG on .500/.472/.778 shooting in 13 NBA games (13.2 MPG) and put up 17.6 PPG on .457/.500/.667 shooting in seven NBAGL contests (29.4 MPG) as a rookie in ’20/21.
Southeast Notes: Mitchell, Beal, Kuzma, Porzingis, Adebayo, Hawks
The Wizards should be bold and acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell to pair up with Bradley Beal, who’s now locked into a long-term contract, Josh Robbins of The Athletic opines. That pairing would put up big offensive numbers, but Washington would have to make other moves to cover for the backcourt’s defensive shortcomings. The front office would have to acquire defensive stalwarts at other spots to mask those defensive issues, Robbins adds.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards already have a “big three” in terms of offensive firepower with Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. As Hughes writes, the trio could compare to the mid-2000s Washington teams built around Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, which included an elite scoring guard plus two versatile, offense-driven frontcourt players.
- Finding a bigger offensive role for Bam Adebayo is more complicated than many Heat fans might think, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes in his latest mailbag. If Tyler Herro is moved to the starting lineup, there would be fewer shots for Adebayo with Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry already on the floor. For Adebayo to be effective, he may also need a floor spacer such as Max Strus or Duncan Robinson.
- Trae Young believes outsiders are underestimating the impact of the Hawks’ acquisition of Dejounte Murray, as he told Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill on Goodwill’s podcast (Twitter link). “I don’t think people understand how dynamic of a backcourt (we) can be,” Young said. “Both can score 20-plus, both can get nine-plus assists a game. You can’t really double one or the other. If you do, you really pick your poison.”