2022 August | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Antetokounmpo, COVID Policy, Wembanyama, D. Stockton

August 30th, 2022 at 10:12am CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo was a runaway winner as the NBA’s best player in an ESPN poll of 15 coaches, scouts and executives. The Bucks star collected 11 votes, with three going to NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry and one to LeBron James. Antetokounmpo tied with Kevin Durant for the top spot in the survey last year.

“He’s healthy, you can put the ball in his hands or play off the ball as a screen-and-roll guy, and his defensive effectiveness,” a Western Conference scout in choosing Antetokounmpo. “I think Durant is the most talented guy because of his shooting and scoring ability, [but] Giannis’ will, the human, the winner, the mentality, the everyday effort, raising the effort of guys around him … it’s hard to top that.”

The 27-year-old Antetokounmpo was also projected to be the league’s best player in five years, narrowly edging Luka Doncic, and he won a tight race to be named MVP for the upcoming season. In other significant categories, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren tied as the best rookie in five years, Donovan Mitchell is almost unanimously expected to be with the Knicks by the trade deadline, the Celtics were picked as the team that had the best offseason and the Mavericks were tabbed as having the worst offseason.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The NBA has revised its health and safety protocols relating to COVID-19 for the 2022/23 season, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Unvaccinated players will have to undergo coronavirus testing once each week, while vaccinated players will be tested only when they show symptoms. Isolation measures will be implemented immediately following a positive test, and face masks won’t be required in team settings.
French center Victor Wembanyama and G League guard Scoot Henderson top the projected 2023 draft class, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. “Wembanyama is a physical freak who plays like a guard that can hit step-back shots and handle the ball,” a general manager told Scotto. “His durability is a concern. He’s not Kristaps Porzingis. I think he’s more talented. Defensively, he’s like Evan Mobley. Offensively, he’s like Porzingis.”
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate – announced in a press release that they have picked up the returning player rights to David Stockton in a G League trade with the Memphis Hustle.

Donovan Mitchell Trade To Knicks Remains Possible

August 30th, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

RJ Barrett‘s extension with the Knicks complicates a potential trade for Donovan Mitchell, but it doesn’t close the door entirely, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Sources tell Berman that the Jazz are most interested in stockpiling unprotected first-round picks in return for Mitchell. Berman has reported that Utah wants four unprotected picks in the trade, while New York is only willing to part with two, along with three conditional selections.

A league source indicates that the market for Mitchell remains limited, telling Berman, “There’s no place for Donovan to go right now. The Knicks can still get him.”

Berman also hears that the Jazz would like to expand the trade to include the Lakers and hopefully pick up L.A.’s 2027 and 2029 first-rounders. Berman notes that the Lakers likely have interest in Cam Reddish, whom they pursued at the trade deadline and who saw limited playing time after coming to New York. Reddish is a client of Rich Paul at Klutch Sports, Berman points out, which means LeBron James and Anthony Davis would probably support bringing him to L.A.

There’s more on a potential Mitchell trade to New York:

If Barrett’s new contract takes him out of the equation, Utah could become more focused on landing Quentin Grimes, Berman adds in the same piece. The 22-year-old shooting guard established himself as a fixture in coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation last season, but Berman notes that there would be little chance for him to become a starter in New York with Mitchell and Jalen Brunson on hand.
The Jazz were aware that the Knicks set a Monday night deadline for a Barrett extension, but they didn’t let it impact negotiations, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. She has heard conflicting reports about whether Utah wants Barrett or would be content with a deal that doesn’t include him. Sources tell Todd that both teams are playing hardball right now in trade talks, but there’s still a chance to complete a deal before training camp.
The “poison pill provision” means a third team would have to be included to get Barrett to Utah, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says in a video breakdown of Barrett’s extension. He says a team with cap room, such as the Pacers or Spurs, would have to be willing to take Evan Fournier‘s contract, which is worth nearly $56MM over the next three years.

Knicks Agree To Extend RJ Barrett, Complicating Donovan Mitchell Talks

August 30th, 2022 at 4:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and forward RJ Barrett are finalizing a four-year rookie scale contract extension that could be worth up to $120MM, agent Bill Duffy tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The exact base value of Barrett’s new deal isn’t yet known, but Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports (via Twitter) that there are bonuses tied to All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections. In other words, it sounds like the former No. 3 overall pick would have to play at a very high level to earn the full $120MM.

A former star at Duke, Barrett has steadily increased his scoring average in his three NBA seasons with the Knicks, registering a career-high 20.0 PPG in 70 games (34.5 MPG) in 2021/22. He also contributed 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG while shooting .408/.342/.714 last season. Those shooting marks were a step down from his career bests in ’20/21 (.441/.401/.746).

According to Wojnarowski, the Barrett extension will complicate the Knicks’ discussions with the Jazz about a potential Donovan Mitchell trade. Sources tell ESPN that those talks intensified over the weekend as the two teams made some progress, but there was still a gap between what each side was willing to do.

Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose set a Monday night deadline to either agree to a deal for Mitchell or commit to an extension for Barrett, per Wojnarowski, who notes that the “poison pill provision” will now almost certainly ensure that the former Blue Devil won’t be part of a package for Mitchell.

As we outline in our glossary entry, a player who signs a rookie scale extension but remains on his rookie contract has different outgoing and incoming salary-matching figures, which is referred to as a “poison pill” — in Barrett’s case, the gap between his outgoing and incoming figures will exceed $15MM, according to Wojnarowski. That would make it extremely challenging for both the Knicks and Jazz to send out and take back a legal amount of salary if Barrett is part of a package for Mitchell.

As Wojnarowski explains, Barrett was a “staple” in several of the proposals for Mitchell that the Jazz and Knicks discussed, with Utah highly valuing the 22-year-old. While New York had apparently been willing to include Barrett, the two teams were still at an impasse over the possible inclusion of Quentin Grimes and the number of unprotected first-round picks in the package, per ESPN.

It remains possible that the Knicks and Jazz will agree to a deal that doesn’t include Barrett, but that would require the Knicks to give up “far more” draft assets than they’ve been willing to surrender thus far, sources tell Wojnarowski.

For now, the two teams are backing off those trade talks, but the Jazz aren’t engaged in serious discussions with any other suitors about Mitchell, so neither they nor the Knicks have ruled out the possibility of resuming their talks before training camps begin in four weeks.

As Wojnarowski notes, Barrett’s extension will end an ignominious streak for the Knicks, as he’ll become the team’s first first-round pick since Charlie Ward in 1999 to sign a multiyear contract extension following his rookie deal.

Barrett will also become the fifth player to finalize a rookie scale extension this offseason. While his deal won’t be worth as much as the maximum-salary extensions signed by Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland, it will exceed Keldon Johnson‘s four-year, $74MM contract.

Assuming Barrett’s new extension doesn’t include any options, it will keep him under team control through the 2026/27 season.

Community Shootaround: Pelicans’ Ceiling

August 29th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Perhaps the most significant addition any team has made this offseason didn’t involve the draft, free agency or a trade.

Zion Williamson didn’t play a single minute for the Pelicans last season due to his lingering foot issues. Williamson was signed to a max extension in early July, ending any speculation about his commitment to the organization and vice versa.

When the top pick of the 2019 draft appeared in 61 games the previous season, he put up giant numbers: 27 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 3.7 APG. From all appearances, Williamson should be ready to go when camps open late next month.

Adjustments will have to be made with Williamson returning to action but the Pelicans have the potential to lead the NBA in scoring. They have two other prolific scorers in CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram and an offensively-gifted center in Jonas Valanciunas.

Add in defensive ace Herbert Jones and some solid second unit pieces in Larry Nance Jr., Devonte’ Graham, Trey Murphy, Jaxson Hayes and lottery pick Dyson Daniels and there’s plenty of reasons for optimism among New Orleans fans. They also have a fine young coach in Willie Green, who stayed calm through a rough start last season and guided the team into the postseason.

New Orleans had only 36 victories during the regular season but fought through the play-in tournament and into the first round against Phoenix, where it put up a good fight before falling 4-2. That experience should serve the Pelicans well in future trips to the playoffs.

Certainly, the organization is on the upswing three years removed from the Anthony Davis trade.

That brings us to our question of the day: With the return of Zion Williamson this upcoming season, what is a realistic goal for the Pelicans? Do they need to upgrade in any area or do they already have the look of a serious contender?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Contract Details: Koloko, Caboclo, Silva, Tillman, Watanabe, Spurs

August 29th, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by Luke Adams

As initially reported by Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, the Raptors used exactly $1.5MM of their mid-level exception to sign rookie big man Christian Koloko to a three-year contract on Friday. With the second and third years worth the minimum, Koloko’s deal has a total three-year value of $5,239,563.

The first two years of that contract are fully guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned, with the third year non-guaranteed. Koloko’s salary for 2024/25 would become fully guaranteed if he hasn’t been waived within 48 hours of the 2024 NBA draft.

Here are a few more details on newly-signed contracts from around the NBA:

The new one-year, non-guaranteed contracts for Bruno Caboclo (Celtics), Chris Silva (Hawks), and Justin Tillman (Nuggets) all include Exhibit 10 language. Silva’s and Tillman’s deals could be converted into two-way contracts, but Caboclo’s can’t, since he has too many years of NBA service to be two-way eligible.
Yuta Watanabe‘s one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Nets includes an Exhibit 9 clause, but not an Exhibit 10. That essentially means that Watanabe is only in the mix to compete for a regular season roster spot and probably won’t be joining Brooklyn’s G League affiliate if he’s cut (he’s ineligible for a two-way deal).
Alize Johnson‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Spurs is an Exhibit 9, but not an Exhibit 10. Tommy Kuhse‘s deal is an Exhibit 10, so he could have it converted into a two-way deal or could become an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs.

Eastern Notes: Gallinari, Hauser, Durant, Holden, Pistons

August 29th, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Danilo Gallinari‘s knee injury could open up some playing time for second-year Celtics forward Sam Hauser, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Gallinari suffered a meniscus tear during a World Cup Qualifier while playing for Italy and there’s no timetable for his recovery.

Hauser, who remained with the Celtics by signing a three-year deal in early July, can provide some perimeter shooting as Gallinari mends, though he needs to improve defensively. Boston could also go with more small-ball lineups with Grant Williams or even Jayson Tatum playing the center spot.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Kevin Durant and the Nets have smoothed over their differences for the time being and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report delves into the question of whether they can continue to maintain a peaceful relationship. It’s likely the team will keep an awkward status quo while hoping to make a deep playoff run, Pincus writes. If things go awry, they can revisit offers for Durant at the trade deadline or next offseason.
Speaking of the Nets, former Euroleague standout J.R. Holden is expected to be named GM of their G League affiliate in Long Island, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Holden would replace Matt Riccardi, who accepted a front office position with Dallas this summer.
While there’s a good vibe coming out of Detroit, it will be very difficult for the Pistons to improve enough just to make the play-in tournament, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com points out. They may be better than they were last season but none of last year’s playoff and play-in tournament participants, save perhaps Charlotte, project to take a big step backward. At the same time, lottery teams New York and Washington have made major roster additions.

Western Notes: Wall, Lakers, Rockets, Sabonis, Queta, Metu

August 29th, 2022 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

John Wall, who didn’t play last season for the Rockets, has looked sharp in offseason workouts, according to Marc Stein in a Substack post. Wall reached a buyout agreement this summer and signed with the Clippers after clearing waivers. Wall is expected to have a significant role with the Clippers, either as the starting point guard or as Reggie Jackson‘s backup.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Lakers are about to let a traded player exception lapse. Their TPE of $2,692,991 generated in a deal with the Grizzlies will expire if they don’t make use of it on Monday. In that swap, the Lakers sent Marc Gasol, a 2024 second-round pick, and cash to Memphis in exchange for the draft rights to 2016 second-rounder Wang Zhelin. Memphis soon waived Gasol, who returned to Europe.
A fan survey conducted by Kelly Iko of The Athletic shows that Rockets supporters are pleased with the direction of the franchise. Even though fans anticipate Houston having little to no chance of making even the play-in tournament during the upcoming season, 90 percent of them have a positive view of the team’s “process” and a similar amount are “confident” or “very confident” in GM Rafael Stone and the front office.
The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, Neemias Queta and Chimezie Metu had productive outings for their teams in FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee notes. Sabonis led Lithuania to two victories in Group K, while Queta recorded two double-doubles to help Portugal win a pair of games in Group F. Nigeria went 1-2 in Group E but Metu also contributed two double-doubles.

Trail Blazers Waive Didi Louzada

August 29th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:12pm: The Blazers will use the waive-and-stretch provision to get under the tax threshold, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

4:09pm: The Trail Blazers have waived wing Didi Louzada, according to a team press release.

Louzada was part of the blockbuster deal with New Orleans that sent CJ McCollum to the Pelicans. At the time, Louzada was recovering from meniscus surgery. He wound up making seven appearances for Portland late last season, averaging 5.0 PPG in 17.4 MPG.

Louzada was entering the second year of a four-year, $7,686,312 contract he signed with New Orleans. The Trail Blazers will take a cap hit of $1,876,222 this season but the last two years of the contract were not guaranteed.

Louzada, a 2019 second-round pick, was one of 15 players with guaranteed contracts on Portland’s roster. The Trail Blazers now have 18 players and can add two more before training camp.

The Blazers could elect to use the stretch provision, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes in a tweet. August 31 is the last day to use the waive-and-stretch provision and Louzada would count as $268,032 annually (over seven seasons) if the Blazers go that route. That would put Portland under the luxury tax threshold.

Super-Max Candidates To Watch In 2022/23

August 29th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Designated Veteran extension, as we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, is a relatively new addition to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. It allows players with seven, eight, or nine years of NBA service, who would normally be eligible for a maximum starting salary of 30% of the cap, to qualify for a “super-max” contract that starts at 35% of the cap, a level normally reserved players with 10+ years of experience.

A player who has seven or eight years of NBA service with one or two years left on his contract becomes eligible for a Designated Veteran extension if he meets the required performance criteria and hasn’t been traded since his first four years in the league. A Designated Veteran contract can also be signed by a player who is technically a free agent if he has eight or nine years of service and meets the required criteria.

The performance criteria is as follows (only one of the following must be true):

The player was named to an All-NBA team and/or was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
The player was named the NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.

Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, and Karl-Anthony Towns have all signed super-max extensions this offseason. Jokic qualified for his Designated Veteran extension when he earned his first MVP award in 2021, while Booker and Towns became eligible when they made All-NBA teams in 2022.

There aren’t as many obvious candidates to meet the Designated Veteran criteria in 2022/23, but there are still a handful of players worth keeping an eye on. Here’s a look at some super-max candidates to watch during the ’22/23 season:

Jaylen Brown / Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Brown has never made an All-NBA team, but he was an All-Star in 2021 and received All-NBA votes in 2022, so he could very well be in the mix in 2023.

Brown’s situation is an interesting one — he’s unlikely to sign a standard contract extension before reaching free agency because the maximum raise (20%) on his 2023/24 salary ($30,723,214) would fall well short of his projected maximum salary for the 2024/25 season as a free agent.

Meeting the super-max criteria would change that equation, making Brown eligible for a far more substantial raise on a DVE. But would the Celtics be willing to commit to a five-year super-max contract for their second-best player? The NBA hasn’t issued a cap projection for ’24/25 yet, but if we assume a $143MM cap (a $10MM bump on the projected $133MM cap for ’23/24), a five-year DVE that begins in 2024 would be worth $290MM+.

Tatum, meanwhile, made the All-NBA First Team in 2022, putting him in a very good position to maximize his earnings.

Because he’ll only have six years of NBA service under his belt at the end of the 2022/23 season, Tatum won’t have enough experience to sign a super-max extension next offseason. But if he makes another All-NBA team, he will have met the performance criteria, having earned All-NBA honors in two of the three years before he gains the necessary service time for a DVE.

That’s what happened with Jokic — he met the performance criteria in 2021, but couldn’t sign his super-max extension until he met the service time criteria in 2022. Another strong season from Tatum could put the Celtics forward in the same boat.

Pascal Siakam / Fred VanVleet (Raptors)

Siakam and VanVleet aren’t among the NBA’s top tier of superstars, but they’re certainly in the second or third tier. Siakam has actually already earned two All-NBA nods, making the Second Team in 2020 and the Third Team in 2022, while VanVleet made his first All-Star team earlier this year. An All-NBA spot for either of them in 2023 would make them super-max eligible next offseason.

Of course, even if one or the other qualifies for a DVE, I’m somewhat skeptical that the Raptors would offer Siakam or VanVleet a full super-max deal. Those contracts are typically reserved for franchise players, and Scottie Barnes may be on track to become that guy in Toronto.

It still makes sense for Siakam and VanVleet to wait to see if they become super-max eligible before they sign extensions. Meeting the performance criteria would give them a ton of extra leverage when they negotiate their next contracts, even if the Raptors aren’t willing to go the DVE route.

Both Siakam and VanVleet have two years left on their respective contracts, though VanVleet could reach unrestricted free agency in 2023, since his final year is a player option.

Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)

An All-Star in 2020, Ingram would need to take another big step forward to become a legitimate All-NBA candidate. And that won’t be easy if Zion Williamson‘s return and a full season of CJ McCollum cut into his scoring numbers.

As is the case with the Raptors and Siakam/VanVleet and the Celtics and Brown, it’s also unclear whether the Pelicans would be eager to put a super-max offer on the table for Ingram even if he qualifies, since he may not be the player the team is building around.

Still, Ingram – who has averaged at least 22.7 points per game in each of the last three seasons – is worth mentioning because he’d be eligible for a four-year super-max contract extension that begins in 2025/26 if he were to make an All-NBA team in 2023.

The rookie scale extension recipients

Ja Morant, Darius Garland, and Zion Williamson have all signed five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extensions this offseason that project to start at 25% of the 2023/24 cap. Based on an estimated $133MM cap, those deals would be worth $192.85MM.

However, all three extensions include Rose Rule language. This is another form of the super-max — unlike the Designated Veteran contracts, which start at 35% of the cap instead of 30%, a player who meets the Rose Rule criteria receives a starting salary worth 30% of the cap rather than 25%.

The performance criteria for a Rose Rule salary increase are essentially the exact same as for a Designated Veteran bump, but must be achieved by the end of the player’s four-year rookie contract. That means Morant, Garland, and Williamson would have to make the All-NBA team in 2023 in order to increase the projected value of their respective extensions to $231.42MM over five years — an All-NBA berth in 2024 or 2025 would be too late.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) writes, while Morant and Garland will earn the Rose Rule bump if they make any of the three All-NBA teams, it’s unclear if that’s the case for Zion as well or if he needs to make the First Team to qualify for the 30% max.

Of these three players, Morant – who was an All-NBA Second Teamer in 2022 – is the best bet to be part of that group of 15 again next season.

The rest

While there are other veteran players who could technically qualify for the super-max this season, none are particularly compelling candidates. Jamal Murray would meet the performance criteria with an All-NBA nod, but that’s a lot to expect from the Nuggets guard, who missed the entire 2021/22 season due to a torn ACL.

Pacers big man Myles Turner is an intriguing dark horse candidate, since he’s capable of entering the Defensive Player of the Year discussion, and winning that award would make him super-max eligible. But the odds of him staying with the Pacers all season, earning DPOY honors, and then signing a super-max deal with Indiana as a free agent are… slim, to say the least.

Ben Simmons, Dejounte Murray, and Domantas Sabonis are among the players who can no longer qualify for a DVE because they’ve been traded while on their second contracts. Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo are among those who don’t have enough service time under their belts yet and would need to earn an All-NBA spot in 2024 to qualify — and again, that would hinge on them remaining with their current teams, which appears increasingly unlikely for Mitchell.

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Raptors Waive Svi Mykhailiuk

August 29th, 2022 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

1:00pm: The Raptors have officially waived Mykhailiuk, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

11:06am: The Raptors are waiving Svi Mykhailiuk, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the veteran shooting guard will seek a “fresh start” with a new club.

Currently suiting up for Ukraine’s national team, Mykhailiuk spent the 2021/22 season with the Raptors after signing a two-year, minimum-salary deal with the team last almost exactly one year ago.

The 25-year-old, who previously spent time with the Lakers, Pistons, and Thunder, played a modest role in Toronto, averaging 4.6 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .389/.306/.865 shooting in 56 regular season appearances (12.8 MPG).

Following his down year, Mykhailiuk exercised his player option for 2022/23, but his spot on the Raptors’ roster for the coming season always appeared tenuous. Toronto has a number of viable candidates for back-end spots on its 15-man regular season squad and has enough breathing room below the luxury tax line to eat Mykhailiuk’s $1,878,720 guaranteed salary and carry another player without becoming a taxpayer.

Once Mykhailiuk is officially waived, the Raptors will have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Dalano Banton, D.J. Wilson, and Justin Champagnie also vying for roster spots on partially guaranteed deals.

Additionally, Toronto still has two-way qualifying offers out to David Johnson and Jalen Harris, despite having filled its two-way slots with Jeff Dowtin and Ron Harper Jr. — it remains possible that Johnson and/or Harris will factor into the 15-man roster competition. Gabe Brown is also in the picture, but he’s on an Exhibit 10 contract and would probably need to have a huge preseason to earn real consideration for a regular season roster spot.

If the Raptors officially cut Mykhailiuk this afternoon, he’ll clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Month: May 2024

Jaylen Brown / Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Pascal Siakam / Fred VanVleet (Raptors)

Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)

The rookie scale extension recipients

The rest