Former No. 1 Recruit Emoni Bates Arrested On Gun Charges
Former No. 1 recruit Emoni Bates, who spent last season with Memphis but transferred to Eastern Michigan for 2022/23, was arrested on Sunday night in Michigan for felony gun charges, according to WXYZ Detroit.
Bates was originally pulled over for failing to stop at an intersection, and police offers subsequently discovered a firearm. He has been charged with felony counts of carrying a concealed weapon and altering the serial number on a gun, per WXYZ.
The 18-year-old was arraigned and released on Monday after the judge granted him a nonmonetary personal recognizance bond, Bates’ lawyer, Steve Haney, told Pete Thamel and Myron Medcalf of ESPN. Haney requested a plea of not guilty on Bates’ behalf, and his next court date is October 6.
Bates told his attorney that he was driving a borrowed vehicle, ESPN’s duo relays.
“Reserve judgment on this,” Haney said via a statement. “There’s way more to the story. He borrowed someone’s car, was pulled over and a gun was located in the car.”
Bates, who is from Ypsilanti, Michigan, where Eastern Michigan is located, has been suspended by the school.
“We are aware of a situation involving men’s basketball student-athlete Emoni Bates,” the school said in a statement. “Eastern Michigan University takes all allegations of this nature very seriously. Per department policy, he has been suspended automatically from practice and playing privileges until the legal process is resolved. Because this is an on-going legal matter, the University will have no further comment at this time.
Bates was the No. 1 recruit of the 2022 class before reclassifying and leaving high school a year early, finishing as the No. 3 recruit in 2021, per Thamel and Medcalf. However, his draft stock has taken a hit after an injury-plagued freshman season saw him average 9.7 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .386/.329/.646 shooting in 18 games (23.4 MPG) for the Tigers.
Most early 2023 mock drafts have Bates as a late-first round pick or an early second-rounder.
Bucks Sign Ibou Badji To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Bucks have signed undrafted rookie Ibou Badji to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link).
Badji, who turns 20 next month, spent the 2021/22 season with Forca Lleida CE of the LEB Oro, Spain’s second league. In 37 games (19.9 MPG) last season, the Senegalese center averaged 8.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 BPG, according to his NBA.com draft profile.
The Bucks have also signed undrafted rookie Iverson Molinar to an Exhibit 10 deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. The news of his signing was first reported back in June, but wasn’t official until now.
In 34 games (34.1 MPG) as a junior for Mississippi State last season, the Panamanian guard averaged 17.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.2 SPG on .454/.252/.868 shooting. For his efforts, he earned a berth on the All-SEC First Team.
Hoops Rumors can also confirm that Alex Antetokounmpo, who was recently waived by the Bucks, received an Exhibit 10 deal.
Exhibit 10 deals, which are non-guaranteed, would make Badji and Molinar eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if they’re waived before the season starts and spend at least 60 days with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate.
2022/23 NBA Over/Unders: Recap
Over the last two weeks, we’ve been examining projections for all 30 NBA teams for the 2022/23 season, publishing polls asking how many games each club will win. With the help of lines from professional oddsmakers, we’ve had you vote on whether each team will go over or under a given win total, from the Celtics (55.5) all the way through to the Thunder (22.5).
Here are the full results of those votes:
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (55.5 wins): Under (56.1%)- Brooklyn Nets (51.5 wins): Under (64.5%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (50.5 wins): Over (76.1%)
- Toronto Raptors (46.5 wins): Over (65.7%)
- New York Knicks (40.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (52.5 wins): Over (75.5%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (47.5 wins): Over (73.4%)
- Chicago Bulls (44.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Detroit Pistons (28.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Indiana Pacers (23.5 wins): Under (62.8%)
- Miami Heat (50.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks (46.5 wins): Over (53.6%)
- Charlotte Hornets (36.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
- Washington Wizards (35.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
- Orlando Magic (26.5 wins): Over (55.3%)
Western Conference
- Denver Nuggets (51.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (49.5 wins): Over (64.7%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (40.5 wins): Under (57.0%)
- Utah Jazz (25.5 wins): Under (65.5%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Over (54.2%)
- Golden State Warriors (53.5 wins): Over (69.2%)
- Phoenix Suns (53.5 wins): Over (60.2%)
- Los Angeles Clippers (52.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
- Los Angeles Lakers (45.5 wins): Under (66.6%)
- Sacramento Kings (34.5 wins): Over (62.0%)
- Memphis Grizzlies (49.5 wins): Over (68.7%)
- Dallas Mavericks (48.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
- New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Over (61.2%)
- Houston Rockets (24.5 wins): Under (61.8%)
- San Antonio Spurs (23.5 wins): Under (67.5%)
Our voters were most bullish on the Central and Pacific, picking the “over” for four of five teams in each of those two divisions. Conversely, they were bearish on the Atlantic and Southeast, choosing the “under” for three clubs in each of those divisions, including presumed contenders like the Celtics, Nets, and Heat.
In total, our voters went “over” for 18 teams and “under” for 12, which is a pretty standard divide. It’s only natural at this time of the year to view certain offseason roster changes in the most positive light, before we get a chance to see which ones will backfire. And with most teams fully healthy at this time of year, it’s also impossible to predict which clubs’ seasons might take an unfortunate downturn as a result of an injury or two.
These were the five “over” bets that received the largest vote shares:
Philadelphia 76ers, 50.5 wins: 76.1%- Milwaukee Bucks, 52.5 wins: 75.5%
- Cleveland Cavaliers, 47.5 wins: 73.4%
- Golden State Warriors, 53.5 wins: 69.2%
- Memphis Grizzlies, 49.5 wins: 68.7%
There are some interesting picks in this group. The enthusiasm for the Cavaliers is presumably related in large part due to the recent acquisition of Donovan Mitchell, which raises the team’s ceiling in a major way. But the Sixers, Bucks, Warriors, and Grizzlies didn’t make any additions nearly that significant this offseason — Philadelphia’s signing of P.J. Tucker is perhaps the most impactful short-term acquisition made by any of those clubs.
In the cases of Milwaukee, Golden State, and Memphis in particular, it appears our voters are counting on continuity and returning talent winning out.
Here are the five “under” bets that received the largest vote shares:
- San Antonio Spurs, 23.5 wins: 67.5%
- Los Angeles Lakers, 45.5 wins: 66.6%
- Utah Jazz, 25.5 wins: 65.5%
- Brooklyn Nets, 51.5 wins: 64.5%
- New York Knicks, 40.5 wins: 63.0%
These teams fall into two general categories — the Spurs and Jazz are rebuilding franchises that may not mind winning only 20 games this season in order to get a shot at a top prospect like Victor Wembanyama. The Lakers, Nets, and Knicks are big-market clubs whose projections may be slightly inflated by oddsmakers in order to encourage more betting action.
Most of these picks make sense to me, though I wouldn’t feel especially confident betting on the Spurs’ under. San Antonio’s roster isn’t exactly loaded with talent, but Gregg Popovich‘s teams always seem to find a way to outperform preseason expectations.
The Lakers and Nets, conversely, have enough talent to easily exceed their projected win totals, but it’ll come down to how often their stars are able to play together. Last year, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons combined to miss more games (230) than they played (180).
Here are the five picks that were closest to 50/50:
- Washington Wizards, 35.5 wins: Under (50.8%)
- Chicago Bulls, 44.5 wins: Over (51.6%)
- Detroit Pistons, 28.5 wins: Over (51.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks, 46.5 wins: Over (53.6%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder, 22.5 wins: Over (54.2%)
The splits on these teams are logical ones. We haven’t yet seen Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis play together for the Wizards. We have no idea how much Lonzo Ball will be able to play for the Bulls this season. Dejounte Murray‘s impact on the Hawks and his fit alongside Trae Young remains to be seen. And it’s unclear whether the Pistons and Thunder will once again be as bad as they were a year ago — Detroit could be ready to take a step forward, while Chet Holmgren‘s injury means Oklahoma City could be in for another long season.
What do you think of our picks in general? Are there any results above that you strongly disagree with? Did you make any over or under votes within the last couple weeks that you’re second-guessing now? Jump into our comment section below and weigh in with your thoughts!
NBA, NBPA Discussing Next Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NBA, led by commissioner Adam Silver, has already engaged in “extensive talks” with the National Basketball Players Association, led by executive director Tamika Tremaglio, about the league’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The NBA’s current CBA runs through the 2023/24 season, but both the league and the players’ union have the ability to opt out of the agreement before then. If either side exercises its opt-out clause by December 15 of this year, the CBA will instead expire on June 30, 2023.
There’s no indication at this point that the NBA is headed toward a lockout. Charania describes the conversations to date as “positive” and says top officials from the league and the union will hold an important in-person meeting next week.
According to Charania, one area of focus for the NBPA in negotiations with the league is the idea of creating lasting equity for its players beyond their standard contract earnings.
“Creating generational wealth is critically important in this next chapter of the union. … We know that the uncertain lifespan (of an NBA career) makes it crucial to plan for what happens after the ball stops bouncing — creating this generational wealth,” Tremaglio told The Athletic. “Thinking about the players’ contributions to the game and how they can be compensated for it will mean there will have to be more equity structures in place.
“It could be the sale of a team. It could be the deals they are entering where they are receiving equity beyond the four or five years that a contract exists. It’s much broader, and I don’t think historically we’ve looked at it. It’s been the here and now.”
Here are a few other issues the two sides are discussing, per Charania:
- The NBA and NBPA are expected to allow players to enter the draft at age 18 instead of age 19. That would reopen the door for top high school prospects to directly enter the NBA rather than having to spend a year playing in college or in a non-NBA league.
- The NBA and NBPA are discussing the idea of including mental health designations on injury reports similar to the way that physical injuries are reported, as well as expanding the mental health treatment options provided by teams.
- The league and some team owners are in favor of introducing more punitive luxury tax penalties. It’s unclear whether changes to the luxury tax system will be mere tweaks or could be more wide-ranging, but Charania says some team executives believe it will be the biggest issue to resolve in the CBA negotiations.
Bucks Sign, Waive Alex Antetokounmpo
The Bucks waived forward Alex Antetokounmpo on Saturday shortly after signing him to a contract, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com.
Antetokounmpo, the brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, went undrafted in 2021 and spent last season coming off the bench and playing limited minutes for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate. He previously played for UCAM Murcia in Spain during the 2020/21 season.
Only Antetokounmpo’s release – not his signing – shows up on NBA.com’s transaction log, which strongly suggests he received an Exhibit 10 contract, since Exhibit 10 signings aren’t listed on NBA.com’s log. An Exhibit 10 deal would make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate.
Because Antetokounmpo played for the Raptors 905 last season, they would typically hold his returning rights, but they traded those rights to the Herd in July, paving the way for the 21-year-old to play in Wisconsin in 2022/23.
Antetokounmpo is the second player to be signed and quickly waived by the Bucks in the last week, as they begin lining up players for the Herd’s roster. Rob Edwards was the other one.
Nets Sign, Waive Marcus Zegarowski
The Nets signed former second-round pick Marcus Zegarowski to a contract on Friday and waived him on Saturday, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.
The No. 49 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Zegarowski signed a G League deal last offseason and spent his first professional season playing for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. The 6’1″ guard, a former Creighton standout, averaged 11.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.4 APG with an underwhelming .351/.331/.650 shooting line in 21 total NBAGL appearances between the regular season and the Showcase Cup.
Brooklyn still held Zegarowski’s NBA rights entering the 2022/23 league year, but the decision to sign and waive him is an indication that he’s no longer in the team’s plans. If and when he clears waivers on Monday, he’ll be free to sign with any other NBA club.
The terms of the contract Zegarowski signed aren’t known, but it wasn’t an Exhibit 10 deal, since they don’t show up in NBA.com’s log. It was presumably a non-guaranteed contract, with the lack of an Exhibit 10 clause signaling that the Nets probably don’t plan on having him back in Long Island in 2022/23.
As NetsDaily tweets, the sign-and-waive maneuver was likely a procedural move freeing up the 24-year-old to seek an opportunity elsewhere.
Eastern Notes: Sumner, Nets, Morris, Westbrook, Heat, Celtics
Four-year NBA veteran Edmond Sumner is planning to bring grit to the Nets this season, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Sumner signed with Brooklyn in free agency this offseason.
At 6’6″, the 26-year-old established himself as a valuable rotation player before tearing his Achilles’ last year. He averaged 7.5 points per game with the Pacers in 2020/21, shooting 40% from deep in 53 contests.
“He just doesn’t miss days, he doesn’t skip workouts,” Sumner’s trainer, Mike Robertson, said. “That’s a testament to who he is and the kind of guy that you’re getting there. He’s just a great human being. He’s going to punch the clock, he’s going to continue to not just work hard for himself but to lift the others up around him. And he’s just a world-class human being. [Nets fans] are going to love him.”
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Nets owner Joe Tsai made a personal recruiting pitch to Markieff Morris before Brooklyn signed him, Marc Stein writes for Substack. Morris is expected to provide the Nets with frontcourt depth and could play small-ball five at times. He dealt with a neck injury after an altercation with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic last season, playing only 17 games with Miami.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether the Heat could have interest in Russell Westbrook in the event that he’s eventually bought out by the Lakers or another team. While Westbrook’s future with Los Angeles is unclear, he may not be a stellar fit alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The 33-year-old is currently on track to reach free agency next summer.
- Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com explores a number of Celtics-related topics in his latest mailbag, including Jaylen Brown‘s ball-handling. Brown struggled to take care of the ball at times last season, averaging 3.5 assists and 3.1 turnovers per game during the postseason. He still held respectable playoff averages of 23.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest, shooting 47% from the floor.
Community Shootaround: Best Starting Lineup
As the NBA season nears, it’s fair to wonder which team will sport the best starting lineup this season. Of course, a team’s finishing group matters more than its starting group, but that can depend on which players are having a good game on a given night, as well as the opponent.
When it comes to the best projected starting lineup, the reigning-champion Warriors can make a. Golden State can start Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. The team can also go bigger and swap one of those players with Kevon Looney.
The Celtics, who lost to Golden State in the Finals, are bringing their defensive-minded group back: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Robert Williams III. They narrowly edged the Bucks in seven games last season, and Milwaukee figures to start Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
Besides those three teams, the Sixers, Nuggets, Nets, Suns, Bulls and Clippers can all make valid arguments for having the best projected group. The Grizzlies shocked the NBA by finishing with the second-best record at 56-26 last season, while the Hawks added Dejounte Murray to a star-studded lineup, so there are arguably other teams to consider depending on who improves the most.
We want to know what you think. Which team do you think has the best projected starting lineup? Was your pick mentioned, or do you believe another group deserves strong consideration? Take to the comment section below and voice your opinions!
Knicks Sign Svi Mykhailiuk To One-Year Deal
8:43pm: The Knicks have officially signed Mykhailiuk, the team announced on social media. He received a one-year, minimum deal with only $50K guaranteed, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.
12:59pm: Free agent swingman Svi Mykhailiuk is signing a one-year, partially guaranteed contract with the Knicks, Mykhailiuk’s agency SIG Sports informed Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
After being waived by the Raptors last month despite having a guaranteed salary for 2022/23, the Ukraine-born Mykhailiuk had indicated that he hoped to return to the NBA rather than pursuing a deal with a European club. That apparently included considering signing a G League contract if necessary.
Last season, the 6’7″ small forward averaged 4.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.8 APG, and 0.5 SPG across 56 games for Toronto. He posted shooting splits of .389/.306/.865. For his career, Mykhailiuk is a solid three-point shooter on volume, averaging 35.3% on 3.7 attempts.
The 25-year-old journeyman was first selected by the Lakers with the No. 47 pick after a four-year Kansas tenure in 2018. Prior to the Raptors last season, he has suited up for Los Angeles, the Pistons, and the Thunder.
New York has 13 players signed to its standard 15-man roster. Beyond Mykhailiuk’s non-guaranteed deal, the team also has DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, plus Feron Hunt and Trevor Keels on two-way contracts. The team also reportedly intends to sign two additional players, Jean Montero and Garrison Brooks, to Exhibit 10 deals.
Rockets Notes: Offseason, Tate, Porter, Smith
Rockets players spent most of their summer training together in Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Instead of holding mini-camps at popular vacation sites, as the team has done in the past, virtually the entire roster has been working out at the Toyota Center.
“It’s been a good summer,” general manager Rafael Stone said. “I’m very happy. The summer is really about individuals. It’s less about the team. It’s more about where a specific guy, he saw a weakness; he worked on it. We identified something we wanted him to focus on; he did. We’ve seen that.”
After back-to-back years of posting the NBA’s worst record, the Rockets are rebuilding around youth, with seven total first-round picks in the last two drafts. Kevin Porter Jr. believes the offseason workouts have been beneficial for this year’s first-rounders, Jabari Smith, Tari Eason and TyTy Washington, as they prepare for their rookie season.
“We’ve been together for a couple months now,” Porter said. “I’ve been seeing growth and development. The new guys have been learning fast. I’ve been learning fast. So, it’s been good. They fit right in. They fit already.”
There’s more from Houston:
- Jae’Sean Tate, whose offseason included a new three-year, $20.6MM contract, believes the Rockets are moving in the right direction, Feigen adds in the same piece. “I definitely think we’ve been on the bottom the last couple years so there’s only (one) way we can go and that is up,” Tate said. “Just getting more experience with our rookie class from last year. I’m going into my third year and Kevin is going into his fourth. I just think that experience is going to help us out this year and getting that year under our belt but also continue to build a culture with this new class coming in.”
- The most important question for the organization is determining whether Porter is the right point guard for the future, Kelly Iko of The Athletic states in a preseason preview of the Rockets. Porter got off to a shaky start in his first full season at the position, but he showed improvement as the year wore on. Iko believes Porter and the Rockets both want to get a rookie scale extension worked out before the new season begins.
- Smith will be a better fit at power forward than the traded Christian Wood because he won’t demand the ball on offense, Iko adds in the same story.