Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Nets, Sixers
After missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a trade demand holdout and a subsequent major back injury, pricey Nets star Ben Simmons has become the centerpiece of fan expectations heading into ’22/23, writes Net Income of NetsDaily.
Beyond some official workout imagery from Brooklyn’s social media team and appearances at Summer League in Las Vegas and supporting WNBA Barclays Center neighbors the New York Liberty, the 6’11” Simmons has been relatively quiet this offseason. On October 3, fans will presumably get a chance to see Simmons play his first healthy game for his new team, facing off against his old team, the Sixers, in a preseason contest.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- After an intense offseason where it looked at times like Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would force their way out of town, Net Income of NetsDaily wonders if the team’s drama-filled summer will spill into training camp or the rapidly-approaching 2022/23 regular season. Net Income notes that “it appears” neither star has practiced with teammates at HSS Training Center during the offseason.
- After a productive summer, the Sixers are hoping to advance beyond the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2001, writes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype in a 2022/23 season preview. Gozlan notes that the team took pains to shore up its depths. Highlights of Philadelphia’s offseason include adding two former Rockets-era teammates of All-Star point guard James Harden in veteran power forward P.J. Tucker and small forward Danuel House, trading for reserve guard De’Anthony Melton, and signing 2020 Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and reigning G League MVP Trevelin Queen. Gozlan writes that the club could have the depth to capture the conference’s top seed this season, and that ascendant shooting guard Tyrese Maxey could emerge as an All-Star during his third NBA season. Everything of course revolves around the continued success 2022 MVP runner-up Joel Embiid, one of the best centers in the league. Gozlan notes that pick-and-rolls between Embiid and Harden could help the club help power the team’s offense.
- In case you missed it, Rory Maher of Hoops Rumors wondered on Friday in a Community Shootaround whether the Knicks would be able to make the play-in tournament in 2023. Let us know what you think!
Heat Notes: Oladipo, Martin, Salary Cap, Butler
The Heat are investing $15MM+ this season in Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin in the hopes that both players can build on their encouraging 2021/22 runs. While Miami is certainly hoping guard Oladipo can get closer to his pre-injury All-Star heights this season, and that the 6’5″ Caleb Martin can convincingly play significant minutes as the team’s power forward, the team has a variety of other options to pick up the slack on its roster if neither scenario comes to pass, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
As Winderman observes, guards Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, and Gabe Vincent make up a threatening backcourt rotation with or without Oladipo stepping up, and 6’7″ small forward Jimmy Butler will most likely at least finish games as Miami’s power forward.
There’s more out of South Beach:
- On the heels of the news that the league’s salary cap is on track to increase over $10MM to a projected $134MM for 2023/24, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes that the Heat still won’t have much flexibility to add new players, given the $132.4MM Miami has locked in for just its five best players with guaranteed deals that season. Assuming Herro reaches a contract extension agreement with the club and a few other contracts remain on the team’s books, the club could quite possibly exceed the expected $162MM tax threshold in 2023/24, according to Jackson, who opines that the best way for Miami to make upgrades will be through trades, not free agency.
- Butler was awarded a 93 overall player rating, the ninth-best among all players in the new video game NBA 2K23, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman notes that Butler’s score ties him with fellow All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Ja Morant.
Southeast Notes: Clifford, Ball, Harrell, F. Wagner
A lot changed in the three years that Steve Clifford was away from the Hornets, but the most significant move has been the addition of LaMelo Ball, who appears destined for stardom after being selected with the third pick in the 2020 draft. In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Clifford talked about the opportunity to coach one of the league’s best young players.
“(With) player development, the misconception is they only get better when they are young,” he said. “The better players have a goal, have a plan for every summer to get better no matter how old they are. And that’s what he’s doing. He has his things in different areas that he’s been working on.
“But I think the biggest thing for him — and I think he would tell you the same thing — is team success. The best players ultimately in our league are always judged by how well their team does. And I know he’s motivated for us to be a playoff team, which would be a good step. And I think in talking with him, that seems to be his vision.”
Ball earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and followed that up with his first All-Star appearance last season while averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists. He has already impressed Clifford with his offseason work ethic.
“He’s been great. He’s been here almost the whole summer,” Clifford said. “He likes to be in the gym. He works hard both on the court and in the weight room. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him, and I think that he’s ready or in a good place to get off to a good start. I mean, I think he’s done all the right things this summer, and I’ve been really impressed with him.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- After Montrezl Harrell agreed to a contract with the Sixers, he tweeted a message of thanks for being able to spend time with the Hornets in his home state. Harrell is headed to his sixth NBA team a few months after Charlotte acquired him from the Wizards at the trade deadline. “Blessed to have played for my home state,” he wrote, “only was 20-25 games but being back in the NC state was a blessing!”
- Magic forward Franz Wagner is questionable for the EuroBasket quarterfinals after twisting his ankle in Germany’s win on Saturday, according to Eurohoops. Wagner didn’t return to the game after suffering the injury in the third quarter. There has been no official word on his status for Germany’s next game on Tuesday.
- In case you missed it, we looked at the over/under totals for the Southeast Division this week and examined the extension case for Heat guard Tyler Herro.
EuroBasket Notes: L. Brown, Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Ukraine
Former NBA point guard Lorenzo Brown is part of a controversy at the EuroBasket tournament, according to Eurohoops. Brown scored 28 points and handed out eight assists Saturday, leading Spain to an overtime win over Lithuania in an elimination game. At the post-game press conference, Lithuania’s Mindaugas Kuzminskas suggested the outcome would have been different if not for Brown, who was born in the United States but recently became a Spanish citizen.
“I am not sure how this team would look without Lorenzo Brown because you signed him only this summer,” Kuzminskas said to a Spanish reporter. “But it is how it is.”
Brown, 32, was a second-round pick in the 2013 draft and played for four teams in a five-year NBA career that ended after the 2018/19 season. He has been with several overseas teams since then and recently signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“Even if I haven’t been here long, I feel like these guys … they have known each other so long and they brought me in as one of them,” Brown said in response to Kuzminskas’ comments. “So it’s just an amazing feeling to have that brotherhood, “la familia” as they call it. It’s really a family. I am coming in here and I am a regular American guy and those guys are talking in Spanish. And I am learning every single day, so it’s amazing what I have learned and how they treated me so far. The outside noise doesn’t bother me at all. I am just worried about what these guys feel about me. And it’s amazing. They love me and I love these guys.”
There’s more from EuroBasket:
- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to take part in practice without any pain and is expected to play in today’s game against the Czech Republic, according to John Rammas of Eurohoops. Antetokounmpo suffered a mild ankle sprain in Thursday’s contest.
- Although more than 30 NBA players are involved in this year’s tournament, Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic clearly stand above the rest, Slovenian forward Edo Muric told Rammas in a separate story. “They are both great players, they are next level. So if they want, they can score 50. In (Doncic’s 47-point) game against France, we played without our starting center, so Luka had to step up. That proves he is a very big player, beating France almost by himself, and Giannis is right there, too.”
- Ukraine’s EuroBasket run ended today with a loss to Poland, but the team served as a source of pride for the war-torn nation, per The Associated Press. Players weren’t able to train in their own country in the wake of the Russian invasion, so they practiced wherever they could. “I hope it inspires and helps them a lot, just to get their thoughts off the war a little bit and just watch us play,” Svi Mykhailiuk said. “Obviously, today was not a great example of us playing, but this whole time, we did our best. I hope they enjoyed it. Obviously, it’s tough for everybody because all the guys’ families are still there and it’s tough having to be here. But I appreciate everyone being here. I appreciate everyone fighting.”
Suns GM: “Brooklyn Wanted To Keep Kevin Durant in Brooklyn”
Suns general manager James Jones doesn’t believe the Nets were ever serious about moving Kevin Durant after his trade request in late June. In an interview with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Jones said Brooklyn set its asking price on Durant so high that no team would be willing to meet it.
Durant reportedly named Phoenix and Miami as his preferred destinations when he first asked to be traded, and there was massive speculation that the Suns were the favorites to land him because they had what the Nets reportedly wanted: young talent and multiple first-round picks. However, Jones doubts that Brooklyn’s front office made a legitimate effort to part with its star.
“Cause Brooklyn wanted to keep Kevin Durant in Brooklyn,” Jones responded when asked why a trade didn’t happen. “And that’s why he’s in Brooklyn and not on some other team, but as far as with us, I get it. It’s always a great topic of discussion, but the one thing people forget is that when you’re talking about trades, or any player acquisition, the team that has the player has to be willing to move the player. And so if they’re not moving the player, which they didn’t, it’s just conversation and it’s great discussion. Great interest for the NBA fan base and the team fan base.”
Jones added that trade talks with the Nets never progressed past the initial stage. He said every team in the league probably made a call to Brooklyn to see what it would take to get Durant, but there was no “in-depth discussion” between the Suns and Nets.
Jones addressed a few other topics in the interview:
Dealing with Mikal Bridges after he was prominently mentioned in Durant trade rumors:
“Mikal’s watching and he’s watching reports and third parties report about him. I get it. Being a player on both sides of it, I truly understand it, but it’s a testament to Mikal’s ability. He’s a really good player. So I would assume any time someone is linked to us, a good player is linked to us, that our good players will be brought up by someone. It’s the nature of it, but I think speaking to Mikal, he understands the business. He understands he’s put himself in a position to be regarded as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Any discussion around great players, I would assume he’d be one of the first guy’s names that’s going to be thrown out there.”
The status of extension talks with Cameron Johnson:
“We’re having discussions. Cam is a big part of what we do. Really excited for the progress he’s shown over the last few years, especially last year. I think he’s primed to take some steps forward. We’re excited about this team, and we’re excited about the guys on this team one through 16. He’s definitely someone we’re going to need to take another step if we want to continue to progress and grow as a group.”
Possible roster moves before the start of training camp:
“Always in evaluation mode. Always looking. Right now, we’re at 16 guys (14 standard, two two-way). There’s a chance I may add a couple more guys for training camp, but I think we’re close to the end of where we’ll be as far as our training camp roster goes.”
Community Shootaround: In-Season Tournament
Details are still being worked out regarding a proposed in-season tournament, but the NBA appears to be targeting the 2023/24 season to implement it.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported this week that the current framework has cup games being held throughout November with eight teams advancing to a single-elimination format that would be played in December. All the games would count toward the teams’ regular-season record, and the finalists would each have one extra game.
The tournament would have to be approved by the players union, and the two sides are continuing to sort through ideas. One important step will be deciding what incentives will be given to the final eight teams to make advancing worth the effort. Charania states that the Competition Committee discussed the tournament last September and considered prize money of $1MM per player for the winning team.
Commissioner Adam Silver has been a longtime proponent of the in-season tournament, believing it will eventually become as popular as a similar event in European soccer. Silver said in February that the players appear more receptive toward the idea after seeing the success of the play-in tournament that determines the final two playoff spots in each conference.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told NBA writer Marc Stein that he has changed his mind about the in-season tournament and is “actually open to it,” starting with next season (Twitter link). Cuban said the event “has a chance to build interest” for the league during the early part of its schedule.
Cuban also proposes expanding the draft from two to four rounds and giving the first pick in the two new rounds to the tournament winner (Twitter link). He would add the stipulation that those two picks cannot be traded. Like the tournament itself, any changes to the draft process would require NBPA approval.
We want to get your opinion. Do you believe an in-season tournament would cause more fans to pay attention to the NBA during the fall? And do you see merit in Cuban’s idea to expand the draft? Please leave your answers in the space below.
Celtics Notes: Anthony, Free Agents, Vonleh, Madar
The Celtics aren’t expected to sign free agent Carmelo Anthony as a replacement for the injured Danilo Gallinari, Brian Robb of MassLive writes in a mailbag column. The possibility of Anthony heading to Boston has been rumored over the past week, but multiple league sources tell Robb that Anthony isn’t considered a priority for the team.
The Celtics’ roster isn’t fully set heading into training camp, and a free agent or two could eventually be added. However, Robb hears that Boston wants to give players who are already under contract the first chance to replace Gallinari, including Sam Hauser and some big men who are hoping to make the team.
He suggests that Anthony may become an option later in the season if he’s still available and the Celtics need to add scoring off their bench. Robb also dismisses the prospect of veterans such as Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge being brought into camp.
Anthony remains unsigned roughly two weeks before camps open, even though he was fairly productive for the Lakers last season. The 38-year-old forward averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 69 games while shooting 44.1% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.
There’s more from Boston:
- Noah Vonleh could be one of the options to replace Gallinari, but he’ll have to show that his defense has improved to earn a roster spot, Robb adds in the same piece. Vonleh agreed to a one-year training camp contract in August after playing overseas last season. Robb states that Vonleh is a below-average shot blocker and concerns about his defense are the main reason he played for seven teams in seven years.
- Draft-and-stash player Yam Madar has been impressive for Israel during the EuroBasket tournament, Robb notes in a separate story. The 21-year-old point guard was a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and played for KK Partizan last season. He passed on Summer League to concentrate on his commitment to the Israeli team. Robb calls Madar’s future with the Celtics “murky” considering they drafted JD Davison this year.
- As the rebuilding Jazz continue to shake up their roster, a deal with the Celtics could become an option, Robb adds in another piece. He examines the potential fit in Boston for several Utah players.
Team USA Will Play For Bronze At AmeriCup
The American team will be in the bronze medal game at the AmeriCup tournament after dropping an 82-73 decision to Argentina in today’s semifinals (story via The Associated Press). Team USA was the defending champion, defeating Argentina for the gold medal five years ago.
Gabriel Deck, who played briefly for the Thunder over the past two seasons, led the Argentinian team with 30 points. Deck was waived by Oklahoma City in January and signed a two-year deal with Real Madrid. Former Spur Nicolas Laprovittola had 18 points and Facundo Campazzo, who is seeking another NBA opportunity after spending the past two years with the Nuggets, added 10.
“For sure, a lot of credit to Argentina and (coach Pablo Prigioni). It’s a good team, veteran team, a lot of good players, a lot of different weapons and they did a great job in the end,” said Team USA head coach and Jazz assistant Alex Jensen. “We made our runs. They did a good job taking it up another notch and we lost our patience.”
Argentina will face either Brazil or Canada for the gold medal, with the loser squaring off with the Americans for the bronze.
Team USA’s roster in the 24-team tournament was made up of former NBA players, along with a few G Leaguers. Its leading scorer in today’s game was former Heat, Pelicans and Thunder guard Norris Cole, who finished with 18 points.
“This is a good learning experience for our team,” he said following the loss. “And we’ll learn from it.”
Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Kerr, Thompson, Poole
Andrew Wiggins‘ performance in helping the Warriors capture the NBA championship was exactly what the team envisioned when it traded for him at the 2020 deadline, writes Jarrod Castillo of NBC Sports Bay Area. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the roster, Golden State didn’t need Wiggins to be a primary scorer, which allowed him to focus on defense, rebounding and helping the offense in other ways.
“He couldn’t have played that role any better in the Finals especially, but really throughout the playoffs,” coach Steve Kerr said this week on the “Damon and Ratto” radio show. “The way he rebounded, the way he guarded the opponent’s best players, he was just awesome.”
There were plenty of doubters when the Warriors made the deal for Wiggins, who was often viewed as an underachiever during his five and a half seasons with Minnesota. Kerr said it took time for Wiggins to get comfortable with Golden State, but he was ready to contribute when the playoff opportunity arrived.
“It’s just been a perfect marriage and we’re thrilled with him and I know he’s happy to be here. So excited to coach Wiggs again,” Kerr said.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Thompson is eager for the start of training camp after enjoying a healthy summer for the first time in four years, per Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. Thompson wasn’t able to play until January last season, but he plans to be ready when training camp gets underway in a little more than two weeks. “Klay is just on cloud nine right now,” Kerr said on the same broadcast. “He can’t wait for camp to start, and I would expect him to be more consistent this year, just having that conditioning base underneath him, and that consistency of good health and being able to train all summer.”
- Kerr also commented on Jordan Poole, saying he might be at his peak as a scorer but he can still improve as a defender, according to Eduardo Razo of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I thought last year in the playoffs when he was fully engaged and really playing with physicality, he showed he can be a legit two-way player, but he knows he hasn’t become that consistently,” Kerr said. “And so that’s the next step for Jordan.”
- It would be surprising if the Warriors work out a rookie scale extension with Poole rather than waiting to deal with him as a restricted free agent next summer, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area says on the latest edition of Dubs Talk.
Wolves Notes: Finch, K. Anderson, McDaniels, Nowell
After a competitive playoff performance and a major offseason trade that brought in Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves appear to be legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. Minnesota won 46 games and reached the postseason for the first time in four years, but coach Chris Finch plans to emphasize to his team that the next step won’t come easily, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“I’m thinking a lot about the tone I want to set when we start,” Finch said. “We’re not going to be good because we expect to be good. We’re not going to be good because we had a good season last year. We’re going to be good because of the foundation that we lay from Day 1 and continue to build on that.”
Minnesota sent five players and a hefty package of draft assets to Utah to acquire Gobert, but the front office views him as a difference maker and doesn’t believe it overpaid, Krawczynski adds. Now it’s up to Finch and the rest of the coaching staff to figure out the best way to use Gobert alongside fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
“I’m trying not to overthink that right now,” Finch said. “I don’t want to solve a problem before we have a problem. But we have to have some ideas ready to go.”
There’s more from Minnesota:
- The addition of Kyle Anderson in free agency was an underrated offseason move, Krawczynski adds in a mailbag column. The 28-year-old forward doesn’t put up flashy stat lines, but he’s a versatile defender who can make up for the losses of Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt and he can handle the ball and help run the offense. He also brings playoff experience, appearing in nine series during his time with the Spurs and Grizzlies.
- Jaden McDaniels has a chance to become a starter this season, and team officials are very happy with what they’ve seen from him during the summer, Krawczynski states in the same piece. McDaniels has been training at the team facility along with Naz Reid, Nathan Knight and several other players. He’s been focused on becoming stronger and quicker and has been working with player development coach Joe Boylan to improve as a transition scorer.
- With Beverley and Malik Beasley shipped out in the Gobert trade, Jaylen Nowell will likely be the first guard off the Wolves’ bench, Krawczynski adds. The team talked to Nowell about an extension after the end of last season, according to Krawczynski, but didn’t offer enough for him to commit without knowing whether he would have a role in the rotation.