Suns Vice Chairman Jahm Najafi Requests Sarver’s Resignation
The NBA’s decision to suspend Suns owner Robert Sarver for the 2022/23 season and fine him $10MM after an independent investigation determined his behavior had created a toxic workplace atmosphere received significant criticism from many important voices around the league. Prominent NBA writers and some of its best players, as well as NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio, all expressed that the punishment for Sarver was less severe than he deserved.
It appears that a figure within the team’s ownership group shares that view.
Suns vice chairman and minority owner Jahm Najafi issued a statement internally, to Suns players and employees, in response to the suspension, reports Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
Najafi called for Sarver to step down from his ownership position in a more permanent manner, and stated that he will work to find a suitable replacement who treats all employees with equitable respect.
“There should be zero tolerance for discriminatory actions of any level, in any setting, let alone a professional one,” Najafi wrote, in part. “I cannot in good judgment sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans think that this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege.
“Therefore, in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as Vice Chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver,” Najafi continued. “While I have no interest in becoming the managing partner, I will work tirelessly to ensure the next team steward treats all stakeholders with dignity, professionalism and respect.”
A report earlier today indicated that both of Sarver’s basketball franchises – the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury – will be governed by another Suns vice chairman and minority owner, Sam Garvin, during Sarver’s absence this season.
Garvin has been more sympathetic toward Sarver during this process — he was among several Suns minority stakeholders who supported Sarver’s character with a signed statement last fall.
Jazz Announce Assistant Coaches, Name Jeff Hornacek Coaching Consultant
The Jazz have made some personnel additions. Utah announced today in a press release that the team will bring back assistant coaches Alex Jensen, Lamar Skeeter, and Bryan Bailey – all of whom operated as assistants under previous Jazz head coach Quin Snyder – to work under new head coach Will Hardy.
They will join a robust assistant staff that includes the previously announced Jason Terry, Evan Bradds, Irv Roland, and Sean Sheldon. Other staffers noted in the statement include player development coaches Chris Jones and Sanjay Lumpkin, who previously had different gigs under the Snyder regime.
Utah is hiring Becca Ward as its new director of team operations. The team’s video coordinator will be Anthony Beaumont, assisted by Andrew Warren and Matthew Temple.
In terms of other new additions, the Jazz also announced that former longtime Utah wing Jeff Hornacek will return to the team as a coaching consultant. Hornacek worked as an assistant coach for Utah from 2011-13 under head coach Tyrone Corbin. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach on Stephen Silas‘s Rockets staff from 2020-22.
Utah is undergoing a seismic roster rebuild, having already offloaded veterans Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale and Patrick Beverley this summer in separate deals. The team appears to be prioritizing a long-term rebuild, accruing oodles of future draft picks and young players in its trades this summer and building a coaching group set to develop its youth for years to come.
Javonte Smart To Sign Training Camp Deal With Pelicans
Free agent guard Javonte Smart is set to sign a training camp deal with the Pelicans, sources inform JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
After going undrafted out of LSU in 2021, the 6’4″ point guard inked two-way contracts with the Bucks and Heat during the 2021/22 season. Across 17 NBA games, the 23-year-old averaged 3.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 11.8 MPG on .317/.296/.833 shooting splits.
In 25 contests with the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Smart got considerably more run, averaging 21.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG. He also posted a shooting line of .419/.320/.754.
New Orleans currently has guards Daeqwon Plowden and John Petty signed to Exhibit 10 training camp contracts, making Smart their third addition whenever the agreement becomes official.
Hawks Waive Chaundee Brown
The Hawks have waived two-way swingman Chaundee Brown, Atlanta announced today in a press statement.
As Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes (Twitter link), the team will now have an available two-way player slot, with training camp set to commence in just a couple weeks.
Brown, 23, went undrafted out of Michigan in 2021. Though he was briefly on two-way deals with the Lakers and Hawks for parts of last season, he got the most run as an affiliate player with the Lakers’ NBAGL club, the South Bay Lakers.
Across five games with the Lakers and Hawks last year, the 6’5″ wing averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 20.8 minutes a night. In 30 games with the South Bay Lakers last year, Brown averaged 15.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG and 0.6 SPG, on .447/.328/.833 shooting.
With Brown gone, point guard Trent Forrest is now the Hawks’ lone remaining two-way player under contract. Guard Tyson Etienne and power forward Chris Silva, both signed to training camp deals with the club, could compete for the newly available second two-way opening.
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: Okongwu, Wagner, Wizards
Hawks reserve center Onyeka Okongwu took a big leap during his second NBA season in 2021/22, though Atlanta as a team took a significant step back in the playoffs. Okongwu is taking pains to put in the work during the offseason to improve his skill set, per Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 48 games last year, the 6’8″ big man out of USC averaged 8.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.1 APG, while shooting an excellent 69% from the floor.
The 21-year-old big man is striving to improve his jump shooting. “People are going to have expectations for me,” Okongwu said. “You know, I got to this point for a reason. I got drafted by this team for a reason. So, I definitely make sure I do what I do, but adding on something every year, every year, just add a little something.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Magic small forward Franz Wagner has played somewhat erratically in EuroBasket competition, but has managed to be a big contributor for the German national team when firing on all cylinders, per Ethan Fuller of Basketball News. Fuller writes that Wagner appears to have improved his pull-up three-point shooting and his play around the rim during this international run.
- The Wizards currently boast a plethora of solid wing players, to the point that Josh Robbins of The Athletic addresses whether or not Washington may look to make a move to address that logjam by making a consolidation trade. Elsewhere in his mailbag, Robbins projects where the club could finish in a loaded Eastern Conference this season after missing the playoffs last year, as well as contextualizing the Summer League struggles of rookie lottery pick Johnny Davis.
- In case you missed it, our Rory Maher recently took a look at extension-eligible Heat guard Tyler Herro, and assessed the reigning Sixth Man of the Year’s candidacy for a lucrative new contract.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Raptors, Celtics, Sumner
The Knicks are hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2021/22 NBA season, with a $104MM new lead guard on the roster in Jalen Brunson. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News assesses the club’s roster, projecting starters and the likely first names off the bench.
Bondy also notes that, in terms of potential future deals, 2019 lottery pick Cam Reddish, acquired in a midseason trade with the Hawks, seems to want to move on. “It’s clear Cam has no place there,” a source close to the 6’8″ small forward told the Daily News. Bondy writes that the big question mark in the team’s starting lineup is at the shooting guard position, where the battle for suiting up as Brunson’s new backcourt mate looks to be between Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Following a return to the playoffs in 2021/22, the Raptors will be looking to build off their 48-34 season. Eric Koreen of The Athletic identifies paths to improvement for Toronto, including All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam‘s pull-up three-pointers, second-year forward Scottie Barnes‘s defense on the wing, and swingman OG Anunoby‘s scoring in isolation.
- The Celtics returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years last season. Jared Weiss of The Athletic examines ways in which head coach Ime Udoka could look to preserve the health of injury-prone starting center Robert Williams and 36-year-old starting power forward Al Horford, including giving more minutes to reserve Luke Kornet.
- New Nets wing Edmond Sumner has cleared an injury recovery hurdle, he announced in a tweet. The nature of the step Sumner took was not clarified. “Hit a big milestone today!” Sumner wrote in part. “Been patiently waiting to get up and down. Been grinding and trusting this process not rushing it.” Sumner signed with Brooklyn on a veteran’s minimum deal this offseason, after missing all of 2021/22 with a torn left Achilles tendon.
DJ Steward Signs With Kings
The Kings have brought back free agent guard DJ Steward, signing him to a new contract, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
Last year, Steward also joined Sacramento on a training camp deal, but he was waived by the club ahead of opening night. The 6’2″ guard, who went undrafted out of Duke in 2021, ultimately joined Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate, the Stockton Kings.
Over the course of 30 regular season games (21 starts) with Stockton, he averaged 14.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 3.4 APG. The 20-year-old posted shooting splits of .463/.331/.884 while in the G League last season.
Sacramento currently has 12 players inked to guaranteed spots on its 15-man standard roster. Three others are signed to non-guaranteed deals, and the team has reportedly reached agreements with KZ Okpala, Quinn Cook, and Kent Bazemore. Shooting guard Keon Ellis and center Neemias Queta occupy the club’s two-way player slots.
According to Anderson, it’s not clear if Steward will join the Kings for training camp or if his new deal is just an Exhibit 10 contract designed to get him a bonus if and when he returns to Stockton. Given all of Sacramento’s other reported signings, the latter scenario seems more likely.
California Notes: Kings, Robinson, Warriors, Lakers
While Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is clearly locked in as the team’s starter at that position, the identity of his backcourt cohort is a bit up in the air. James Ham of The Kings Beat takes stock of the team’s options at shooting guard.
Ham identifies 6’7″ sharpshooter Kevin Huerter, acquired in a trade with the Hawks over the summer, as the option that makes the most sense fit-wise, but notes that free agent signing Malik Monk could get significant consideration as well. Inconsistent wing Terence Davis should get some run in the rotation, while Ham also examines the upside of young swingmen Sam Merrill and Keon Ellis.
There’s more out of California:
- Shooting guard Jerome Robinson faces an uphill battle when it comes to making the Warriors‘ regular season roster. C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle details how the 25-year-old will need to prove his mettle in training camp. In his 2021/22 campaign with Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the former lottery pick recorded averages of 20.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.8 APG in 22 games. Holmes writes that the team may be prioritizing a point guard or more size with the final one or two spots on its standard 15-man roster.
- The Warriors seem fully capable of mounting a solid title defense this season, HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan opines in a fresh season preview. Gozlan posits that Golden State’s excellent two-way play and deep roster of veterans, mixed with some intriguing youth, should make the team a formidable threat in the Western Conference.,
- On a recent episode of his podcast The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Lakers were never involved in three-team trade talks between the Jazz and Knicks in a potential trade to send Donovan Mitchell to New York. The three-time All-Star was eventually dealt to the Cavaliers instead in a two-team deal. Windhorst adds that the Lakers appear to think that there is no deal for $47MM+ point guard Russell Westbrook, even with their tantalizing 2027 and 2029 first-round picks included, that will significantly upgrade their roster.