And-Ones: Muhammad, Musa, James, Grant
29-year-old former 2013 NBA lottery pick Shabazz Muhammad is hoping to return to the NBA after spending the past four seasons abroad, writes Dana O’Neil of The Athletic. Muhammad indicates that he has worked out for the Kings and has received interest from the Mavericks.
Muhammad was selected with the No. 14 pick out of UCLA in 2013 and spent the majority of his NBA tenure with the Timberwolves. After Minnesota waived him in the spring of 2018, he latched on with the Bucks. Since then, he has suited up for a pair of CBA clubs, the Shanxi Brave Dragons and the Shenzhen Aviators. During the 2021/22 season, Muhammad played briefly with the Nuggets’ NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. He next joined the San Miguel Beermen of the Phillippine Basketball Association.
“It was a big adjustment,’’ Muhammad said of his time abroad. “The language barrier — I needed a translator to talk to my teammates — the food. I got down on myself.’’
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former Nets small forward Dzanan Musa has inked a deal with top EuroLeague power Real Madrid, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. The 6’9″ wing, still just 23, was selected with the No. 29 pick by Brooklyn in 2018. From 2018-20, he appeared in a total of 49 games for the Nets, averaging 4.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.1 APG while shooting 37.6% from the floor. Musa spent the 2021/22 season with another Spanish team, Club Baloncesto Breogán, for whom he averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 3.1 APG.
- Another recent Net, point guard Mike James, has opted to re-sign with AS Monaco on a two-year deal, according to Eurohoops. James, 31, was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team during his 2021/22 season with AS Monaco, averaging 16.4 PPG, 5.7 APG and 3.4 RPG. The 6’1″ James last suited up in 13 games for the Nets during the 2020/21 season, averaging 7.7 PPG, 4.2 APG and 2.5 RPG across 18.2 MPG.
- Former NBA reserve guard Jerian Grant has signed with the Turkish club Turk Telekom, per Eurohoops. Grant, now 29, was selected with the No. 19 pick out of Notre Dame in 2015, and logged time with the Knicks, Bulls, and Magic, before landing with the Wizards for his last NBA season, 2019/20. The 6’4″ vet holds career NBA averages of 6.1 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.9 RPG and 0.7 SPG across 279 games. Grant spent the 2021/22 season with Italian EuroLeague club Olimpia Milano. During his games played within the Italian League, he averaged 7.4 PPG 2.7 APG and 1.9 RPG.
Spurs Sign Dominick Barlow To Two-Way Contract
JULY 11: The Spurs have officially signed Barlow to a two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
JUNE 24: The Spurs are signing a two-way deal with free agent former Overtime Elite forward Dominick Barlow, reports Jake Weingarten of StockRisers (via Twitter).
The 6’9″ forward averaged 14.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 BPG and 1.1 SPG while with Overtime Elite. He logged shooting splits of .530/.364/.769.
Vaunted for his mobility, the 19-year-old opted to forgo college, the G League, and international play in favor of the relatively new Overtime Elite, a professional league alternative for NBA prospects aged 16-19.
Barlow will be joining three other new Spurs rookie additions following a jam-packed first round during the 2022 draft. San Antonio selected forward Jeremy Sochan with the ninth pick out of Baylor, Ohio State wing Malaki Branham at No. 20, and Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley at No. 25.
Rockets Notes: Porter, Gordon, Christopher, Garuba
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has engaged in early contract extension discussions with Houston, according to a conversation between ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Tim MacMahon on Lowe’s podcast The Lowe Post.
“I’ve heard there have been some very, very, very, very, very, very, very preliminary talks about talking at some point in the future, but some openness to a deal there,” Lowe said (h/t to HoopsHype for the transcription).
“I think there are mixed opinions internally,” MacMahon respond. “And, you know, frankly, externally the opinion I get most often is the Rockets should not give him an extension.”
Since being drafted with the No. 30 pick out of USC in 2019, Porter has had a solid statistical NBA career but has faced questions about his off-court behavior. He spent his rookie year with the Cavaliers before being offloaded to the Rockets in January 2021 following a locker room outburst. During the 2021/22 season, Porter averaged 15.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.1 SPG across 61 games (allstarts) for the Rockets.
There’s more out of Houston:
- Elsewhere on the same Lowe Post podcast, Lowe and McMahon said they consider veteran Rockets guard Eric Gordon a “lock” to be dealt away from the team. McMahon suggested that Gordon could fetch a first-round pick in a deal. The 33-year-old was a key contributor to several contending Rockets teams led by James Harden, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2016/17. He averaged 13.4 PPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.0 RPG across 57 games during the 2021/22 season for a rebuilding Rockets team that appears poised to prioritize a youth movement for the foreseeable future.
- Second-year Rockets guard Josh Christopher has been exhibiting leadership and growth during his 2022 Summer League stint, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Head coach Stephen Silas has been hopeful that the 20-year-old, selected with the No. 24 pick out of Arizona State in 2021, would develop defensively, particularly on rotations and as a rim protector. Iko notes that Christopher has thus far displayed improvement in those departments in Summer League. “I’ve been in the gym working, so to be able to come back to Vegas and play ball again, it’s nostalgic almost,” the 6’3″ guard said of his return to Summer League. “It’s good to be on the floor.”
- Second-year Rockets big man Usman Garuba has suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain that will sideline him for all of Summer League, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that various injuries and time spent in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols limited Garuba’s on-court role with the Rockets during his rookie season. The 20-year-old was drafted with the No. 23 pick in 2021 following a successful four-year stint with Real Madrid.
Mavericks Notes: Hardy, Brunson, Cuban, Harding, McGee
Mavericks rookie shooting guard Jaden Hardy, the No. 37 pick in the 2022 draft, enjoyed a stellar Summer League debut on Friday, finishing with 28 points on 9-of-19 field goal shooting during a 100-99 overtime loss to the Bulls. Selby Lopez of the Dallas Morning News details Hardy’s big night.
“Jaden did a great job,” Mavericks assistant coach and Summer League team head coach Greg St. Jean said. “I think that’s part of the process here of putting him in those situations, then being able to review the film and talk through it… I think it’s a great start for him, and we’re going to learn a lot from the film.”
The 6’4″ guard averaged 17.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 3.2 APG while with the G League Ignite during the 2021/22 season. His efficiency left something to be desired, however, as he connected on just 35.1% of his field goal attempts.
There’s more out of Dallas:
- Dallas team owner Mark Cuban expressed his excitement for former Maverick Jalen Brunson agreeing to sign a lucrative four-year, $104MM new deal with the Knicks, but revealed that Dallas was not able to counter with a potential contract of its own in free agency this summer, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “It really wasn’t about the amount of money,” Cuban said while at the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League. “We really didn’t get a chance to make an offer. It was Jalen’s choice. And I understand it. He knew those guys his entire life. He grew up there. It makes perfect sense… We wanted him to stay, but he had his reason, and I respect that.” The latest intel on the contract suggests that the Knicks will sign Brunson using cap space, rather than via a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks.
- Mavericks Summer League point guard Jerrick Harding is hoping to latch on at the next level, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavericks.com. “I ended my senior year [at Weber State], and this was in 2020, so COVID hit and all that was going on,” he said. “So basically the whole summer I was waiting. There were no workouts, no summer league, there was no anything.” Harding signed on with Czech National Basketball League club ERA Nymburk in 2020 and has played with them for two seasons. “[They’re] the best team in the Czech Republic. They play in the Champions League. So I figured it would be a good spot for me. I didn’t want to sit and wait. I might not have a job, know what I mean if I stayed in the states.” Now with Dallas’s Summer League club, the 6’1″ guard is eager to prove himself.
- Following two seasons played on one-year contracts, new Mavericks center JaVale McGee opted for a bit more security this time around in free agency, inking a three-year, $20.4MM deal with Dallas. “The past couple of years, I really wanted to focus on consistency and comfortability,” McGee said of his new opportunity, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Though the three-time champion fit in well with a 64-18 Suns team and seemed a safe bet to return for 2022/23, the team’s uncertain future this summer compelled him to look elsewhere for a long-term contract. “I think it was more of having to wait for [restricted free agent] Deandre Ayton and now [Kevin Durant], trying to figure it out,” McGee said. “For me, it was just like at this stage of my career and what I’m looking for, I don’t have time to be waiting on somebody else.”
Pistons Notes: Livers, Bagley, Ivey, Stewart, Duren
Pistons small forward Isaiah Livers, the No. 42 pick in 2021 out of Michigan, seems to be proving his mettle as an NBA-level talent during the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Edwards praises Livers’s abilities as a long-range shooter, and projects him to potentially make Detroit’s rotation during the 2022/23 NBA season.
Edwards also singles out Livers’s newly refined defensive skillset. Livers saw limited action in his rookie season with Detroit during the 2021/22 season. In 19 games, the 23-year-old averaged 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.1 APG and 0.7 SPG across 20.2 MPG. He posted a tantalizing shooting line of .456/.422/.857.
There’s more out of Detroit:
- Former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III was pleased to remain with the Pistons on a new three-year, $37MM contract, he told Cassidy Hubbarth of ESPN (Twitter link courtesy of the Detroit News’ Mike Curtis). “I was super excited,” Bagley said. “I love Detroit. I love the fans. I love being in that environment and when it was official, I was excited.”
- After injuring his ankle during the first quarter of a Saturday Summer League contest against the Wizards, Pistons rookie shooting guard Jaden Ivey did not return to game action. However, concern seems low among Detroit’s brain trust about the injury, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Ivey, who was selected with the fifth pick out of Purdue in this year’s NBA draft, even weighed in himself on Sunday (via Twitter). “[Nothing] major.. I’m good,” he wrote.
- The Pistons are hopeful that a starting frontcourt tandem of Isaiah Stewart and rookie center Jalen Duren, the No. 13 pick out of Memphis, can prove effective. The early results in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League have certainly been encouraging, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. The duo combined for 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 15 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in Detroit’s 105-99 victory over the Wizards on Saturday.
Nets Notes: Simmons, Thomas, Duke, Free Agency
Though his two All-Star Nets colleagues Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could very well be on the move this summer, a trade for injured All-Defensive Team Brooklyn guard Ben Simmons remains very unlikely, Brooklyn sources inform Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Simmons missed the entire 2021/22 season due to mental health issues and a back injury that required surgery. Sources tell Lewis, who notes that Simmons is on track to rejoin Brooklyn in time for the team’s training camp this fall, that the former No. 1 overall pick has little trade value at present. The three-time All-Star, still just 25, holds career averages of 15.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 7.7 APG.
There’s more out of Brooklyn:
- Several teams have contacted the Nets about potential deals for second-year player Cam Thomas, Lewis writes in another story for the New York Post. According to Lewis, a Thomas trade may fetch a first-round draft pick for Brooklyn, should the team want to move off the 20-year-old shooting guard. Across 67 games with the Nets, Thomas averaged 8.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.5 APG in just 17.6 MPG.
- After going undrafted in 2021 out of Providence, point guard David Duke Jr. impressed the Nets on a two-way deal. This summer, he has thus far passed on an offer from Brooklyn for a second two-way contract (presumably the standard two-way QO that includes a $50K partial guarantee) in the hopes of instead being signed to a standard deal to join the team’s 15-man roster, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Well, you know, I’m always going to strive for the most that I can get, right?” Duke said of his reasoning. “So if there’s a roster spot to strive for that, then whatever happens from there, happens… But like I said, I’m just out here [in Summer League] trying to play the best that I can, show what I can bring to Brooklyn, to whoever.”
- The Nets are thus far the biggest losers in free agency this year, opines Kevin Pelton of ESPN (YouTube link). That issue may have more to do with the team’s top stars potentially wanting to be traded off the team more so than its fairly minimal free agent signings. “No matter how this Durant situation plays out, even if they’re able to retain him… still you’re going to have Kyrie Irving’s situation hanging over their entire season,” Pelton said. “And it’s also kind of affected their ability to make moves so far this offseason,” Pelton added. While Pelton applauded their low-risk signing of T.J. Warren to a one-year contract, he was less enthused about another big Brooklyn transaction. “[I] wasn’t a big fan of their trade to send a first-round pick to Utah for Royce O’Neale. People are going to describe O’Neale as a 3-and-D player, but the defense part of that equation has been lacking the last couple of seasons.”
Walker Kessler Signs Rookie Deal With Jazz
The Jazz have officially signed 7’1″ rookie center Walker Kessler to his rookie scale contract, the team announced in a press release. Kessler is the last 2022 first-rounder to ink his deal.
The 20-year-old has yet to play in an NBA game, but is already well-traveled within the league. He was initially selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 22 pick in the 2022 draft out of Auburn, before being traded to the Timberwolves in a draft-night deal. Kessler was later sent to Utah as part of Minnesota’s blockbuster deal for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Kessler averaged 11.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.6 BPG, and 1.1 SPG across 34 games during his second and final college season with the Tigers. He also nailed 60.8% of his field goal attempts. He had spent the 2020/21 season with North Carolina in a more limited role, averaging just 8.8 MPG, before transferring to Auburn. Kessler was named the 2021/22 SEC and NABC Defensive Player of the Year. The big man was also an All-SEC First Team, All-SEC Defensive Team, and AP All-American Third Team selection.
The deal will pay $2,696,400 for the 2022/23 season, and will be worth $13.4MM should Utah pick up both its team options for the center’s third and fourth NBA seasons.
Pacers Guarantee Terry Taylor’s 2022/23 Contract
Second-year Pacers shooting guard Terry Taylor‘s $1,563,518 salary for the 2022/23 season has been fully guaranteed by Indiana, per Tony East of Forbes (Twitter link).
Taylor, now 22, went undrafted out of Austin Peay State University in 2021. He first latched on with Indiana on an Exhibit 10 deal during the 2021 offseason. The team waived him in October before inking him to a two-way contract. The 6’5″ wing was subsequently promoted to the team’s 15-man roster this spring, alongside two-way point guard Duane Washington.
Across 33 games in 2021/22, Taylor enjoyed a productive rookie season off the bench for a lottery-bound Pacers club. He averaged 9.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.2 APG across 21.6 MPG. He connected on 61.4% of his 6.7 field goal looks and 70.6% of his 1.5 charity stripe attempts.
In 14 contests while with the Pacers’ NBAGL affiliate club, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, on his two-way contract, Taylor’s numbers were even more impressive. He averaged 18.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.0 BPG, while making 67.4% of his field goals and 77.3% of his free throws.
Taylor’s 2022/23 salary was already partially guaranteed for $625K and was on track to become fully guaranteed if he remained under contract through Sunday — it appears the Pacers made their decision a little early.
Shaedon Sharpe To Miss Rest Of Summer League With Shoulder Tear
Trail Blazers rookie swingman Shaedon Sharpe is set to miss the rest of this year’s Las Vegas Summer League after suffering a “small” labral tear in his left shoulder, the team has announced in a press release.
Portland adds that Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft out of Kentucky, will have his injury reassessed in 10-to-14 days. He suited up for just six minutes during an eventual 81-78 loss to the Pistons Thursday before incurring the injury. He shot 1-of-3 from the floor in that time. The 6’6″ wing promptly left the game to undergo imaging.
A hyper-athletic, high-upside prospect, Sharpe never played a game for the Wildcats. Sharpe’s original intention was to redshirt his first season with Kentucky during the 2021/22 collegiate season, and then suit up in ’22/23. When it became clear he would be a lottery selection, Sharpe opted to enter the 2022 draft pool.
The 19-year-old inked a rookie-scale contract with Portland last week. Provided the Trail Blazers pick up his options, Sharpe would earn $27,340,903 over the full four-year deal.
Pelicans Sign Dyson Daniels To Rookie Scale Deal
The Pelicans have officially signed rookie wing Dyson Daniels to a rookie scale contract, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
The 6’8″ swingman was selected with the eighth pick in the 2022 draft by New Orleans after spending a year with the G League Ignite. Across 14 contests for the G League Ignite during the 2021/22 season, Daniels averaged 11.3 PPG, 4.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, and 0.7 BPG, while connecting on 44.9% of his field goals and 73.7% of his free throw attempts.
Provided Daniels is compensated with the standard 120% rate above the rookie scale, the 19-year-old’s four-year contract is worth $25,059,949. He’ll earn $5,508,600 in his 2022/23 NBA rookie season.
Daniels is set to make his debut with the Pelicans during the team’s first Summer League contest tonight against the Trail Blazers.
With the inking of Daniels to a deal now official, Jazz rookie center Walker Kessler is now the sole remaining unsigned first-round draft pick.