Lakers Sign Louis King
8:39pm: The signing is official, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
6:18pm: Free agent Louis King is signing with the Lakers, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The deal was confirmed by King’s agent, George Langberg of GSL Sports Group.
The 24-year-old combo forward made a brief NBA appearance last season, getting into one game with the Sixers after signing a two-way contract in late December. King spent most of the season in the G League, where he averaged 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 32 regular season games with the Delaware Blue Coats.
King became an unrestricted free agent in July when Philadelphia decided not to make a qualifying offer. He had a tryout with the Celtics in August, but remained unsigned.
King will likely head to the G League again once his contract with the Lakers is finalized. Assuming it’s an Exhibit 10 deal, he will be eligible for a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with L.A.’s South Bay affiliate.
The signing will bring the Lakers’ offseason roster to 18 players. L.A. has 14 fully guaranteed contracts, and all three of its two-way slots filled.
Clippers Still Won’t Include Terance Mann In James Harden Trade
The Clippers‘ refusal to part with Terance Mann continues to be the main obstacle to a potential trade involving Sixers guard James Harden, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Two people involved in the negotiations tell Amick that the teams talked again on Monday, with Philadelphia offering to give up Harden in exchange for Mann, an unprotected first-round pick, a first-round pick swap and other players to match Harden’s salary. However, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank refused to make Mann available, which has been the team’s position since trade talks began.
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said Frank was being “unserious,” according to Amick’s sources, and sarcastically suggested the Clippers should offer Paul George if they’re so determined to hold onto their lesser assets. Frank quickly dismissed the idea of parting with George.
Amick notes that the exchange leaves negotiations at the same impasse where they began when Harden made his trade demand in late June. The Sixers don’t have any traction on a deal with L.A. or anyone else as the start of the season looms next week.
Harden showed his displeasure with the situation by skipping Wednesday’s practice and has been away from the team since Sunday. A report earlier today said management plans to give him a chance to explain his absence before imposing any fines, which would start at $2,500 for a missed practice and could reach $389K for each missed game.
Harden is communicating with the Sixers through general manager Elton Brand, according to Amick. Harden remains angry at Morey over the way his contract was handled, and it’s not clear what his intentions are regarding the October 26 season opener.
The Sixers believe Harden’s anger should be directed at the Clippers, Amick adds. The position of Philadelphia’s front office is that Harden could have the trade he wants if L.A. would include Mann, and the Sixers would be left with enough assets to pursue a high-level player who could replace Harden and keep the team in title contention.
Sources tell Amick that Philadelphia already has trades lined up that would fetch a first-round pick in exchange for Mann. That pick would be used as part of a package to acquire another star later in the season. The Sixers see that as an equitable outcome considering the otherwise limited return they would be getting in exchange for Harden, according to Amick.
However, Harden believes L.A. has already made a reasonable offer and Morey is “moving the goalposts,” Amick adds. The Clippers have offered two first-round picks, but Morey isn’t satisfied with their quality because they have protections and could eventually turn into second-rounders if they don’t convey by a certain date.
Harden’s absence is the latest step in his desire to create an uncomfortable situation for the Sixers until he’s traded, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN stated in an appearance on NBA Today (video link).
“Somebody close to him told me this is only the beginning of what he plans to do here,” Shelburne said.
Grizzlies Sign Adonis Arms, David Johnson
The Grizzlies tweaked their preseason roster by signing Adonis Arms and David Johnson, the team announced in a press release. Jason Preston and Timmy Allen, who both signed with the team on Monday, were waived to make room.
Because Memphis already has 15 guaranteed contracts and all three of its two-way slots filled, all four players are likely to end up in the G League. Assuming they all have Exhibit 10 deals, they can earn up to a $75K bonus by spending at least 60 days with the Memphis Hustle.
Arms, a 25-year-old guard, finished last season with the Hustle after being acquired from Grand Rapids in a G League trade. He spent time with both Denver and Phoenix during the 2022 preseason and played for the Nets in this year’s Summer League.
Johnson, a 22-year-old guard, was drafted in the second round by Toronto in 2021, but only appeared in two NBA games before being waived last October. He spent most of his time with Raptors 905 in the G League, but was traded to the Hustle in late August.
The moves leave the Grizzlies with 21 players on their preseason roster, with three needing to be trimmed by Monday’s league-wide cutdown date.
Isaiah Roby, Jaylen Martin Waived By Knicks
The Knicks have waived forward Isaiah Roby and swingman Jaylen Martin, the team announced (via Twitter).
Roby, 25, signed with New York on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. He spent most of the season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. Roby spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.
Martin signed a two-way contract with the Knicks this summer after going undrafted out of the Overtime Elite League. His departure leaves New York with an open two-way slot as the others are currently held by Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler.
Roby got into two of the team’s three preseason games and averaged 8.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG. Martin made one three-minute appearance during the preseason.
Neither player had any guaranteed money for this season, so the moves won’t cost the Knicks anything. The team is down to 19 players on its roster, with 12 fully guaranteed contracts.
Mavericks Sign, Waive Taze Moore
OCTOBER 17: The Mavericks have waived Moore, the team’s PR department tweets. It’s likely he’ll end up with the Legends after clearing waivers.
OCTOBER 16: The Mavericks have signed former University of Houston forward Taze Moore, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 6’5″ Moore joined Dallas’ G League team after going undrafted in 2022 and averaged 13.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24 regular season games with the Texas Legends. He also played for the Mavericks’ Summer League squad, posting 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in five games.
In an interview this summer with Grant Afseth of Sports Illustrated, Moore said the Mavs asked him to concentrate on defense in Las Vegas, but he feels he can handle any role that he’s assigned.
“I’m not really a well-known guy like that, and I’m kind of cool with that,” Moore said. “I’m a defensive guy, but when I was at (Cal) Bakersfield, I kind of had a team where I had to be an offensive threat and things like that. So I can just be anything you want me to be when you want me to be that. I can score. If you need me to score, I score. If you don’t, I won’t.”
Moore is a long shot to make the Mavericks’ roster, but assuming he signed an Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll be able to earn a bonus of up to $75K if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with the Legends.
Dallas had room to sign Moore after waiving three players over the weekend. There are still two openings on the 21-man roster.
Heat Notes: Herro, Butler, Jaquez, Jovic, Champagnie
Tyler Herro is still in Miami after a long summer of trade rumors and he’s determined to show the Heat that he was worth keeping, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro appeared on the way out when Damian Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade in early July and listed Miami as his only preference. But Herro’s role with the Heat is secure now and he’s ready to make an impact, as he showed with a 30-point performance on Sunday night.
“I’m always ambitious,” he said. “Motivation kind of drives me and it’s who I am. But that’s who I am, so that’s me every day. Just being myself. This year is obviously, I wouldn’t even call it revenge or a bounce back. It’s just a year to be myself and just have fun and enjoying what I love to do, which is play basketball. Tonight was a little bit of it.”
Herro was a productive scorer from everywhere on the court on Sunday, Chiang adds, finishing 11-of-19 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range, and 4-of-5 on free throws. He displayed an effective floater near the basket as nine of his shots came from inside the lane.
“Man, he’s just so efficient now,” Bam Adebayo said. “His movements, less dribbles, not trying to do much. He gets straight to his points, gets straight to his shots.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Jimmy Butler was held out of Sunday’s game after undergoing two separate dental surgeries this week, but he’s expected to return before the end of the preseason, Chiang adds.
- Coach Eric Spoelstra cited progress by Drew Peterson and Alondes Williams, who were both waived over the weekend, Chiang states in another Miami Herald story. Both players were part of Miami’s Summer League team, and Spoelstra hopes they will continue to develop with the organization’s G League affiliate. “We’re encouraged by both of them,” he said. “This was part of the agreement to transition them and get guys on to Sioux Falls. It happens in stages. These can be great opportunities still. We want to invest in them for the entire season. That’s ideally the plan. They got a lot better these last eight weeks and we’re looking forward to this next step in Sioux Falls.”
- Nagging injuries have virtually eliminated any chance that Jaime Jaquez or Nikola Jovic will be in the rotation when the regular season begins, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Jaquez has been limited by a groin strain in the preseason, while Jovic is dealing with a bruised knee.
- Justin Champagnie may be the favorite to fill the open roster spot if the Heat don’t try to sign someone else, Winderman speculates in a separate piece. He expects Cole Swider to be converted to a two-way contract, with current two-way player Dru Smith possibly the odd man out.
Bulls Waive Quenton Jackson
The Bulls have announced (via Twitter) that shooting guard Quenton Jackson has been placed on waivers.
Jackson signed with the team in September after the Wizards released him in July. He appeared in nine games with Washington last season, spending most of the year in the G League, where he averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 29 regular season contests.
Jackson went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022 and was in training camp with the Wizards before the start of the season. He rejoined the team in February on a two-year, two-way contract.
The Exhibit 10 deal that Jackson signed with the Bulls gives him the opportunity to earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s Windy City G League affiliate.
The move leaves Chicago with three openings on its 21-man offseason roster.
Grizzlies Sign Jason Preston, Timmy Allen
The Grizzlies have added Jason Preston and Timmy Allen to their roster, waiving Matthew Hurt and Mychal Mulder to make room, the team announced (via Twitter).
Preston, a 24-year-old point guard, was waived by the Clippers earlier this month before his $1.8MM salary became fully guaranteed. He appeared in 14 games with L.A. last season and spent most of his time in the G League.
Allen, a rookie forward, played for the Grizzlies’ Summer League team after going undrafted out of Texas. The 23-year-old averaged 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Longhorns last year.
Memphis has 15 players with guaranteed contracts, so there’s virtually no chance for either Preston or Allen to win a roster spot. However, if they signed Exhibit 10 deals, they can earn a bonus of up to $75K if they get waived and spend at least 60 days with the Memphis Hustle, the organization’s G League affiliate.
Hurt and Mulder both signed with the Grizzlies two weeks ago and saw limited action in the preseason. Hurt, a 23-year-old forward, appeared in two games and had three points, three rebounds and an assist. Mulder, a 29-year-old guard, scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in two games.
The moves leave Memphis at the offseason roster limit of 21 players.
Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton, Griffin
Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard gave the league a preview of what their new partnership will look like as they played their first game as teammates on Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. They already look comfortable together on the court, McMenamin notes, taking turns handling the ball in the pick-and-roll. They also recognize how playing together can benefit each of their games.
“I’ve never been this open,” Antetokounmpo said after a win over the Lakers. “And first of all, I’ve never seen anybody being double-teamed from the first possession of the game.”
“Having another guy out there that’s just dominant,” Lillard added. “He can dominate a game and win you a game. … First couple plays, they blitz me, they trap me and the guy that I’m releasing the ball to is Giannis. So I’m just like, ‘Uh, we can do this all night.’ You know what I mean?”
Antetokounmpo scored 16 points in 15 minutes while shooting 7-of-10 from the field before resting in the second half. Lillard had 14 points, four steals and three assists and got a chance to run the team in the third quarter without the former MVP on the court.
“Today was a great first step in the right direction,” coach Adrian Griffin said. “You can see those guys love playing together already. And not just Dame and Giannis, but everyone was just pulling for each other.”
There’s more on the Bucks:
- Prior to Sunday’s game, Antetokounmpo discussed a variety of topics with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, including the potential to form an all-time great combination with Lillard, the disappointment of losing in the first round of the playoffs and the difficulty of parting with Jrue Holiday as both a teammate and friend. He also addressed his future in Milwaukee, saying he hopes to spend his entire career in the city and denying that offseason comments about putting winning first were an ultimatum to the organization. “The words that I say, I feel like sometimes they’ve been taken out of proportion because I’ve said these words for four or five, six years now. And I don’t know why it’s different this time,” Antetokounmpo said. “… But when your extension comes around, it’s like, ‘Oh, he might leave.’ No, no, no. It’s not the case. I want the best possible team. I want to wake up every single day when I come to work and know that I have a chance to win. And I want the organization to be on the same page and not to be comfortable because we won one (title).”
- The Bucks are being cautious with Khris Middleton after offseason knee surgery, but general manager Jon Horst stated Sunday that he may play in the preseason and will definitely be ready for opening night, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel.
- Griffin joins ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod to discuss the pairing of Antetokounmpo and Lillard, expectations for the upcoming season and the long road toward getting a head coaching job after about a dozen interviews.
Injury Updates: C. Johnson, DSJ, Green, Marshall, Vincent
A hamstring strain that has bothered Nets forward Cameron Johnson since the start of training camp could force him to miss the rest of the preseason, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Coach Jacque Vaughn provided an update on Johnson’s status after the team’s annual public practice on Saturday.
“Cam Johnson. That’s the last piece,” Vaughn said. “I think at some point he’s really progressing. Maybe he joins practice at some point this week. Not sure about the game situation. I’m going to be extremely cautious. I’d rather have him available that first (regular season) game versus Cleveland (on Oct. 25), than to try to speed him along and play him in a preseason game. But (he’s had) no setbacks, which is good, and heading in the right direction.”
Johnson became part of the new foundation in Brooklyn after being acquired in the Kevin Durant trade in February. He averaged 16.6 PPG in 25 games with the Nets and was rewarded with a new four-year, $90MM+ contract this summer.
Vaughn also told reporters that Dennis Smith Jr. will miss “at least a week” after injuring his left ankle in Thursday’s game. Smith wore a walking boot at Saturday’s practice, according to Botte.
“It’s definitely an ankle sprain, and he’s got some bone bruising in there as well,” Vaughn said. “So we’ll see a week from now what he looks like, but luckily I think (there is) no ligament damage. So we’ll take that.”
There’s more injury news to pass along:
- Draymond Green participated in an individual workout during the Warriors‘ shootaround on Friday, according to Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News. Green will have his sprained left ankle reevaluated on Monday, Rubin adds, and there’s a chance he could play during the preseason depending on the results.
- Pelicans coach Willie Green believes Naji Marshall suffered a hyperextended right knee during Saturday’s game, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Marshall landed awkwardly after trying to block a shot midway through the second quarter and left the court in a wheelchair. “Looks to be fine,” Green said. “But we’ll get an MRI to see where he is.” Clark notes that New Orleans is already shorthanded as Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. haven’t played in the preseason because of ankle injuries and Trey Murphy has a torn meniscus.
- Lakers guard Gabe Vincent missed Friday’s game because of tightness in his back, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Cam Reddish remains unavailable after spraining his right ankle in a game last week.