Dalano Banton Joins Celtics On Two-Year Deal
JULY 16: The Celtics have officially signed Banton, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 3: The Celtics will sign free agent point guard Dalano Banton to a two-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s likely a minimum deal, and Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reports that the second season will be a team option (Twitter link).
Banton became an unrestricted free agent last week when the Raptors decided not to tender a qualifying offer.
Toronto selected Banton with the 46th pick in the 2021 draft and signed him for two years. He appeared in 64 games as a rookie, but saw his role decrease in his second NBA season. Banton averaged 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31 games last season and spent part of the year in the G League.
Banton met with Celtics officials shortly after free agency began on Friday. The 23-year-old will provide some backcourt depth for the team, with Marcus Smart heading to Memphis.
L.A. Notes: Plumlee, Brown, LeBron, Wood
Mason Plumlee might have landed more money or a starting spot with another team, but he was willing to accept a one-year, $5MM contract because he wanted to stay with the Clippers, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The 33-year-old center settled into a reserve role behind Ivica Zubac after being acquired from the Hornets in February. He made just four starts in 23 games while averaging 7.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in about 20 minutes per night.
“I was very comfortable,” Plumlee said. “It’s an easy system to get comfortable with and they (front office) were just very clear and what they were looking for so that made (my decision) smooth.”
Plumlee also admitted it’s hard to leave an organization that has a chance to be a title contender. He believes the Clippers will be back in the race for the top after losing in the first round of the playoffs last season.
“That was the biggest thing, to be honest with you,” Plumlee said of the Clippers’ title aspirations. “You know, I think a lot of teams talk about it, but there are a few teams that believe it, and this is one of those teams. So that was a major factor.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Clippers rookie Kobe Brown thought he should have been taken higher than 30th in the draft, and he’s been showing why at Summer League, per Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Brown sank seven three-pointers on his way to a 35-point night in Friday’s win over the Sixers.
- Lakers star LeBron James will change his number from 6 back to 23 next season in deference to the late Bill Russell, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It’s LeBron’s decision,” said James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. “He chose to out of respect for Bill Russell.”
- Financial constraints may be keeping the Lakers from reaching out to free agent big man Christian Wood, Marc Stein suggests in a Substack chat. L.A. only has 13 players with guaranteed contracts and reportedly wants to add more size, but the team doesn’t have the available funds to make a competitive offer to Wood, who earned $14.3MM with the Mavericks last season.
Warriors Notes: Lacob, Paul, Poole, Thompson, Podziemski, Curry
Warriors owner Joe Lacob insists the team never really had a two-timeline approach, which makes the recent trade for Chris Paul easier to understand, writes Madeline Kenney of The San Jose Mercury News. Golden State gave up 24-year-old guard Jordan Poole in exchange for Paul, who turned 38 in May and has a long history of injuries, especially in the playoffs.
Lacob called the trade a “multi-faceted decision” and said management considers every move with the goal of producing a championship-level team each year. The trade provides future financial flexibility because Paul doesn’t have any guaranteed money beyond the upcoming season, and Lacob hinted that moving Poole became a greater priority after he was punched by Draymond Green during last year’s training camp.
“We had to change something,” Lacob said. “While it’s a short-term move, Chris Paul is a fabulous Hall of Famer who will I think certainly help our second unit, help our first unit if he plays there, wherever he plays, he’s a tremendous guy.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Lacob said no talks have taken place yet regarding an extension for Klay Thompson, Kenney adds. Lacob is optimistic that a new deal will be worked out and said he wants to see Thompson, Green and Stephen Curry spend their entire careers with the organization. Lacob added that he also expects to “figure something out” with head coach Steve Kerr, who is entering the final season of his contract.
- First-round pick Brandin Podziemski was disappointed by his performance during Summer League and the team’s lack of success, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. Podziemski shot just 26.3% from the field and 21.7% from beyond the arc as the Warriors went 0-5 in Las Vegas and 1-6 overall this summer. Holmes observes that the rookie guard had trouble finishing in the lane against larger defenders. “We didn’t win a game (in Vegas), so it’s tough,” Podziemski said. “I think individually I played pretty bad, but that’s why it’s Summer League, and that’s why we have time to grow and develop until October.”
- Curry made a hole-in-one Saturday and holds the lead at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. During the playoffs, Curry told Baxter Holmes of ESPN that he loves golf, but doesn’t plan to pursue the PGA after his basketball career ends. “It’s a very time-intensive sport and to be very good at it and practice and what I heard these pros go through, it’s different,” Curry said. “I don’t know if I’m ready for all that. But I know I’ll be good enough to compete in those other events that are fun and competitive at the same time.”
Jay Scrubb Signs Two-Way Contract With Celtics
8:43pm: The signing is official, the Celtics confirmed in an email.
5:17pm: The Celtics have reached an agreement on a two-way contract with Jay Scrubb, tweets Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report.
The 22-year-old guard impressed team officials with his performance during Summer League, averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in four games.
Scrubb finished last season with the Magic after signing a two-way contract in late March, but he was waived in June. Scrubb appeared in two games for Orlando late in the season, but spent most of his time in the G League. He has also played for the Clippers, appearing in a combined 22 games over two seasons.
The Celtics also have JD Davison signed to a two-way contract, so the team will have one two-way slot open once Scrubb’s deal become official.
Central Notes: Beauchamp, Freeman-Liberty, Bulls, Haliburton
After spending much of his rookie season getting used to the NBA, the Bucks‘ MarJon Beauchamp appears ready to make a bigger impact, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Beauchamp reported to Summer League noticeably stronger than he was last season, and his teammates have seen a different approach to the game.
“His confidence and feeling comfortable out there, and kind of understanding what he does best and how he can do that and execute that and kind of just like putting his impact on the game, on both ends of the floor, getting to the rim, making plays defensively,” A.J. Green said. “He just looks so much more like ‘I’m here. I belong here’ comfortable out there.”
Beauchamp took a lead role in Milwaukee’s offense during Summer League, scoring 23 and 20 points in the first two games. He plans to spend part of the offseason working out in Greece with Giannis Antetokounmpo and hopes to carry his newfound aggressiveness into the upcoming season.
“Going into camp, I just want to show my ability where I’ve grown and I read the game better,” Beauchamp said. “I’m here to take that leap. I am. It starts Day 1 of training camp so I can’t wait.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Javon Freeman-Liberty was impressive enough during Summer League to warrant an NBA contract, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago states in an overview of the Bulls‘ performance in Las Vegas. Freeman-Liberty averaged 21.2 PPG in five games while shooting 49.3% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. Johnson suggests the Bulls might give him their last open two-way spot if he doesn’t get offered a standard deal by another team.
- The Bulls‘ front office hasn’t shown an ability to identify talent in recent drafts, contends Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Second-year guard Dalen Terry might be the latest disappointment after a lackluster Summer League showing in which he shot 33.8%. Cowley rates Chicago’s last four drafts, giving the team grades of C, C-minus, D and C-plus.
- Tyrese Haliburton believes the Pacers are ready to take another step forward after signing Bruce Brown and trading for Obi Toppin, per The Indianapolis Star. “I think we have a lot of guys that fit the right way and fit our style of basketball,” Haliburton said. “Bruce, Obi, on top of the guys that we already have there with the way we played last year, those are two guys who just add to that. That’s going to help us keep playing fast.”
Southwest Notes: G. Williams, Curry, Zion, Green
Grant Williams is excited about his new start with the Mavericks, but he didn’t enjoy the process that got him there, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. As a restricted free agent, he had to wait for offers while many of his peers got their new contracts right away. The sign-and-trade that sent Williams from Boston to Dallas didn’t become official until Wednesday.
“Very difficult. Restricted free agency is terrible,” Williams said. “Unrestricted, you have a good understanding of where you want to go, but restricted, you’re pretty much in a waiting game. You want to make sure you understand what the offers are, but also understand that teams might match or a team might be asking for more than another team is willing to give. It’s definitely an interesting process. I still think free agency is a little bit fun, but also a little bit nerve-wracking.”
Williams has been spending the last few days meeting his new coaches and teammates and getting an idea of what they expect from him this season. He’s close to getting the splint off his left hand after having surgery in June for a torn ligament.
“It’s going great,” he said of his recovery. “I should be out of it (the protective splint) in four days, five days. So pretty much back to the court and moving from then on.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Seth Curry‘s new contract with the Mavericks is non-guaranteed in the second season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Dallas used its mid-level exception to sign Curry, who will have cap hits of $4MM in each season, instead of its $4.5MM bi-annual exception as originally anticipated, adds Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). That leaves the Mavs with the bi-annual exception still intact and $5.4MM of their MLE remaining, according to Gozlan.
- Zion Williamson‘s statements about accountability during a recent podcast appearance with Gilbert Arenas are an encouraging sign for the Pelicans, observes Rod Walker of NOLA. He notes that Williamson is only 23 and still has time to establish himself as a reliable player.
- Jalen Green has been through a lot of losing during his first two years with the Rockets, but he believes the team is headed for a turnaround after its offseason moves, writes Michael Shapiro of The Houston Chronicle. Houston started the offseason with a coaching change, landed two projected lottery players in the draft and then upgraded its defense and experience with a series of moves in free agency. “I’m excited about what’s going to happen with us,” Green said. “We got Ime (Udoka), we got a whole bunch of vets, we got young talent. The sky’s the limit right now.”
Trail Blazers Notes: Henderson, Draft, Billups, Lillard
Scoot Henderson‘s role in the Trail Blazers’ backcourt will be vastly different if Damian Lillard gets traded, but the former G League Ignite star plans to approach his rookie season the same way no matter what happens. In an interview with Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Henderson said he’s grateful for the advice Lillard has offered so far and he’s not watching the internet to check the status of trade talks.
“If he leaves, I’m going to just embrace that,” Henderson said. “I’m going to embrace being the point guard for the team. And that comes with practice. I don’t have my spot guaranteed; I know that. My goal is to get better every day at practice and get better game by game.”
Midway through the interview, members of the Hornets walked past and Brandon Miller stopped to ask Henderson about the shoulder injury he suffered in his first Summer League game. O’Connor questioned Henderson about why Miller was drafted ahead of him and whether sliding to No. 3 will provide any extra incentive.
“If I was the no. 1 pick I’d still feel the edge,” Henderson replied. “So just making sure everybody knows that that’s how I’m coming, and I’m coming up with a fiery edge for myself no matter where I went. I would’ve had the same edge if I went 1. My main focus is basketball and being the greatest version of myself. So, whether I was 1, 2, 50, I would still have that edge.”
There’s more on the Blazers:
- Henderson made an extremely strong impression on rival teams with his Summer League performance, even though it was limited to 21 minutes, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix said a couple representatives from other teams suggested that even the Spurs might eventually regret passing on Henderson to take Victor Wembanyama.
- Portland coach Chauncey Billups admitted that Lillard’s trade request has brought a level of chaos to the summer, Mannix adds. Billups stated that he understands that Lillard needs to make the best decision for his career, and he complimented general manager Joe Cronin for how he has handled the situation. “You can’t control fate. So we’ll see how it plays,” Billups said. “But for me as a coach, there’s a lot of other guys on the team that I have to coach and that I have to be here for, that I have to mentor, I have to teach, and I want us to just continue to move forward, however we do that.”
- Lillard posted an Instagram message Friday night to try to calm a social media controversy, per Larry Brown Sports. Lillard recently liked a tweet calling for Nike founder Phil Knight to buy the team from Jody Allen and convince Lillard to change his mind about being traded. On Instagram, Lillard called the incident a “mishap” and said he didn’t intend to disrespect Allen.
Wolves Notes: Minott, Edwards, Free Agents
Josh Minott created excitement among Timberwolves fans with his G League highlights, but he knows he still has a lot to prove at the NBA level, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The second-year small forward understands that nothing will be given to him as he tries to make an NBA breakthrough, so he’s been approaching Summer League play the same way he did as a rookie.
“Last year, had no respect. This year, no respect,” Minott said. “I’m just trying to go out there and just show what I can do, show the coaching staff.”
The 45th pick in the 2022 draft, Minott impressed scouts with his athleticism, but he saw limited playing time in college and shot just 14% from three-point range. The Wolves took a chance on him because president of basketball operations Tim Connelly believed his energy, play-making and defense could help him develop into an NBA player.
Minnesota needs someone to replace Taurean Prince, who was lost to the Lakers in free agency, and Minott hopes to seize that opportunity. Krawczynski states that Minott has been working out regularly at the team facility, and the Wolves are giving him challenging defensive assignments during Summer League.
“They’re not trying to see me come down and jack five 3s,” Minott said. “They’re trying to see me come down and lock up their best player and stuff like that, cut, a lot of off-ball actions, screening, rolling, slipping, being able to knock down a corner 3 if need be. Overall, in terms of what I can do, it’s whatever a team’s missing.”
There’s more on the Timberwolves:
- Minnesota signaled that Anthony Edwards is the centerpiece of its future by giving him a max extension, but the front office hasn’t committed to surrounding him with a roster that complements his skills, observes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. The Wolves appear to be headed into another season with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, whom Rand views as an awkward combination with each other and with Edwards. Rand believes a Towns trade is inevitable within the next year to rebuild the draft assets that were drained in the Gobert deal and to possibly to find a younger point guard to replace Mike Conley.
- Senior VP of basketball operations Matt Lloyd reportedly attended a Tandem Sports free agent workout on Tuesday featuring Elfrid Payton, Justin Jackson, Chasson Randle and Ignas Brazdeikis, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North (Twitter link). The Wolves also are said to have watched Harry Giles and Dion Waiters in Las Vegas, two more players attempting NBA comebacks, Wolfson adds.
- In case you missed it, we recently passed along details on the new contracts signed by Troy Brown, Shake Milton and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Heat To Guarantee Haywood Highsmith’s Contract For 2023/24
The Heat have decided to guarantee Haywood Highsmith‘s $1.9MM contract for the upcoming season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team faced a July 15 deadline to determine whether to keep Highsmith’s salary on its books.
[RELATED: Early NBA Salary Guarantee Dates For 2023/24]
The 26-year-old forward earned a standard contract with Miami after signing three 10-day deals during the 2021/22 season. He appeared in 54 games last season, making 11 starts and averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per night. Highsmith also saw action in 18 playoff games and posted a career-high 18 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Highsmith signed a two-way contract with the Sixers after going undrafted out of Wheeling University in 2018. He got into just five games with Philadelphia, spending most of his time in the G League, and then played two years in Germany before getting an opportunity with Miami.
Haywood will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension after he becomes eligible in March. Miami now has 12 guaranteed contracts, plus a partially guaranteed deal for Orlando Robinson, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
Celtics Notes: Brown, Porzingis, Brogdon, G. Williams, Roster
Nearly two weeks have passed since Jaylen Brown became eligible for an extension, but Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t appear worried about the situation on Wednesday night, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Stevens explained that he’s limited in what he can reveal, but he indicated that talks are going well.
“It’s been all good discussion,” Stevens said. “We want Jaylen to be here for a long, long time and we’ve made that clear. We’re looking forward to all sitting down, and we’ve got time here. I probably shouldn’t say anything else, but I feel optimistic.”
There are no signs that Boston plans to offer Brown any less than the projected $295MM he’s eligible to receive in a five-year super-max contract, Himmelsbach states. He adds that the sides have until October to finalize an extension, and the delay seems to involve the incentive structure and the possibility of a fifth-year player option for Brown like the organization gave to Jayson Tatum.
There’s more on the Celtics, all from Himmelsbach:
- The team finalized a two-year, $60MM extension on Wednesday with Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired from the Wizards in a three-team deal last month. Stevens said Porzingis provides numerous options for the Celtics because of his versatility. “I just think we’re fortunate to do that, a guy that can play with either of our bigs and play as the lone big,” Stevens said. “I mean, that’s a big part of what we need to be moving forward, as far as we have a little bit more balance there in that group. He’s a good player and to have him here for a few years is obviously a good thing.”
- Stevens also provided a health update on Malcolm Brogdon, who was included in an early version of the Porzingis trade. The Clippers were originally going to acquire Brogdon, but they pulled out of the deal because they didn’t have time to review his medical records before Porzingis had to pick up his option. Stevens said Brogdon, who suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow during the Eastern Conference Finals, has been rehabbing the injury and is close to resuming basketball activities.
- Stevens acknowledged Grant Williams‘ contributions during his four years with the team, as a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks become official on Wednesday. “I do think it’ll be a good opportunity for him and it gives us some flexibility here as we move forward,” Stevens said. “But he did a good job. He’s a hard guy to lose.”
- Stevens indicated that more roster moves could be coming as the Williams trade creates an open spot, and Justin Champagnie and Luke Kornet both have non-guaranteed contracts. “I think we’ll try to add, obviously, a little bit,” Stevens said. “I’d like to get a little more depth, maybe on the wing, and then also maybe with a (power forward/small forward) type. I feel pretty good about our bigs. We’ve got a couple two-way (contract openings), so we’ve got some things we’re still very much looking at.”