Brandon Miller Signs Rookie Deal With Hornets
Brandon Miller has signed his rookie scale contract with the Hornets, the team announced in a press release.
The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft is eligible to receive 120% of the rookie scale, which would amount to $10.88MM in his first season. He can make more than $49MM on his four-year deal.
Miller earned first team All-America honors during his lone season at Alabama and was named SEC Player of the Year and NABC Freshman of the Year. He led the SEC in scoring at 18.8 PPG, ranked second in three-point percentage at 38.4% and was fourth in rebounding at 8.2 per game.
Miller rose up the draft ranks throughout the college season and was eventually able to surpass G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson for the second overall pick. The Hornets considered both players, but were swayed by Miller’s size and outside shooting, along with his more natural fit alongside LaMelo Ball.
Miller may make his Hornets debut on Monday when the team takes part in the California Classic Summer League.
Ty Jerome Joins Cavaliers On Two-Year Deal
JULY 6: The Cavaliers have officially signed Jerome, the team announced today in a press release.
Golden State withdrew its qualifying offer to Jerome, making him an unrestricted free agent and clearing the way for him to sign with Cleveland.
JULY 1: The Cavaliers will sign shooting guard Ty Jerome to a two-year, $5MM contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Jerome received a minimum-salary qualifying offer from the Warriors this week, making him a restricted free agent. However, Cleveland was able to put together a package that Golden State doesn’t plan to match, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Jerome spent one season with Golden State after signing a two-way contract last October. He appeared in 45 games, averaging 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 18.1 minutes per night.
The former Virginia standout was the 24th overall selection in the 2019 draft and started his career with the Suns. He also played two seasons with the Thunder, but spent much of his time in the G League.
There were rumors late in the season that the Warriors might convert Jerome to a standard deal so he could be eligible for the playoffs, but Golden State opted to make that move with Anthony Lamb instead.
Jerome will add depth to a Cleveland backcourt that features Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio and the newly acquired Max Strus.
Rockets To Trade Kenyon Martin Jr. To Clippers
The Clippers have agreed to trade for Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr., according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that Houston will receive two second-round picks in the deal.
The two second-rounders will be the Clippers’ own 2026 pick and the Grizzlies’ 2027 pick, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
The Clippers have a $2,134,843 trade exception they can use to absorb Martin’s salary.
Martin spent three years in Houston after being acquired from the Kings, who selected him with the 52nd pick in the 2020 draft. He served as a valuable bench player for most of his time with the rebuilding Rockets, but became a full-time starter by the end of last season. He posted career highs with 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 56.9% from the field.
Martin is also an electrifying leaper who frequently posted highlight-worthy slams. He participated in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest, but didn’t get past the preliminary round.
The 22-year-old forward will get his first experience on a contender in L.A. He’ll provide additional depth behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who both have a long history of battling injuries.
On Thursday, the Rockets picked up Martin’s $1.93MM option for 2023/24, so he’s set to be unrestricted free agent next summer. He will become eligible to sign a four-year extension worth up to $75MM six months after the trade is finalized.
Russell Westbrook Re-Signs With Clippers
JULY 6: Westbrook’s new deal with the Clippers is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
JULY 1: Russell Westbrook will re-sign with the Clippers for nearly $8MM over two years, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Westbrook will receive a player option for the second season, Wojnarowski adds.
L.A. will use the Non-Bird exception for Westbrook, who joined the team in February after being traded to the Jazz and negotiating a buyout. The Clippers are limited to a 20% raise for Westbrook over the veteran’s minimum contract he played under last season.
He will receive $3,835,738 for the 2023/24 season and $4,027,525 for the following year if he exercises the option. The deal gives Westbrook a chance to opt out and test the market again next summer as an unrestricted free agent.
Westbrook struggled through the season and a half he spent with the Lakers, but he was able to revive his reputation somewhat with the cross-town Clippers. He became a full-time starter again after the move and averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 21 games while helping the team avoid falling into the play-in tournament.
The Clippers were “eager” to keep Westbrook after his late-season performance, Wojnarowski adds.
The former MVP and nine-time All-Star is considered a shoo-in Hall of Famer, but his standing around the league has fallen in recent years due to his declining shooting percentage, his penchant for turnovers and the number of times he has changed teams. After spending the first 11 seasons of his career in Oklahoma City, the Clippers marked Westbrook’s fifth team in six years.
He also became a scapegoat for an underachieving Lakers team, and trade rumors started circulating shortly after he was acquired in a 2021 deal. The Lakers had to part with a future first-round pick to send him to Utah, but before that happened, he experienced a coaching change and was made a full-time bench player for the first time in his career.
Clippers management was originally cool on the idea of adding Westbrook in February, but they relented after lobbying from Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
L.A. was considered to be among the front-runners to land Chris Paul after the Suns traded him to Washington last month, but the Warriors snagged Paul by agreeing to part with Jordan Poole. The Clippers indicated that they would have considered re-signing Westbrook even if they had traded for Paul.
Pistons Waive Eugene Omoruyi
The Pistons have waived small forward Eugene Omoruyi, the team announced (via Twitter).
Detroit picked up Omoruyi’s $1.9MM option on Wednesday, but his salary for next season remained non-guaranteed, so the move won’t cost the team any money. Omoruyi will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers.
The Pistons arranged trades on Friday for Nets swingman Joe Harris and Wizards point guard Monte Morris, so they may have needed to part with Omoruyi’s salary to clear cap room before those deals can be finalized.
Omoruyi appeared in 17 games after signing a pair of 10-day deals in early March. He was able to earn a contract that ran through 2023/24, but it contained no guaranteed money beyond last season.
Pacers Sign Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard
The Pacers have announced the signings of first-round picks Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard.
As the eighth overall choice, Walker will receive a little more than $6MM, which is 120% of the rookie scale, in the first season of his four-year contract. The 6’8″ power forward averaged 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds during his lone season at Houston and was named Freshman of the Year in the American Athletic Conference.
The Pacers were believed to be targeting Walker at No. 7, but they selected Bilal Coulibaly in a pre-arranged deal with the Wizards and traded him to Washington for the No. 8 pick.
Sheppard made a strong impression during the pre-draft process and was able to work his way up to the 26th choice. He’ll be eligible to receive $2,537,160 in his first season of his four-year deal.
A 6’6″ guard, Sheppard averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists as a senior at Belmont and was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection.
Trade Rumors: Harden, Bulls, Zubac, Brogdon, Osman, Morris
There’s no urgency for the Sixers to complete a James Harden trade, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Friday in an appearance on “Get Up” (video link). Even though Harden has asked to be dealt and seems to prefer the Clippers, Wojnarowski notes that the track record of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggests he’ll explore all available possibilities before committing to a deal.
“You may let free agency settle,” Wojnarowski said, “see where players land, see where needs arise for different teams that might not be interested today but could be in a few days. I don’t anticipate necessarily that this is going to be quick because it doesn’t have to.”
Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times also hears that a Harden trade may not happen right away. He cites league sources who said they’ll be watching how patient the Sixers decide to be and what they’ll be seeking in return. Greif names Terance Mann as a player the Clippers might be reluctant to include in a Harden deal.
There are more trade rumors to pass along:
- The Bulls may be an option for Harden, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Chicago has already explored trade scenarios regarding Zach LaVine and might be willing to part with DeMar DeRozan to acquire Harden. Fischer also cautions that Morey has a lot of options to consider before deciding how to handle Harden’s trade request.
- The Clippers, who would like to re-sign Mason Plumlee have let teams know that Ivica Zubac is available in a trade, Fischer adds. L.A. may also have interest in acquiring P.J. Tucker in a Harden deal, as Fischer notes that the Clippers previously reached out to him when he was a free agent.
- The Clippers pulled out of an original version of the three-team Kristaps Porzingis trade because of medical concerns regarding Malcolm Brogdon, but they recently contacted the Celtics about Brogdon again, according to Fischer. L.A. was also willing to offer Norman Powell to the Wizards for Chris Paul before the Warriors landed him in exchange for Jordan Poole, Fischer states.
- Fischer hears that the Cavaliers are engaged in trade talks regarding Cedi Osman and offered him to the Nets in a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O’Neale.
- Numerous teams have reached out to the Wizards about point guard Monte Morris, Fischer adds. The Timberwolves, Bulls, Pelicans, Jazz and Nets are all considered possibilities for Morris, and Fischer believes the Heat could be added to the list if they lose Gabe Vincent in free agency.
Jazz In Extension Talks With Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson is discussing a three-year extension with the Jazz, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). The new deal could pay him close to $18MM per year, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
On Thursday, Clarkson chose to bypass free agency by picking up his $14.26MM player option for next season. That made him immediately eligible for an extension, which will be worth more once the new CBA takes effect on Saturday and allows veterans to receive 140% of their current salary in the first year of an extension rather than the current 120%.
Utah could also use some of its projected cap room to give Clarkson a higher base salary in the first year of the deal.
The 31-year-old guard set career highs in several categories this season, averaging 20.8 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 61 games. He has been with the Jazz since being acquired from Cleveland in 2019.
Pacers May Offer Bruce Brown More Than $20MM Per Year
The Pacers may be prepared to offer Nuggets free agent Bruce Brown a contract worth more than $20MM per season, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Brown has become one of the hottest names on the free agent market, and several teams are hoping to land him with the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Brown has reportedly scheduled meetings with five teams — the Knicks, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers as well as Indiana. The Cavaliers and Timberwolves also consider Brown their top target, according to Fischer.
The Pacers have roughly $30MM in cap room, so signing Brown would account for most of that and would take them out of the running for other free agents, such as Heat shooting guard Max Strus.
Returning to Denver is also in play for Brown, according to Fischer, although the Nuggets can only pay him $7.8MM next season. Brown would be eligible to earn more than $50MM over four years from Denver next summer, which is still well short of the Pacers’ reported offer.
Rockets Rumors: Free Agents, Martin, Clarkson, Capela
Rockets officials hope to meet with several of their top targets in Los Angeles when free agency begins in a few hours, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Sources tell Iko that Houston has already set up meetings with Dillon Brooks and Brook Lopez and will try to arrange sessions with Fred VanVleet, Kyrie Irving, Bruce Brown, Dwight Powell, Jakob Poeltl and possibly Kyle Kuzma.
Brown is of particular interest because the Rockets would be willing to go above the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign him, according to Iko’s sources. Head coach Ime Udoka was an assistant in Brooklyn when Brown played there and they have maintained a good relationship, Iko adds.
With more than $60MM in cap space, Houston officials are confident about signing their main targets, according to Iko, although some may prefer teams with more recent success. He confirms that the Rockets are hoping to avoid long-term contracts and will compensate by offering players more money up front than they’re likely to get elsewhere. Shooting, defense and rim protection will be the main focus, Iko states.
There’s more on the Rockets, all courtesy of Iko:
- Houston is hoping to land a veteran point guard in free agency, but there’s a back-up plan if they can’t sign VanVleet, Irving or someone of that stature. Sources tell Iko that the Rockets would pursue someone like Brown, a strong perimeter defender who can handle the ball, and give Jalen Green and first-round pick Amen Thompson a greater share of the playmaking duties.
- Iko hears that a Kenyon Martin Jr. trade is increasingly likely, as talks with other teams have increased throughout the week. Martin may not have a place on the revamped roster, and the team could add cap room by unloading his $1.93MM contract for next season.
- Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson and Hawks center Clint Capela are two names to watch if the Rockets opt to use their cap space through trades rather than free agency. Iko notes that Utah executive Danny Ainge is reported to have interest in acquiring Martin and suggests that Houston might be willing to include second-year point guard TyTy Washington and maybe a second-round pick in a potential deal. Iko points out that Clarkson is eligible for an extension after picking up his $14.26MM option for next season and says the Rockets may offer something along the lines of $32MM over two years. Iko adds that Capela could be available straight up for Martin as Atlanta tries to shed salary.