Warriors Notes: D. Jones, Evans, Cousins, Jerebko
The Warriors came into camp expecting to make Damian Jones their starting center on opening night, but they were happy he was able to earn the job with his preseason play, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Jones was competing with Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney for the starting honor, but has separated himself from the pack.
“I think Damian has probably been one of the best stories in camp,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We were committed to giving him minutes, but we weren’t sure what we’d see.”
Jones’ performance may be enough to convince the team to pick up his $2.3MM option for next season. That decision is due by the end of October, and every dollar is important to the Warriors, who project to be well into the luxury tax again in 2019/20. DeMarcus Cousins is expected to take over as the starting center once he returns from an Achilles injury, but the chances are remote that he’ll return next year, so Golden State has to decide if Jones is the center of the future.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along, all courtesy of Slater:
- Patrick McCaw‘s holdout gave rookie guard Jacob Evans a chance to earn a rotation spot, but he wasn’t able to impress the coaching staff. Evans didn’t play well in either the summer league or the preseason, prompting Kerr to say, “We’ll throw him out there from time to time.” Evans is fine as a defender, but he shot 6 for 25 during the preseason and missed all 10 of his 3-point attempts.
- Cousins seems to be making progress in his rehab work, although he and the team haven’t talked much about it. No target date has been set for his return, but coaches allowed him to participate in a two-on-two scrimmage in front of the media at Thursday’s practice.
- There are concerns that offseason addition Jonas Jerebko might be a repeat of Omri Casspi, who suffered a loss of confidence and became hesitant to shoot as last season wore on. Jerebko, who signed in July after being waived by the Jazz, had a difficult preseason and started passing up shots. Slater suggests that the start of the season might provide a welcome “mental reset” for the veteran shooter.
No Suspensions For Curry, Cousins
Stephen Curry and DeMarcus Cousins won’t be suspended for leaving the bench area during Friday’s preseason finale, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Both players stepped onto the court during a skirmish between Quinn Cook and the Lakers’ Lance Stephenson, but the NBA office ruled that the incident didn’t rise to the level of an altercation.
Curry could have been forced to sit out the season opener Tuesday night against the Thunder, while Cousins’ suspension would have taken effect once he returns from an Achilles injury.
The play happened in the fourth quarter when Cook committed a hard foul on Stephenson, who was driving to the basket. Stephenson swung his right arm in retaliation, and officials and players stepped in to break them up.
Curry and Cousins both walked onto the court, but assistant coach Jarron Collins quickly moved them back to the bench area.
And-Ones: Barkley, J. Smith, D. Johnson, L. Brown
TNT analyst Charles Barkley has been outspoken about his desire to run an NBA team and he said in a recent interview that he thought the Magic were going to give him a chance last year, relays Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. Barkley told radio station 98.7 FM Arizona that he was hoping for an interview in Orlando before the organization decided on Jeff Weltman as president of basketball operations and John Hammond as GM.
“They hired another one of those analytical idiots instead of just getting the best players,” Barkley said.
Barkley expressed interest in taking over the Sixers‘ front office in 2012 and the Suns‘ in both 2010 and 2013. Barkley didn’t indicate whether he wants to be a candidate to replace Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough, who was fired earlier this week.
There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:
- At age 32, Josh Smith hasn’t give up hope of an NBA comeback, tweets Ben Stinar of AmicoHoops. Smith played three games for the Pelicans last year, but otherwise hasn’t been in the league since the end of the 2015/16 season. However, a source tells Stinar that Smith is working out and waiting for an opportunity.
- Most teams made their final roster cuts before yesterday’s waiver deadline at 5pm Eastern, but a few still have decisions to make, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Players with non-guaranteed salaries have begun to receive daily payments that will count against their teams’ salary caps. The Suns, for instance, will owe Isaiah Canaan $19,858 if they wait until Monday to waive him.
- The NBA has changed the way it will count days of service for two-way players, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Travel days to and from the G League will no longer count against the 45-day limit.
- Former Thunder center Dakari Johnson has opted to remain with Qingdao in China, contrary to a report earlier this week that he planned to leave, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The team’s GM confirmed Johnson’s decision.
- Former NBA and NCAA coach Larry Brown recently traveled to the United States for minor surgery, Carchia tweets. Brown currently coaches Fiat Torino and will be re-evaluated by doctors next week to determine when he can return to Italy.
Suns, Clippers, Bucks Remain Active In Trade Market
Most teams made their final roster decisions yesterday, but a few are hoping to swing last-minute trades before Monday’s deadline, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM.
The Suns don’t want to start the season without a veteran point guard and are continuing to make calls around the league in hopes of finding one. They haven’t gotten close to a deal yet, Smith notes, possibly because of their reluctance to surrender a first-round pick.
Phoenix was reportedly talking to the Clippers about Patrick Beverley over the summer, but was only willing to offer second-rounders, while L.A. was holding out for a first. The Suns’ pursuit of point guard help has been complicated by this week’s decision to fire GM Ryan McDonough.
The Clippers and Bucks are also making last-minute trade calls, Smith adds. Both teams remain above the 15-man roster limit and are hoping to trade their excess players rather than cutting them.
L.A. has 15 players with guaranteed contracts, along with Beverley, who has a non-guaranteed $5MM deal, and Tyrone Wallace, who has a partial guarantee for $300K. They are both considered likely to make the roster, but that means getting rid of guaranteed money elsewhere. The Clippers were hoping to resolve the issue in a Jimmy Butler deal, but there’s little chance of that happening before Monday’s deadline.
Milwaukee has reportedly decided to give its final roster spot to big man Christian Wood, which likely means Tim Frazier is expendable. The Bucks waived both Shabazz Muhammad and Tyler Zeller this week, but remain one player above the limit.
Warriors Players React To McCaw’s Holdout
Patrick McCaw has baffled some of his teammates during his contract standoff with the Warriors, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. McCaw sat out all of training camp and the preseason and isn’t returning calls from players who have reached out to him.
The third-year guard went through the summer without accepting a $1.7MM qualifying offer the team made shortly after last season ended. The Warriors responded with an offer that includes a starting salary in excess of $2MM, along with a second year that is non-guaranteed. McCaw’s representatives have reportedly been urging him to take either that deal or the QO, but so far he hasn’t budged.
“You can’t do this after two years,” an unidentified teammate said. “You’ve got to get the clout first. He doesn’t have the leverage.”
McCaw’s options are limited. As a restricted free agent, Golden State can match any offer he receives from another team. With virtually the entire league operating either over or near the salary cap, McCaw isn’t likely to receive an offer at this point that’s large enough for the Warriors to let him leave.
If he opts to sit out the entire season, Golden State will still keep his rights and he won’t be any closer to unrestricted free agency.
“He’s a man and I support his decision to handle his business how he sees fit,” one of the team’s young players told Thompson. “I don’t know what he’s doing. I don’t understand. But I don’t take it as personal. He has to do what’s best for him. It’s just weird.”
The Warriors have been keeping a roster spot open for McCaw, but that may now go to Alfonzo McKinnie, who agreed to a two-year contract on Friday. Golden State had been counting on McCaw to be the primary backup to Klay Thompson, especially with Nick Young no longer on the roster. Rookie Jacob Evans filled that role during the preseason, but wasn’t particularly effective.
Thompson believes management and the players would still welcome McCaw back if he has a change of heart, but time is running short. Teammates are confused by the way he has handled this offseason and some are concerned about his well-being.
“There has to be something else going on,” one player said. “Has to be. I hope he’s all right.”
Sixers Notes: Chandler, Muscala, Covington, Fultz
It appears Wilson Chandler‘s hamstring injury will linger at least a couple of weeks into the regular season, coach Brett Brown says in a video tweeted by Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Chandler, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Nuggets, has been sidelined since straining his left hamstring September 28 in an exhibition game against Melbourne United.
“My experience with hamstrings is one that reminds you that it rarely is less than a month,” Brown said. “And it’s not like he’s 20 years old. … We don’t need to rush him back into doing anything, and when his body says he’s ready to play, that’s when he’ll play.”
Brown added that no timeline has been set for Chandler to return, but repeated that it should be about a month from the original injury. The Sixers open their season Tuesday against the Celtics.
There’s more news out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers ran into another social media issue today that gave new GM Elton Brand his first public relations test since taking the job, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The father of Mike Muscala allegedly posted inflammatory comments about Jimmy Butler on his Twitter account, which drew immediate condemnation from Brand. Muscala apologized for the incident and Brand absolved him of any blame. “Having known Mike since his rookie year in 2013-14 when we were teammates, I am also certain these posts are in no way reflective of his own personal beliefs,” Brand said. “Mike has always been a great teammate and ambassador for the game of basketball, and he has never shied away from using his platform to do good in the community. He has our organization’s full support.”
- Robert Covington endured extreme roster turnover and some of the worst losing in history during his first two seasons in Philadelphia, but he has become the team’s longest-tenured player and an example to his younger teammates. In an interview with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Covington talks about how those early years molded him. “Coach Brown looks at me as one of the leaders, if not the leader, of this team because of everything I’ve faced and just how I’ve handled everything,” Covington said. “He looks at me as one of the strongest people on this team.”
- Brown plans to stick with his preseason strategy of starting Markelle Fultz at shooting guard in the first half and J.J. Redick in the second half, relays Tom Moore of The Bucks County Courier Times. Both players say they’re on board with the unconventional arrangement.
Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Burke, Knox, Cap Room
Frank Ntilikina‘s versatility may help him earn more minutes during his second NBA season, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Knicks showed a lot of faith in Ntilikina when they drafted him ahead of Dennis Smith last season, and it may be paying off. Berman calls him a bright spot in a difficult preseason, looking more powerful on his drives to the basket and more active on defense.
Ntilikina has been locked in a three-way battle for minutes at point guard, but new coach David Fizdale seems willing to use him at shooting guard and small forward as well. Trey Burke is expected to be the starter at the point, with Emmanuel Mudiay and Ron Baker battling for leftover playing time.
“They all showed the ability to run the team and guard their position well,’’ Fizdale said of the point guard contenders. “They’ve made it tough on me — which is good.’’
There’s more tonight from New York:
- Knicks fans were thrilled about the prospects for rookie forward Kevin Knox, but the preseason showed he still has a lot to learn, Berman adds in the same story. Knox got into foul trouble Friday against the Nets and only played 12 minutes. It was his third straight poor game, but Fizdale remains committed to him as the starting small forward. “This is all learning for me,’’ Knox said. “Like he says all the time, I’m going to get my butt kicked a lot and I’m going to have a lot of mistakes. It’s part of a rookie year, you’re going to have ups and downs. It just shows how much confidence he has in me keeping me in the starting lineup.”
- Even with today’s decision to waive and stretch Joakim Noah, the Knicks have some work to do before they can offer a max contract to a 10-year veteran like Kevin Durant, notes Kevin Pelton of ESPN. New York will have more than $57MM in committed salary next summer, and the team can subtract a non-guaranteed $7.6MM deal for Lance Thomas. However, Kristaps Porzingis will have a $17.1MM cap hold as a restricted free agent, and a likely lottery pick will reduce the cap by about another $6MM. That brings the Knicks’ cap space down to $32.5MM, short of the estimated maximum salary of $38.15MM that Durant can receive.
- The Knicks were 28th in the league in 3-point attempts in the preseason and Fizdale says it’s a matter of personnel, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley. “The way we’re shooting it, I don’t think that’s a great shot for us,” he said.
2018 Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Utah Jazz.
Signings:
Standard contracts:
- Derrick Favors: Two years, $33.8MM. Includes likely and unlikely incentives. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Dante Exum: Three years, $28.8MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Raul Neto: Two years, $4.3MM. Includes unlikely incentives. Second-year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Georges Niang: Three years, minimum salary. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Stephaun Branch: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Isaiah Cousins: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Isaac Haas: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Jairus Lyles: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Trey Lewis: One year, minimum salary (waived).
Trades:
- Acquired cash ($1.5MM) from the Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to Vince Edwards (No. 52 pick).
Draft picks:
- 1-21: Grayson Allen — Signed to rookie contract.
Departing players:
- Jonas Jerebko (waived)
- Erik McCree (two-way)
- David Stockton (waived)
Other offseason news:
- Hired Fotis Katsikaris as assistant coach to replace Igor Kokoskov. Katsikaris is the NBA’s first-ever native Greek coach.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $115.7MM in guaranteed salaries.
- Full mid-level exception ($8.64MM) still available.
- Full bi-annual exception ($3.38MM) still available.
Check out the Utah Jazz’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
In a league where change is common, the Jazz were remarkably quiet during the offseason. First-round pick Grayson Allen is the only significant addition to the roster, while veteran forward Jonas Jerebko, who was waived in July and later signed with the Warriors, was the only significant loss.
That means last season’s surprise contender in the Western Conference will be back with virtually the same cast of characters that won 48 games and ousted the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The emergence of Donovan Mitchell, who finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, helped to speed up the rebuilding process in Utah after Gordon Hayward left to sign with the Celtics.
The Jazz kept their rotation together by re-signing power forward Derrick Favors and reserve guard Dante Exum over the summer. Coach Quin Snyder should benefit from the continuity among a solid group that appears headed for a long string of postseason trips.
Key offseason additions:Wood To Get Bucks’ Final Roster Spot?
The Bucks will keep Christian Wood on the roster after a strong preseason performance, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Wood was believed to be competing with Tim Frazier for the final spot, but a source tells Spears that the team has made its choice.
The 23-year-old power forward/center signed with Milwaukee shortly before the start of training camp last month. If he does make the roster, the Bucks would be Wood’s third team in three years after playing 17 games for the Sixers in 2016/17 and 13 games with the Hornets last season. Wood has also spent significant time in the G League over the last three years, playing in Delaware and Greensboro.
Wood has a two-year, non-guaranteed contract that will pay him $1,512,601 this season and $1,645,357 in 2019/20 if he remains on the Bucks’ roster.
Milwaukee cleared the path for Wood with a couple of high-profile cuts this week. The team waived Shabazz Muhammad on Thursday, then parted ways with Tyler Zeller earlier today.
Richard Jefferson Announces Retirement
Richard Jefferson has retired after 17 NBA seasons and appears headed for a job in television, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Jefferson published a post on Instagram in which he announced his decision.
Jefferson, 38, played with eight teams during his 17-year NBA career after breaking in with the Nets in 2001. He reached the NBA Finals twice in New Jersey, then won a title in 2016 with the Cavaliers. After winning that championship two years ago, Jefferson announced during Cleveland’s locker room celebration that he was planning to retire, but changed his mind and returned for two more years.
In 1,181 career regular season games, Jefferson recorded averages of 12.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 2.0 APG. His most productive seasons came with the Nets, including an impressive 2007/08 showing in which he put up 22.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG with a .466/.362/.798 shooting line. The former University of Arizona standout also appeared in 140 total postseason contests.
Jefferson wrapped up his his NBA career with the Nuggets last season, but was barely used, appearing in just 20 games and averaging 8.2 minutes per night. The veteran forward wasn’t in training camp with anyone this fall and decided to move on to his next job.
Jefferson’s next job may see him heading back to New York to cover his old team, the Nets. A September report suggested that he was leaning toward joining the YES Network team for Nets broadcasts unless he received an NBA contract offer. According to a separate report, Jefferson – who co-hosts a podcast with Channing Frye – also received TV interest from ESPN and for Clippers game broadcasts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.