Dikembe Dixson To Work Out For Hawks
Dikembe Dixson, a 6’7″ forward out of Illinois-Chicago, has a workout with the Hawks scheduled for Wednesday, tweets Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops.
Dixson, who will turn 22 this week, went undrafted in June after averaging 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals a game in three years with the Flames. He joined Miami’s Summer League team and played limited minutes in both the Sacramento and Las Vegas leagues.
The Hawks already have 15 players with guaranteed contracts and their two-way slots are committed to Jaylen Adams and Alex Poythress. If Dixson does earn a training camp invite, he will likely be competing for a spot with Atlanta’s G League affiliate in Erie.
Heat Notes: Jones, Richardson, Waiters, Deng
Derrick Jones looked like a star in Summer League, but it won’t be easy for him to get playing time, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel in a mailbag column. Jones was the Heat’s top scorer in the Sacramento league, averaging 21.3 points in three games, along with 7.3 rebounds. A two-way player last season, he appeared in 14 games for Miami and started eight.
Jones, a small forward who signed a two-year deal in July, faces heavy competition for minutes. Josh Richardson will start at that position, and using Jones as a backup means moving Justise Winslow to either power forward or the backcourt and the Heat are already overloaded in both areas. It may take a roster move or two for Jones to get an opportunity.
There’s more this morning out of Miami:
- In the same column, Winderman tabs Richardson as the Heat player most likely to raise his game to an All-Star level in the future. Richardson became a full-time starter last year in his third NBA season and responded with a 12.9/3.5/2.9 line. The four-year, $42MM extension that Richardson agreed to last year will kick in this season, raising his salary to $9.367MM.
- Fans shouldn’t expect too much from Dion Waiters in his return from injury, Winderman cautions in a separate piece. Waiters played just 30 games last year before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery in January. He should improve the team, Winderman notes, but will be competing for minutes with Richardson, Tyler Johnson and possibly Dwyane Wade.
- The Heat still have little hope of finding a taker for Johnson’s contract, Winderman adds in the same story. The Nets’ offer sheet that Miami matched in 2016 starts to balloon this year, paying Johnson $19,245,370 in each of the next two seasons and giving him the second-highest salary on the team. Winderman notes that the Rockets moved Ryan Anderson‘s similar deal this week, but Anderson agreed to a substantial giveback in the final year of his contract, which Johnson doesn’t have incentive to do.
- After agreeing to a buyout with the Lakers, Luol Deng is unlikely to return to Miami, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Deng would find minutes hard to come by in an already-crowded Heat rotation and wouldn’t want to risk being stuck on the bench like he was in Los Angeles. Deng spent two seasons in Miami before signing with the Lakers in 2016.
And-Ones: Mayo, G. Davis, O’Bryant, DeRozan
With training camps set to open later this month, time is running short for O.J. Mayo if he wants to get reinstated before the new season starts, writes Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders. Mayo hasn’t played in the NBA since fracturing his right ankle in March of 2016. A few months later, he was banned for two years for a second violation of the league’s Anti-Drug Program.
Mayo is now eligible for reinstatement and is reportedly searching for an opportunity. He played 21 games this summer with a team in Puerto Rico and impressed scouts with his performance. He was released in June, possibly because of his desire to join an NBA team.
The league and the players association would both have to sign off on Mayo’s return before he can be reinstated. He also has to prove that he has gone more than a year without a failed drug test. Milwaukee renounced his rights after the suspension, so Mayo will be an unrestricted free agent if he does return to the NBA.
There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:
- Fresh off winning a BIG3 title, Glen Davis is exploring his overseas options, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Davis played eight years with the Celtics, Magic and Clippers, but hasn’t been in the league since the 2014/15 season.
- Health concerns may derail a contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv for Johnny O’Bryant, tweets Roi Cohen of Sport 5 in Israel. A physical revealed a potential heart problem for the power forward, and the team is waiting for the results of cardiac tests before making a decision. O’Bryant spent part of last season with the Hornets, averaging 4.8 points in 36 games. He was shipped to the Knicks at the trade deadline in exchange for Willy Hernangomez, then was waived the next day. O’Bryant also played for the Bucks and Nuggets in a four-year NBA career.
- After an offseason trade to the Spurs, DeMar DeRozan is the player most likely to have a disappointing season, according to Drew Moresca of Basketball Insiders. DeRozan will miss the chemistry he had with Kyle Lowry in Toronto, Moresca writes, and the advantages of playing alongside a top flight point guard. San Antonio also has fewer above-average 3-point shooters than the Raptors did, so DeRozan may find a more difficult path to drive to the basket. Moresca tabs the Heat as the team most likely to decline, with the Pelicans as runners-up.
Community Shootaround: Luol Deng’s Next Stop
Could the “Timber-Bulls” be getting another member?
Minnesota is considered a possible destination for Luol Deng, who reached a buyout agreement with the Lakers today. Once he clears waivers, Deng could become the latest ex-Bull to reunite with Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, joining Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose. Free agent guard Aaron Brooks is another Thibodeau Bull who played for Minnesota last season.
Wolves management has been keeping an eye on Deng as the buyout process played out, along with another former Chicago player, Knicks center Joakim Noah, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis. Today marked the first day that teams could lock in salaries for the 2018/19 season, meaning that the final year of Deng’s and Noah’s contracts could be stretched separately.
While Deng would certainly fit in with the Wolves, there are reports that several contending teams are interested in the two-time All-Star. The Rockets lost a pair of perimeter defenders to free agency this summer in Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute and might see Deng as a low-cost replacement. The Spurs have a history of getting the most out of veteran players, new Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak was responsible for signing Deng in L.A., and Deng’s name appeared on the infamous leaked photos of the Magic’s whiteboard that made their way to social media last year.
The main problem for anyone thinking about signing Deng is that he’s had virtually a year off from the game. Coach Luke Walton used Deng for 13 minutes in last year’s opener, then never put him into another game. Deng averaged 7.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG in his first season with the Lakers, and a year without wear and tear might be good for the 33-year-old, but no one knows for sure. He got a chance to show his skills in last month’s NBA Africa game and finished with 14 points, three steals and three rebounds.
We want to get your opinion on Deng’s future. Which team can offer him the best situation, or do you believe he’s too far past his prime to help anybody? Please leave your responses in the space below?
Heat’s Goran Dragic Available In Trade?
The Heat are willing to part with Goran Dragic, and he may be the answer for the Suns in their quest for a point guard, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix.
The Suns traded away presumed starter Brandon Knight this week in a deal that brought Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton from the Rockets. Knight missed all of last season with an ACL tear, leaving Phoenix to try several options at the point with limited success after Eric Bledsoe was traded to Milwaukee. Isaiah Canaan is the most experienced point guard on the roster, while Melton, Shaquille Harrison and Elie Okobo are other options.
Dragic, who started his career with the Suns and later returned for two and a half productive seasons, would provide an instant solution to that problem. The 32-year-old is coming off another stellar year in Miami, posting a 17.3/4.1/4.8 line in 75 games.
With an $18.1MM salary for the upcoming season and a $19.25MM player option for 2019/20, Dragic is the third-highest-paid player on a team that is already above the tax threshold with nearly $127MM in guaranteed salary. While that might explain his availability, the Heat were the sixth seed in the East last year and are hoping for another postseason trip. It’s not clear what Phoenix could offer in return that would be enough for Miami to part with Dragic.
Gambadoro adds that the Suns understand they need to find a point guard, but won’t rush the process (Twitter link). With more than three weeks until training camp and six weeks until the season starts, they plan to take time to explore their options.
Northwest Notes: Singler, Towns, Williams, Trail Blazers
The Thunder’s decision to use the stretch provision on Kyle Singler will result in a savings of about $20MM for the upcoming season, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The veteran forward was owed $4.996MM in the final season of an extension that was granted in 2015. That money that will now be paid out over the next five seasons, giving OKC a significant reduction in its 2018/19 luxury tax bill, which will drop from $93.1MM to $73.7MM.
Singler, 30, spent three and half seasons with the Thunder, but barely played last year. He dropped out of the rotation early and appeared in just 12 games, averaging 4.9 minutes per night. Oklahoma City tried to find a taker on the trade market, but had few first-round picks left to offer.
Cutting ties with Singler brings OKC down to 14 guaranteed contracts, along with two-way players Deonte Burton and Tyler Davis. The team payroll is set at $145.5MM, the highest in the league, well above the projected $101MM salary cap and the $123MM tax threshold.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- There hasn’t been any progress in extension talks between the Timberwolves and center Karl-Anthony Towns, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in a recent appearance on “The Jump.” Towns has until October 15 to reach an extension that could pay him up to $158MM over five years. Windhorst speculates that Towns might be considering a shorter agreement rather than a full five-year deal.
- C.J. Williams, who signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves in July, is putting his new team ahead of his role with USA Basketball, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The former Clipper played for Jeff Van Gundy and the U.S. team last September, but will be in Minnesota on Monday when the national team opens training camp in its quest to qualify for the World Cup.
- The Trail Blazers don’t seem to mind being among three NBA teams without direct G League affiliates, writes Marc Stein of The New York Times in his latest email notebook. Portland once had an affiliate in Idaho and isn’t convinced that it was a valuable investment, Stein adds. However, he notes that G League President Malcolm Turner said this year that he expects all 30 teams to have affiliates within 12 to 18 months, so the Blazers appear ready to give it another shot.
Latest On Luol Deng
Today’s buyout agreement with Luol Deng will provide financial benefits for the Lakers over the next two seasons. Deng agreed to forgo $7.5MM of the $36.8MM left on his contract, with 48.9% of that coming from his 2018/19 salary and the other 51.1% from his 2019/20 figure, tweets salary cap expert Larry Coon.
The reduction will drop L.A.’s commitment to Deng for the upcoming season from $18MM to about $14.3MM, adds cap expert Albert Nahmad (Twitter link). The Lakers were projected to be $4.6MM above the cap before the buyout, so the extra $3.7MM won’t allow them to sign anyone, but it gives them an easier path if they decide to operate below the cap at some point during the season.
L.A. will stretch the final season of Deng’s contract over three years, which works out to a $4.99MM cap hit annually from 2019/20 through 2021/22, posts Bobby Marks on ESPN Now. He notes that the figure would have been closer to $6.3MM a year if the Lakers had stretched Deng’s contract without the buyout. The team projects to have $36.97M in cap space next summer, enough to offer a maximum contract, according to Coon (Twitter link).
There’s more Deng-related news to pass along:
- Deng was frustrated about being benched for virtually all of last season and had no desire to go through that experience again, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Deng played 13 minutes on opening night and wasn’t used again for the rest of the season, despite being fully healthy. Comments from Lakers officials at the end of last season indicated they were willing to keep Deng on the roster, which is what motivated him to accept the buyout, Ganguli adds (Twitter link).
- Lakers GM Rob Pelinka issued a statement of gratitude after Deng’s release became official this afternoon, relays Chris Haynes of ESPN. “We want to thank Luol for his time with the Lakers,” Pelinka said. “We made this move to further our future salary cap and roster flexibility, as we continue to build this Lakers team according to our current overall vision.”
- The Lakers don’t have any immediate plans for filling Deng’s roster spot, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link). L.A. currently has 14 players with guaranteed contracts, along with non-guaranteed minimum deals for Jonathan Williams, Jeffrey Carroll and Joel Berry
- The Timberwolves will be among the teams interested in Deng once he clears waivers, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Coach/executive Tom Thibodeau has already gathered several of his former Bulls players in Minnesota.
Chris Bosh Hasn’t Given Up On Comeback
Chris Bosh still wants to return to the NBA, but he realizes the clock is rapidly ticking on that dream, writes Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports.
Bosh, 34, hasn’t played since doctors discovered a return of blood clots midway through the 2015/16 season. The 11-time All-Star sees the upcoming season as his last shot to get back into the league.
“Yeah, it’s still on my mind,” Bosh said. “Obviously, if it doesn’t happen by February, I’m not stupid, but yeah, I’m still looking forward to that. I’m still trying to overcome that hump and trying to get something going. I’m looking forward to the challenge. I know I can still play some ball and be a 3-and-D guy for somebody out there.”
Bosh tried to return to the Heat in 2016, but failed a physical prior to training camp. Doctors were concerned about his ability to perform while taking medication to ward off the blood clots and the potential dangers if he were to suffer a cut during a game while on blood thinners. Bosh says he has consulted with enough doctors to make him confident that he can safely return to playing.
Based on Bosh’s condition after the failed physical, Miami was able to successfully petition the NBA to get the $52.1MM remaining on his contract removed from its salary cap.
In the time he has been away, Bosh believes the game has changed to make his skills more valuable than ever. As a big man who can space the floor, he hopes to fill the same role with a contender that he did when the Heat reached the NBA Finals in four straight years.
Central Notes: Stephenson, Parker, Stefanski, Griffin
Lance Stephenson has left the Pacers again, but just like last time it may not be forever, writes Dana Benbow for The Indianapolis Star. Stephenson, who signed a one-year deal with the Lakers this summer, was asked about a possible return during a party he threw Wednesday to say goodbye to Indianapolis.
“Oh, of course. This is home. Of course,” he responded. “I would always want to come back here.”
Stephenson was among Indiana’s most productive reserves last season, appearing in all 82 games and posting a 9.2/5.2/2.9 line. His previous stints with other teams — the Hornets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans and Timberwolves — produced mostly disappointing results.
“We stayed in constant communication with him,” team president Kevin Pritchard said. “At the end of the day, Lance gave us some great years. We love Lance. We love Lance on the court, we love Lance off the court.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Mike Budenholzer may be having “buyer’s remorse” over taking the Bucks‘ head coaching job after the loss of free agent Jabari Parker, suggests Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox in his latest podcast. He adds that the entire organization was counting on Parker to stay and never expected him to get an offer in the $20MM range like the Bulls gave him.
- The Bucks are still hoping to make a deal before the season starts, Woelfel adds in the same discussion. He names John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon and Tony Snell as the players most likely to go, but says Eric Bledsoe has also been mentioned as a trade candidate.
- Ed Stefanski has made a lot of progress in his first 100 days as a senior advisor to the Pistons, notes Chris Schwegler of NBA.com. The most significant moves were the hiring of reigning Coach of the Year Dwane Casey, adding Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown through the draft and signing free agents Glenn Robinson III, Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia.
- Blake Griffin is looking healthy during his summer workouts at UCLA, relays Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. A knee injury limited Griffin to 58 games last year between the Clippers and Pistons, and he hasn’t played more than 67 in a season since 2013/14.
Warriors Notes: West, Myers, Jerebko, Cousins
David West was a team leader and legitimate tough guy with well-rounded off-the-court interests, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The 38-year-old big man announced his retirement today after a 15-year NBA career that included the past two seasons with Golden State, where he won two titles.
In addition to his longevity, West will be remembered for a decision in made in 2015 to bypass an option year with the Pacers and sign with the Spurs in pursuit of a championship. The choice cost him about $10MM, but West felt it was worth it to pursue a ring. He joined the Warriors a year later and became the perfect veteran leader for a team coming off a disappointing finals loss.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- In a post on the team website, GM Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr talked about how much West’s presence with the team will be missed. “There should be a picture in the dictionary of David under ‘pro’s pro’,” Myers said. “He’s one of the most decent people I’ve ever met. His depth of character is unmatched. We are all better for having spent the last two years with him. There is no doubt the best is ahead of him.” Kerr added: “David was a consummate professional throughout his entire career and was a huge presence in our locker room the last two years. The respect that he commanded was palpable every single day he walked in the door and the leadership that he provided to our team was critical to our success.”
- Free agent addition Jonas Jerebko is prepared to do anything he can to help the Warriors stay on top. In a recent appearance on the Bay Area Sports Warriors Insider Podcast, Jerebko said he’s more confident than ever in his 3-point shot and believes he can help the team in other ways as well. “I’ve been in the league for 10 years now,” he said. “I know Steve [Kerr] and those guys have watched me and know what I can do on the court. I’m going to help every which way I can. If that’s on the defensive end, getting steals or rebounds, whatever it may be, hustling, you’re going to see me all over the court.”
- The signing of DeMarcus Cousins gives the Warriors a potentially dominant big man once he’s fully healthy, but the team doesn’t plan any changes in its approach, writes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re not going to change our style of play,” Kerr said. “We’ll definitely add a few plays for DeMarcus down on the block. But for the most part, we’re not going to change who we are.”