Nets Notes: Hollis-Jefferson, Harris, Creek, Atkinson
The injury that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson suffered in an exhibition game in China over the weekend has been diagnosed as a left adductor strain, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis provides no details on a prognosis for Hollis-Jefferson, but he adds that the 23-year-old forward will begin rehab work right away.
Hollis-Jefferson was playing in Jeremy Lin‘s “Hoop for Hope” game on Saturday when he felt pain after landing on a dunk attempt. He immediately went to the locker room and returned to the United States later that day.
There’s more news out of Brooklyn:
- Joe Harris is grateful to the Nets for helping him revive his career after being waived in 2016, but his decision to re-sign with Brooklyn last month wasn’t made out of sentiment, Lewis writes in a full story. Harris accepted a two-year, $16MM deal when he might have gotten better offers elsewhere, but he says familiarity with the organization played a role in his decision. “Everybody knows what you’re about and what you bring,” Harris explained. “It’s hard to duplicate that. It takes a lot of time. … If you go somewhere else it’s difficult. You’re not going to get that instantly. Then factor in I have comfort with the system. I just felt like although it was a two-year deal versus a longer deal this was the best case for me.”
- Mitch Creek wants to sign with the Nets, but his Australian team won’t let him go without compensation, according an article on NetsDaily. The Adelaide 36ers have filed an injunction in an Australian court and are seeking $75K in U.S. dollars before they will release Creek. The Adelaide Advertiser reports that the team is hoping to resolve the situation within 24 hours so Creek can finalize a training camp deal with Brooklyn. “We are ensuring in the event that he gets a spot on the final roster that there is some sort of compensation [for Adelaide],” 36ers chief executive Ben Kavenagh told the newspaper. The Nets’ interest in Creek was first reported by Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia (Twitter link).
- Respect around the league for Nets coach Kenny Atkinson could serve as a “secret weapon” for the organization in free agency next summer, suggests Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.
Heat Notes: Richardson, Newman, Okafor, Babbitt
The Heat had calls from teams wanting to trade for Josh Richardson this summer, but Miami isn’t looking to move him, according to Manny Navarro and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The organization wants Richardson to take a larger role on offense, with team president Pat Riley telling him that he should be able to average 18 points per game.
Richardson put up a career-best 12.9 PPG last season while shooting .375% from 3-point range. The authors say Richardson has been concentrating on shooting off the dribble and creating his own shot during offseason workouts.
Teams may have been trying to take advantage of the Heat’s desire to shed salary, but Richardson has an affordable deal that will pay him nearly $42MM over the next four seasons, including an $11.6MM player option in 2021/22. If he is able to increase his scoring numbers, Richardson’s contract might look like a bargain.
Navarro and Jackson pass along some more Heat info in the same piece:
- Miami wasn’t swayed by Malik Newman‘s experience with the Lakers when the team opted to sign him this week. The 21-year-old guard inked a two-way contract with L.A. at the beginning of July, but spent less than three weeks with the team before being waived. A source said the Heat were “intrigued” with Newman because of his outside shooting prowess and his performance with Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. At 6’3″, Newman will have to learn to play point guard to succeed in the NBA, the source added. His contract is believed to be a training camp deal.
- Even though the Heat have roster openings, they never considered trying to sign free agent center Jahlil Okafor. The No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Pelicans today after disappointing performances with the Sixers and Nets. Miami only has 12 players with guaranteed contracts, along with a two-way deal for Duncan Robinson, but the team believes it has enough centers with Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo backing up Hassan Whiteside.
- Veteran forward Luke Babbitt, who finished last season in Miami after a February trade from the Hawks, continues to examine offers in Europe. Babbitt, 29, is hoping to find a place where he can get more playing time after barely being used by the Heat. He appeared in 13 games after the deal, averaging 11.2 minutes per night, and played just three total minutes in the postseason.
Cavaliers Notes: Schedule, James, Sexton, Dekker
As expected when LeBron James announced he was leaving for Los Angeles, the Cavaliers have fallen out of the mix for the NBA’s spotlight games. In the partial schedule announced earlier today, Cleveland isn’t included in any of the nationally televised games for the opening week, Christmas Day or Martin Luther King Day, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It’s quite a change for the Cavs, who hosted last season’s opener and whose matchup with the Warriors had become a yuletide tradition.
Cleveland will have at least once marquee game on November 21 when James returns with the Lakers for his only appearance in the city this season, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
There’s more Cavaliers news to pass along:
- First-round pick Collin Sexton tells Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops that he’s excited about the opportunity awaiting him in Cleveland. The eighth selection in this year’s draft, Sexton will be counted on to eventually become the primary creator in the Cavaliers’ offense. “My role will just be able to come in and learn and have an impact on the team,” he said. “No matter what it is, being a distributor, being a scorer. Just going out there playing my game and being the best me I can be.”
- The Cavs get a B grade from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton for their acquisition of Sam Dekker. Cleveland needed to find someone who could fill both forward spots after losing James and Jeff Green to free agency, and Dekker, who was picked up from the Clippers at minimal cost, has shown an ability to handle both roles. Pelton states that Dekker is better than anyone the team could have signed in free agency.
- Standing pat until the season starts may be the Cavaliers’ best strategy at this point, according to Evan Dammarell of Forbes. He says the Cavs wouldn’t have benefited from a rumored Kyle Korver for Jerryd Bayless swap with the Sixers and doubts that the Rockets, who have reportedly expressed interest in J.R. Smith have much to offer that Cleveland would want.
Joakim Noah Unlikely To Remain With Knicks
The Knicks are planning to part ways with veteran center Joakim Noah before the start of training camp, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ian Begley of ESPN. League sources say New York will use the stretch provision sometime after September 1 if it can’t find a trading partner before then.
The 33-year-old has been a disappointment ever since the Knicks gave him a four-year, $72MM contract to lure him away from the Bulls two years ago. Noah still has two seasons and $37.8MM remaining on that deal, which has tied up a significant portion of New York’s salary cap and has limited the team’s options in free agency.
By waiting until September 1, the Knicks will lock in Noah’s $18.53MM salary for the upcoming season and can stretch the remaining $19.295MM over three years. That amounts to roughly $6.4MM a year and will open an additional $12.9MM in cap space for next summer, when the Knicks hope to be major players in the free agent market.
Noah had expressed hope that this summer’s coaching change could give him a fresh start in New York, but he doesn’t appear to be in David Fizdale’s plans. Sources told ESPN that GM Scott Perry has been trying to work out a deal involving Noah since February’s trade deadline, but hasn’t been willing to give up a promising young player or future first-round picks. Perry has continued his efforts through the summer without success.
Noah was limited to seven games last summer through a combination of injuries, suspensions and coach’s decisions. He never returned to the team after a heated argument in practice with former coach Jeff Hornacek in January.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors Sign Jordan Loyd To Two-Way Contract
AUGUST 7: The Raptors have officially signed Loyd to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 2: Jordan Loyd paid for his buyout with Darussafaka in the EuroLeague and is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Raptors, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
An agreement with Loyd has been rumored for a couple of weeks, but the deadline for Toronto to help buy him out of his Turkish deal passed in mid-July, leaving Loyd to work out the arrangement on his own.
The 25-year-old guard played for the Raptors’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 2.8 APG in 17.3 minutes per contest, including a team-leading 17-point performance in the opener. He was used mainly at point guard in summer league play.
Loyd went undrafted out of Indianapolis in 2016 and spent a year with Fort Wayne in the G League before signing with Hapoel Eilat in Israel last season.
Once Loyd signs, the Raptors will still have a two-way slot open after moving Lorenzo Brown to the 15-man roster and withdrawing a qualifying offer for Malcolm Miller.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Bridges, Labissiere, Clippers
The Lakers ensured themselves a successful offseason when they signed LeBron James, but they still need to fill a vacancy at center, writes Matt John of Basketball Insiders. The addition of free agent JaVale McGee doesn’t really solidify the position, and the only other choices on the roster are rookie Moe Wagner and Ivica Zubac.
With David West and Brandan Wright as the best free agents left on the market, John identifies several potential trade targets, including Tristan Thompson, James’ former teammate in Cleveland. Thompson is a physical rebounder and defender with whom James had a good rapport. However, John notes that he may not be available unless Cleveland decides to rebuild.
Other possibilities include the Bismack Biyombo, who finds himself in a center logjam after being traded to Charlotte, the Bucks’ John Henson, the Bulls’ Robin Lopez, the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic and the Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- Suns rookie swingman Mikal Bridges was a little disappointed he didn’t play more in the summer league, James Blancarte of Basketeball Insiders reports. “It’s tough you know. Coming in mentally, you don’t know what the coach is going to do and how they are going to play you,” Bridges told Blancarte. “Couple of games, not playing as much as I thought I was going to be [playing]. Just staying mentally [tough], going through that.” Bridges averaged 6.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 20 MPG during five Las Vegas outings. He will also likely have wait his turn during his rookie campaign but Phoenix thought enough of him to swing a draft-night trade with the Sixers, Blancarte notes.
- Kings big man Skal Labissiere is looking to improve his durability during his offseason workouts, Jason Wise of the team’s website relays. Memphis-area trainer Raheem Shabazz has made Instagram posts showing the work Labissiere is putting in as he prepares for his third NBA season.
- Clippers lottery picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson showed flashes of potential in summer league games but they were far from perfect, according to Keith Smith of RealGM. Gilgeous-Alexander has a solid all-around game but needs lot of work with his shot. Robinson has to focus more on the defensive end, Smith continues, while undrafted big man Angel Delgado struggled on the perimeter. However, Delgado displayed strong rebounding instincts and toughness on the interior, Smith adds.
Nets Sign Theo Pinson
AUGUST 6: The Nets have announced Pinson’s signing in a press release.
AUGUST 1: The Nets’ deal with Pinson is now official, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.
JUNE 22: North Carolina’s Theo Pinson will sign a contract with the Nets that includes an Exhibit 10 attachment, tweets Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Under NBA rules, an Exhibit 10 clause gives the team an option to convert the deal into a two-way contract at a later date. To qualify, the contract must be a minimum-salary arrangement for one year with no bonuses (except for an optional Exhibit 10 bonus) and no compensation protection.
Pinson, 22, can receive anywhere from $5K to $50K if he is waived by the Nets and spends at least 60 days with their G-League affiliate.
A 6’6″ shooting guard, Pinson was part of the Tar Heels’ national championship team in 2017. He became a full-time starter as a senior this season, posting a 10.3/6.5/5.1 line in 37 games. He will join the Nets’ summer leage team in Las Vegas.
Southeast Notes: Len, Whiteside, Adebayo, Wall
After growing up as a Hawks fan, Alex Len hopes to revive his NBA career with his favorite team, writes Kevin L. Chouinard of NBA.com. A Ukrainian native, Len was attracted to the Hawks because of their connection to countryman Alexander Volkov and was happy when Atlanta expressed interest in free agency last month.
The fifth player taken in the 2013 draft, Len spent five years in Phoenix but never lived up to the Suns’ expectations. At 25, he believes he is still young enough to be part of the rebuilding plan in Atlanta.
“It’s a young team,” Len said. “I think I fit well with the guys and mesh with the young core, so for the long term I thought it would be the best team. It’s an opportunity right there. In the East, I think there’s — what, maybe four or five teams that are really good? I think we can surprise a lot of teams.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Heat center Hassan Whiteside calls the week he spent in Africa “life changing,” relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Whiteside was among the stars of the NBA Africa game, making all five of his shots from the field, but the week of volunteering beforehand made a larger impression. “Life changing, life changing,” he said, “from building houses with kids, from seeing kids playing basketball, from taking selfies with all the kids around the world. It’s a dream come true. I never thought that kids in Africa or anybody in Africa would know my name. It takes me back. It’s crazy.”
- Whiteside’s performance in Africa shows he can still be effective when he’s “active and engaged,” Winderman writes in a mailbag column. Whiteside clashed with coaches over playing time last season, but Winderman states that he still has the talent to be part of the rotation, even if that forces the team to make tough choices in other areas.
- Bam Adebayo spent a lot of time in Summer League at power forward, which may be his natural position, Winderman adds in the same piece. His playing time during the upcoming season will depend on how effectively he can operate in tandem with Whiteside or Kelly Olynyk.
- John Wall believes the Wizards may benefit from reduced media attention heading into next season, relays Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Even after adding Dwight Howard and Austin Rivers to a talented lineup, Washington isn’t being touted in the same class with the Celtics, Sixers and Raptors. “When we were that team that was flying under the radar, we came out and showed people what we was capable of,” Wall said. “Then, when we were the team that everyone was talking about and everyone had so much high expectations for, we kind of failed those expectations.”
Morris Twins Change Agents
Markieff Morris of the Wizards and Marcus Morris of the Celtics are preparing for free agency next summer by changing their representatives, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Both players signed with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, who is best known as the agent for LeBron James. Paul has a number of other high-profile clients, such as John Wall, Ben Simmons and Eric Bledsoe.
Markieff Morris has spent the past two-and-a-half seasons in Washington after being acquired in a trade at the 2016 deadline. A seven-year veteran, he will make $8.6MM in the final season of a four-year, $32MM contract.
Marcus Morris has also been in the league seven years and is coming off his first season in Boston after being traded there by the Pistons last summer. He has a $5.375MM salary for 2018/19 in the final season of a four-year, $20MM deal.
Southwest Notes: Conley, Hunter, Parker, Broekhoff
Last month’s signing of Kyle Anderson will enable Mike Conley to adopt a different role for the Grizzlies this season, according to Peter Edmiston of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. A point guard throughout his 11-year career, Conley will be used off the ball more frequently and will be counted on to provide more scoring.
Conley said he talked to former Memphis coach David Fizdale about such a move two years ago. However, any progress was short circuited last year when an injury ended Conley’s season after 12 games and Fizdale was fired in November.
“When Kyle and anybody else on the ball make plays, I don’t have to make plays for myself,” Conley said. “I’m excited about that and I think it bodes well for my season and our team.”
Conley also addressed questions about his injured heel that required season-ended surgery, saying he’s feeling “on track” and expects to be at full strength when the new season starts in October.
There’s more today from the Southwest Division:
- R.J. Hunter has become a Summer League regular after the Celtics made him a first-round pick in 2015, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Hunter, who has a two-way contract with the Rockets, played for Houston’s entry this year in his fourth consecutive Summer League. He has appeared in just eight NBA games since the Celtics waived him in 2016, but said his time with the Rockets has been a valuable learning experience. “Whenever I’m on the bench, just see what they need on the court,” Hunter said. “I think it’s more of a thinking game. Houston’s old. A lot of their players are vets, so they’ve been teaching me how to think the game and be patient.”
- Tony Parker, who signed with the Hornets after 17 years with the Spurs, reflects on his time in San Antonio in a letter on The Players’ Tribune. Parker talks about his embarrassing audition with the team, the transition to Dejounte Murray as the starting point guard and the meaning of “Spurs culture.”
- After losing Doug McDermott in free agency, the Mavericks hope they have found a replacement in sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff. The Dallas Morning News takes a closer look at the Australian star, noting that Matthew Dellavedova lobbied the Bucks to sign him.