Central Notes: Shumpert, Teodosic, Ellenson
The Cavaliers will be without swingman Iman Shumpert for the next seven-to-10 days, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The 27-year-old sprained his left foot in a preseason game this week and could be sidelined until the regular season begins.
Shumpert’s absence comes at a critical time for the Cavaliers, who will be hard-pressed to trim down their roster after the addition of Dwyane Wade last week. While Shumpert has been reassured of his role with the club, Cavs fans will be eager to see what the veteran is capable of producing in 2017/18.
Shumpert, owed $11MM in 2017/18, saw his role with the Cavaliers decrease toward the end of last season and averaged just 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the team on the year.
This year, with considerably more depth in the mix in Cleveland, it will be interesting to see what sort of role the perimeter defender carves out for himself with the Cavaliers. Missing the duration of preseason won’t help him make a solid impression.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- It won’t be easy for Stan Van Gundy to narrow his Pistons rotation down to eight or nine players, especially considering how Henry Ellenson has played of late, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. The head coach will need to find a way of balancing the minutes for Ellenson, Anthony Tolliver, Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer, all of whom can play the four.
- Expect Justin Holiday to step into a leadership role with the rebuilding Bulls, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. “He’s done a good job of pulling the group together,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “If we’re having a stretch in practice where we’re struggling or we’re hitting adversity and we’re not handling it the right way, if we need a shot of energy, Justin is the guy that pulls the group together. And you have to have a guy like that.“
- The Bulls were supposedly close to a deal with Milos Teodosic this summer but it was derailed when the club traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves, effectively shifting their focus to a full-on rebuild. The guard’s agent, Nick Lotsos, spoke of the free agency process to NBA Greece (article translated by Eurohoops).
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Raptors, McDermott
The Nets‘ two best players may very well play the same position so preseason will serve as a good indication of how head coach Kenny Atkinson plans to utilize the tandem. Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes that hoops fans could see the pair of point guards employed together at the beginning and end of halves.
In 24.5 minutes per game for the Nets last season, Lin emerged as a top offensive priority before an injury cut his campaign short. This year, however, the 29-year-old will share backcourt duties with Russell, the 2015 No. 2 overall pick, and the chief haul in general manager Sean Marks‘ deal to take on Timofey Mozgov‘s contract.
“I’d like to have one of those guys at the point the whole game. That’d be pretty nice,” Atkinson said when asked how he’ll divvy minutes between the two. “I’m not going to say definitely that’s how it’s going to play out, but that’s in my mind, keeping D’Angelo or Jeremy at the point the whole game.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The loss of Cory Joseph will free an opportunity in the Raptors‘ rotation behind Kyle Lowry this season. A battle is brewing between Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet to fill the vacancy, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes.
- Acquitted of felony assault charges, Celtics forward Marcus Morris is ready to join his new team, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes. Considering his experience in the league, Danny Ainge doesn’t anticipate an issue acclimating the veteran.
- The Knicks have been impressed with what they’ve seen from Doug McDermott thus far. The forward that came over as part of the package New York received for Carmelo Anthony is in contention for the opening at small forward, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
Southwest Notes: Noel, Grizzlies, Clavell
There have been no shortages of distractions throughout Nerlens Noel‘s basketball career and that’s not about to change during the 2017/18 campaign. As Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes, the Mavs center will approach this season with his unrestricted free agency looming.
Still just 23 years old, Noel has already dealt with injuries, trade rumors and free agency speculation across stops with Kentucky, the Sixers and now the Mavs. This year he’ll look to earn a substantial offseason payday despite starting the season as Dallas’ backup center.
With Dirk Nowitzki slotted ahead of him at the five, Noel will be utilized off the bench as an athletic post defender with the ability to check guards on the perimeter. The Mavs will also look to employ his ability to crash the net in pick-and-roll situations, with a keen eye on how the young center might fit with the franchise long-term, in the post-Nowitzki era.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The addition of Mario Chalmers gives the Grizzlies the option to be more selective with who they incorporate into their rotaiton between Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin. Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal speculates that the club could continue to develop Baldwin and, reluctantly, waive Harrison.
- The Mavs only have 12 players currently on guaranteed deals. It turns out, Gian Clavell could be one of their seven players on non-guaranteed deals to convince the team to keep him on for the full year. Earl Sneed of Mavs.com tweets that the guard has made a strong case for making the squad.
- Utility man Dante Cunningham is capable of playing multiple positions, doing dirty work and doing it all with a smile. That flexibility is what endeared him to Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry, who will trot him out as the team’s starting small forward in 2017/18, Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate writes.
Celtics Waive Devin Williams
The Celtics have waived power forward Devin Williams, Jay King of Mass Live tweets.
The big man out of West Virginia signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the club in late September. With Williams out of the picture, the C’s drop down to 19 total players, 14 of whom remain on guaranteed deals.
Williams split time with the Hornets’ G League affiliate and Melbourne United of the Australian Basketball League last season.
Nicolas Batum Expected To Miss 6-12 Weeks
3:44pm: There hasn’t been any determination yet as to whether or not Batum will require surgery, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The forward is said to have damaged his ulnar collateral ligament, the same one often associated with pitchers that undergo Tommy John surgery.
The Hornets issued a press release confirming Batum’s injury and indicating that he’s expected to miss a minimum of six to eight weeks.
3:19pm: The Hornets could be without Nicolas Batum for eight to 12 weeks, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The swingman tore a ligament in his left elbow during Wednesday night’s preseason game.
In 77 games for the Hornets last season, Batum averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
This year Charlotte hoped to take a substantial leap forward after missing the postseason in 2016/17. The club’s newfound depth – depleted significantly sans Batum – was to play a major role in that.
The given timeline would have Batum back on the court anywhere from early December to early January, still with plenty of time to get back into routine and contribute for the Hornets during the playoff stretch.
With Batum on the sidelines, the Hornets will need to find a way to fill his contributions at the two. Currently rookie Malik Monk is the next in line at the position but Jeremy Lamb – currently slated to be the team’s backup small forward -could spend time there as well.
The Hornets already have 20 players on their roster, 13 of whom are on guaranteed deals.
2017 Offseason In Review: Indiana Pacers
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 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 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Indiana Pacers.
Signings:
- Bojan Bogdanovic: Two years, $21MM. Second year partially guaranteed ($1.5MM).
- Darren Collison: Two years, $20MM. Second year partially guaranteed ($2MM).
- Edmond Sumner: Two-way contract. Two years, $50K guaranteed in each season.
- Alex Poythress: Two-way contract. Exact details not known.
Camp invitees:
- Damien Wilkins: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($25K).
- DeQuan Jones: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Trey McKinney-Jones: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Ben Moore: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
- Jarrod Uthoff: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Edmond Sumner (No. 52 pick) from the Pelicans in exchange for cash ($1MM).
- Acquired Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis from the Thunder in exchange for Paul George.
- Acquired Cory Joseph from the Raptors in exchange for the draft rights to Emir Preldzic.
Draft picks:
- 1-18: T.J. Leaf — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-47: Ike Anigbogu — Signed to three-year, $3.947MM contract. Second year partially guaranteed ($690K). Third year non-guaranteed.
- 2-52: Edmond Sumner — Signed to two-way contract.
Departing players:
- Lavoy Allen (declined team option)
- Aaron Brooks
- Rakeem Christmas (waived)
- Monta Ellis (waived)
- Paul George
- C.J. Miles
- Georges Niang (waived)
- Kevin Seraphin (waived)
- Jeff Teague
Other offseason news:
- Larry Bird stepped down as president of basketball operations. GM Kevin Pritchard promoted to replace Bird.
- Hired Hornets executive Chad Buchanan to be general manager.
- Glenn Robinson III expected to be out until November or December due to ankle injury.
- Exercised 2018/19 team option on Myles Turner.
- Lakers fined $500K for tampering with Pacers/Paul George.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating under the cap. Can create up to about $7MM in cap room (carrying approximately $92MM in guaranteed salaries). Still have room exception ($3.29MM) available.
Check out the Indiana Pacers’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
There’s no denying that, despite the good work they’ve done since, the biggest event of the Pacers’ summer was a disappointing one.
Reports in the spring indicated that 2018 free-agent-to-be Paul George had little interest in returning to Indiana, effectively forcing the team’s hand if it wanted anything in return for the outgoing star. In the wake of that news, all eyes turned to recently-appointed president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard, suddenly thrust into the deep end of his new role.
While the Pacers have done an admirable job getting up off the mat and putting together a respectable squad that will make an effort to compete in the East, the club’s haul in the George trade that will be held under the microscope for years to come.
When word broke on the last day of June that Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis would be on their way to Indiana in exchange for the disgruntled All-Star, some were left underwhelmed, considering what the Celtics had supposedly been willing to offer for George. Others were simply frustrated that the Pacers were even forced into such a precarious position in the first place.
Regardless of the circumstances of the deal that brought an end to the modern-day Pacers as we know them, the only thing that matters now is how the franchise rallies after sustaining the blow.
Pacific Notes: Williams, Jones Jr., Richardson
The Clippers had their work cut out for them replacing Jamal Crawford this season but fortunately had already landed Lou Williams, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. Williams has carved out a successful career being one of the league’s best reserves.
Williams came over as part of the massive Chris Paul trade and will take on an even larger share of the Clippers’ offensive load than he may have initially expected now that Crawford has been bought out and signed with the Timberwolves.
“You’ve got a few of us that go out there and we have a short amount of time to go and change the game,” Williams said. “And Jamal was one of those guys who perfected that. I’m one of those guys that you can put right up there. You’ve got a few other guys that you can mention in that same breath. It’s a unique position to have.”
The Clippers guard may not have three Sixth Man of the Year Awards to his name like Crawford does but he does at least have one. So far.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The rebuilding Suns will expect more out of their 2016 lottery picks Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic writes. The pair were unpolished but promising in their debuts last season and will look to use experience they’ve since gained to their advantage.
- The depth chart at the shooting guard position is a lot more crowded than it used to be but Malachi Richardson believes that he can still factor into the Kings‘ plans heading forward. The two-guard spoke with Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee about the injury he struggled with last season.
- The most improved player on the Suns this season could be Derrick Jones, Eric Bledsoe tells Cody Cuningham of the team’s official website. The athletically gifted guard – and 2017 dunk contest participant – has improved his offensive game and three-point range.
Central Notes: Valentine, Pistons, Markkanen
After a disappointing first season in which he wasn’t heavily utilized as a playmaker, Denzel Valentine is eager to show the Bulls what he’s capable of. The famously versatile forward out of Michigan State told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that his role in 2016/17 was to mostly just be a spot-up shooter.
With so much turnover on the Bulls roster over the summer, Valentine could get his opportunity to flash the rest of his skills and potentially even earn a role as a starter with the young franchise, although head coach Fred Hoiberg has implied that his lineups will be determined through preseason.
The 23-year-old averaged 5.1 points per game last season but underwent surgery on his left ankle at the start of the summer. The second-year Bulls forward is still working his way back into shape.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Count Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy among those who believes that getting rid of the NBA Draft altogether would address the tanking issue, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- The Pistons have assigned assistant coach Aaron Gray the task of focusing on the skill development of big men, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. Rex Walters, formerly the head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive, will hold a similar role with the backcourt.
- The Bulls will be cautious with seventh-overall pick Lauri Markkanen‘s injured back. The club won’t rush the first-year big man back to the court, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago writes.
Lottery Notes: Player Movement, The Wheel, Value
The recently announced lottery changes will have an impact on tanking but it may be a minor one, Zach Lowe of ESPN writes. To fully rid the league of intentional losing, far more aggressive steps would need to be taken.
Essentially, Lowe writes, increasing the freedom of movement that players have could be fair but doing so could come in several drastic forms from cutting the length of rookie contracts to trashing the max salary. Those, of course, could come with their own set of negative consequences and may not necessarily be worth it.
The current reform, said to be an incremental step, will dissuade terrible teams from shamelessly losing games late in the season but it may hurt small market teams if it impedes them drafting stars. Without access to drafting those stars, the smaller market franchises would have an even tougher time trying to lure free agents.
There’s more regarding the lottery reform:
- The NBA’s new lottery rules don’t do enough to deter tanking, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. The scribe suggests that teams will still lose games on purposes, regardless of the new flattened odds, because getting a pick “anywhere near the top” is sufficient. He advocates for The Wheel as an alternative.
- The new lottery changes will do nothing to stop tanking, a Cleveland.com report suggests. Teams will still compete to be one of the three-worst clubs since they now have an equal shot at landing the top pick.
- Using a combination of probabilities and the estimated value each pick in 2019 lottery might have in addition to their salary, Kevin Pelton of ESPN makes a case for small market teams actually benefiting from the lottery reform. Pelton says that an under-discussed component of picking high in the draft is the salary that rookies are owed under the new CBA.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Ball, Randolph
The Suns were painfully bad at defense last season, allowing 113.3 points per game and fouling more than any other team in the NBA. This year, experience and the addition of Josh Jackson could change that, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic writes.
With a young core anchored by Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis and Dragan Bender it’s understandable that the team struggled to contain opposing veterans.
“You get hit by these NBA players, these veterans and it pretty much hurts,” coach Earl Watson said. “Your natural reaction is just to grab.”
The bench boss believes that the addition of Jackson, whose calling card is perimeter defense, will hold teammates accountable on that end of the ball.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The legend of Lonzo Ball has grown throughout training camp, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. The rookie point guard is said to have made an impression in his first scrimmage and has impressed Lakers head coach Luke Walton with his defensive work and ability to communicate.
- Don’t rule out seeing Blake Griffin spend time as the Clippers‘ tallest man on the floor, only to turn around and bring the ball up the court, Doc Rivers tells the Associated Press. Quite frankly, the 28-year-old will do a bit of everything now that Chris Paul is with the Rockets.
- After a busy summer, in which he says he was wrongfully arrested, Zach Randolph will settle into a new role with a new franchise. Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes that the 36-year-old back-to-the-basket big man will complement the Kings young frontcourt.