Anthony Adds Cavs, Thunder To Trade List
10:12pm: The Knicks have been informed that the second of the two new teams on Anthony’s list of preferred trade destinations is Oklahoma City, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets. The Thunder, like the Cavs, would need to send at least $21.1MM back in any transaction.
It’s slightly more difficult to imagine a package coming from the Thunder than it is to envision one from the Cavs. Unlike Cleveland, Oklahoma City lacks a no-brainer appealing asset like the 2018 Nets pick.
A notable risk for any team looking to acquire Anthony, Bobby Marks of ESPN writes, is the fact that he could opt into a 2018/19 player option worth $27.9MM. In either Cleveland or Oklahoma City’s case, that could mean one year of paying a 34-year-old Anthony an exorbitant sum months after losing the core of their current teams (all of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Paul George can theoretically leave via free agency next summer).
8:08pm: The list of teams that Carmelo Anthony would approve being traded to now includes at least two other teams, one of which is the Cavaliers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN writes.
The forward has been the subject of trade speculation over the course of the past year but had previously been very selective over the number of teams that he would waive his no-trade clause for.
Earlier today we discussed the fact that Anthony seemed destined to enter training camp with the Knicks after New York failed to find a suitable trade agreement with the Rockets.
Anthony, it’s been reported, had been eager to suit up alongside Chris Paul in Houston and reluctant to consider waiving his clause to appease the Knicks.
Per Wojnarowski, however, when New York’s front office failed to come to terms on a trade with the Rockets, they requested that Anthony’s camp expand their list.
Anthony, nothing but outwardly professional throughout this lingering saga, obliged and added at least two additional teams to his list within the past 10 days.
Wojnarowski writes that the Cavaliers and Knicks have been in touch regarding a possible deal but exact terms or players to be included haven’t been discussed. The Cavs, it’s worth noting, were originally on Anthony’s list last season prior to Houston’s trade to nab Paul earlier this summer.
The Knicks have assembled an intriguing team of young players and are actively seeking to expand their core. It’s said that general manger Scott Perry is looking for a scoring wing to replace Anthony’s production, short-term contracts and draft assets.
While the Cavs do hold Brooklyn’s first-round pick next season, a valuable asset considering the current state of the Nets, they’d have to include several rotation players to accommodate league salary cap rules. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Cleveland would have to include at least $21.1MM in outgoing contracts to make a deal work.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Simmons, Carroll
The Raptors have four players on non-guaranteed deals effectively auditioning for the final two guaranteed slots on their roster, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Given the number of veterans the team lost over the offseason, the individuals who end up in the 14th and 15th spots on the squad could actually see meaningful minutes in 2017/18.
Among those battling for one of the final openings on the lone Canadian team’s roster is Canadian national team forward Kyle Wiltjer. Wiltjer didn’t make much of an impact on the playoff-bound Rockets last season but serves as a potent deep ball threat, not unlike outgoing Raptors forward Patrick Patterson.
Wiltjer will face stiff competition making the Raptors, especially from the versatile K.J. McDaniels who failed to stick with the Nets last season but has otherwise shown promise as an incredibly versatile, Swiss army knife of a forward.
Also vying for the final two spots will be Kennedy Meeks and Alfonzo McKinnie, the latter of whom Lewenberg mentions along with McDaniels to be the ones to watch as training camp begins and the Raptors inch closer to finalizing their roster.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers have been nothing but cool and confident when discussing the impact first-year forward Ben Simmons will have on the team this year, David Murphy of The Inquirer writes.
- The Nets had a leadership void and offseason addition DeMarre Carroll swooped in to fill it. Brian Lewis of the New York Post how the exiled Raptors forward has thrived with his new organization.
- Among the players Gordon Hayward was most looking forward to playing with when he signed the Celtics was Isaiah Thomas. The guard wrote about finding out that Thomas was dealt in a blog on his official website.
Rockets Sign Chris Johnson
SEPTEMBER 22: Johnson’s deal is now official, per the NBA’s transactions log.
SEPTEMBER 21: The Rockets will sign swingman Chris Johnson tomorrow, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The journeyman’s deal will be partially guaranteed.
Johnson is one of two recent NBA players who share the same name, this one – the younger one at 27 years of age – having played more recently than the other via a 70-game stint with the Jazz in 2015/16.
With Utah, his latest of five brief tenures with NBA franchises, Johnson averaged 2.9 points in 12.2 minutes per game. He’ll enter camp with the Rockets as their 20th player, a number that includes the reported agreement with Bobby Brown.
Houston already boasts a decent amount of depth at the three, so Johnson will have an uphill battle clawing his way into the mix with Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker and Troy Williams before opening day.
Extension Candidate: Julius Randle
For the third straight season, Julius Randle made progress establishing himself as a significant factor in the Lakers’ frontcourt. However, that progress won’t impact whether or not the 22-year-old inks a contract extension prior to the October 16th deadline.
No, Randle’s fate – perhaps more than any other player headed into the final year of a rookie contract – is tied to the lofty ambitions of the franchise that he plays for.
Put simply, the Lakers are all-in on preserving cap space for the 2018 free agency period — a period in which they’ll inevitably pursue LeBron James and Paul George. Or LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Or LeBron James and any other star player who opts to test the waters next summer, it really just depends on which barber you ask.
This isn’t a knock on Randle. It’s a reality. The same reality that saw L.A. ship D’Angelo Russell out of town just to alleviate the club’s $16MM obligation to Timofey Mozgov in 2018/19.
Signing Randle to any extension in the realm of what he would justifiably qualify for before the October deadline would unnecessarily eat into the room that the Lakers would need in order to make a big, nay, massive splash next offseason. As it stands, Los Angeles has just under $54MM on their books for the 2018/19 season and you can bet the farm that they club will do anything within reason to unload Luol Deng‘s 18MM as soon as conceivably possible.
Of course, the Lakers can always circle back to Randle as a restricted free agent once they have a better idea of how their 2018 offseason will play out, but that obviously comes with inherent risk. It’s not inconceivable that Randle will raise his value this season and coax an aggressive offer sheet out of a team with cap space to burn.
So the question isn’t whether Randle will earn a contract extension in the next month – that almost certainly won’t happen – but rather if his play thus far has warranted it.
In his two full seasons with the Lakers, Randle has averaged just under a double double, putting up 12.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG while flashing impressive vision for a post player and a handle reminiscent of a slightly less polished Blake Griffin (that’s still a good thing).
Randle’s per-36 numbers ooze Zach Randolph-esque potential and the fact that he’s a productive contributor who doesn’t require much of the spotlight bodes well for a Lakers team that has every intention of filling the lineup around him with stars.
Expect Randle, already a competent third or fourth option, to take yet another step forward in 2017/18. The power forward has committed to improving his physical conditioning this summer and will now play alongside Lonzo Ball, one of the most exciting playmakers to come into the league in years.
We saw excellent rebound and assist rates out of Randle last season, as well as a modest 13.2 points per contest. That last figure could jump up to a more headline-worthy level, conveniently ahead of July 2018, when he hits the market for the first time.
If the pending restricted free agent drives his value to a level that precludes Los Angeles from retaining him, then that’s simply a consequence of the Lakers’ own ambition.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Suns Acquire Troy Daniels In Trade
The Grizzlies have traded shooting guard Troy Daniels to the Suns in exchange for a second-round pick, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, also privy to the deal, adds that the Suns will also acquire a second-round pick in the deal and that the pick the Grizzlies will acquire is heavily protected.
As details emerged, Charania has summarized the deal as follows: Phoenix receives Daniels and the middle of Memphis’ second-rounders (they hold their own, Charlotte’s and Miami’s). The Grizz, in contrast, who free up nearly $4MM in cap room this season by pulling the trigger here, acquire the top-55 protected second-rounder.
Shipping Daniels to Phoenix drops Memphis down to 19 players (15 guaranteed), freeing up a roster spot and creating a little extra spending flexibility as they pursue a deal with restricted free agent JaMychal Green.
Having spent time with four franchises over the course of his four-year career, Daniels’ impact on the court is negligible. He hasn’t, however, been given a significant chance to showcase his abilities.
Daniels’ best season in the NBA thus far was his first. As a rookie with the Rockets, he posted 8.4 points in 17.7 minutes per game.
Central Notes: Johnson, Paxson, Green
There haven’t been any reported indications that the Pistons are pursuing a specific trade, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press notes, but the asset he posits would be most valuable if they were is third-year man Stanley Johnson.
Ellis cites the interest that Johnson drew at the trade deadline as the biggest indication that teams would still be interested in taking a flyer on the intriguing physical specimen. In addition to his impressive 6’7″, 235-pound, NBA-ready frame, the Pistons forward also has a palatable contract that would serve a contending team well.
Involved in a deal or not, however, this season marks Johnson’s best chance to succeed as he’ll break camp as the most natural small forward on the Pistons’ roster.
Ellis suggests that Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard wouldn’t be quite as valuable considering their lack of NBA success and that the biggest limitation on Andre Drummond‘s trade value would be his hefty contract.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The man calling the shots in Chicago’s front office is John Paxson. The Bulls executive is as powerful as ever, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. The new perspective – especially new after the arrival of Doug Collins this week – could serve them well as they officially embark on a rebuild.
- As Jeff Green settles into life with the Cavaliers, he does so with a unique connection to the city of Cleveland. The forward, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes, underwent major heart surgery at the world-famous Cleveland Clinic back in 2012.
- Expect second-year Pistons forward Henry Ellenson to vie for a larger role in 2017/18. As Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes, the sophomore forward has been focusing specifically on improving his defense and three-ball, two qualities that head coach Stan Van Gundy is known to put great stock in.
Noah Vonleh To Miss Start Of Season
Those of us eager to see Noah Vonleh build upon a solid close to the 2016/17 campaign will have to wait for the 22-year-old to recover from a shoulder injury first. As Jason Quick of CSN Northwest writes, the big man is likely to miss the first two weeks of the regular season.
Vonleh injured his shoulder playing pickup games at the team’s practice facility this week but Quick notes that it’s not so serious as to require surgery.
In 74 total games with the Blazers last year, Vonleh posted a modest line of 3.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game but it was stretch in April during which the famously raw prospect showcased some of his intriguing potential. Vonleh posted three double-doubles in the last two weeks of the season last year, including one 12-point, 19-rebound night in Portland’s regular season finale.
Vonleh’s first few seasons in the NBA haven’t been without their share of physical setbacks, although nothing he’s suffered has been particularly serious. The former Hoosier suffered a sports hernia prior to setting foot on the court back in 2014/15 and went under the knife again for a minor procedure last offseason.
Neither of those injuries – one being the hernia and the other a bone fragment in his thigh – had anything to do with the big man’s shoulder.
Bucks Waive JeQuan Lewis
The Bucks have waived JeQuan Lewis, the team announced in a press release on its website. The guard initially signed on with the club in early July but couldn’t break through what’s turned out to be a crowded backcourt.
The release of Lewis marks Milwaukee’s third cut in the past two weeks. Yesterday they requested waivers on Bronson Koenig and prior to that they waived Jalen Moore.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes, the Bucks had signed Lewis to an Exhibit 10. Had he remained with the franchise’s G League affiliate for 60 days, he would have earned $50K.
Lewis went undrafted out of VCU this summer.
Pacific Notes: Bogdanovic, Reed, Bell
The Kings made 2014 draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic the highest paid rookie in NBA history this summer and now will look to incorporate him into their core, James Ham of NBC Sports writes.
The 25-year-old shooting guard recently helped guide the Serbian national team to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2017 showcasing the perimeter skillset that he’ll be bringing with him to the Kings next month.
Bogdanovic will earn $9.5MM this season and $27MM over the course of his three-year deal. That’s twice the amount of money fifth overall pick De’Aaron Fox will make with the Kings this season.
While it’s possible Bogdanovic sees time at the three, his natural position will be at the two, where he’ll compete with Buddy Hield for opportunities to lead the Kings’ offense. Expect him to struggle slightly on the defensive end, Ham writes, but to make a case for himself as a prolific deep threat early on.
It’s possible that Bogdanovic either slides into the Kings’ starting lineup or serves as one of the club’s key reserves off the bench.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Recently acquired Lakers center Brook Lopez has always been a fan of the franchise, Joey Ramirez of the team’s official site writes. Lopez was born in North Hollywood and will suit up in California for the first time since his college career at Stanford.
- The arraignment hearing for Willie Reed has been scheduled for October 2 in Miami, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes. The Clippers center was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery last month.
- Look no further than Draymond Green for an archetype that Jordan Bell can aspire to match. Green has been mentoring the Warriors‘ second-round pick to fill a similar niche, Mark Medina of The Mercury News writes. “I could see myself playing similar to him and helping my team out if he gets into foul trouble or gets a technical,” Bell said. “I can come in. Hopefully with me watching him in practice, I can start to emulate what he does.“
NBA Modifies Closeout, Continuation Rules
The NBA has decided to re-evaluate how it handles two particular fouling situations, Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press writes, and two players will see their names live on in notoriety as a result.
In what can colloquially be referred to as the Zaza Pachulia rule, officials will be granted authority to look at replays and make a judgment call as to whether or not a defender recklessly positioned his foot in an unnatural way after defending a shot. If necessary, the official can assign a flagrant or technical foul accordingly.
Pachulia’s name is the first to come to mind considering the impact that one particular moment this past spring had on the Western Conference semifinal. That series saw Kawhi Leonard fall to a sprained ankle after landing on a conspicuously positioned Pachulia foot after a closeout.
The second fouling situation that will be viewed differently in 2017/18 pertains to continuation. Officials, Mahoney writes, will now ensure that shooters are in their upward shooting motion when determining if a foul out on the perimeter is worthy of free throws.
Cited in the report as a common perpetrator of milking continuation calls is Rockets guard James Harden. By limiting the number of perimeter foul calls that lead to free throws, the league will disincentivize players from forcing unnatural shots after absorbing content.