Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Embiid, Tatum
If you ask Carmelo Anthony, there hasn’t been a breakdown of communication between him and the Knicks. In fact, the forward says, the team’s front office knows exactly what he’s looking for and how he feels. Marc Berman of the New York Post breaks down the latest in the ongoing saga.
Put simply, Anthony would like to be traded to the Rockets and has a powerful no-trade clause that he can wave around until he gets there. The Knicks, however, don’t see a deal worth pulling the trigger on.
Despite the standstill, Anthony remains hopeful. “I’m very optimistic. I’ve had great conversations with new [Knicks] GM Scott Perry,” he says. “He understands my mindset, where I’m at. My career right now, what I’m looking for.”
Whether or not that will translate into a trade to Houston, however, remains to be seen.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- According to Jayson Tatum himself, the Celtics intended to draft him all along, even prior to trading down from No. 1 to No. 3 ahead of the June 22 draft. Tatum explained as much on a recent podcast. The Sixers, he says, were under the assumption that Boston was looking at Markelle Fultz with the top pick.
- While he hasn’t been cleared to play 5-on-5, Sixers big man Joel Embiid is doing non-contact drills and expects to be ready for training camp, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.
- Offseason signee Daniel Theis could bring energy on the glass and defensive versatility to the Celtics, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes in a profile piece on the German forward.
- After a solid first campaign, Ron Baker is back with the Knicks on a far more lucrative contract. Barbara Barker of Newsday writes that head coach Jeff Hornacek continues to see parallels between himself and his undrafted role player. “I may not have been the fastest guy or the strongest guy or the highest jumper. But I did things that the coach wanted to see. I got the ball to the star guys. Ron came in doing the same thing and that’s what made him earn minutes with us,” the coach said.
Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Olajuwon, Spurs
The give-and-take relationship that Dirk Nowitzki and Mavs owner Mark Cuban have has never been on clearer display than when the 39-year-old took a $20MM pay cut between this year and last, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes.
“Mark and I obviously have a close, close relationship,” Nowitzki said. Last year, he really, really took care of me as we all know […] and it was my time to show again that I love being [with the Mavs]. I gave him a little bit of a deal, maybe.”
The big man is optimistic about the Mavs’ young core built around Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr. and, hopefully, Nerlens Noel, suggesting that he’s hopeful to leave the franchise in as good a position as possible when he retires after this season or next.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs have named Blake Ahearn the new head coach of their G League affiliate, the team announced in a press release on its website. Ahearn, who played briefly in the NBA, will be at the helm of the Austin Spurs in 2017/18.
- Count Hakeem Olajuwon among those interested in buying a portion of the Rockets. The franchise Hall of Famer has been approached by several groups that want him involved in a potential purchase, Mark Woods reports for ESPN.
- The Mavs have a young core in place that they’re happy with and aren’t afraid to let it develop organically. “I think that young core is what we want to continue to build on, grow with and hopefully surprise a lot of people,” owner Mark Cuban told Earl Sneed of Dallas’ official website. “I think Dennis [Smith Jr.] is going to be able to come in, play and hopefully have an impact his first year, and we don’t want to take anything away from that.“
Spurs Re-Sign Patty Mills To Four-Year Deal
AUGUST 4: More than a month after agreeing to terms with Mills, the Spurs have made his new deal official, announcing the signing in a press release.
JUNE 30: The Spurs and point guard Patty Mills have come to terms on a four-year, $50MM deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
With the status of Tony Parker in flux following his postseason-ending injury earlier this year, Mills could play a vital role in the future of the Spurs organization, if not as a starter than at least as a key reserve.
In 80 games for the Spurs last year, the backup guard averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. Those numbers could easily increase if the veteran plays more than the 21.9 minutes per game he saw in 2016/17.
Last month we wrote that Parker has eyed a possible return date next January, but even if that holds true, Mills will have an opportunity to start for the first half of the 2017/18.
That said, with players like George Hill and Kyle Lowry on the market, Gregg Popovich and company could look to bring another starter on board, bumping Mills back to his reserve role.
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Bucks Sign Tony Snell To Four-Year Deal
JULY 31: More than a month after the Bucks and Snell agreed to terms on a new deal, the team has made it official, issuing a press release to formally announce the signing.
“Tony was an integral part of our team’s improvement last season and we’re excited to re-sign him,” new GM Jon Horst said in a statement. “He is a tireless worker, a terrific teammate and a man of great character. We look forward to having him back with the Bucks as we continue to build toward a championship.”
JUNE 30: The Bucks have agreed on a four-year deal with Tony Snell worth $46MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Snell will hold a player option after the third year.
The agreement comes on the heels of a season in which Snell emerged as rotation player on a postseason contender. In 80 games for the Bucks, the swingman posted 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest.
Wojnarowski had previously written about how the three-and-D player figured to draw considerable interest on the market and the disclosed agreement falls right in line with what he predicted earlier in the month.
Fun Fact: This was the first Woj Bomb of Wojnarowski’s stint with ESPN.
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Thunder Will Reportedly Sign Bryce Alford
The Thunder will reportedly sign guard Bryce Alford, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman writes. The UCLA product, Horne relays, stated as much in an Instagram post earlier today.
While there has been no formal verification, it’s not unlikely that the club added the point guard via a non-guaranteed to deal in order to get a good look at him at training camp. The addition of Alford brings Oklahoma City’s roster to 16 players.
The Thunder are in the market for a reliable backup point guard. After playing 2016/17 with Semaj Christon manning the position behind Russell Westbrook, Sam Presti has brought veteran Raymond Felton on board and now Alford, a volume three-point shooter that put up 7.5 triples per game in his senior season with the Bruins.
Pacific Notes: Gallinari, Williams, Ennis
Newly acquired Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari has broken his hand punching an opponent in an exhibition match with the Italian national team, a EuroHoops.net report (via NBA.com) reveals.
The 28-year-old recently picked up by the Clippers in a three-way sign-and-trade deal lashed out at Jito Kok of the Dutch national team and promptly left the game to visit the hospital, the report says.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, it was his thumb that Gallinari injured but the setback isn’t expected to keep him out of Clippers training camp. Surgery is not expected.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- While Alan Williams‘ $5.5MM contract with the Suns isn’t guaranteed for the 2018/19 season, $1MM will become guaranteed if he meets certain minimum weight/body fat requirements, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- Contrary to what was previously reported, the second year of Tyler Ennis‘ two-year deal with the Lakers will not feature a team option for 2018/19. Instead, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets, it will come with a non-guaranteed second season.
- The Clippers interviewed Knicks‘ player of personnel Mark Hughes for a position as assistant general manager, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
Southwest Notes: Smith Jr., Anthony, F. Jackson
Count Chauncey Billups among those who think that Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr. will be able to make a serious case for Rookie of the Year, Adam Grosbard of the Dallas Morning News writes.
“I think he’s the most polished out of all the point guards that were out there this year,” the former All-Star said of the Mavs’ ninth-overall pick. “I think he’s the most polished, pro-ready in my opinion and there’s some really good ones that came into the draft this year.”
Smith Jr. has been perceived as an early leader for the Rookie of the Year after an impressive summer league showing and will join the Mavs as an explosive playmaker cut from the same cloth, Billups believes, as Baron Davis.
“I’m happy that he’s going to get to play for Rick Carlisle, who’s a guy that I believe in,” Billups added. The current Mavs head coach, of course, coached Billups and his 2002/03 Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Although he isn’t a free agent, Carmelo Anthony holds his fate in his own hands. Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes about how it’s in his best interests, financially, to end up with the Rockets sooner than later.
- One of the things that sets Mavs icon Dirk Nowitzki apart is his willingness to work with young players, Harrison Barnes said in an interview on The Fan’s Ben and Skin. “The biggest thing for me when I came to Dallas was how open and willing he was to work with young guys. Work on the court every day, be willing to talk, have access to. Guys of his status, All-Stars or future Hall of Famers, can kind of be distant,” he said.
- The majority of Frank Jackson‘s contract with the Pelicans is guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Jackson’s first two seasons are guaranteed at the league minimum, as is $506K of his third season.
Rockets Waive Jarrod Uthoff
The Rockets have waived forward Jarrod Uthoff, Ben DuBose of Locked On Rockets tweets. The club had previously acquired Uthoff from the Mavs amid a flurry of deals on June 29 prior to trading for Chris Paul.
Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has since corroborated the report.
Uthoff saw action in just nine games for the Mavs last season, averaging 4.4 points per game in just 12.8 minutes. A $200K portion of the undrafted big man’s would-be $1.3MM deal was scheduled to become guaranteed had he remained on the roster through today.
[RELATED: View our Salary Guarantee List for the Summer of 2017]
After making his NBA debut with the Mavs on a 10-day deal in March, Uthoff signed a second 10-day pact and eventually a multi-year deal with the squad. The big man, however, spent considerable time in the G League with both Dallas’ Texas Legends affiliate and other clubs.
And-Ones: J. Thompson, Franklin, G League
Former Kings big man Jason Thompson has signed a contract with EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce S.K., Orazio Cauchi of Sportando writes. The 31-year-old played in China in 2016/17.
Per international basketball reporter David Pick, Thompson’s deal will be worth $1.8MM over one year with potential bonuses that could bring the total up to $2MM.
After an impressive seven-year stint in Sacramento, including a 2009/10 campaign in which he posted 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a 23-year-old, Thompson quickly fell out of the NBA.
His last professional season stateside in 2015/16 included brief stints with the Warriors and Raptors.
There’s more from around the NBA world:
- After exploring his NBA options, former Grizzlies point guard Jamaal Franklin has opted to sign a two-year, $4MM deal in China, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
- While it’s a given the Warriors did well to retain their championship core, the club also nailed their supplemental signings. Inking Nick Young and Omri Casspi, David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders writes, was one of the best coups of the offseason.
- As of this season, fringe NBA players offered more than $50K in partial guarantees can not play for that team’s G League affiliate, Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days writes. Reichert offers a detailed explanation of how the new contract wrinkle may affect the league in the recent feature article.
John Wall Signs Four-Year Extension With Wizards
JULY 26, 5:07pm: The signing is official, according to the NBA’s transactions log.
JULY 21, 9pm: The Wizards have agreed to sign guard John Wall to a four-year, $170MM extension, David Aldridge of TNT tweets. The deal will include a fourth-year player option and trade kicker that ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds will be worth 15%.
The extension will take effect in 2019, at which point the All-Star’s current deal will expire. Wall signed a five-year max extension back in the summer of 2013 just prior to the NBA’s salary cap skyrocketing on the heels of a new TV deal.
As Zach Lowe of ESPN adds, one point worth noting is that this was a good time for Wall to lock in the extension. If he didn’t make an All-NBA team in 2017/18 as he did in 2016/17, Wall would miss out on being eligible for the designated veteran extension supermax. The new contract mechanism rewards the league’s superstars, opening them up to a higher tier compensation.
In 2016/17, Wall raised his game to a new level, playing a major role in the Wizards clawing their way back to contention in the Eastern Conference. The 26-year-old posted 23.7 points and 10.7 assists per game in 78 games.
Wall’s major contract extension puts the Wizards in a precarious financial position, although the money that they’ve committed is primarily tied up in their own core. Per Bobby Marks of ESPN, Washington has $126MM, $126MM, $108MM and $98MM locked up over the next four respective seasons.
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