Bulls’ Cameron Payne Out For 3-4 Months
SEPTEMBER 8: The Bulls have provided another update on Payne, announcing today in a press release that he underwent successful surgery on his right foot on Wednesday. The point guard is expected to make a full recovery in three to four months, according to the team. That would put Payne on track to return in December or January.
AUGUST 31: The Bulls have issued a formal update on Payne, confirming that he’ll undergo surgery on his broken foot next Wednesday.
According to the team, a six-week period of rest in a boot was prescribed for Payne after he suffered the injury in mid-July, but the fracture hasn’t healed satisfactorily since then, resulting in a surgery recommendation.
AUGUST 30: Cameron Payne will undergo surgery on his right foot and his recovery is expected to keep him out of action until late November, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Payne dealt with injuries to the foot earlier in his career and he re-aggravated the injury this offseason playing for the Bulls’ Summer League team. It was his first offseason with Chicago, as the organization traded for him at the 2017 trade deadline.
The Thunder selected Payne with the No. 14 overall pick out of Murray State in the 2015 draft. In his two seasons as a pro, the point guard averaged 5.0 points and 1.5 assists in 13.2 minutes per game.
Hawks Sign Quinn Cook
SEPTEMBER 6: The Hawks have officially signed Cook, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 20: The Hawks have come to terms with Quinn Cook on a two-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The contract will only be partially guaranteed.
Back in 2010, Cook was one of the top high schoolers in the nation and he decided to go to Duke to play under Mike Krzyzewski. He spent four years at the program before entering the 2015 draft, though he was not selected.
Cook played in the G-League during the 2015/16 season where he earned Rookie of the Year honors. He showcased great range, knocking down 86 three-pointers during the campaign.
The following year, he made his NBA debut on a 10-day contract with the Maverick. During that deal, owner Mark Cuban told Hoops Rumors that the team was impressed with the guard’s play. However, Dallas decided not to bring him back and he joined the Pelicans a couple weeks later, remaining with the franchise for the rest of the year.
Celtics, Cavs Complete Kyrie Irving Trade
The Celtics and Cavaliers have reached an agreement that will end the week-long hold-up of the Kyrie Irving deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). In addition to the previously agreed upon bounty—Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick—Boston will also send a 2020 second-round pick to Cleveland.
The additional pick on the move is Miami’s 2020 selection. Boston received the pick back in 2015 when the Heat attached it to Zoran Dragic in order to move his salary.
The two sides had an agreement in place eight days ago, but Cleveland had concerns over Isaiah Thomas‘ hip after examining the point guard during the routine post-trade physical. After the discovery, the Cavs re-engaged with Boston in the hopes of receiving either a young prospect or a future first-rounder on top of the players in the original offer, suggesting that the Celtics understated the scope of Thomas’ injury. However, Boston was firm on not giving up anything more than the second-rounder in the deal.
It was reported earlier today that there’s at least a slight chance that Thomas misses the entire 2017/18 season if his recovery doesn’t progress as smoothly as hoped. How IT heals and returns from his hip injury will be a major developing story as the season progresses for a bevy of reasons. The point guard can become a free agent at the end of the campaign. So can LeBron James. Both the team and James would certainly like to evaluate how Thomas fits alongside the four-time MVP before any future decisions are made.
For the Celtics, another excellent offseason seemingly concludes. A year after signing Al Horford to a four-year deal, the team made several additions that should help in both the short- and long-term. Boston landed the No. 1 pick in the lottery and dealt it to the Sixers for the pick that became Jayson Tatum – one of the most pro-ready prospects from the 2017 draft – and an additional future first-rounder. The franchise also agreed to terms with Gordon Hayward before trading for Marcus Morris.
Adding Irving to the mix only solidifies the Celtics as a true contender in the Eastern Conference. The C’s bested Cleveland and the rest of their conference rivals with 53 wins last season, though they were dispatched handily by the Cavs in the Eastern Finals as they watched an LBJ-led team dance into the NBA Finals for a seventh straight season.
The last team to win the East without LeBron? The 2009/10 Celtics. That squad, which was led by Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, beat James’ Cavaliers in the King’s last game before moving to Miami before reaching the NBA Finals. Boston will again look to get by James in 2017/18 in the hopes of landing the Eastern Conference crown and this time, the Larry O’Brien Trophy as well.
The Cavs and Celtics play each other in the league’s first game of the 2017/18 season. There’s plenty of time to get your popcorn ready for the October 17 showdown and the upcoming season.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Images
David Griffin Believes Cavs, Celtics Will Complete Kyrie Irving Deal
Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin believes the Kyrie Irving trade will take place as originally constructed, as Sam Amico of Amico Hoops relays.
“There’s not a lot of upside to this deal coming undone, for either side,” Griffin said on NBA TV. “Because of that, I think it will end up going through as is. Hopefully, they’ll be able to get Isaiah to a point where he’s ready sooner than people think.”
Boston originally agreed to send Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s 2018 pick to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving. Griffin said that if he were still the team’s GM, he would have made that trade.
“I think I would have,” he told NBA TV. “I really think Koby Altman made a tremendous trade here, given the circumstances. When you’re trying to win a championship, there is no in between. You’re all the way with me, or you’re all the way against me. And I think this is a situation where Kyrie made it clear he had a goal that might not have jived with Cleveland’s.
“They made a deal that, even in the absence of Isaiah Thomas, is a tremendous collection of assets. At the same time, Boston made a trade to get a piece that really could be a key for them — a 25-year old player in his prime, an NBA champion, an Olympic champion. He is really just starting to scratch the surface of who he can be.”
That was Boston’s offer for Irving before all the players involved took their physicals with their new teams and Cleveland expressed concern over Isaiah Thomas’ hip. Griffin added that he suspects Thomas’ injury wasn’t a surprise to the Cavs.
“When you go through these deals, you share all the information you have, you share all the images you have. If the most recent images of Isaiah were as far back as the playoffs, a new set of images now will create the ability to compare and contrast, and see how things have improved.
“So I don’t think it’s a situation where anybody was caught off guard. It was just a case of getting perhaps more information. Obviously, Isaiah is in this league because he has heart and soul that is almost unparalleled, and I believe him when he says he’s gonna be back to 100 percent.”
The two teams have until Thursday morning to finalize an agreement. However, if both sides decided to, they could extend the deadline.
Elton Brand Talks New Role, Embiid, Sixers
Elton Brand, who recently accepted the position of GM of the Delaware 87ers, spent most of last season as a player development consultant for the Sixers. He was able to work closely with upper management during the pre-draft combine process and through that experience, he realized where he wanted to be during his post-playing career.
“Being in those high-level meetings with Josh Harris, David Blitzer and Bryan Colangelo really piqued my interest,” Brand said (via Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet). “I like this, I could really work basketball instead of playing it.”
Brand sought out the advice of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Sixers special advisor Jerry Colangelo among others to prepare for the role. He knows it will be a different kind of challenge than the ones he faced during his playing career.
“It’s a totally different mindset and a totally different type of energy,” he said. “I’m discussing players and trades and the business side of it. I was exhausted yesterday. Basketball is one thing, but it was a different kind of tired. I’m looking forward to growing in that aspect.”
Brand started the 2016/17 campaign as a player in Philadelphia before easing into his former front office role. He’s familiar with the organization and he plans on implementing the same offense and defensive schemes as coach Brett Brown. Such familiarity will be even more crucial as players on the newly designed two-way deals shuffle between the NBA and the G-League.
The Duke product added that he will miss being around his former Sixers teammates. Brand spent time with Joel Embiid, who is a candidate for an extension, this summer and he told reporters at his press conference that the Cameroon native has been “working his butt off.”
The Sixers are expected by many to take a leap forward and some optimistic fans believe the team could make the postseason for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign. Brand cautions that the team is still young and inexperienced, but believes the hype surrounding the team is warranted.
“It’s going to be a process that we will trust.” Brand said. “But it’s going to get there. We’re going to get there for sure.”
Hornets Notes: Luxury Tax, Monk, Howard
While the Hornets have an open roster spot, it’s unlikely they’ll use it to add a significant player due to the team’s salary cap situation, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains. The franchise has slightly over $117.4MM in salary on the books against a luxury tax threshold of approximately $119.3MM and for a team that doesn’t expect to contend for a championship, remaining below the threshold is the wisest move.
Charlotte has the ability to offer a free agent a salary above the minimum, as it still wields its bi-annual exception, which is worth $3.29MM. However, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors previously speculated, it’s unlikely that the Hornets use this vehicle given their proximity to the luxury tax apron.
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- Defense could be a major issue for Malik Monk, Bonnell contends in the same piece. Monk, whom the Hornets selected with the No. 11 overall pick, is expected to see an immediate role in Charlotte’s rotation this season.
- The five spot is the Hornets‘ greatest position of strength, Bonnell writes in the same piece. Charlotte added Dwight Howard this offseason to bolster a unit that includes Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky.
- If Howard can come close to matching his production in previous seasons, the Hornets should be able to reach the postseason again after missing the NBA’s second season last year, Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer argues. The team only had to give up Miles Plumlee and Marco Belinelli this summer to acquire Howard and Sorensen adds that the former No. 1 overall pick should feel insulted by the deal, as the perception is that the Hornets didn’t give up much value to bring him in.
Kevin Durant Discusses Rival Teams’ Offseason Moves
The NBA had one of its most unpredictable offseasons in recent memory and Kevin Durant, who joined the Warriors last offseason before re-signing with them this summer, believes Golden State’s moves have caused other teams to be more active. Durant was particularly impressed with the Rockets’ acquisition of Chris Paul, as he tells The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.
“I think it was a great move,” Durant said. “You put two guys together that — crafty with the ball like that — they’re going to get everybody shots, and they’re going to get each other shots, so it was a ballsy move to pull off by [Daryl] Morey. And I don’t think nobody would have thought to do that, because especially when you’ve got James, who basically plays your point guard, you really have to have some type of clarity when you’re making a decision like that. Because it’s just like, you played well last year, but this — he cannot sustain this. You gotta know that. You can’t; just look at the numbers. So you can tell that he’s actually seeing some stuff within this team. He’s paying attention.”
The move gives James Harden, who played alongside Durant for three seasons, an opportunity to play alongside a future Hall of Famer and it gives the team an opportunity to compete with the Warriors this season. Harden isn’t the only former teammate of Durant’s who received help this summer, as Oklahoma City added Paul George from the Pacers. According to Durant, Indiana made a foolish trade.
“[The trade] was shocking because Indiana just gave him away,” Durant said before adding that he envisions George playing significant minutes at the four spot this season. The 2013/14 continued to discuss OKC, telling Simmons that his former team needs one more addition. “They need another wing,” Durant opined.
Durant went on to talk about another one of his former teammates—Dion Waiters. The 2013/14 MVP believes Waiters, who re-signed with Miami on a four-year, $52MM deal this summer, could have received an even larger deal had the shooting guard been more dedicated earlier in his career. Waiters previously discussed how he didn’t get in “world-class shape” until he inked a deal with the Heat last offseason.
Enes Kanter Expected To Opt In Next Season
Enes Kanter holds a player option worth slightly over $18.62MM for the 2018/19 campaign and the center is expected to exercise it, according to Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript (Twitter link). A source close to the situation told Katz that it would be shocking if Kanter opts to become a free agent after this season.
Kanter signed a four-year, $70MM offer sheet with the Blazers back in the summer of 2015 when he was a restricted free agent. The Thunder then matched the offer despite the presence of a blossoming Steven Adams on the roster. Heading into this offseason, some speculated that Kanter could be on the move, as Oklahoma City had a surplus of big men. No trade materialized and the Turkey native is slated to begin the season as the team’s backup five.
Kanter played in 72 games for OKC last season, coming off the bench in each one. He scored 14.3 points and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per game and sported an excellent 23.7 player efficiency rating during the regular season. However, he struggled mightily on the defensive end during the playoffs, prompting coach Billy Donovan to play him in only 45 minutes of action during the team’s five postseason games.
Cavs, Celtics Swap Kyrie Irving For Package Including Isaiah Thomas
9:39pm: The trade is official, the Cavs confirmed in a press release. The Celtics also issued an announcement confirming the deal.
6:23pm: The Celtics and Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a deal that will send Irving to Boston in exchange for a package headlined by Thomas, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Brian Windhorst of ESPN first reported (via Twitter) that the two teams were on the verge of a deal.
According to both Charania and Windhorst, the Cavs will receive Crowder, Zizic, and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick (unprotected) in addition to Thomas. Charania also tweets that Irving will waive his trade kicker so that the deal can be completed. Here is Charania’s full story.
5:47pm: Boston center Ante Zizic is also expected to be part of a potential deal with Cleveland for Irving, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (Twitter link) that receiving Thomas, Crowder, and Zizic for Irving would save the Cavs $19MM in taxes. The team’s projected tax bill would lower from $78.4MM to $59.2MM.
5:30pm: The Cavaliers and Celtics are actively discussing trades centered around Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that the two sides are discussing the inclusion of Jae Crowder as well as the addition of future draft picks heading from Boston to Cleveland.
Irving requested a trade from Cleveland last month and included a short list of destination which he would prefer to be dealt to should the team honor his request. Boston was not on that list, but all of the teams—Spurs, Heat, Wolves, and Knicks—with the exception of New York have strong coaching structures in place. The Celtics also have that element with Brad Stevens running the show, so it’s possible Irving would be open to a trade to the New England area.
Of course, Irving does not wield a no-trade clause, meaning the Cavs could ostensibly deal him anywhere they prefer. However, it was previously reported that the team was working with Irving to find a solution that worked for both sides.
Thomas is entering the last season of his contract, one that will pay him just over $6.26MM for the 2017/18 campaign. He should see a massive raise with his next contract, possibly approaching the max, which is something that could negatively impact his trade value.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pistons Notes: Roster Turnover, New Arena, Leuer
The Pistons had the chance to bring back the core of their 2016/17 squad this offseason, but elected to swap continuity for the possibility of a better situation, Keith Langlois of NBA.com explains.
Detroit has undergone serious roster turnover since executive/coach Stan Van Gundy arrived in town with only one player — Andre Drummond — remaining on the roster from the team which Van Gundy inherited. This summer, the franchise had the opportunity to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and allow the core time to gel. However, by letting KCP walk, trading for Avery Bradley and carving out a bigger role for Stanley Johnson, the team will for the third straight season try to incorporate new pieces.
Langlois believes the team’s offseason moves will allow the Pistons to become more diverse on the offensive end as well as remain flexible in the accounting department. Had the organization inked KCP to a long-term deal, it would have been meant approaching or surpassing the luxury tax and it would have created difficulties if the team needed any substantial changes. As it stands, Detroit has a season to evaluate how Johnson progresses and Bradley fits before making a decision on capping out the roster.
Here’s more from Detroit:
- The Pistons are set to move downtown to a new arena next season, though they may face one last hurdle in their efforts to do so. Christine Ferretti of The Detroit News reports. A small group filed a lawsuit against the City of Detroit over the $34.5MM in public funding which will go to the new arena.
- Jon Leuer made several changes this offseason as he prepares for his second season with the Pistons, relays Langlois in a separate story. He focused more than ever on three-point shooting and has decided to continue to vigorously lift weights through the season to counter last year’s decline in productivity after the All-Star break. “I lift really hard in the off-season and preseason and that keeps my weight up and keeps me stronger. Jordan was saying there’s even a testosterone boost when you lift more, so I think that’s something toward the end of the season I’ll be conscious of to hopefully maintain a high level of play,” said Leuer. Van Gundy says that he views Leuer as a starter, but that he will have plenty of choices at power forward.
- For everything Pistons, check out the team page.