Spurs Hire Darius Songaila
According to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News, retired NBA big man Darius Songaila has indicated via social media that he has been hired by the Spurs in a player development role.
The Lithuanian-born Songaila played eight seasons in the NBA from 2003 to 2011 after a stellar career at Wake Forest. He was drafted by the Celtics in 2002 but played a season with CSKA Moscow before coming over to the NBA.
He continued playing professionally overseas from 2011 to 2015 before retiring and becoming an assistant coach for Zalgiris Kaunas in his native country, where he remained before being hired by the Spurs.
Ben McLemore Clarifies National Anthem Comments
A report from TMZ over the weekend made it seem as though Kings guard Ben McLemore was unsupportive of NFL players kneeling for the national anthem. However, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area, McLemore says his words were taken out of context.
McLemore was asked how he felt about ESPN not airing the national anthem on Monday Night Football this year. He responded that it’s important to represent the United States and that the NFL players’ message may be getting lost.
This morning, McLemore released a statement clarifying that although he believes in standing for the anthem, he does not believe that players who take a knee are disrespecting the United States.
McLemore, 25, was acquiring by the Kings this summer in a trade that saw Garrett Temple sent to the Grizzlies. Looking to turn his career around after being drafted No. 7 overall in 2013, it’s unlikely that he was too excited about such negative media attention this offseason.
Andre Roberson May Not Return Until December?
Despite previously reporting that Thunder guard Andre Roberson said he was on track to be back for the start of the 2018/19 season, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman is now being told that Roberson is still a “couple months away” from his return and that he’s targeting the end of 2018 for a return to normalcy.
Roberson, 26, says he’ll return “when (he) feel(s) ready” after rupturing his left patellar tendon in January of this year. “I’m not really putting a particular timeline on it, but I want to come back to myself somewhere in, like, December,” Roberson said. “It would be great if it happened before Christmas. That’d be great, but like I said, not putting a timeline on it, just taking it a day at a time.”
“Knowing the history of this injury, not many people come back from it the same way,” Roberson added, but also noted that “in today’s day and era, in terms of technology, medicine and stuff like that, it’s totally different,” crediting the Thunder’s medical staff with helping him work his way back.
Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said the team is fine with Roberson taking his time to get right and that he wouldn’t rush to get Roberson back on the court, especially considering the severity of the type of injury suffered by Roberson.
That being said, the Thunder are still sure to be eager to get Roberson back on the court. As Dawson notes, the Thunder ranked fifth in the NBA in defensive rating last season before Roberson got hurt. Afterward, Oklahoma City saw its rating drop ten spots to fifteenth.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/18/18 – 8/25/18
Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. With the NBA offseason in full swing, here are our numerous segments and features from the past seven days:
- In five Community Shootaround posts this week, we asked:
- Should the Trail Blazers hold onto their prolific backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum or deal one of them for frontcourt help?
- Will Kemba Walker re-sign with the Hornets as a free agent next summer, and if not, where will he end up?
- Do the Nuggets have the pieces in place to make a run at the playoffs during the upcoming season?
- How do you feel about super-teams?
- How do you feel about the three proposed NBA rule changes for the 2018/19 season?
- In his latest Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding the possibility of Jimmy Butler to the Celtics, the Lakers plan if the upcoming season doesn’t go as planned, and what happens to a player’s rookie status if he’s a two-way rookie who never actually plays in an NBA game.
- We took a look at the NBA teams with the most and fewest guaranteed-salary contracts.
- In three Polls this week, we asked:
- Who will be the best player in the Eastern Conference this season?
- Which team will finish the 2018/19 season with the NBA’s worst record?
- Which contract extension taking effect this season do you think is the most team-friendly and which do you think is the least team-friendly?
- Luke Adams went through a recent history of rookie scale extension signings.
- We listed out the traded second round picks in next summer’s 2019 NBA Draft.
- Luke Adams broke down some important pre-season dates for the 2018/19 season.
- We examined the remaining offseason questions for each team in the Southwest Division, the Pacific Division, and the Northwest Division.
- Luke Adams took a look at the NBA teams who still have open two-way contract roster spots.
- We went through the former NBA players who signed overseas for the 2018/19 season.
- Luke Adams analyzed how each player fared who decided to decline an option for the 2018/19 season.
- We listed the amount of dead money each NBA franchise is carrying for the 2018/19 season.
- Luke Adams dove into an example of the effect of the upcoming deadline to stretch a player’s 2018/19 salary.
- We went through the 2018/19 non-guaranteed contracts by team.
- Luke Adams listed, in order, the longest-tenured NBA GMs/Presidents.
- We dove into a list of the NBA players with trade kickers on their contracts for the 2018/19 season.
Southeast Notes: Robinson, Hornets, Wade, Carter
Despite being invited to participate with USA Basketball in its World Cup qualifying round games, Heat swingman Duncan Robinson has opted to remain in Miami for informal team workouts in the hopes of landing a standard NBA contract for the upcoming season, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
“I’m really proud in the fact that Duncan Robinson has been invited to play in the international series,” said Heat team president Pat Riley, “but he decided to stay here because he wanted to make our team, he wants to force us into giving him a real (standard NBA) contract.”
Robinson, 24, signed a two-way contract with the Heat on July 10th that would limit him to 45 days in the NBA this coming season and maximum earnings of about $385K, per Winderman. A standard NBA contract at the rookie minimum would pay Robinson just north of $838K.
Robinson says that his goal in passing over the opportunity to play for Team USA is to maximize his opportunities in the Heat developmental program. “I mean the margin between having this job or being overseas or being in the G League, whatever it might be, is so thin,” Robinson said. “And I understand that. I understand I caught some breaks and was able to put myself in a situation to be successful. I’m certainly thankful for that.”
There’s more today out of the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets have struggled to attract big name free agents since the franchise returned to North Carolina in 2004, but Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer doesn’t think it has as much to do with the city of Charlotte itself as it has to do with the team’s lack of cap space. Per Bonnell, money is the No. 1 factor in free agency and, unfortunately, the Hornets don’t have significant space under the salary cap now or in the immediate future.
- In another piece for the Sun-Sentinel, Winderman opines that Riley is fully committed to signing Wade to a free agent contract this summer, luxury tax concerns be darned. Riley’s greater concern would be Wade’s level of commitment. Per Winderman, Riley would likely want a commitment from Wade that this season isn’t simply a retirement tour, but that Wade is seriously interested in making the Heat a better team.
- While Vince Carter could have spurned the Hawks and signed with a serious title contender this offseason, he tells Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that such a quest is “not his style.” Rather, Carter will be relied upon to be a veteran influence over the youthful roster Atlanta has assembled. “Let them see me and let them see how annoying I can be, but in a good way,” Carter said during an introductory press conference. “I’m going to stay in their ear. At least you know at any time throughout the year, whether it’s practice games, any situation, they will have me to fall back on. Or I’ll come up to them and help them out any way I can.”
Five Key Stories: 8/18/18 – 8/25/18
If you missed any of this week’s biggest stories, don’t worry because we’ve got it covered with our Week in Review. Listed below are some the more noteworthy news items from the last seven days.
The NBA’s Board of Governors will vote next month on three potential rule changes recommended by the league’s Competition Committee. Most intriguingly, there is a proposal to reset the shot clock reset to 14 seconds instead of 24 seconds after an offensive rebound. The NBA has experimented with this during the G League and Summer League, and it appears to be leaning toward implementing it for the coming season. The other two potential rule changes are a simplification of the clear-path foul rule, which would eliminate the need that a play start in the backcourt, and an expanded definition of what constitutes a “hostile act” for the purposes of triggering an instant-replay review.
A source close to Timberwolves swingman Jimmy Butler has reportedly made it known that Butler is open to the idea of signing with the Lakers next summer. Butler, 28, can opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Butler turned down a contract extension offer from Minnesota earlier this summer, but as we discussed, it would have been a poor financial decision for Butler to agree to an extension, as he’ll be able to earn much more on the open free agent market.
While his first choice is still Los Angeles, and likely the Lakers, Kawhi Leonard is keeping an open mind about a future with the Raptors. Leonard, who technically still has two seasons left on his contract, can opt out next summer and become an unrestricted free agent just like Butler. When the Raptors agreed to trade for Leonard last month, team president Masai Ujiri said he was determined to convince Leonard to remain in Toronto long term. This story is at least a step in that direction.
Spurs veteran guard Manu Ginobili is seriously considering retirement, and will meet with head coach Greg Popovich soon to discuss his future with the team. Ginobili still has one year left on his contract with San Antonio, but has yet to commit to returning. The Spurs remain hopeful that the 41-year-old will decide to keep playing, and is giving him all the time he needs to make a decision. Despite his relatively advanced age, Ginobili has a good season in 2017/18, averaging 8.9 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.2 RPG in 65 regular season contests.
According to his father, who once played in the NBA himself, expect Klay Thompson to stay with the Warriors long term. Speaking with The San Francisco Chronicle, Mychal Thompson says that his son will retire in a Warrior uniform, and that money is no object for Golden State owners Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber, especially with a new arena coming soon. Accordingly, Thompson should theoretically still be able to make plenty of money on his next contract.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:
- Former Suns guard Josh Gray has agreed to a deal with the LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League.
- The Rockets have invited 2014 second round pick Alessandro Gentile to training camp.
- Free agent point guard Brandon Jennings, who was recently waived by the Bucks, has signed with Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia.
- The Heat have signed big man Jarnell Stokes to a contract – presumably a training camp deal.
- The Raptors have signed point guard Kay Felder to a one-year, partially guaranteed contract.
- The Heat will meet with free agent guard Dwyane Wade in the near future in hopes of signing him for at least another season.
- According to Paul George, the Lakers were not happy that George refused to take a free agent meeting with the team this summer.
- Clippers guard Patrick Beverley is optimistic about the team’s outlook this season as he returns from injury.
- The Hawks have officially signed veteran guard Vince Carter to a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
- Free agent guards Ty Lawson and Tyrone Wallace both worked out for the Pelicans earlier this week.
Hawks Sign Alex Poythress To Two-Way Contract
AUGUST 20: Nearly a month after agreeing to terms with him, the Hawks have officially signed Poythress, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 24: The Hawks have agreed to sign free agent forward Alex Poythress to a two-way contract, per Chris Haynes of ESPN.
Poythress, 24, played his college ball at Kentucky before going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft. After initially playing for the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, to begin his rookie season, Poythress was signed by the Sixers near the end of the 2016/17 season, where he played in six games for Philadelphia.
Poythress returned to Indiana for the 2017/18 season, signing a two-way contract with the Pacers in August 2017. He appeared in 25 games, averaging 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds in 4.2 minutes per game. He was waived by Indiana earlier this summer.
The Hawks already have Jaylen Adams under contract as one of their two-way players, so absent another move, he and Poythress will occupy Atlanta’s two-way contract slots for the upcoming season.
Pelicans Still In Need Of A Wing Player?
A bigger issue with the Pelicans this upcoming season may be the absence of a reliable player on the wing rather than the loss of Rajon Rondo or DeMarcus Cousins, as newcomers Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton are capable of replicating their production, at least in part, writes Scott Kushner of The Advocate.
Kushner opines that nobody on the Pelicans’ roster is capable of being a solid “3-and-D” player, as Solomon Hill has struggled to recover from a torn hamstring and E’Twaun Moore, limited by his 6’4” frame, has been asked to play against players much taller than him and seemingly taken out of his comfort zone as a result.
“If it was up to me — it doesn’t really matter as long as I stay on the floor and help my team win — but I would like to say that maybe I hopefully could be playing a little bit more guard (this season),” Moore said. “Last year, I was more of a wing, but it worked out well for the team because we played so fast. But it would be kind of cool to be going back to being a guard again.”
So, the Pelicans will now hold a three-man competition between Troy Williams, Garlon Green, and Kenrich Williams in order to find someone who may be able to crack the team’s wing rotation this season.
Poll: Most Likely 2019 Free Agent Prediction
As we relayed earlier this evening, an ESPN panel was asked where they think some of the top-projected free agents of 2019 might end up next summer.
The panel believes that both Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler will end up with the Knicks, while Kawhi Leonard will sign with the Lakers and both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson will remain with the Warriors in the bay area.
It would still take some doing for the Knicks to open up the cap space for a second max-salary player, but Irving and Butler have reportedly talked about teaming up, potentially in The Big Apple. Moreover, Irving is from the NYC area.
As for Leonard, he and the Lakers have been linked for a while now, with the 27-year-old star already reportedly stating his preference for Los Angeles. Additionally, the Lakers will easily have the cap room to sign Leonard after mostly signing players to one-year deals this summer.
Finally, both Durant and Thompson could be casualties of the Warriors’ luxury tax concerns, especially if the team doesn’t win it all this season and ownership sees the championship window closing, however unlikely that may be.
So, our question tonight is, which of ESPN’s five predictions is most likely to come to fruition? Irving to the Knicks, Butler to the Knicks, Leonard to the Lakers, Durant staying with the Warriors, or Thompson staying with the Warriors?
Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to make your case for your pick.
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
And-Ones: 2019 FAs, MVP Odds, Oldest Vets
An ESPN panel was asked where they think some of the top-projected free agents of 2019 might end up next summer. The results were interesting, with the panel making a prediction for five players: Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson.
As we explored earlier this summer, both Irving and Butler have reportedly expressed interested in playing together, and the panel obviously took that into consideration, predicting both players to suit up for the Knicks next season. However, the Celtics were a close second for Irving.
Interestingly, the Lakers were the second-highest voted selection for both Butler and Thompson, and the first-place selection for Leonard by a wide-margin. Meanwhile, both Thompson and Durant are projected to return to the Warriors.
We have more from around the league:
- Bovada has come out with their latest odds for next season’s MVP award, with LeBron James the favorite to win the award at 10/3. Anthony Davis is at 4/1, with Giannis Antetokounmpo at 4.5/1 and last season’s winner James Harden at 5.5/1.
- Only three players who began their career before the turn of the century remain playing today. Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki, who debuted in February, 1999 during the lockout-shortened season of 1998/99; and Jason Terry, who debuted later that calendar year during the 1999/00 season.
- Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders has created a list of players who he feels are prime candidates for a bounce-back season during 2018/19. The list includes Leonard, Markelle Fultz, Jabari Parker, Isaiah Thomas, Carmelo Anthony, and Danilo Gallinari.