Cavs’ Emoni Bates Undergoes Knee Surgery
Cavaliers two-way wing Emoni Bates underwent arthroscopic surgery on Monday to treat a torn meniscus in his right knee, according to a team press release. Bates will be reevaluated in approximately one month, the release adds.
Bates posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed with a smile on his face, stating he had a “slight tear” and that he’d “be back stronger n better.” (Twitter link).
Bates was also on a two-way deal last season as a rookie. He was re-signed in August as a restricted free agent after Cleveland extended a qualifying offer.
A former five-star recruit, Bates was selected 49th overall in the 2023 draft following a pair of up-and-down college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. The 20-year-old appeared in just 15 games for Cleveland as a rookie, averaging 2.7 points per game on 30.6% shooting in 8.9 minutes per night.
In 27 Showcase Cup and regular season G League games for the Cleveland Charge, Bates showed more promise, putting up 21.6 PPG and 5.7 RPG with a .414/.371/.814 shooting line.
Luke Travers and JT Thor are the other two-way players for the Cavs.
Central Notes: Trent Jr., Wiseman, Giddey, Vucevic
Gary Trent Jr.‘s preseason debut for the Bucks didn’t go well. The former Toronto guard suffered a hyperextension of his left elbow when he ran into the Pistons’ Jalen Duren, who was setting a screen late in the first half, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm notes. Trent, who made two of his three shot attempts before he exited, signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee in July.
The Bucks didn’t provide any official updates on Trent after sharing the initial diagnosis, so it remains to be seen how long the injury might sideline him for, Nehm adds.
We have more from the Central Division:
- During a Pacers scrimmage game on Sunday, James Wiseman scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in just eight minutes of action. The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak believes Wiseman will push Isaiah Jackson for the backup center spot. Wiseman was signed to a two-year, minimum salary contract in July after playing for division rival Detroit last season.
- Early in training camp, new Bulls point guard Josh Giddey has been even better than advertised in terms of his court vision and passing ability, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Getting on the same page with his teammates is the next challenge for the former Oklahoma City guard. “I’ve got where maybe there are passes I can’t make but I think I can in my head and I try to make them that are probably not there in the moment,” Giddey said. “I guess it’s just a confidence. As a passer you can’t live on the edge.”
- Nikola Vucevic knows that the Bulls‘ front office has explored trades for him. The veteran center says he ignores the possibility of being dealt. ‘‘I honestly don’t think about it,’’ Vucevic told Cowley. ‘‘It’s stuff that’s out of my control. My focus is on this team and to help this team be the best team we can be. Changes and all that, that’s not my job. That’s the front office’s job.” Vucevic has two years left on his contract. The Bulls have not shown a willingness to include draft capital to shed his contract, Cowley adds.
Western Notes: Lee, Billups, Wembanyama, Paul
After being sidelined all of last season due to a right knee injury, Suns guard Damion Lee expects to play a limited role in the early going, according to The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin.
“I don’t anticipate or expect myself to come out early in the season and play 30 minutes a game,” Lee said. “I know what I do. I know what my role is and when the time comes for me to out there and contribute, then I will and I’ll try to do it to the best of my abilities.”
Lee appeared in 74 games for Phoenix in 2022/23, averaging 8.2 points in 20.4 minutes per contest.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame next weekend. Billups, the Final MVP with the Pistons in 2004, was in a state of disbelief when he got the call that he had been elected, in part because of the timing. “(When the Hall) actually called, they picked a (heck) of a day. It was April Fool’s. It was on April 1,” Billups told the Denver Post’s Sean Keeler. “So when they called, I just kept saying, ‘If y’all are playing this sick joke on me, man, I’m never speaking to any of y’all again. That’s the worst.’”
- Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul are among the Spurs who won’t suit up for their preseason game against Oklahoma City on Monday, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. There are no injury concerns — San Antonio is simply easing its stars into the preseason schedule. Both participated in all five practices last week, Orsborn notes.
- Wembanyama worked on his ball-handing and moves with longtime NBA guard Jamal Crawford this offseason, Orsborn reports in a separate story. The Spurs big man believes that work will pay off this season. “It was my first time working for a long period of time with an actual retired NBA player,” Wembanyama said. “I learned a lot because the view he has of the game is different from a coach’s because he understands the player maybe more than any coaches I have worked with before. It was a great experience. I would do it again.”
Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Blockbuster Deals
No team made more noise than the Knicks this offseason.
They could have been content to re-sign top free agent OG Anunoby and basically run it back with the same core that carried them to the Eastern Conference semifinals. They were decimated by injuries as the playoffs wore on but still took the Pacers to the limit in their series.
New York did indeed lock up Anunoby, though the price tag was a whopping $212.5MM for five years (including a player option). The Knicks lost another key free agent in Isaiah Hartenstein.
Around the same time, they pulled off what seemed like the biggest shocker of the offseason, agreeing to give up five future first-round picks, among other assets, for Nets forward Mikal Bridges.
Jalen Brunson soon did the Knicks a favor by signing a $156.5MM extension, rather than waiting until next offseason when he could have gotten an even bigger payday.
As training camp approached, the biggest question seemed to be whether Julius Randle would play more at center until Mitchell Robinson returned from left foot surgery. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Knicks pulled off another blockbuster, sending Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves as part of a package for Karl-Anthony Towns. New York also surrendered another first-round pick and two second-rounders as part of the three-team deal.
Towns’ $220MM super-max extension kicks in this season, weighing down the Knicks’ long-term cap sheet. He’s undeniably one of the most talented and accomplished big men in the league. However, he has been affected by a variety of injuries since 2019, so the Knicks are taking on a huge gamble that he stays healthy and productive in the postseason.
Overall, New York’s starting unit is formidable with Towns, Josh Hart, Anunoby, Bridges and Brunson. Their offense is much more versatile with the additions of Towns and Bridges, though their three-point shooting could take a hit with the loss of DiVincenzo.
There appears to be enough backcourt depth with the likes of Miles McBride, Cameron Payne, Tyler Kolek and Landry Shamet. The frontcourt depth has been depleted by the flurry of moves and that could be an ongoing concern.
That brings up to today’s topic: Do you think the Knicks’ offseason acquistions of Bridges and Towns can deliver a championship to New York? Or will they fall short of that goal and ultimately regret going all-in and mortgaging their future?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Bench, Dick, Carton, Agbaji
Raptors star forward Scottie Barnes rejoined the team in Montreal on Saturday, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. He didn’t suit up for their exhibition game against the Wizards on Sunday because they didn’t want to rush him back into action. Barnes, who signed a five-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, missed most of training camp this week while he attended to a personal matter.
We have more on the Raptors:
- Expect coach Darko Rajakovic to mix and match and use his bench quite often this season, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. “I think this season, we don’t have a cemented (starting) five. Off the bench, I think pretty much all the roster, going from five to 15, those guys are talented and great players and they’re competing for minutes,” Rajaković said. “They’re competing for a spot. So I can see us being this year much more fluid, and I’m going to be much more experimenting and giving guys opportunities in games just to see their growth and how they can affect the game.”
- By almost default, Gradey Dick will likely be in the starting five at the beginning of the regular season, Koreen adds in the same story. The other logical options, Bruce Brown and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter, are not participating in training camp due to injuries. Dick is the only other player who can space the floor adequately for Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Koreen notes.
- Two-way player D.J. Carton and third-year wing Ochai Agbaji stood out Friday night when the Raptors held an open scrimmage at McGill University, according to Michael Grange of Sportnet. Agbaji was acquired from Utah at last season’s trade deadline and started 18 of 27 games after the deal. “The opportunity and the amount of opportunity that’s out there, you can feel it,” he said. “And obviously everyone that’s going in here and going 110 per cent, it’s just making everybody better.” The Raptors have until Oct. 31 to decide whether to pick up Agbaji’s $6,383,525 option for the 2025/26 season.
Southwest Notes: Edey, Rockets, Branham, Wesley, Williamson
Zach Edey, three-point shooter? The former Purdue big man only attempted two shots beyond the arc during his illustrious college career and made one. But the Grizzlies don’t want their lottery pick to feel like he’s restricted to the paint as a pro. He participated in a three-point shooting contest during an open practice on Sunday and showed a good stroke.
“When it’s opportunities to be out on the perimeter, whether it’s trailing the play or he just so happens to kind of move himself out there, I want him to feel like he’s got the green light,” said coach Taylor Jenkins, per Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I don’t want to restrict him by any means. I want to see what he’s capable of.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets will play two preseason games in three days, facing the Jazz on Monday and Thunder on Wednesday. They’re viewing those contests as a measuring stick to see how much progress they’ve made during training camp, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I just want to go out, play hard, win, win the preseason games and get good momentum going into the season,” Jalen Green said. “The same way we’re playing here, we have to go out and play there.”
- The Spurs have an Oct. 31 deadline to pick up the contract options on guards Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley for the 2025/26 season. Wesley admits the pressure is on to perform well in training camp — if those options aren’t picked up, he and Branham will be looking at free agency next offseaason. “Everybody knows it’s a contract year,” Wesley told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re trying to win, trying to get better. There’s a lot of pressure.”
- After losing starting center Jonas Valanciunas in free agency, the Pelicans didn’t bring in an obvious replacement. New Orleans will employ smaller lineups, mainly with Zion Williamson as the de facto center, quite often this season, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. “The fact of the matter is we are going to have a ton of games where we don’t have a traditional center on the floor,” coach Willie Green said. “That’s going to happen. We have to get accustomed to playing that way for a good bulk of the game.”
Southeast Notes: KCP, Barlow, Nance Jr., Davis, Poole
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was one of the biggest free acquisitions this summer, as the Magic signed him for three years and $66MM. Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley says KCP will have a major impact on both ends of the floor, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.
“It’s the fact that he just knows where to be on the floor,” Mosley said. “It goes back to the fact he’s played with some of the game’s best players, so he understands the spacing, the time to cut and the time to move to find the open window that they can pass him the basketball. Defensively, he’s always in the right position.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hawks added former Spurs forward Dominick Barlow on a two-way deal this summer. Barlow believes he can force his way into the rotation by doing the “little things,” Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. “Screening, hard, rolling hard, being able to hit that shot in the corner and then just guarding, I think will be my way to get on the court, for sure,” he said.
- The Hawks acquired Larry Nance Jr. in the Dejounte Murray deal with the Pelicans. The veteran forward has quickly emerged as a vocal leader during the early days of training camp, Williams writes in a separate story. “He’s done a great job,” Barlow said. “He’s a new guy, but he’s been in a bunch of different situations throughout his career, so he kind of understands, how this works. And I think he’s kind of stepped in and taken that role.”
- Wizards third-year guard Johnny Davis resents being called a bust at this stage of his career. Davis was the 10th pick of the 2022 draft but hasn’t performed like a lottery pick in his first two NBA seasons. “It’s a word that’s thrown around a lot, and I feel like it’s not fair to anybody,” Davis told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. “I just want to show that I belong here. People can say what they want about Tommy Sheppard, the GM at the time when I got drafted here, but I don’t think people randomly get drafted top-10 for nothing.”
- Jordan Poole expects his second season with the Wizards to go much smoother than his first year with the organization. He went from a perennial contender in Golden State to a rebuilding team. “I’m just a competitive person,” he said, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It was new for me to go just through the losing process, honestly. Obviously, we’re in a rebuilding phase, but it was a transition year. There was a lot of movement, a lot of new things, a lot of new pieces on both sides. But now coming into Year 2, we have a little bit more clarity in what we want to do, a little bit more direction in what we want to do. So that not only helps me but it helps other guys know what they can focus on, where they can put their energy to. And that’s all you really need: a little bit of direction.”
New York Notes: Finney-Smith, Load Management, Kolek, Towns, Tsai
Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is irritated by the notion that the team will just mail it in this season, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
“Me, Dennis Schröder, we were talking and we just want everybody to know that we ain’t deferring to just tank or whatever,” Finney-Smith said. “They’re saying we’re going to win 17 games. I feel like this team should take that as disrespect, and use it as motivation. People don’t know how healthy Ben (Simmons) is going to be. But we’ve been seeing him for the last four weeks and he looks great. So, if bro gets back on the court I feel like it’s gonna help our team a lot, and we’re going to shake the NBA.”
We have more on the New York teams:
- Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t a fan of load management. Despite some injuries late in the regular season and playoffs last season, Thibodeau isn’t planning to give players nights off if they’re healthy enough to take the court, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Every team has injuries. You just deal with them,” he said. “That’s part of pro sports. So some years you don’t have any injuries, some you do. So whatever your reality is, you deal with it.”
- Second-round pick Tyler Kolek made a strong impression during Summer League competition and continued to endear himself to the Knicks‘ coaching staff prior to camp. “Obviously, we drafted him (with the 34th pick), there’s a lot of things we liked about him so we’re anxious to see him in training camp and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Thibodeau said, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “I’ve always said the first step for a rookie coming in is to learn how to be a pro and he’s already exhibited great qualities. He’s in the gym all the time, hard worker, coming in multiple times a day, so he’ll give himself the best shot possible and he’s already adding value to the team.”
- With the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster deal official, the Knicks regulars can soon start building chemistry with the high-scoring big man. Josh Hart has already got a picture in his mind of how Towns can make them more dangerous, Bondy writes in a separate story. ““For me, I haven’t played with that many shooting bigs in my career so I’m looking forward to someone we can isolate on the post, make good decisions, put the ball in the basket,” Hart said. “I’m going to tell him whenever I get a rebound and run, just trail to the 3-point line. I’m sure he’ll get some open 3s that way. It’s going to take some time just to get the feeling down. Obviously (Jalen Brunson), Mikal (Bridges), myself, we played together for a while. OG (Anunoby) played with [Brunson] and myself for a handful of games. It’s going to take a little bit and that’s what training camp and preseason are for — so we can hit the ground running on opening day.”
- Nets owner Joe Tsai is close to acquiring a 3% stake in the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, Net Income relays via a Bloomberg News report. Tsai’s investment company is making the purchase from New York real estate developer Steve Ross. The Miami Grand Prix, Ross’ Formula 1 racing event, is also part of the deal.
Grizzlies’ Jared Jackson Jr. Has Mild Hamstring Strain
OCTOBER 2: Imaging revealed a low-grade hamstring strain for Jackson, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, who called it very good news and said there’s no concern at this point that the big man will miss the start of the regular season (Twitter link via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal).
OCTOBER 1: The Grizzlies couldn’t get through the first day of training camp without another injury popping up, this one to their top frontcourt player.
Jaren Jackson Jr. injured his hamstring while driving to the basket. Jackson felt “tightness” after the play, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, and he’ll undergo an MRI, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports. Jenkins speculates that Jackson will be diagnosed with a strain, which could keep him out the remainder of camp and jeopardize his chances of playing in the regular season opener.
Memphis’ 2023/24 season was wrecked by injuries and the Grizzlies already had two players dealing with injuries that will keep them out of training camp and beyond.
The team announced last week that Vince Williams would be out at least four weeks due to a left leg ailment. GG Jackson underwent foot surgery in early September with a reevaluation scheduled for three months from the time of the procedure.
Santi Aldama could see some extended playing time at power forward until Jackson and/or Williams return.
Clippers Sign Terance Mann To Three-Year Extension
OCTOBER 2: Mann’s extension is now official, the Clippers announced today in a press release.
“We place tremendous value on the competitiveness, consistency, durability, and hard work that T Mann continues to demonstrate year after year,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “Since we drafted him in 2019, T Mann has turned himself into the ultimate glue guy, a two-way player who takes tough assignments and hits big shots. When we think about the qualities that make a young player a Clipper, we often wind up with a description of T Mann, and we’re thrilled he will remain a vital part of us.”
SEPTEMBER 27: The Clippers and guard Terance Mann have agreed to a three-year, fully-guaranteed $47MM contract extension, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The new deal will run through the 2027/2028 season.
Mann, who is making $11,423,077 this season, had been due to enter unrestricted free agency next summer.
Mann, 27, was a second-round draft pick in 2019 who has far exceeded expectations. He made 85 starts during his first four seasons, then became a full-time starter in 2023/24.
Mann started 71 of 75 games last season and averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per night. Although he hasn’t been asked to play a major role during his first five seasons, the 6’5″ wing is valued as a ‘glue guy,’ providing solid defense and playing within the framework of the team’s schemes.
“Super excited to re-sign with the team who has been with me from the beginning. It’s been a great five seasons with this organization and I’m excited to see where it goes from here,” Mann told ESPN’s Marc Spears (Twitter link).
Mann’s new salary is very reasonable for a starter, given that the salary cap is projected to increase by 10% annually in the coming years.
Mann will earn $15.5MM in 2025/26, when the extension begins, and will remain trade-eligible because the terms of the deal fall within extend-and-trade limits, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter)
The Clippers lost Paul George in free agency but the front office has been busy locking up their other starters. Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year extension last season, James Harden was re-signed in free agency and Ivica Zubac signed an extension earlier this month.