Central Notes: Allen, Pistons, Swider, Brown
The three-year, $91MM contract extension that Jarrett Allen signed on Friday gave the Cavaliers more flexibility if they later decide to break up the Allen-Evan Mobley frontcourt next season, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.
Allen is eligible to traded on February 2 — four days before next season’s deadline. It’s believed that the veteran center was essentially obligated to sign the deal before August 6 as a condition of Cleveland extending him at the maximum amount, Stein adds. If he’d signed his new deal after Aug. 6, Allen would have been ineligible to be traded until the summer of 2025.
We have more from the Central Division:
- In his Eastern Conference power rankings, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press places the Pistons at No. 12 — ahead of the Hornets, Nets and Wizards. While Detroit endured its worst season in franchise history, it shouldn’t be the worst team in the conference next season after a series of offseason moves. Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley should significantly upgrade the outside shooting, Sankofa notes, and Paul Reed adds depth at center. The team’s young core should continue to grow, particularly Cade Cunningham with more help around him.
- Former Heat forward Cole Swider agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Pacers on Saturday. He could be in a competition with Kendall Brown for the 15th spot on the roster, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star opines. Brown, who is also on a non-guaranteed deal, struggled with his perimeter shooting in the Summer League and committed 12 turnovers in five games. Swider, in contrast, played a key role in the Heat’s run to the Summer League title in Las Vegas.
- In case you missed it, the Bulls reportedly haven’t halted their efforts to find a trade partners for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
Community Shootaround: Pistons’ Offseason Moves
Troy Weaver‘s four-year stint running the Pistons was a flop but he did gift his successor, Trajan Langdon, with over $60MM in salary cap space this summer.
Detroit’s new president of basketball operations didn’t make any blockbuster deals, nor did he accumulate many future assets. Instead, Langdon mainly chose to bring in veteran help on short-team deals to make the team more competitive while easing the burden on the team’s star, Cade Cunningham.
The most significant transaction was bringing in free agent Tobias Harris on a two-year, $52MM deal. Harris, 32, wasn’t the difference-maker the Sixers hoped he would be when they signed him to a five-year, $180MM contract in 2019, but he’s a solid, durable and productive starter.
Langdon took on Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s $16.2MM salary in a trade with Dallas with three future second-rounders attached as sweeteners. Free agent Malik Beasley was signed to a one-year, $6MM deal and restricted free agent Simone Fontecchio was brought back on a two-year, $16MM contract.
That quartet should dramatically improve the team’s woeful perimeter shooting while tapping into Cunningham’s play-making ability. They’ll also greatly boost the professionalism for a team that endured the worst season in franchise history. It’s quite possible some of the veterans will be flipped for assets during the season.
Detroit also claimed big man Paul Reed off waivers, though his contract doesn’t become full guaranteed until midseason.
The other major move, unrelated to the cap, was firing Monty Williams and hiring J.B. Bickerstaff as head coach. Bickerstaff was eager to get another coaching job after getting fired by the Cavaliers. Williams had to be coaxed by owner Tom Gores into coaching last season via a lucrative six-year contract. Gores was willing to eat the remaining years on Williams’ contract in order to give Langdon and the organization a fresh start.
The Pistons only have 13 players on guaranteed deals and still have around $10.2MM in cap space, so it seems likely Langdon will make another free agent move or trade before training camp.
Langdon swung for the fences in the lottery, choosing Ron Holland with the fifth overall pick, which many experts considered a reach. The Pistons front office hopes Holland, who played well in the Las Vegas Summer League, can develop his offensive game to match his physical skills.
That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you view the Pistons’ offseason? Should they have made a bigger splash or added more assets? Or was Langdon wise to use his cap room to bring in veteran players on short-term deals?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Cole Swider Agrees To One-Year Contract With Pacers
Cole Swider has agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Pacers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Swider played on a two-way contract with the Heat last season. He became an unrestricted free agent when Miami withdrew its two-way qualifying offer.
Despite that, Swider was a member of the Heat’s Summer League squad. The 6’9” forward played well in the Heat’s run to a Las Vegas title, averaging 13.5 points while shooting 49.1% on 3-point attempts.
The Heat filled their two-way slots with three other players and don’t want to add another player to the official roster during the offseason due to second tax apron restrictions.
Swider, who played seven games with the Lakers in 2022/23, saw action in 18 Heat games last season.
His stints were mostly cameos but he saw extensive action in the G League. He impressed with his long-distance marksmanship, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .485/.471/.846 shooting in 21 Showcase Cup and regular season contests for the Sioux Falls Skyforce (38.3 MPG).
The addition of Swider will give the Pacers 18 players on the roster, including 16 on standard contracts, though four of those deals are partially or non-guaranteed. They have two players signed to two-way deals.
Additionally, the Pacers have an unsigned draft pick in Enrique Freeman as well as restricted free agent Oscar Tshiebwe, who was on a two-way deal last season. Josiah-Jordan James and Keisei Tominaga are also expected to sign Exhibit 10 contracts.
Mavericks Sign Spencer Dinwiddie To One-Year Deal
The Mavericks have officially signed veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to a one-year contract, according to a team press release. The agreement was previously reported on July 22.
“We welcome having Spencer back with us in Dallas,” Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said in a statement. “Spencer is an experienced teammate, who understands what we are trying to accomplish. His energy, versatility, and playmaking from the guard position adds invaluable depth to our roster and leaves us well positioned going into next season.”
The terms of the Mavs’ agreement with Dinwiddie have yet to be reported. While Dallas could technically offer more than the veteran’s minimum using the mid-level or bi-annual exception, the team doesn’t have a ton of wiggle room below the first tax apron, so a minimum-salary deal seems more likely.
Dinwiddie, 31, was previously a Maverick from 2022-23 for almost exactly one year. He was traded from Washington to Dallas at the trade deadline in February 2022 as part of the return for Kristaps Porzingis, then was sent to Brooklyn at the 2023 deadline as part of the package for Kyrie Irving.
Dinwiddie played well during his first stint in Dallas, averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game across 76 outings (60 starts). He posted a shooting line of .466/.404/.788 during that time — those field goal and three-point percentages are well above his career marks.
The veteran guard was less effective in 2023/24 across 76 appearances (52 starts) for the Nets and Lakers, posting averages of 10.5 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 28.3 MPG while shooting .392/.337/.805.
The hope is that a return to Dallas will help fuel a bounce-back season for Dinwiddie, who still has a home in Texas and whose partner is from the state, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The move also reunites Dinwiddie with Irving — the two guards played together in Brooklyn from 2019-21.
Assuming Dinwiddie’s salary is fully guaranteed, he’d be the 14th Maverick on a guaranteed contract for 2024/25. A.J. Lawson, the 15th man, has a non-guaranteed deal and would need to be waived in order to make room on the regular season roster for veteran forward Markieff Morris, whose return is considered likely.
Northwest Notes: Williams, Filipowski, Blazers Arena, Henderson, Thunder
Lottery pick Cody Williams was the Jazz’s most impressive player in the Las Vegas Summer League, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones. Williams displayed an immense skill level there after struggling in the Salt Lake City Summer League. Jones believes Williams should get immediate playing time in the NBA and go through the natural ups and downs of a rookie, rather than being sent to the G League.
Early second-rounder Kyle Filipowski showed enough skill and athleticism to make people wonder why he slid out of the first round, Jones adds. However, the seven-footer had a tough time when he slid over to the power forward spot.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Portland City Council will consider two ordinances to extend a short-term lease between the city and the Trail Blazers’ ‘Rip City Management’ for the Moda Center, according to Aimee Plante of koin.com. The current lease is scheduled to end next year but the proposed agreement would keep the Blazers at their current arena through 2030 with a possible extension into 2035. That would give Portland officials more time to develop a major renovation plan for the Moda Center, the oldest NBA arena to have never undergone a significant upgrade.
- If the Trail Blazers don’t make any trades before the regular season, 2023 lottery pick Scoot Henderson will likely come off the bench, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). He’d back up Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Deni Avdija, acquired in a trade with Washington, will likely start at small forward with Toumani Camara backing him up, Highkin writes, adding that the Blazers have an open two-way spot but probably won’t fill it until training camp.
- The Thunder‘s over/under win total for next season is 56.5, according to BetMGM, the highest among Western Conference teams. The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto believes they’ll surpass that figure. Oklahoma City won 57 games last season and Mussatto considers Alex Caruso a short-term upgrade over Josh Giddey. He also sees major free agent acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein as a better backup center than Jaylin Williams.
Olympic Notes: Second Unit, Durant, Edwards, George, Serbia, James, 3×3 Team
Team USA discovered a stellar second unit that accounted for 60 of the reserves’ 66 points in its 103-86 win over South Sudan on Wednesday. Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Bam Adebayo comprised that group. The offensive output was matched by that unit’s defensive versatility, Sam Amick of The Athletic notes.
“That lineup was incredible,” Durant said. “You know, when you can switch a lot of different things, and keep the ball in front of you, don’t worry about over helping at all. We’re just (out there) talking to each other. There were some high-IQ defensive players out there. When you can throw that lineup out there, it’s fun. That’s when you don’t have to run offense when you can get stops and go and play in transition. And that’s basketball to me.”
Edwards is enjoying the experience of pairing up with Durant off the bench in the Olympics.
“I love that he’s coming off the bench. I get to play with him, so I hope coach keeps bringing him off the bench,” he said with a smile. “I get to pass it to him. He gets to pass it back. That’s probably one of my biggest dreams ever, so that’s dope. …We’ve got a great group of 12 guys. So it doesn’t matter who’s playing. It doesn’t matter who’s starting. It doesn’t matter who’s finishing the game.”
We have more on the Paris Olympics:
- Paul George said on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast (video link) that he believed he’d been chosen to play for Team USA after a conversation with coach Steve Kerr. Team USA managing director Grant Hill informed him during the NBA playoffs he wouldn’t be on the 12-man roster. “I was looking forward to representing the USA and being part of the team,” George said.
- Serbia bounced back from its opening loss to Team USA with a 107-66 romp past Puerto Rico. Now the Serbians face a pivotal game against South Sudan on Saturday in their final group play matchup. “Great opponent,” Bogdan Bogdanovic said of South Sudan, per Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. “They started the tournament well. They played with great confidence. It’s going to be a tough game. We need to come out with the same energy we had (Wednesday) and to fight.”
- LeBron James surpassed the 300-point mark in the Olympics on Wednesday, joining Durant and Anthony as the only Team USA members to reach that career mark. It wasn’t a big deal for James, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net relays. “Oh, not much,” James said of the milestone. “I mean, at the end of the day, I just want to, you know, win. I mean, I’m here to win and win the gold, and that’s my only mindset.”
- The U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball team dropped to 0-2 in pool play with a 19-17 loss to Poland on Wednesday. Canyon Barry, son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry, had six points for the Americans. “We’re just not making shots,” Barry said, per The Associated Press. “That’s what it comes down to. We had a lot of good looks and they just didn’t fall tonight.”
Gordon Hayward Announces Retirement
Free agent forward Gordon Hayward has chosen to retire. He posted his decision on social media on Thursday morning (Twitter link).
“Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” he wrote. “It’s been an incredible ride and I am so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.”
Hayward, 34, burst onto the national scene in 2010 when he led Butler to the NCAA Championship game, narrowly missing a game-winner half-court heave at the final buzzer against Duke.
The Jazz selected him in the lottery with the ninth pick in that year’s draft. He spent his first seven seasons with Utah and made the All-Star team in the last of those seasons. He departed Utah on a four-year, $128MM deal with the Celtics but his career was sidetracked by a devastating left leg injury in his first regular-season game for Boston.
He left the Celtics in 2020 after declining his player option and was dealt to Charlotte in November 2020 via a sign-and-trade, inking a four-year, $120MM contract in the process. However, his years in Charlotte were a disappointment as injuries piled up and he was unable to lift the franchise to a postseason appearance.
Hayward’s career ended with the Thunder after he was dealt by the Hornets at last season’s trade deadline. Hayward had a limited role with Oklahoma City and expressed frustration after the team was eliminated.
“Obviously disappointing with kind of how it all worked out. This is not what I thought it would be. Certainly frustrating. … We have a great team here with great young players, a great coach. So the future is bright,” Hayward said, adding, “I feel like as a player I have a lot to offer. I just wasn’t given much of an opportunity to do that.”
However, a month after free agency began, Hayward decided to call it quits.
In 835 career regular-season appearances, Hayward averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30.7 minutes per game. He also saw action in 36 postseason contests, averaging 12.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 2.4 APG.
Sixers Notes: Jackson, Free Agent Options, Morey, George
Reggie Jackson officially signed a one-year contract with the Sixers on Tuesday. The veteran point guard passed through waivers after Denver traded him to Charlotte and the Hornets bought out his contract. Jackson is thrilled to join another contender and reunite with former Pistons teammate Andre Drummond and Clippers teammate Paul George.
“It’s definitely great to play with Andre again and PG. But I think everybody knows in the basketball world, I think the deck looks pretty full,” he said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So that was a big part of my choice and just an opportunity to try and do something special.”
We have more on the Sixers:
- The team has 13 players on standard contracts and plans to carry 14 on opening night. That leaves one spot open and the Inquirer’s Gina Mizell looks at five free agent forwards who might fill that opening, including Marcus Morris, Jae Crowder, Cedi Osman, Gordon Hayward and Lonnie Walker IV.
- President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said that prior to free agency his staff listened intently to Paul George’s Podcast P for clues as to where he might be leaning. Morey disclosed on the ‘Rights To Ricky Sanchez: The Sixers Podcast’ (YouTube link). Morey believed the Clippers would drop their hard line and give George a four-year, maximum-salary contract but that never happened, which he found somewhat surprising. The Clippers eventually offered George a three-year max deal but wouldn’t include a no-trade clause, leading George to look elsewhere.
- Morey told The Ringer’s Howard Beck that there numerous contingency plans if George chose to stay in Los Angeles but he wasn’t particularly thrilled with any of them. “We thought that the best path was a Paul George–type path,” Morey said. “The other paths we thought were OK, they just weren’t as good. … We also felt like in the scenarios where we don’t convince Paul that this is the right team, we felt like we had a plan that was [workable]. We probably spent 85 percent of our time on the alternate plan, because that was way more complex.”
Southwest Notes: Duke, Ingram, Marshall, Jackson Jr.
The Spurs re-signed David Duke Jr. on a two-way contract and his goal is to be a defensive stalwart, he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
“That’s number one for me, my priority,” Duke said. “It’s what is going to get me on the floor, keep me on the floor, utilizing the defensive gifts I have, and then from there, expanding other parts of my game.”
Duke is heartened that San Antonio’s front office has faith in him. “They value me, they want me back,” Duke said. “It’s a good feeling to be wanted by a team, especially at this level. I just take it as an opportunity to grow … and show them more parts of my game that maybe they haven’t seen.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs second-round selection Harrison Ingram, who also signed a two-way deal, is expected to see plenty of time with the G League’s Austin Spurs, according to Orsborn. “Whatever it takes, whether it’s the G League to stay with the main team, I’m ready to do it to achieve my dreams,” Ingram said. The rookie forward averaged 10.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes during the Las Vegas Summer League. In three games at the Sacramento California Classic, he averaged 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
- The Mavericks signed former Pelicans wing Naji Marshall to a three-year deal in free agency. Marshall told Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com that defense will remain his calling card. “They (the Pelicans) gave me that kind of role and I just ran with it,” he said. “I know my game. And the people we have on this team, they’re going to make me better. And I know I can make them better. So I’m just excited to get this going.”
- Could the NBA’s new broadcasting deals, which will lead to significant salary cap growth, facilitate the Grizzlies’ efforts to retain Jaren Jackson Jr. in the long-term? Jackson is extension-eligible next offseason when the new TV deal kicks in, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal notes. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year could become eligible for a five-year, $318MM super-max extension if he’s named Defensive Player of the Year once again or earns an All-NBA spot in 2025. Of course, Memphis wouldn’t be obligated to put a full super-max offer on the table for Jackson if he meets the performance criteria.
Team USA Notes: South Sudan, Adebayo, Embiid, Holiday, Tatum, Ivey
Team USA nearly lost to South Sudan in an exhibition game. It was a much different story at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, as the Americans secured a 103-86 victory and clinched a berth into the quarterfinals.
Canada, France and Germany have also advanced to the quarterfinals. Puerto Rico is the only team that has been officially eliminated.
“It’s not the goal,” Anthony Davis said of making the quarterfinals, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It does give us a sense of satisfaction as far as being able to play next week. But there’s a lot that we can get better at, a lot that we can clean up, and we’ll use Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico to tighten the screws again and then just see where it takes us from there.”
Bam Adebayo was Team USA’s leading scorer with 18 points and Kevin Durant, coming off his dominant outing in the opening win over Serbia, added 14.
We have more on Team USA:
- Adebayo received extended minutes because coach Steve Kerr gave Joel Embiid the night off, Brian Windhorst of ESPN notes. Jayson Tatum, who never left the bench against Serbia, was in the starting lineup. Jrue Holiday came off the bench after starting the opener, while Davis replaced Embiid in the starting five. Embiid and Holiday will return to the lineup against Puerto Rico. “We have an embarrassment of riches on this roster, that’s the best way to put it,” Kerr said. “I mean these guys are all champions, All-Stars, Hall of Famers, however you want to put it. So the whole thing is are we committed to the goal? That’s it.”
- Tatum wasn’t upset about getting benched in the opener, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. “It’s a unique situation and it’s not about one individual player,” Tatum said. “The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I’m not here to make a story, making it about myself. We won. I was just glad to get back out there and play again today. There was a lot of chatter over the last few days but I was in good spirits, I had a good attitude about it. I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”
- South Sudan coach and Rockets assistant Royal Ivey anticipated that Team USA wouldn’t overlook his team again, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews writes. “In London, they weren’t prepared for us. We came there and tried to hit them on the chin, but we almost had a knockout. And now, this time, they were prepared,” Ivey said. “They were ready for the punches we threw. They blocked them, and they threw haymakers at us. And that’s a fight for you.”