Nets’ Jalen Wilson Named Summer League MVP
Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, the league’s communications department tweets.
Wilson averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games in Vegas.
His performances should solidify his spot on the team’s roster this upcoming season. The 23-year-old has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster.
Oddly, Wilson was only named to the All-Summer League Second Team. The First Team included the Grizzlies‘ GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr,, the Clippers‘ Jordan Miller, the Rockets‘ Reed Sheppard and the Heat‘s Kel’el Ware.
The Grizzlies and Heat reached the Summer League championship game. Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals in four Las Vegas outings.
Along with Wilson, the Second Team included the Wizards‘ Carlton Carrington, the Trail Blazers‘ Donovan Clingan, the Heat‘s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the Pacers‘ Jarace Walker (Twitter links).
Sixers Sign Jeff Dowtin To Two-Way Contract
JULY 22: The signing is official, according to a press release from the Sixers.
JULY 21: The Sixers are bringing back Jeff Dowtin on a two-way contract, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets.
Dowtin finished last season with Philadelphia but the Sixers declined their 2024/25 option on the reserve point guard in order to open up as much cap space as possible.
Dowtin started off the 2023/24 season with Philadelphia’s NBAGL team, the Delaware Blue Coats, before inking a two-way deal with the Sixers. In April, that contract was converted to a standard agreement for the rest of the season, with a second-year team option.
Dowtin appeared in 12 regular season games for the Sixers, averaging 4.3 points and 2.3 assists in 11.8 minutes per contest. In 20 G League games, he averaged 19.0 PPG and 5.3 APG in 32.4 MPG.
Overall, Dowtin has played in 46 NBA games during his career.
After going undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2020, Dowtin spent the 2020/21 season with the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate. The 6’3″ point guard has since logged time with the Warriors, Bucks, and Raptors, often on either 10-day contracts or two-way deals that have seen him split his time with each team’s G League affiliate club.
Philadelphia already has wing Justin Edwards on a two-way deal and reportedly will also add forward David Jones on a similar contract. Dowtin would fill the third two-way slot.
Sandro Mamukelashvili Returns To Spurs On One-Year Deal
JULY 22: The Spurs have officially re-signed Mamukelashvili, the team confirmed today in a press release.
JULY 16: Sandro Mamukelashvili is re-signing with the Spurs on a one-year, $2.2MM deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. That’s equivalent to Mamukelashvili’s minimum salary for 2024/25.
The Spurs pulled their $2.7MM qualifying offer to Mamukelashvili last week, making him a free agent. However, the two parties had interest in working out a new agreement.
Mamukelashvili, a 2021 second-round pick, signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Spurs last July after becoming a free agent. He played one-and-a-half seasons with Milwaukee before joining San Antonio during the 2022/23 season.
Last season, Mamukelashvili appeared in 46 games (5 starts) and averaged 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 9.8 minutes. He received extended playing time in April and averaging 11.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.1 minutes over seven games.
The 25-year-old, who attended Seton Hall, joins the mix of players competing for playing time at power forward and center. His return gives San Antonio 14 players on the regular roster, one shy of the maximum for the regular season.
Central Notes: Livingston, Holland, Klintman, Buzelis, Tshiebwe, Jackson, Trent Jr.
The Bucks lost their first four Summer League games in Las Vegas but 2023 second-round pick Chris Livingston has been a bright spot, averaging 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.1 minutes per game, Eric Nehm of The Athletic notes.
The 6’6” Livingston is preparing to play any of the frontcourt positions, including center, after seeing just 90 minutes of NBA action as a rookie.
“It’s a fight, you know what I’m saying? I’ve been working,” he said. “Trying to get in the best shape of my life, that’s what I’m going to do. Working on my skill development, my shot. My shot’s always been there, but just speeding my shot up. Being ready to shoot, changing my mindset when it comes to that.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pistons lottery pick Ron Holland struggled with his shooting but otherwise had a productive Summer League, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. Second-round pick Bobi Klintman also made a favorable impression, as did two-way player Daniss Jenkins.
- Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis showed a competitive edge in his Summer League performances, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Among the other things that stood out for the Bulls were the overall contributions of second-year forward Julian Phillips, who could be ready for rotational minutes.
- Oscar Tshiebwe and Quenton Jackson are both in the same spot with the Pacers — they’re restricted free agents after receiving qualifying offers and trying to hold onto their two-way spots, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star writes. Tshiebwe and Jackson combined for 39 points in Indiana’s Summer League finale, but their futures with the organization remain tenuous.
- The Bucks’ addition of Gary Trent Jr. on a veteran’s minimum deal may turn out to be the biggest bargain in free agency this summer, according to ESPN’s Hoop Collective (YouTube link).
Spurs Add Minix, Warriors Sign Rowe On Camp Deals
The Spurs have signed undrafted Morehead State forward Riley Minix to a training camp contract and the Warriors have also added Jackson Rowe on a camp deal, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links).
Minix, 23, appeared in 35 games last season as a senior, averaging 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game. Minix ranked among the top 20 in Division I in scoring. He appeared in three games with the Spurs’ Summer League team.
Rowe, 27, played regularly last season for Golden State’s NBA G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors. He averaged 13.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. He appeared in six Summer League games this month for the Warriors.
It seems safe to assume both players were added on Exhibit 10 deals.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or the player can earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.
Sixers Sign Adem Bona To Four-Year Deal
JULY 21: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JULY 14: Sixers second-rounder Adem Bona has agreed on a four-year, $8MM rookie contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Bona was selected with the No. 41 pick in last month’s draft.
Philadelphia will be using the second-round exception to sign the former UCLA center, which means the fourth year will be a team option. A four-year, minimum-salary contract for a rookie would be worth about $7.9MM, so the terms reported by Charania are either rounded up or suggest Bona will earn a bit more than the minimum in year one.
Bona has averaged 6.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 22.7 minutes per night thus far for Philadelphia’s Summer League squad. In his final collegiate season with the Bruins, he averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 33 games.
Bona is currently slotted in as the No. 3 center on the Sixers’ depth chart behind Joel Embiid and free agent acquisition Andre Drummond.
Ricky Rubio Reportedly Signing With Spain’s Joventut Badalona
Longtime NBA guard Ricky Rubio is reportedly signing with Spanish club Joventut Badalona, Eurohooops.net relays.
According to Jordi Valle Simo of EFE Deportes, Rubio is returning to the team where he began his professional career in 2005. He spent his first four seasons in Badalona.
After agreeing to a buyout with the Cavaliers and retiring from the NBA in January, Rubio signed with Barcelona in February on a one-year contract. After his Spanish team lost to Real Madrid in the Liga ACB semifinals, he expressed uncertainty about his basketball future.
“These months, I’ve felt strange; I’ve wanted to change some things,” Rubio said. “Coming in the middle of the season is not easy, my way of being, more reserved and not feeling 100%. I don’t think I’ve been everything I expected, but I didn’t have any expectations either, but it’s clear that the balance is not good.”
By rejoining Joventut Badalona, Rubio will continue playing in the ACB League. Last season, he made 13 EuroLeague appearances and averaged 17 minutes on the court, posting 4.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game. He also played 15 Liga Endesa games for Barcelona, averaging 6.0 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 3.1 RPG.
Stein’s Latest: Kuminga, Podziemski, Markkanen, Jones, Thibodeau, Dinwiddie, Morris
There’s a growing belief in league circles that the Warriors are more willing to trade Jonathan Kuminga than Brandin Podziemski in a blockbuster deal for Lauri Markkanen or another impact player, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack notebook.
Rumors of Golden State’s interest in Markkanen have been floated for weeks. According to Stein’s sources, the Jazz have enough interest in a package of Podziemski and future draft compensation that they could move Markkanen before Aug. 6, when Markkanen becomes eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract. He has an expiring $18MM deal.
The Warriors are reluctant to part with Podziemski not only because of how highly they value his on-court contributions but also for financial reasons. He has three years left on his rookie contract while Kuminga is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. Any raise for Podziemski wouldn’t come onto the books until the contracts of Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins expire in the summer of 2027.
Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner — members of the same rookie class as Kuminga — have all signed max extensions. It’s unlikely Golden State will make that type of offer to him, but he’s due for a large raise.
It remains to be seen if adding Kuminga to a trade package would move the needle for Utah’s front office. Thus far, Golden State’s offers for Markkanen have centered around a combination of Moses Moody and other contracts, plus draft compensation, without including Podziemski or Kuminga, Stein adds.
The Warriors wouldn’t be able to immediately extend Markkanen since renegotiation-and-extension scenarios are only available to teams with cap space. But their continued interest in him suggests they’re confident they can lock him up long-term next offseason if they acquire him.
Here’s more from Stein:
- Carlik Jones‘ triple-double for South Sudan against Team USA could lead to renewed interest from NBA teams. Jones recently signed a two-year deal with Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade but the contract includes an NBA escape clause, valid through Thursday. Jones was the NBA G League MVP for the 2022/23 season, when he had a two-way deal with the Bulls. Last season, Jones played in China for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
- Expect a contract extension for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau in the near future. Thibodeau would be entering the final season of his original five-year contract without an extension but he’s expected to sign a new deal with a value of at least $10MM annually.
- The Mavericks have a roster opening and they’re interested in re-signing Spencer Dinwiddie. Two other guards, Dennis Smith Jr. and Talen Horton-Tucker, are also under consideration but Dinwiddie is believed to be the team’s top choice. They’re also interested in retaining forward Markieff Morris, who is considered a lock to return, says Stein.
Southeast Notes: Smith, Ware, Sarr, Black
Dru Smith has been waived four times by the Heat during his NBA career. However, they keep coming back to him, the latest example being this summer, when they signed the guard to a two-way contract.
“The way this organization has treated me, it’s unbelievable,” Smith said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I’m very appreciative of it. At the same time, I’m going to go out there and do everything I can for them, as well. I think the love is reciprocated both ways, which I really appreciate. I just want to continue to get back healthy and then be able to get back out there for this team.”
Smith underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in his right knee, an injury he suffered in November. He’s hopeful that he can return by training camp.
“I think it’s very feasible,” he said. “But you never know, these things are day by day. So as long as everything goes smoothly, I think that’s kind of the plan. But like I said, it’s always up in the air. We just got to make sure everything is going right.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Heat first-rounder Kel’el Ware continues to excel in Summer League action. The former Indiana University center had 24 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday, his third double-double this summer. He also contributed two fourth-quarter blocks. “We continue to challenge him defensively,” Summer League coach Dan Bisaccio told Chiang. “He took that challenge. Everything at the rim was contested. We want to continue to see that. Obviously, this is never enough. But we’re really, really happy with him anchoring our defense.”
- Wizards big man Alex Sarr, the second pick in the draft, missed all 15 of his shot attempts in Wednesday’s Summer League game against Portland, ESPN notes. That included seven 3-point tries and he also missed two free throws. He did have nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks in just under 30 minutes. Sarr has shot below 35% in all three of his games in Las Vegas and is shooting 19.5% from the field overall. Sarr spoke to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina about his goals for his rookie season, including his desire to make an impact at both ends of the floor.
- Magic guard Anthony Black didn’t play in Wednesday’s Summer League contest due to a mild ankle sprain, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. He’s averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals in two games this month.
Spurs Re-Sign Charles Bassey On One-Year Contract
JULY 17: Bassey’s new deal has been officially completed, the Spurs announced in a press release.
JULY 16: The Spurs are re-signing center Charles Bassey to a fully guaranteed one-year, $2.2MM contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Bassey has played with San Antonio the past two seasons. The addition of Bassey will give San Antonio a full 15-man roster. San Antonio also reached an agreement with Sandro Mamukelashvili on Tuesday.
San Antonio waived Bassey earlier this month in order to complete the three-team trade with the Kings and Bulls highlighted by DeMar DeRozan and Harrison Barnes.
Bassey, 23, suffered a torn left ACL in December while playing for San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. Bassey was averaging 3.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game with the NBA club in 19 appearances prior to the injury. He made $2.6MM last season.
There haven’t been any updates on Bassey’s condition but obviously the Spurs felt comfortable enough about his rehab to give him a guaranteed deal. The terms reported by Charania suggest it’ll be worth the minimum — for a player with Bassey’s three years of service, that would be $2,162,606.
The big man was drafted by the Sixers in the 2021 second round and spent one year in Philadelphia.