Jose Alvarado Has Ankle Sprain, Could Miss Camp Time
Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado suffered a ankle sprain during a workout this weekend and his availability for training camp is in doubt, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Alvarado is entering his third season in the league. He’s one of the key backcourt reserves for New Orleans, which is looking to bounce back from an injury-marred season.
Alvarado suffered a stress reaction in his right tibia in February and he was still feeling discomfort earlier this summer. His minimum-salary contract for 2023/24 is fully non-guaranteed, though it’s unlikely his roster spot is in danger.
Listed at 6’0″, Alvarado appeared in 61 games last season, including 10 starts. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.5 minutes per game. He saw action in 54 regular season games as a rookie after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech.
Alvarado isn’t a serious three-point threat (32.2%) but he’s a pesky defender and a solid floor leader. He’s only committed an average of 1.1 turnovers in 18.6 minutes during his two seasons.
Training camps will open in a little more than two weeks.
Eastern Notes: Turner, Richardson, Bulls, Nets
Myles Turner was selected by the Pacers with the No. 11 overall pick in 2015. Turner revealed that he expected to go much higher in the lottery, Tidal League tweets.
“I thought I was going number 5 to Orlando. … I’m at the table in the green room. ‘With the number 5 pick the Orlando Magic select Mario Hezonja.’ I’m like, ‘Who the (expletive) is this?'” Turner said, adding that it was a “blessing in disguise” when he ended up going to Indiana at No. 11.
We have more notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Josh Richardson joined the Heat in 2015 after playing four seasons at Tennessee, making him a polished, ready-for-prime-time player. Entering his second stint with the franchise, Richardson continues to play with an intelligent, measured style that has aged well, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. Richardson rejoined Miami as a free agent on a two-year contract.
- The Bulls remain outside the top six in the Eastern Conference’s pecking order, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. They are not a serious threat as currently constructed, though all the teams above them are flawed, Cowley writes. The Bucks and Celtics take the top two spots in Cowley’s rankings.
- The Nets earned a B-minus for their offseason moves, according to NetsDaily.com. The team’s two biggest question marks remain unanswered — namely, do they have enough scoring and can they improve their rebounding?
Damyean Dotson Signs With Chinese Team
Former Knicks and Cavaliers guard Damyean Dotson has signed with Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Sportando.
Dotson spent last season with Gaziantep in Turkey, where he averaged 14.8 points and 3.0 assists.
Dotson has appeared in 213 NBA regular season games, most recently a two-game stint on a 10-day hardship contract with the Knicks in 2021/22. He played 46 games for Cleveland, including seven starts, the previous season. He also had a stint with San Antonio’s G League club that season.
He played for the Knicks in his first three NBA seasons after being drafted in the second round in 2017,
Overall, the 29-year-old shooting guard averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.9 minutes per game.
Community Shootaround: James Harden
The James Harden drama has been one of the big NBA stories this offseason and the latest scuttlebutt suggests it’s not going away any time soon.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Clippers, not Sixers, shut down trade talks this summer.
Harden has been disgruntled (even if Kyrie Irving doesn’t like that description) since the Sixers didn’t give him a lucrative extension. Harden opted out last summer in exchange for a lesser salary with a second-year player option.
Harden opted in before free agency this summer to secure that guaranteed money, then demanded a trade. Philadelphia set a high price with some combination of expiring contracts and draft picks. The Clippers were the only team that seemed mildly interested in trading for the 2018 MVP.
Harden has publicly called Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, one of the guard’s biggest supporters over the years, a liar.
Harden has incentive to report to training camp in a couple of weeks under the new CBA. He stands to lose his unrestricted free agent status for next summer if he holds out.
Morey has already seen how an unhappy Harden can disrupt a team. When Harden wanted to get out of Houston, he came to camp out of his shape and only appeared in eight games before he was traded to Brooklyn.
The Clippers could be posturing, waiting for the Sixers to cave and lower their demands. Or they could simply go with what they’ve got. They already have a point guard battle on their hands with Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann and Bones Hyland angling for playing time.
Windhorst indicated that the Clippers aren’t expected to pursue any trades before the regular season.
That leads us to today’s topic: In light of the latest developments, do you think Sixers will be able to trade James Harden prior to the season? If so, will he wind up with the Clippers or do you think he’ll go to another playoff contender?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Wizards Sign Dejan Vasiljevic To Exhibit 10 Deal
SEPTEMBER 16: The Wizards officially signed Vasiljevic to an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced (Twitter link). Washington still has a two-way contract opening, so he could be in competition for that spot.
JULY 31: Dejan Vasiljevic has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets.
The former Miami Hurricanes guard has played for the Sydney Kings of Australia’s NBL since 2020 after going undrafted by NBA clubs.
In 36 games last season, Vasiljevic averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. The 26-year-old opted out of his contract with the Australian club following the season.
He was on the Suns’ Summer League squad in 2022 and played for Washington’s Summer League club this month. He averaged 7.3 points in 12.7 minutes in Las Vegas while appearing in three games for the Wizards.
The addition of Vasiljevic gives Washington 20 players on its roster. The Wizards have a two-way opening, so it’s possible he could earn that spot, since Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts before the regular season begins.
If they’re waived by the NBA squad, players on Exhibit 10 deals can also earn a bonus of up to $75K by joining the team’s G League affiliate — in this case, the Capital City Go-Go — and spending at least 60 days with that NBAGL club.
Danny Green Signs One-Year Deal With Sixers
SEPTEMBER 13: Green has officially signed with the Sixers, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 5: Free agent wing Danny Green has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sixers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Green gives the Sixers 20 players on their camp roster, including their reported camp deal with David Duke. The Sixers had 13 players with guaranteed deals — it’s likely Green accepted a veteran’s minimum contract, though it’s uncertain whether he got a full guarantee.
Green finished last season with the Cavaliers after he was bought out by the Rockets. Green was sent from Memphis to Houston at the trade deadline as a salary-matching piece.
Green spent most of the season recovering from an ACL tear and didn’t play at all until February 1. He averaged 14.3 minutes in three games with the Grizzlies and didn’t suit up for the Rockets. Green, 36, played eight regular-season games for the Cavaliers and also appeared in four games during the postseason.
Green, of course, has a history in Philadelphia. He played for the Sixers during the 2020/21 season and part of the following year.
The career 40% 3-point shooter gives the Sixers another veteran wing option.
Southwest Notes: Porter Jr., Murphy, Williamson
Kevin Porter Jr.‘s NBA career could be over, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Appearing on the NBA on ESPN show (YouTube video link), Wojnarowski noted that the serious allegations against the Rockets guard, plus his past issues, have put his career in jeopardy.
“There’s no question, Kevin Porter‘s future, not just with the Rockets, but in the NBA, is very much in peril,” he said. “These are extremely serious allegations.”
Porter was arrested in New York City on felony charges involving a domestic incident with his girlfriend. The alleged attack on his girlfriend left her with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye.
The league could place him on administrative leave until its investigation into the incident is complete.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Sports injury expert Jeff Stotts believes the biggest issue regarding Trey Murphy‘s meniscus tear is the possibility of re-injury in the future, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. The Pelicans wing will now be at an increased risk for future meniscus problems, Stotts told Guillory in a Q&A season discussing the injury and the recovery process. Murphy underwent surgery for a partially torn left meniscus last week with a projected timeline of 10-12 weeks to return to action.
- Zion Williamson‘s health will be the key to the Pelicans’ season, according to Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The team is built around him and another injury-riddled season could test New Orleans’ patience regarding its current franchise player.
- In case you missed it, the Spurs waived Cameron Payne on Monday. Get the details here.
Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Sixers, Maxey, Tatum
The Knicks have touched base with Immanuel Quickley‘s representatives, but there have been no serious discussions on a rookie scale extension, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
While talks are expected to heat up in October, there’s some pessimism regarding an extension agreement, Deveney says. Without an extension, Quickley will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Quickley averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists and finished second for the Sixth Man of the Year award last season, but as Deveney points out, the Knicks have an abundance of guards.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nick Nurse was one of the pioneers of load management during the Raptors’ championship season, when he limited Kawhi Leonard‘s playing time to keep him fresh for the postseason. With the NBA imposing new penalties for load management, Nurse will have to carefully navigate how much he tries to rest MVP Joel Embiid, as well as James Harden if Harden remains on the Sixers, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Embiid has publicly acknowledged that proving his durability has been a personal goal, Mizell notes.
- Tyrese Maxey has already dramatically improved his shooting during his short NBA career. If he can do the same as a play-maker, then the Sixers can search for a third wheel to join him and Embiid, rather than finding another guard to run the show. That could make next year’s free agent class much more enticing, since the Sixers are positioned to have more cap space than any other team, Derek Bodner of Allphly.com writes.
- Could Jayson Tatum eventually carve out a space on the Celtics’ Mount Rushmore, as he openly expressed a desire to accomplish? Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores that topic, opining that Bill Russell, Larry Bird and John Havlicek would occupy the first three spots. Forsberg writes that delivering titles, and staying in Boston long-term, would boost Tatum’s candidacy.
Kings Waive Nerlens Noel, Neemias Queta
8:12pm: The duo has officially been waived, according to a team press release.
5:02pm: The Kings are waiving centers Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Both big men were signed by Sacramento this offseason to partially guaranteed one-year deals, but the Kings subsequently signed JaVale McGee to a guaranteed one-year deal after he cleared waivers.
The Kings want to give Noel and Queta an opportunity to hook on with another organization before training camp rather than hanging onto them and then waiving them shortly before the season begins.
Noel was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal as a free agent this summer. He received a $300K guarantee, which would have increased to $600K if he made the 15-man opening night roster.
Noel has appeared in 467 career regular season games since being drafted sixth overall in 2013 but didn’t play much in 2022/23. After being traded from New York to Detroit during the 2022 offseason, the 29-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Pistons, who bought him out at the end of February. He signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn and played in three games for the Nets, but didn’t get a second 10-day and finished the season as a free agent.
The Kings signed Queta to a two-year, minimum-salary contract. His $2,019,706 salary for the upcoming season included a $250K guarantee, while the second season was non-guaranteed. The guarantee for the upcoming season would have doubled if he was on the opening night roster.
Queta has been on Sacramento’s roster the past two seasons, appearing in a total of 20 NBA games. The 7’0” Queta was a second-round pick in 2021 out of Utah State.
Noel and Queta were projected to fight for one roster spot as the No. 3 center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. That changed when the Mavericks waived McGee and the Kings signed him after he cleared waivers. Sacramento has 14 guaranteed contracts and could explore other options, or just leave open the 15th roster spot.
Kings Sign Jordan Ford To Camp Deal
9:11pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
8:11pm: The Kings are bringing back guard Jordan Ford on an Exhibit 10 contract, Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets.
Ford was on Sacramento’s camp roster last season but he was waived in mid-October.
Undrafted out of St. Mary’s in 2020, Ford started 32 games last season for the G League’s Stockton Kings. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.6 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He also appeared in six Summer League games for Sacramento, averaging 14.2 points and 5.0 assists in 27.7 minutes.
If he’s waived before the season starts, Ford could earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton. The Kings could also convert his contract to a two-way deal. Sacramento has one two-way slot available, as our roster counts page shows.