Western Notes: Suns, Durant, Bridges, Bogdanovic, Beasley, Garza
The Suns were never truly in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. While the Suns had multiple conversations with the Nets this offseason, none of them occurred in recent weeks.
The Nets wanted a better haul than the Jazz received from the Timberwolves for Rudy Gobert.
Forward Mikal Bridges was never offered because neither side made a formal proposal, Gambadoro adds (Twitter links). The Suns simply didn’t have the assets Brooklyn insisted upon and they would not give up franchise player Devin Booker.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- With Durant pulling back on his trade request, the Suns will look to obtain a post-up power forward, perhaps via free agency, Gambadoro tweets. They have an open roster spot and the taxpayer mid-level exception still available to them. Our updated list of unsigned free agents can be found here.
- If the Jazz go into fire sale mode, there are several rotation players on their roster that could help the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. That list includes wing Bojan Bogdanovic — who could slide in nicely alongside Ja Morant and Desmond Bane — as well shooting guard Malik Beasley and veteran power forward Rudy Gay.
- Luka Garza‘s contract with the Timberwolves is an Exhibit 10 deal, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. Minnesota officially signed the second-year big man on Tuesday. He’ll compete for a roster spot but could become an affiliate player for the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League team. He’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he is waived and then spends at least 60 days with Iowa.
Western Notes: Marjanovic, Cauley-Stein, Lakers Arena, Warriors
What is the status of the ever popular Boban Marjanovic? According to Marc Stein in a Substack post, Marjanovic has a place on the Rockets’ opening night roster despite an excess of big men.
Marjanovic was dealt by Dallas as part of its package for Christian Wood. He has one season left on the two-year, $7MM contract he signed last offseason.
Alperen Şengün is projected as Houston’s starting center, with Bruno Fernando and Willie Cauley-Stein also vying for spots on the regular season roster.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The addition of Cauley-Stein isn’t official yet, as Houston must clear a roster space to sign him. He’s a low-risk, potentially solid-reward addition, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. Over the past five seasons, Cauley-Stein’s teams defended nearly five points better with him on the floor, Iko notes. He’s still athletic enough to play in Houston’s up-tempo system and should help the team defensively.
- The home arena for the Lakers and Clippers in undergoing major renovations over the next three summers, according to David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times. Upgrades are being made at every level of Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center. The upgrades include new jumbo screens, updated concession stands, a better sound system and an enhanced “fan experience.” The Clippers are scheduled to leave for their new arena in 2024.
- Which member of the Warriors’ big three will leave? In a mailbag post, Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett speculates that Draymond Green is the only one who might depart in the near future. Stephen Curry has four years left on his deal and is the face of the franchise, while Klay Thompson has two years left on his contract and will likely sign another with Golden State. Green can opt out of his contract after next season and the heavily taxed Warriors may pin their hopes on one of their young frontcourt players emerging at a lower cost, Bulpett writes.
Eastern Notes: Mitchell, Knicks, Toppin, Durant, Haslem, Pistons
On the heels of a report from The Athletic regarding a recent Knicks trade proposal for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Utah is seeking four unprotected picks.
The Knicks’ offer was said to include Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, five first-round picks and “additional salary.” In that proposal, two of the five first-round picks the Knicks offered were unprotected.
All the extra first-rounders the team has acquired from other clubs have some form of protections on them, so the Jazz are apparently seeking four of New York’s own future picks.
That would be a tough pill for New York to swallow, since it would be difficult to make another significant trade and become a championship contender. The stalemate in the trade discussions is centered around the unprotected picks, rather than the mix of players, according to Berman.
New York is willing to deal Toppin in part because small ball lineups with Toppin and Julius Randle are unappealing to the organization, Berman adds.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Though Kevin Durant hasn’t backed down from his trade demand, the Nets have not yet lowered their asking price, Marc Stein reports in a Substack post. The organization believes there’s still time for Durant to soften his stance and remain with the franchise. They also want to see if Durant will report to training camp on time or if he’ll try to make things more uncomfortable and force the organization’s hand.
- Udonis Haslem has decided to continue his playing career because he’s a “bearer of Heat culture,” Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Haslem said in part, “I’m sacrificing for the next generation. You know, I’m the bearer of Heat culture, I take it serious. It’s not a game. It’s not a joke. … I’ve watched the culture save so many, like it saved me.”
- Longtime NBA player and current ESPN broadcaster Jalen Rose feels the combination of Cade Cunningham and rookie Jaden Ivey will spark the Pistons’ revival, according to a video post from The Detroit News’ Mike Curtis. “I think we now have another All-Star backcourt. … I’m really excited about the potential of our team,” said Rose, a Michigan native.
Hawks Sign Tyson Etienne To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Hawks have signed rookie guard Tyson Etienne, according to a team press release.
Atlanta’s decision to give Etienne an Exhibit 10 contract was reported one day after the June draft and it’s finally official.
Etienne joined the Hawks’ Summer League team after the agreement and he averaged 10.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 16.7 MPG over five games in Las Vegas.
Etienne went undrafted after playing three seasons for Wichita State. The American Conference Player of the Year in 2021, he averaged 14.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.0 APG in 27 appearances (34.3 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22 before declaring for the draft as an early entrant.
Etienne is a talented three-point shooter, making 2.2 three-pointers per game at a 41.1% rate last season, though he was far less effective from inside the arc, converting just 32.6% of his two-point attempts.
Etienne is the nephew of former NBA player Marcus Camby and a cousin of Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Etienne can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins the College Park SkyHawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.
The Hawks now have 17 players on their camp roster, including two-way players. They can add three more players before camp.
Ben Simmons Cleared For Three-On-Three Activities
Ben Simmons has been cleared for three-on-three basketball activities, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
While there’s plenty of uncertainty about whether Kevin Durant will ever suit up for the Nets, Simmons appears on track to finally make his Brooklyn debut this fall. Simmons hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2021 playoffs.
Simmons underwent back surgery in early May. At the time, the Nets released a statement that indicated Simmons was “expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season’s training camp.”
It appears Simmons remains on that timetable. He’s on track to be cleared for full five-on-five activities in the coming weeks, Charania adds, with the expectation he’ll be ready to go when camps open in late September.
Simmons underwent a microdiscectomy in order to relieve the pain from a herniated disc after consulting with “multiple back specialists.” He was diagnosed with a herniated L-4 disc in his lower spine and received an epidural to relieve soreness late last season but was unable to make enough progress to get back in action.
Simmons, who has also dealt with mental health issues, is under contract through ’24/25 and will make $112.7MM over the next three seasons.
Trade talks involving Durant have been complicated due to the contract Simmons received with Philadelphia. The designated rookie extension rule prevents teams from acquiring two players who have signed five-year rookie scale extensions.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 8/20/2022
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Atlantic Notes: Toppin, Reddish, Rose, Warren, Barnes, Durant
Obi Toppin averaged 17.1 minutes per game in his second season with the Knicks and it’s unlikely his playing time will increase, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. With Julius Randle at power forward and the duo of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein at center, along with the presence of Jericho Sims, Toppin won’t have a big role unless there’s an injury or trade, Katz opines.
In Katz’s view, Toppin is still likely to play more minutes than Cam Reddish, who won’t be in the rotation if the current roster stands. Reddish projects as the 11th man and Tom Thibodeau won’t have that many players in the rotation.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks guard Derrick Rose should be “good to go” by training camp, Katz reports in the same piece. Rose underwent two surgical procedures on his ankle last season, limiting him to 26 games. He’s expected to be Jalen Brunson‘s primary backup.
- The Nets took a low-risk flier on forward T.J. Warren, who hasn’t played since December 29, 2020, but he could be a significant factor no matter how the roster shakes out, according to The New York Post’s Brian Lewis. Warren can be a complementary piece to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, assuming the superstar duo isn’t traded. Alternatively, he could be at or near the top in individual scoring for the club if Durant and Irving are gone. Warren was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal early in free agency.
- The Raptors have thus far refused to give up potential All-Star forward Scottie Barnes in trade discussions regarding Durant. However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on Brian Windhorst’s podcast (audio link) that an executive he respects said he’d give up Barnes to land Durant. That same exec told MacMahon he wouldn’t trade Barnes for Donovan Mitchell.
- In case you missed it, here’s the latest on a potential Irving trade with the Lakers.
Raptors Give Jalen Harris Qualifying Offer
The Raptors tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Jalen Harris, according to RealGM’s transactions log. That makes Harris a restricted free agent.
Harris was reinstated by the league earlier this week. He was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA on July 1, 2021 for violating the terms of the league’s anti-drug program, then became eligible to apply for reinstatement last month.
Harris was still under contract with Toronto at the time of his suspension and the Raptors had 30 days to tender him a one-year, two-way qualifying offer.
The Raptors already have 19 players under contract, with second-round pick Christian Koloko still unsigned and a two-way qualifying offer out to another restricted free agent, David Johnson.
Jarrett Culver also might also be added to the camp roster, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. The 2019 lottery pick played 37 regular season and three postseason games for the Grizzlies last season. He became an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players until the day before the regular season begins.
The 59th overall pick in 2020, Harris spent his first professional season on a two-way contract with the Raptors, then signed with Vanoli Cremona in Italy for the 2021/22 campaign following his suspension from the NBA. This May, he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League as he prepared to apply for reinstatement to the NBA.
Harris averaged 7.4 PPG on .500/.472/.778 shooting in 13 NBA games (13.2 MPG) and put up 17.6 PPG on .457/.500/.667 shooting in seven NBAGL contests (29.4 MPG) as a rookie in ’20/21.
Southeast Notes: Mitchell, Beal, Kuzma, Porzingis, Adebayo, Hawks
The Wizards should be bold and acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell to pair up with Bradley Beal, who’s now locked into a long-term contract, Josh Robbins of The Athletic opines. That pairing would put up big offensive numbers, but Washington would have to make other moves to cover for the backcourt’s defensive shortcomings. The front office would have to acquire defensive stalwarts at other spots to mask those defensive issues, Robbins adds.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards already have a “big three” in terms of offensive firepower with Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. As Hughes writes, the trio could compare to the mid-2000s Washington teams built around Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, which included an elite scoring guard plus two versatile, offense-driven frontcourt players.
- Finding a bigger offensive role for Bam Adebayo is more complicated than many Heat fans might think, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes in his latest mailbag. If Tyler Herro is moved to the starting lineup, there would be fewer shots for Adebayo with Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry already on the floor. For Adebayo to be effective, he may also need a floor spacer such as Max Strus or Duncan Robinson.
- Trae Young believes outsiders are underestimating the impact of the Hawks’ acquisition of Dejounte Murray, as he told Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill on Goodwill’s podcast (Twitter link). “I don’t think people understand how dynamic of a backcourt (we) can be,” Young said. “Both can score 20-plus, both can get nine-plus assists a game. You can’t really double one or the other. If you do, you really pick your poison.”
Nuggets Plan To Keep Gillespie Despite Injury
The Nuggets plan to retain rookie Collin Gillespie even though the rookie is expected to miss a chunk of next season due to a leg injury, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Denver signed the undrafted guard out of Villanova to a two-way contract in early July. Late last month, Gillespie suffered a lower left leg fracture and underwent surgery. He was at his alma mater, helping out with a team practice, when the injury occurred.
Gillespie’s father stated that he expected his son to return to the court “in five or six months.”
The Nuggets intend to support Gillespie, who has become a favorite of coach Michael Malone, throughout his recovery, Singer writes.
He averaged 15.6 PPG for Villanova last season, shooting 41.5% from three-point range. Gillespie averaged 11.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.3 APG and 1.5 SPG in four Summer League contests.