And-Ones: Election Day, Free Agent History, Kurucs, Hall Of Fame
In an effort to encourage fans, players, staff members and arena workers to vote in the midterm elections, the NBA will not play any games on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, the league’s communications department tweets. The scheduling decision came out of the league’s focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement. Some of the league’s practice facilities and arenas have been used as polling places.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Ben Wallace, Shawn Marion and Kevin Durant. Those are some of the players chosen by HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina as the best free agent signings in the history of the Pistons, Mavericks and Warriors, respectively. Urbina makes his top free agent selections for every team in the league.
- Former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs is close to signing with Spanish team Real Betis Baloncesto, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. Kurucs has appeared in 131 NBA games, including a total of 21 with Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Houston during the 2020/21 campaign. He played with KK Partizan in Serbia last season. Kurucs saw action in four Summer League contests with the Raptors last month.
- Manu Ginobili will be presented by longtime Spurs teammate and Hall of Fame inductee Tim Duncan during this year’s enshrinement ceremony on September 10, according to Hoophall.com. Isiah Thomas will be among five Hall of Famers to present Tim Hardaway.
Eastern Notes: Boeheim, Marks, Avdija, Hunter
Rookie Buddy Boeheim is on a two-way contract with the Pistons and the undrafted guard is eager to prove he belongs at this level, Mike Curtis of the Detroit News writes. “I think (proving people wrong) has always been one of my bigger motivations,” Boeheim said. “I’ve always been doubted and just been ‘the coach’s son’ and ‘Jim Boeheim’s son’ and you know, ‘I’m on the team because of (his father)’ or whatever it is.” He averaged 7.0 PPG in 19.5 MPG during five Summer League contests.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Howard University has hired Daniel Marks away from the Bucks’ front office to become the school’s chief program strategist, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Marks, who was part of Milwaukee’s scouting department, will head up the school’s NIL program and deal with the transfer portal, among other responsibilities.
- Deni Avdija has become a dogged defender for the Wizards, but his long-term future in the league hinges on improving his shooting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Avdija has only made 31.6% of his 3-point tries during his first two seasons. Robbins polled several anonymous scouts to gauge the former lottery pick’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Ruth Hunter has been promoted by the Heat to the title of senior director of team development, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. She will be involved with player programs, analytics and basketball operations and report to GM Andy Elisburg. Hunter was added to the Heat’s basketball operations department last offseason while also remaining a broadcaster.
Tyler Herro Unfazed By Rumors, Unsure Regarding Extension
Heat guard Tyler Herro shrugged off questions Tuesday about potentially being traded, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
Herro was making an appearance for his foundation in Miami. His name has popped up prominently as the potential centerpiece of a Heat trade package for a star like Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell.
“I mean ever since I’ve been here, my name has been in rumors. So rumors, they don’t bother me,” he said. “Whether I’m on the Heat or somewhere else, I’m getting ready for the season.”
Herro’s future with the franchise is cloudy, even if he’s still on the roster when training camp opens. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension prior to opening night.
Miami could offer him a max five-year deal worth up to a projected $193MM or a four-year deal worth less than the max. If he signs an extension, it will be more difficult for the team to trade the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. Herro professed ignorance regarding the state of any negotiations.
“I mean, I know as much as you know,” he said. “I’m just waiting on my turn and we’ll see what happens. There’s a deadline, but I’m going to let my agent take care of that and see what happens.”
If Herro winds up elsewhere, he vows to remains productive.
“Like I said, whatever team I’m on, I’m ready to play,” he said.
Tyler Hall Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Mavs
Tyler Hall has signed a contract with the Mavericks, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.
The 6’5” Hall had a cameo appearance with the Knicks last season on a 10-day hardship exception contract. He started 25 games last season for the G League Westchester Knicks, averaging 15.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 4.2 APG while draining 41.5% of his 3-point attempts.
Hall, 25, attended Dallas’ mini-camp for free agents in late June and apparently made enough of an impression to get a training camp invite. He also appeared in three Summer League contests for the Wizards last month.
His Exhibit 10 contract puts him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived during the preseason and then spends at least 60 days as an affiliate player for the Mavs’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.
The Mavs now have 18 players officially under contract and one more reported deal — Marcus Bingham‘s Exhibit 10 agreement.
Latest On Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant‘s situation with the Nets has reached a stalemate, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports (hat tip to RealGM). On Monday’s episode of Get Up, Windhorst said the Nets haven’t lowered their asking price.
“There hasn’t been an urgency in trade talks,” he said. “There hasn’t been a change in strategy by the Brooklyn Nets.”
Other teams aren’t backing down, either, as they refuse to give up the assets the Nets want. Meanwhile, Durant is stuck since he signed a long-term extension.
“First off, the Nets do not have leverage in trade talks with other teams. They are not giving them the offers that they want,” Windhorst said. “They see no reason to increase them. So, they’re not making any progress there. Kevin Durant clearly does not have leverage with the Brooklyn Nets. He is asking for things: ‘Get me traded. Fire the coach. Fire the GM.’ He is being told no. So, when you have denied leverage, you have a stalemate.”
We have more Durant-related news:
- Durant labeled the notion of him retiring is “comical,” he tweeted. “I know most people will believe unnamed sources over me but if it’s anyone out there that’ll listen, I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon,” he wrote.
- The tweet was a response to a Marc Stein Substack post in which Stein declared that a well-connected executive insisted last month that Durant was more apt to retire than play again for the Nets. Stein downplayed that comment but added that it’s quite possible Durant may refuse to report to training camp. According to Stein, many people around the league believe that if Durant hasn’t been traded when camps open, he’ll continue to cause a “ruckus” behind the scenes in order to force the Nets to lower their trade demands.
- Durant’s former teammate with the Warriors, Andre Iguodala, believes the two-time Finals MVP should withdraw his trade request, according to BasketNews.com. “I think he should stay in Brooklyn, it’s such a big market, it’s good for the game and just figure out how to make it work like everybody grow up and make it work,” Iguodala stated on the Point Forward podcast. “That’s how I feel about the situation.”
Northwest Notes: Mitchell, Gobert, Nnaji, Gilgeous-Alexander
There are plenty of good reasons why the Jazz need to trade Donovan Mitchell and go into full rebuild mode, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines.
Even with the assets acquired in the Rudy Gobert deal with Minnesota, the Jazz still aren’t good enough to be a true contender in the stacked Western Conference, says Todd. And even if they flipped those assets and tried to acquire another star like Kevin Durant, they wouldn’t be good enough to win it all. Wallowing in mediocrity would only serve to frustrate Mitchell and force the organization to deal him at a later date, Todd adds.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- How much will Gobert impact the Timberwolves? The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski picks the brain of colleague Tony Jones, who covered Gobert in Utah. Jones believes Minnesota has more defenders with length and athleticism around Gobert than the Jazz ever had. That will make the Timberwolves a very good team the next couple of years, though there’s some risk of decline near the end of his contract, which runs through the 2025/26 season.
- Zeke Nnaji has been working with the Nuggets coaches on bulking up so that he can play all three frontcourt positions, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. Nnaji has added 11 pounds of muscle and that could help him carve out a second unit role. The 21-year-old appeared in 41 regular season games last season.
- Is Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the best non-All-Star in the league? Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tackles that subject.
Central Notes: Pistons, Turner, Bitadze
There are many ways Pistons coach Dwane Casey could go with his rotation next season, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. In Langlois’ view, Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Jaden Ivey are the only rotation locks, with Kelly Olynyk, Marvin Bagley III, Killian Hayes and Alec Burks “good bets” to join them. Beyond that, Casey has numerous choices between youth and experience.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pistons fans are brimming with optimism, though they’re realistic about next season’s prospects, The Athletic’s James Edwards III revealed in a fan poll. With nearly 2,000 subscribers weighing in, 98 percent professed confidence in the team’s direction and 64 percent said they were very confident in the front office. However, 72.5 percent voted that the team would only win between 26-35 games next season. Second-year forward Isaiah Livers received the most votes for “breakout” player.
- Myles Turner‘s season could play out similar to the way Victor Oladipo departed from the Pacers organization in 2020, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files opines. Turner could get off to a good start and pump up his trade value. In the same mailbag piece, Agness speculates that Goga Bitadze won’t have a long-term role in the organization due to the team’s current playing style, along with the presence of Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith.
- Earlier on Monday, Giannis Antetokounmpo stated he wouldn’t mind playing for the Bulls later in his career. Get the details here.
Nuggets To Make Several Scouting Hires
Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth is adding a number of professional and college scouts, Mike Singer of the Denver Post reports.
Jared Jeffries, who previously spent time in the Nuggets’ front office as director of player personnel, is returning to the organization as a college scout.
Drew Nicholas, who previously worked for the Sixers and Celtics, will be the director of scouting and oversee the department. Former Lakers assistant Mike Penberthy will be hired as a pro scout and shooting coach. Jarrett Stephens will depart the college coaching ranks to become a pro scout along with former Hornets assistant Chad Iske.
Todd Checovich, the former GM of the NBA G League’s Iowa Wolves, will be hired as a college scout and capologist.
The Timberwolves hired away Nuggets director of pro personnel Joe Connelly last week to head their scouting department.
Alex Morales Agrees To Contract With Magic
Undrafted rookie guard Alex Morales has agreed to Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic, Adam Zagoria tweets.
He averaged 5.0 PPG in 13.5 MPG while appearing in five Summer League games with the Warriors.
Morales was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 16.8 PPG , 7.2 RPG and 4.3 APG in his second season with Wagner and had a year of eligibility left when he entered the draft.
The Exhibit 10 contract puts him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived during the preseason and then spends at least 60 days as an affiliate player for the Lakeland Magic.
Orlando currently has 18 players under contract and has reached Exhibit 10 agreements with four others, meaning the team could end up signing and immediately waiving certain players to secure their G League rights.
Sixers Reach Settlement Agreement With Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons and the Sixers have reached a settlement agreement on the grievance the All-Star guard filed to recoup a portion of the nearly $20MM withheld him as a result of his failure to play last season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The Sixers maintained Simmons breached his contract upon failing to show up for the start of training camp and refusing to play in preseason and regular season prior to trade deadline swap with the Nets. Simmons cited mental health reasons for his limited participation in team activities. He also was diagnosed with a back injury that prevented him from playing with Brooklyn last season.
Both sides agreed to a confidentiality agreement on the exact financial settlement, Wojnarowski adds.
The Players Association backed Simmons in the grievance, which was shared with the Sixers, the league, and the NBPA in early April. The issue was to be arbitrated, which could have set a precedent on how future matters regarding mental health and contracts might be handled. Instead, the two sides reached an agreement before an arbiter could hand down a decision.
Simmons had a cap hit of just over $33MM last season.
During the season, Sixers officials claimed that team doctors were given limited access to Simmons to diagnose and confirm his mental health issues.
After Simmons was traded, his representatives had several conversations with the 76ers but those talks ended without a resolution.
Beginning last November 15, the Sixers withheld approximately $360K for each game Simmons missed (1/91.6th of his overall salary). Simmons received a $16.5MM advance on his salary during the offseason, thus there wasn’t enough money in each paycheck to cover the per-game deductions.
Along with the amount for escrow that was withheld by the NBA, the Sixers deducted nearly $1.3MM of Simmons’ salary from each pay check.