Warriors Notes: Green, Roster Openings, Wiggins, Poole, Durant, Lacob
JaMychal Green officially became a free agent on Friday when he cleared waivers. That opens up a path for Green to sign with the Warriors. He’ll provide necessary depth at forward, since Golden State lost Otto Porter Jr. to Toronto and Nemanja Bjelica decided to play in Europe. Green is a proven 3-point threat and can guard multiple positions, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes.
We have more on the Warriors:
- In the same story, Slater indicates Golden State will likely guarantee only 14 roster spots heading into training camp. Green would fill the 12th spot and rookie Ryan Rollins is expected to sign a multi-year contract. Andre Iguodala could fill the 14th spot if he doesn’t retire.
- The Nets are not “super high” on Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole as centerpieces of a deal for Kevin Durant, Zach Lowe of ESPN said on his podcast (hat tip to Ali Thanawalla of Yahoo Sports). That’s one reason why a deal with Golden State didn’t gain traction, even though it had some picks to dangle. “I don’t know if there ever really was a deal there that the Nets would have done. Obviously, you have to explore it if you’re the Warriors,” Lowe said. It’s also worth noting that Brooklyn wouldn’t be able to acquire Wiggins this season as long as Ben Simmons is still on the team.
- Owner Joe Lacob made his case with fellow team owners at the recent Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas that tax penalties should be reduced when teams re-sign players they drafted, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article. Three of Golden State’s four highest-paid players — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — were draft picks that have only played for one team.
Kings Interested In Quinn Cook
The Kings are eyeing free agent guard Quinn Cook, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports.
Sacramento is one of several teams talking to the free agent point guard. Cook finished last season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.
The NBA Kings are looking for a No. 3 point guard behind De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell. They planned to hold workouts for Cook and another veteran free agent point guard, Matthew Dellavedova, during the Summer League in Las Vegas, says Anderson.
Cook, 29, didn’t see action in any NBA games last season but had a combined 23 appearances for the Lakers and Cavaliers in 2020/21. He has also played for Golden State, Dallas and New Orleans during his 188-game NBA career, averaging 6.4 PPG and 1.6 APG in 14.1 MPG while making 40.8% of his 3-point attempts. In 11 games with Stockton last season, he put up 23.5 PPG, 5.9 APG and 4.9 RPG.
Knicks Notes: Tampering, Brunson, Wright, Fournier, Rose, Mitchell
There is a strong possibility the NBA will open up a tampering investigation into the Knicks’ recruitment of Jalen Brunson, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. A rival team doesn’t necessarily need to file official tampering charges to make it happen, considering that reports of an agreement between the Knicks and Brunson surfaced before the two sides could negotiate. The Knicks also made salary-shedding moves with the confidence Brunson would come aboard if they opened up enough cap room.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Brunson’s college coach, Jay Wright, said the former Villanova star will embrace the pressure of playing in New York City, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. “He is very comfortable in having all that pressure on him,” Wright said of Brunson. “When Luka [Doncic] was out, he was very comfortable taking on that responsibility in the playoffs. But he’s really smart and he really knows that he needs good players around him, too. His basketball IQ is off the charts. He will look at the game like a coach and a general manager. His ego doesn’t get in the way. But he’ll never shy from the responsibility. He loves it.”
- If the Knicks don’t trade RJ Barrett or Julius Randle in a blockbuster deal for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, then either Derrick Rose or Evan Fournier would have to be dealt for salary-matching purposes. SNY TV’s Ian Begley looks at potential combinations of players that the Knicks could send out to Utah.
- Mitchell may be one of the top 10 offensive talents in the league but he’s not considered a top-10 player overall due to his defensive shortcomings. The Ringer’s Dan Devine explores whether Mitchell is the right star for the Knicks to pursue.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 7/21/2022
The transcript for our Thursday live chat can be found here.
Please join Luke Adams on Tuesday at noon CT for our next live chat.
JaMychal Green Bought Out By Thunder, Plans To Join Warriors
JULY 20: Green has officially been waived by the Thunder, the team announced (via Twitter). He will clear waivers on Friday.
JULY 19: Veteran forward JaMychal Green is negotiating a contract buyout with the Thunder, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Once it is completed and he clears waivers, Green intends to sign with the defending champion Warriors.
Oklahoma City had sought to deal Green after acquiring him from the Nuggets last month. That didn’t happen and now Green is looking to help Golden State defend its latest title.
Green, 32, is at the stage of his career where he provides greater value to a contender than a rebuilding team. He’s on an $8.2MM expiring contract for 2022/23.
On a veteran’s minimum deal for a player with eight years of service, Green can sign with the Warriors for $2,628,597. Golden State’s cap hit would be $1,836,090, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
Golden State only has 11 players on its 15-man roster, along with two unsigned second-round picks. Thus, there’s plenty of roster room for the Warriors to bring in Green.
Denver dealt Green to the Thunder in June. The Nuggets also sent a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to No. 30 pick Peyton Watson and two second-rounders (one in 2023 and one in 2024).
Green had a down year in 2021/22, averaging 6.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG on .486/.266/.871 shooting in 67 games (16.2 MPG) for the Nuggets, but has proven to be an effective stretch four over the years. Entering ’21/22, he had knocked down 38.0% of his three-point attempts in his first seven NBA seasons.
He’ll provide depth for Golden State at power forward behind Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga.
Oklahoma City is still in the process of paring down its overloaded roster. The team will have 19 players officially under contract once Green is officially cut.
Kyle Korver Joins Hawks’ Front Office
JULY 20: The hiring of Korver is official, the Hawks confirmed today in a press release. He’ll be involved in creating and overseeing a development plan for each Hawks player, the team explained in its announcement.
“We are excited to bring Kyle back to the Hawks,” Hawks GM Landry Fields said in a statement. “He is a tremendous person and someone whose presence will benefit all of our players, both on and off the court, drawing from his unique experiences over his 17-year playing career, as a late-second round pick who later became an All-Star in Atlanta and one of the league’s all-time best shooters.”
JULY 19: The Hawks are hiring Kyle Korver to a front office position, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Korver will have the title of Director of Player Affairs and Development, per Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
Korver served as a Nets player development coach last season after a lengthy playing career that began in 2003 and ended after the 2019/20 season. He played for six organizations, including the Hawks from 2012-17. He made the All-Star team while playing for Atlanta in 2015.
He’ll work under president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk.
The 51st overall pick in the 2003 draft, Korver appeared in a total of 1,232 regular season games – and another 145 postseason contests – for the Sixers, Jazz, Bulls, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Bucks. He averaged 9.7 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 25.3 minutes per game and was one of the top long-distance shooters of his era, knocking down 42.9% of his three-pointers during his career.
Sidy Cissoko Joins Ignite, Looks To Emulate Daniels
Potential 2023 first-round pick Sidy Cissoko has signed with the NBA’s G League Ignite, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports.
Cissoko, a 6’7” wing, is currently ranked No. 25 in ESPN’s 2023 mock draft.
“We explored several options with my agents and I was convinced G League Ignite was the best opportunity to achieve my goals,” Cissoko said. “The ability of this program to maximize the potential of its players on and off the court convinced me. Even more, the tailor-made development program and opportunity to start my transition to the US game style, 3-point line and off-court life is a key asset. I felt during our conversations with the staff that I was a priority.”
Cissoko, 18, is the third-ranked prospect in his class in Europe beyond projected 2023 top pick Victor Wembanyama and Rayan Rupert, Givony says.
Cissoko was encouraged by the ascension of Australian Dyson Daniels in this year’s draft. Daniels boosting his draft stock dramatically during his season with Ignite and was selected No. 8 overall by the Pelicans.
“Dyson shows the ability of the G League to get international players drafted high,” Cissoko said.
Cissoko joins projected 2023 No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson on the Ignite’s roster, as well as 6’10” Canadian forward Leonard Miller and Nigerian Efe Abogidi, who was recruited out of the NCAA transfer portal from Washington State. The Ignite are eyeing several more international prospects.
Cissoko played this past season for Baskonia’s second team in LEB Gold and participated in the Nike Hoop Summit at Portland in April. He is currently practicing with the French under-18 national team in preparation for the FIBA U18 European Championship, which starts on July 30 in Izmir, Turkey. He’ll join the Ignite after the tournament.
Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Playoffs
The play-in tournament, which has been adopted as an every-season fixture, means that only 10 of 30 NBA teams won’t get at least a taste of the postseason from year to year.
Last season, the Knicks, Wizards, Pacers, Pistons and Magic were the five Eastern Conference teams who failed to qualify.
All of those teams, via some combination of the draft, free agency and trades, have made numerous roster moves this summer in an effort to improve their stock.
Let’s take a quick look at each of those clubs’ major moves, focusing on acquisitions beyond re-signing their own free agents:
- Knicks – They made a big splash by dumping salary in order to sign one of the top free agents on the board, Mavs guard Jalen Brunson. They also upgraded their frontcourt by nabbing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Of course, they are considered the favorites to acquire Donovan Mitchell if Utah deals the All-Star guard.
- Wizards – They were intent on upgrading their point guard position and did so by trading for Monte Morris from Denver and signing free agent Delon Wright. Small forward Will Barton was also acquired from the Nuggets. They also added high-scoring guard Johnny Davis with their lottery pick.
- Pacers – The went all-out to sign All-Star caliber center Deandre Ayton and came up short, as the Suns matched their offer sheet. They did add a very promising wing, Bennedict Mathurin, in the lottery. They also added guard Andrew Nembhard with the first pick of the second round. Guard Aaron Nesmith and center Daniel Theis were acquired in the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston.
- Pistons – Thanks to a draft-night swap, Detroit ended up with two lottery selections. The Pistons selected point guard Jaden Ivey with their own pick to pair up in the backcourt with last year’s No. 1 overall selection, Cade Cunningham. A three-way trade gave them the rights to center Jalen Duren. They also added guard Alec Burks and big man Nerlens Noel via the Knicks’ salary-dumping maneuvers.
- Magic – Other then re-signing Mohamed Bamba and Gary Harris, the Magic have been relatively quiet on the free agent market. However, they had the No. 1 overall selection in a loaded lottery and used it on Duke forward Paolo Banchero, giving them a dynamic forward combo alongside last year’s lottery pick, Franz Wagner.
That brings us to our question of the day: Which Eastern Conference team that failed to reach the postseason this spring – Knicks, Wizards, Pacers, Pistons, Magic – has the best chance to qualify for next year’s playoffs?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Miles Bridges Charged With Felony Domestic Abuse
Hornets forward and restricted free agent Miles Bridges has been charged with felony domestic abuse in Los Angeles County, tweets Steve Reed of The Associated Press.
A press release from the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office stated that Bridges is facing multiple charges — one felony count of injuring a child’s parent and two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death. The case also includes an allegation of causing great bodily injury on the domestic violence victim.
Arraignment is scheduled on Wednesday at L.A. County Superior Court.
“Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors,” DA George Gascón said in a press release. “Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable. Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process.”
The alleged assault of the victim occurred on or about June 27 or June 28, according to the criminal complaint. The case remains under investigation by L.A.’s Police Department, the release adds.
Bridges was just days away from potentially signing a massive new deal with the Hornets or an offer sheet from a rival team before he was arrested. His NBA future is now up in the air.
Northwest Notes: Juzang, Vanderbilt, Thunder, KCP
Two-way player Johnny Juzang could be another developmental success story for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes.
Juzang, one of UCLA’s stars during the Final Four run in 2021, should get more of an opportunity than most undrafted rookies with Utah apparently shifting to rebuild mode. There are questions about Juzang’s defensive ability, but he proved to be a steady offensive threat in college. He struggled in Summer League action, shooting 26.1% from the field.
“I feel like I see the floor pretty well right now but I want to continue to become even more of a playmaker,” Juzang said. “I’m also focused on playing on and off the ball. It will all come with time.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, one of the players acquired from the Timberwolves in the Rudy Gobert deal, should be a defensive asset for the Jazz. He recognizes that he can be even more of a force if he develops his offensive game, according to Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune. Vanderbilt started 67 regular season games for Minnesota last season but only averaged 6.9 PPG in 25.4 MPG. “Finishing around the rim, touch; working on my shooting, trying to expand my range; working on ball-handling and counter-moves,” Vanderbilt said of what he needs to work on the most. “I’m still young in my career, where I have a lot of opportunity to still grow and expand my game as well. I’m sticking to the foundation that got me here, but building off that.”
- What did the Thunder learn about No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and the rest of their squad at the Vegas Summer League? Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman breaks down their performances.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s two-year extension with the Nuggets is worth $14.7MM in 2023/24, with a $15.44MM player option for ’24/25, Hoops Rumors has learned. The deal comes in at approximately $30.15MM in total.
- In case you missed it, Kenrich Williams agreed to a four-year extension with the Thunder. Get all the details here.